Bantry Bay

In Bantry, TSH and Diva took an excursion to Gougane Barra National Park, which resembles parts of the English Lake District. The roads were very narrow with no passing places. Diva sympathised with the (female) driver of a car which met the coach and had to reverse for some way in an awkward place. Other (female) guests spent the time howling with laughter at her plight.

The driver sang ‘Danny Boy’ and ’40 Shades of Green’, which is an unlikely Johnny Cash song written when he toured in Ireland. He finished with some yodelling. 

On the tender, a US guest was heard to ask an Australian guest how long it would take to ‘see’ their country. She had ‘seen’ New Zealand in 14 days and wondered if the time would be comparable.

In the evening, TSH and Diva decided it was just warm enough for their third (and last) pizza night in (outdoor) Spaccanapoli. Excellent as ever. They were told that late every evening a huge pizza is prepared for crew members, who are all ravenous after their day’s hard work.

Dressing Down

The Silver Spirit was extended some years ago – it was cut in half and a new section inserted. TSH wondered if the leak from the ceiling in the entrance to Dolce Vita coincided with the join. Two crew members were working on a repair – the sections of pipe laid out in the corridor looked like a Lego project.

On passing a Silver Spirit management meeting where the participants all greeted him as he passed, TSH decided to interrupt properly to tell them how impressed he was with the cleaning and maintenance of the toilets in the public areas. Makes a change from people praising the butlers and the glamorous waiters!!

The dress code is now over. On an ‘Elegant Casual’ night in Atlantide, Diva saw denim jeans, T shirts, sweat shirts, many many trainers and a fleece. She wondered if people had changed into these outfits or whether they had just come in for refuelling at the end of the day. Hopefully they had washed their hands at least.

One of Diva’s gel nails came off.

3rd

On the sail away from Killybegs, TSH and Diva saw a large group of dolphins around the Silver Spirit. Perhaps not quite as spectacular as seeing orcas.

At the Venetian night on the 4^th and final leg of their cruise, TSH and Diva dropped down the league to 3^rd place. There are about 380 guests on board Silver Spirit, including 204 Venetians, which is a much lower proportion than on most voyages in the past. Dinner was with the Guest Relations Manager and the Reception Manager.

On the way into the cocktail party, Diva reassured Captain Ivo, who greeted her by name and was concerned about her welfare in the light of her failure to take a poncho and an umbrella.

In Galway, they cancelled the planned excursion and walked around the city on their own. The tender journey was a little rough at the end and they were pleased that it was driven by an experienced seaman and it was not an Officer Training Day (as has occasionally happened before).

Morning Music

Going ashore in Killybegs, there was a line-up of Captain, Hotel Director, Cruise Director etc wishing them a good day out. Captain Ivo tried hard to make Diva take a poncho or an umbrella but she insisted that her waterproof coat and hood was more than capable of dealing with Irish weather.

The excursion was to Leo’s Tavern, a pub owned by a musical family which produced Clannad and Enya. TSH and Diva enjoyed the music but refused the Irish Coffee. Caffeine and alcohol. In the morning!

Into Ireland

The crossing from Iceland to Ireland was via very rough seas, as Diva had discovered in advance. It was difficult to walk around without veering or staggering. Absolutely nothing to do with the wine. So it was a relief to all to reach the anchor point at Greencastle. This was nominally the port for Derry but after TSH and Diva had gone ashore via the tender, they discovered that the shuttle bus (which took about 45 minutes) did not connect with the tender timetable. They returned to Silver Spirit after buying plasters for TSH’s cut finger. Don’t ask.

Making a purchase was interesting. TSH and Diva know that Derry is in Northern Ireland – part of the UK – and expected to pay in UK currency. The advice in the Silversea chronicles was to use Euros. Which turned out to be correct in Greencastle itself, which is in the Republic of Ireland. Fortunately, TSH had both currencies in his wallet.

Whilst anchored, they were lucky to see three (?) dolphins just below their balcony.

When the technology started to reset, there were 23 messages from Silversea on the TV system all at once. Some relating to events from several days earlier.

For the first time in several weeks, there were a few hours of darkness.

Trouble with technology

On this leg of the cruise, TV reception has been patchy, due to ‘low elevation of the satellite’. TSH and Diva think that means they are in the middle of nowhere with low population density and it is not worthwhile to provide satellite internet. They have not been receiving the usual daily crop of on-board messages about spa treatments, restaurant reservations and future cruises, which implies that these messages are stored centrally and there is currently no connection. When they switched on the TV one mornng to a message about ‘basic mode’, they assumed it was more of the same until Diva consulted her smartphone and discovered that there were world-wide IT outages. Their butler delivered a typed copy of the Room Service Menu (usually accessed via the TV), so that if they found themselves unexpectedly hungry they would know what to ask for.

Mars in the Mist

The weather in Djupivogur was cold and misty and TSH and Diva stayed on the Silver Spirit. The Panorama lounge was only a few degrees warmer than outside and it stayed that way despite several guests (including Diva) and crew reporting the situation. They were told that it was equally cold on the Bridge. If the senior officers cannot keep themselves warm there is not much hope for anyone else.

Concerned about the North Atlantic crossing to Ireland, Diva consulted the Met Office shipping forecast. She has no experience with this information and does not really understand it but 2 large deep red rectangles right in the path of the Silver Spirit did not seem good. She considered informing Captain Ivo, just in case he was not aware of the dangers ahead but TSH advised against this, as he was sure that Captain Ivo would have his own sources. When the Captain spoke to the guests he indicated that the sea would be ‘moderate to rough’, so Diva issued Stugeron and they hoped for the best. The necklace that Diva chose for the evening was likened by one of the crew to one that was found on Titanic – not a good omen on a cruise ship!!  At the time of writing, nothing too bad has been experienced.

Here is a picture of Viking Mars – anchored quite close to Silver Spirit in Djupivogur. This is not a bad photograph, this is exactly how it was. 

Prompt Politics

In Seydisfjordur, the weather reverted to cold and damp but this did not deter TSH and Diva from taking a short walk around the town. As this is their 3^rd visit of the cruise, they are becoming quite familiar with it. Some tourists from the USA (from Silver Spirit or Viking Mars) stopped them as they walked and asked where they might find a coffee bar. It then took about a minute and a half for the Americans to express dismay with the state of US politics. They seem to be seriously considering emigrating to the UK.

Back on board Silver Spirit, Diva is experiencing the usual trouble with her suite card becoming regularly demagnetised, in spite of care to keep it away from her phone.

The crew are as attentive as ever and beginning to remember what drinks TSH and Diva have. One afternoon, they brought Diva a cup of hot water because the last time that waiter served her she had decided to supply her own tea bag (she always carries a few for variety).

They overheard a group of American women asking a waiter what beer they should drink. He suggested Budweiser, Heineken or a new one – Newcastle Brown (!!). They tried all three and seemed quite impressed with the NB.

Concerned Captain

Captain Ivo is very concerned that TSH and Diva are happy and comfortable. In Atlantide one night he asked why they were not watching the football match. Diva assured him that they were saving themselves for the victory parade but alas that was not to be. When they went ashore in Akureyri, he said that Diva would be cold. She should be wearing a jacket, despite bright sunshine and relatively warm weather. She assured him that her wool cardigan would be adequate and this turned out to be the case.

Captain Ivo occasionally announces the presence of whales around the Silver Spirit but so far TSH and Diva have failed to spot them.

The excursion was excellent – the Godfoss waterfall followed by the Botanic Gardens. All in warm weather.

Diva and the Director

On the first night of the final leg of their cruise, TSH and Diva had dinner in Atlantide. Captain Ivo and the Hotel Director were at the next table. The wine service was below standard – TSH was served with alcohol-free red when he had asked for white. The refill he requested did not appear and Diva’s glass was empty. They did not complain (except to each other) but the Portuguese Hotel Director is an observant man. Suddenly two glasses of port appeared with his compliments. Diva waved a ‘Salute’ at him before drinking hers.

When TSH goes to the La Terrazza buffet, he leaves his small blue glasses case in a prominent place on the table to act as a marker for his return. The crew have observed and remarked on this and one waiter requested a demo of the folding glasses fitting into it.

There was disappointment at finally leaving the Reykjavik area without any sight of volcanic activity.

Sociable Start

At the start of the 4^th leg, for the first time that she can remember, Diva was greeted at the lunch buffet by a newly embarked guest with whom they had sailed before - on the Silver Moon. She and TSH were greeted as old friends by other In Transit guests and they also made a new friend in the queue outside La Terrazza. This experience is already more sociable than most of the previous 3 legs.

Also in Reykjavik was Saga Spirit of Discovery, which will be taking them to the Canaries in March 2025. Even in port, the wind was so strong that the original intention to do Tai Chi on an open deck was dropped.

Some of the crew do not remember TSH and Diva and are welcoming them aboard in Silversea style. Others are very familiar with them by now. When one waiter tried to explain how things worked, a more experienced one pointed out ‘these people have spent more time on the Silversea ships than we have’.

The head sommelier, with whom they have travelled many times, has left the ship but not before she introduced her replacement, also a Serb, to them.

Westman weather woes

TSH and Diva were looking forward to the Westman Islands. They were to have sight of Surtsey, the island which was created by volcanic activity in the early 1960s and of the remains of a town destroyed by volcanic activity – ‘Pompeii of the North’. But Diva was concerned about the low mist and the high swell as they ate their minimal breakfast before the early tour departure. So she was conflicted when the Captain used the PA system to inform everybody that it was not safe to operate the tenders and the port would be missed. The Silver Spirit would spend the day at sea before arriving as scheduled in Reykjavik.

A Code Alpha (medical emergency) alert was followed by another announcement from Captain Ivo. It was necessary to reach Reykjavik as soon as possible and arrival would be in the afternoon. Eventually the arrival time was changed again to ‘after dinner’.

The rough sea was such that the serving dishes on the lunchtime buffet were placed on clingfilm, increasing the coefficient of friction and preventing sliding and spilling. TSH would have liked such an arrangement for his chair, which slid around as he ate his lunch.

Round and Round

The white-knuckle excursion on the Faroe Isles involved a long tunnel under the ocean as they crossed from one island to another. This was followed by a ride along one-track mountain roads with steep drops, especially at the hairpin bends.

They did, however go twice round the only (alleged) roundabout on the planet which is under an ocean.

On the plus side, TSH and Diva had good sight of extremely dramatic cliffs where – spoiler alert – 007 died in a recent film. The chocolate cake at the refreshment stop was very good but not quite as good as Diva’s brownies.

The Faroes appear to be more developed than Iceland, although it is unclear why. TSH and Diva even saw a supermarket!! The claim is that 90% of the income is derived from fish. Sheep-shearing was in full swing - there are more sheep, of a variety of colours, than humans.

Perfect Peaches

On the third Venetian night of the cruise, TSH and Diva again came second. On this occasion, their name was, for the first time, pronounced correctly and reference was made to their diligent use of hand sanitisers throughout the ship. They are shocked that this precaution appears to be noteworthy.

Statistics: 478 guests on board. 209 Venetians – a much lower proportion than TSH and Diva are used to.

Whilst waiting for the announcements to begin, Diva received a tap on the shoulder from Captain Ivo. He was checking that all was well with her and assuring her that the seas would be calm overnight. They were also approached by the Food and Beverage manager, who told them that grilled peaches would be available for them at any time they went to Atlantide for breakfast. And this turned out to be true. Perfectly grilled and presented as in the past. Full marks to him and the restaurant staff.

Replaced by Regent

In Seydisfjordur, TSH and Diva were expecting to dock, like last time they were here a week or so ago. Instead, they were forced to anchor and tender because Regent Seven Seas Splendour had taken the only berth. As this is such an attractive town, they went ashore for a walk in spite of the inconvenience. In the tender on the return journey to Silver Spirit, they chatted to climate change deniers from Ohio. Fortunately everybody remained civil.

In Djupivogur, they decided not to go ashore because a long tender was involved and there is very little to see in the town. Instead they admired the magnificent views from the Silver Spirit of the smooth waters of the fjord and the jagged tops of the mountains. The sky is now blue.

TSH and Diva have some On Board Credit included as part of their booking. It has to be spent on board on this cruise or lost forever. So Diva decided to treat herself to an incredibly over-priced tinted lip balm. For which the ‘boutique’ had no testers or colour charts!! She did not purchase. Her pedicure went well in spite of an attempt to persuade her to move from ‘basic’ to something more expensive – unspecified, as price lists are not readily available. The woman who did the pedicure was kind and totally unlike the brutal one on Saga.

TSH had a lunch-time dessert immediately followed by 2 scoops of chocolate ice-cream. The server asked if he needed 2 spoons for ‘sharing’. The answer was a resounding ‘no’.

Most of the crew, including the security officer, are now addressing TSH and Diva by name and the restaurants manager regularly curtseys.

Left in the Lift

In Husavik, TSH and Diva decided not to go ashore, mainly because the Silver Spirit was (unexpectedly) anchored and a tender journey was needed. The weather was initially grey and drizzly but by afternoon there was bright sunlight and magnificent views from the ship. Diva was glad that they had not booked for whale watching when she saw the small fast boats which were being used.

With less than three weeks to go until the return home, TSH and Diva are becoming very accustomed to ship life and being waited on. They are even adapting to the new menus.

On the floor of the lift there was a plate, containing just a few crumbs. Diva could only speculate as to how it came to be there. On the whole, guests and crew do not eat their meals in the lift.

Akureyri Again

On the second (watch this space!!) visit to Akureyri, TSH and Diva did a self-guided tour around the harbour and into the town centre, which was mostly open even on a Sunday morning. There was snow on the surrounding mountain tops and in the gullies. Although the weather was cold – less than 10 degrees C – their warm clothes are proving adequate.

 When dining with the Future Cruise consultant, he pointed out that TSH and Diva were the only guests who always used the sanitiser as they passed his office. Still clean!

Photoblog

Aberdeen Winter Gardens

 

Seydisfjordur

Puffin

Eggs of Merry Bay

Stone Museum

Orkney Sunset

Lennon Link

TSH and Diva did not go into Reykjavik, as the Silver Spirit was docked some way out and there was no shuttle bus. So they enjoyed a few relaxing hours onboard until the next set of guests embarked.

They spent some time looking at a point on the southern horizon where there appeared to be a plume of smoke. This is a possible sighting of the result of the currently active volcano. In the Arts Café, they chatted with the on-coming Food and Beverage Manager, who is from Birkdale, near Liverpool. He now knows about the missing grilled peaches.

TSH and Diva are now very familiar to the crew and seem to have achieved celebrity status with some. The restaurants manager delivered a sweeping curtsey as they arrived for breakfast in La Terrazza.

Guests on this new leg, like the last one, are younger than the usual Silversea guests and sometimes this feels more like an expedition cruise.

Also in port was Regent Seven Seas Splendour.

On the way out of Reykjavik, Captain Ivo, in his accented English, pointed out something connected with John Lennon. Diva heard ‘tavern’ but TSH correctly identified ‘tower’. The connection is explained here: Imagine Peace Tower - Wikipedia

In Patreksfjordur for the second time, it was sufficiently cold that, on an open deck, TSH and Diva practised Tai Chi wearing coats. Also, for the first time ever, TSH wore gloves throughout.

Eccentric English

Overheard in a museum: ‘It’s just a collection of old things’.

On the bus they overheard a heated debate about the difference between a fjord and a peninsula. Neither participant knew which was water and which was land. Both words had to be Googled for clarification. Diva has O-level Latin and had to stop herself from explaining the derivation of ‘peninsula’.

The variant of English used by the crew must be specially taught. The Cruise Directors have always said ‘at this time’ for now and ‘start your disembarkation process’ for ‘leave now’. Recently they have heard  ‘May I prepare you another coffee?’ for ‘Do you want some more?’. Waiters now ‘guide you through your dining experience’.

Transport Terror

Akureyri was the most scenic port so far, but that could be due to the effect of the unusual bright sun. They enjoyed an unescorted walk around the town and harbour.   Captain Ivo now recognises TSH and Diva. He exchanged a few pleasantries with Diva and when he met TSH he advised him to keep a watch for whales during the sail-away along the fjord.  TSH kept watch from the balcony for some time but there was only one possible whale sighting.

From Patreksfjordur, TSH and Diva went on an excursion to a bird cliff.  They had excellent close sightings of the puffins and possible sightings of seals on the rocks far below. Diva was glad she had eaten a good breakfast, as the no-choice lunch consisted of bread (fresh, excellent) and cream of mushroom soup (she does not eat cream). On return to the Silver Spirit, they had finger sandwiches in the Arts Café.

The drive along narrow unfenced roads with steep drops at the side was terrifying for Diva, especially when passing other vehicles. Fortunately the local driver was both careful and experienced. Another guest was appalled when the return journey took the same difficult route as he expected to return ‘on an Interstate’.

Overheard on board

Whilst looking at a German ‘Mein Schiff’:  Crew member ‘That is a German ship. They pay very well but if you work there you have to speak German’. Guest: ‘I should think they would have to pay more if you have to learn German. English is a much better language.’ Note that for very few crew members is English a first language.

During the escorted walk in Seydisfjordur, they were shown an archaeological dig and told about the dangers of avalanches and rock falls. Both are common and unpredictable. People asked what they should do in such an event. The answer was ‘run’ but there was no advice about in which direction.

Refreshments were served in a hotel whose plain interior seemed more like a climbers’ hut (not that Diva has ever been in a climbers’ hut). TSH collected some items which he thought were chocolate but turned out to be some kind of dried fish. No information was available about any of the food offered. The weather was cold but the heaters made it possible for burgers on deck for the second time on this cruise.

Initial Iceland

The excursion at Djupivogur, Iceland, was described as a ‘Culture Walk’. Diva knew it was only a small town but envisaged a main square, a church, a town hall.  Instead, they were guided round an industrial estate, and then up a fairly steep path. For Diva, this definitely fell into the mountaineering category. The interesting things they saw were the egg sculptures representing the eggs of local birds, the small houses for the elves (very important in Iceland) oyster catchers and eider ducks with their chicks. One woman asked if there was any connection with her eiderdown. The guide was very polite but, really, the clue was in the name.

Part way through the ordeal (for Diva), they were beckoned by a woman in a long skirt and a shawl , reminiscent of the woman in 73 yards – a recent Dr Who episode. They were ushered into an ‘arts centre’ in a disused fish tank. The door was closed to achieve total darkness and then the woman sang, in Icelandic (?) in the resultant eco chamber. TSH quite enjoyed the morning, which may be partly due to his use of his camera.

On return to Silver Spirit, Diva found the missing toothbrush head – tucked behind the spare toilet roll, where TSH had stored it for safe-keeping. $4.99 of on-board credit wasted.

2nd

At the Venetian night on the second leg of their cruise, TSH and Diva were second in the league. They will not do better on the rest of the cruise as the guests with over 2000 days are also staying on to Southampton. The Silver Spirit is not full – only about 350 guests (max is about 580), of which less than half are Venetians (sailed with Silversea before).

They dined that night with Captain Ivo Botica (Dubrovnik), Hotel Director Luis de Sousa Marques (Portuguese but living in Mexico) and four other British guests. They discovered that they had not misheard Captain Botica’s announcements – he really does start with ‘This is your silly captain speaking’!!  The Hotel Director expressed his view that Covid tests are a waste of time, as you can obtain a positive result by dropping orange juice onto the tester. Diva’s view is that the tests are meant for people, not orange juice.

Music Magic

The Welcome bottle of pink champagne is finished. Mostly by Diva but TSH has allowed himself the occasional glass (without incident). TSH has been assured in the past that only on initial embarkation is pink issued and after that it is replaced by ‘normal’ white champagne. Diva charmed Isaac the butler, explaining that they are embarking 4 times. And he brought another bottle of pink champagne!

But Diva cannot be on form just now, as she has missed two opportunities to give strategic guidance to the Silver Spirit management. In conversation with the head butler she failed to mention the dust on the bathroom shelf, the less than thorough vacuuming and the persistent stain on the worktop. At lunch time, the executive chef was standing outside La Terrazza – although not engaging with guests – and she did not tell him about the missing grilled peaches. Perhaps the blueberry pancakes made up for them.

Regular readers will remember that on a previous cruise Diva brought along an electric toothbrush with no brush head. This time, TSH brought a brush head but has now lost it. So he is reduced to using a manual toothbrush bought on board.

The background music throughout the ship is as dreary and old fashioned as ever. Bad covers of USA rat pack, mostly.  If Royal Caribbean are trying to attract a younger set of guests they will need to do better. It was astonishing that within an hour in Panorama lounge this morning, TSH and Diva heard both Ed Sheeran and Queen. ‘It’s a kind on magic’. They made sure to tell the bar staff how much they appreciated the change.

The sea has been calmer than anticipated and perhaps TSH and Diva did not need their precautionary Stugeron.

Lerwick Lost

When the captain’s voice is heard on the public address system before 8am, it is never good news. Especially when he says ‘This is s very important announcement’. The Silver Spirit will not make the planned call at Lerwick, Shetland because of a threatened storm. If the ship were to dock, the chances are that it would have to remain there for several days. So TSH and Diva are heading straight to Iceland, with the estimated arrival time unchanged. With an extra day at sea, the journey is obviously expected to be slow. The crew are securing the large plant pots and safely storing the cushions from the outside chairs. TSH and Diva have taken medication and are wearing their wrist bands.

The last time TSH and Diva crossed from the UK to Iceland in 2013, the sea was sufficiently angry that they said they would never do that crossing again!

The Silver Spirit is now so far north that there is very little darkness in the night. Perhaps that is why the telephone rang at 1:30 am. Diva was asked if she had ordered ginger tea. She was reasonably polite to the caller but very annoyed. The next morning, an oblivious TSH asked if there had been a telephone call in the night and, if so, what it had been about. There was a verbal apology from the Head Butler, who blamed the disturbance on ‘a technical problem’.

The dinner reservation in La Terrrazza (Deck7) has been cancelled. TSH and Diva will eat in Atlantide on Deck 5. Lower down and more stable.

Cruise Capital

Kirkwall, Orkney Islands, is reckoned by some to be the Cruise Capital of the UK because it has the most number of cruise ship calls which are not embarkations. TSH and Diva cancelled their morning excursion because there did not seem to be any point in a scenic tour engulfed in the haar which had followed them from Aberdeen. Instead, they took the shuttle bus into the centre of Kirkwall and took an unguided walking tour. TSH bought some shoelaces.

Whilst TSH and Diva were having elevenses in the Panorama lounge, the Captain walked by. He acknowledged them and said he would work on keeping good weather and smooth seas.

The desserts at lunch time are always very beautiful but not appealing to Diva because they are smothered in cream, which she does not like. On this occasion they offered an excellent Scottish option – Ecclefechan cake – which tasted like a rich fruit cake.

The evening show featured Mark Haslam, a magician originally from the Lake District but who now works in USA. His card tricks were excellent and quite baffling.

 

Aberdeen Adventures

Bagpipes are playing a significant part now. TSH and Diva were greeted on arrival by pipers in both Newhaven and Aberdeen and an impressive group of pipers performed a pre-dinner show in Newhaven. The rest of the show was less to their taste and Diva insisted on leaving when the host tried to get people to join in with ‘Donald where’s yer troosers’.

On entry to the show, the Cruise Director was working hard at her charm offensive and informed TSH that he was looking very handsome. He replied that this was not a surprise, as he thought he looked handsome all the time.

In Aberdeen, TSH and Diva were walking through the Reception area towards the gangway when another guest asked them where the tour buses were. Perhaps expecting them to be brought on board? He certainly had not read the joining instructions sent out the previous evening. Guests going on tour were waved off by an impressive line-up of Captain, Hotel director, Cruise Director, Guest Relations Manager and several others. Perhaps it was the first time Silver Spirit had visited Aberdeen and there was to be a ceremony with local authorities.

The tour consisted of a drive round the city followed by rather too long at the impressive Winter Gardens. There was a strong smell of fish in the harbour area but it was not clear exactly where it came from.

Sitting in the café in the afternoon, a German guest excused his generous consumption of Sauvignon Blanc with ‘It’s dark somewhere’. Clearly their equivalent of ‘It’s five o’clock somewhere’.

Magnificent Mariners

 On their second visit to Newhaven (for Edinburgh0, TSH and Diva decided to go ashore for a short walk. Making the journey to Edinburgh seemed too much effort – almost 30 minutes on the tender plus 30 minutes on the shuttle bus plus waiting and connection times. They much preferred the previous arrangement when Silversea ships docked in Leith next to Royal Yacht Britannia.

Going ashore, they were greeted by a man from the local tourist organisation. TSH, who can be tactless, has specific instructions not to talk to people from the USA about their presidents in general or Donald Trump in particular. Unfortunately, Diva had not thought of banning conversation about football at a time when Scotland is out of the Euro 2024 competition and England is, at least for the moment, still in the running.

The current captain of the Silver Spirit does not speak good English and struggles with the announcements, of which he makes as few as possible. At the start of each announcement, he seems to say ‘This is your silly captain speaking from the bridge’ but he probably means ‘Silversea captain’.

Today is the International Day of the Seafarer. At lunch-time, using the public address system, the Captain spoke to express his thanks to the whole crew for their efforts in making the customer experience excellent. TSH and Diva joined in the applause requested and as a result two of the Maitre D’s came over to chat to them. It was a strange time to make such an address –  La Terrazza was almost deserted because most guests were ashore in Newhaven.

News from Newcastle

The second visit to Newcastle took place on a warm sunny day. TSH and Diva were pleased to welcome a family member onboard for lunch. Fortunately she arrived after the crew drill, when there were several announcements about fires and assembling at the lifeboat stations. They were surprised that she managed to eat only two desserts!

There is an art curator on the Silver Spirit. He organises guided tours of the art onboard so that he can then sell them to the unwary. There is a current emphasis on photographs of Marilyn Monroe, as it is her birthday month. (For our younger readers: she was an American film star who reputedly had affairs with many influential men and died of a drugs overdose in 1962)

TSH was disturbed when a fellow guest assumed from his accent that he was from Newcastle rather than Cumbria. However, he was pleased that his comments to the cruise director about inadequate and contradictory information about shuttle bus arrangements on the previous visit resulted in a much better level of information this time.

Diva was pleased to return to the port where port security, as well as a fellow guest, admired her dress on the first visit, even though she was dressed differently this time. She has also been repeating her regular role of washing machine consultant. She is entitled to complimentary laundry service but occasionally visits the guest launderette, where she gives advice to those who cannot operate unfamiliar machines.

Although there will not be much requirement for clock changes on the current Silver Spirit cruise, some guests are confused. A woman was observed outside the theatre shouting loudly about why there was no lecture starting. A crew member explained politely that her watch was wrong, that she was an hour early and that such mistakes were easily made.

On all the days TSH and Diva have spent on Silversea ships, there have been very few children on board. They are not banned but, unlike on large ships, there is no provision for their entertainment. On this cruise, there are several young children and the presence of high chairs, push chairs and feeding bottles seems very unusual, whilst not being unwelcome.

The new butler is doing well but has supplied Chardonnay instead of Merlot as requested!!

Photoblog

 

With the Beatles

Three Graces, Liverpool

Italian Chapel

Rosslyn Chapel

Tynemouth

Diva disappointment

TSH and Diva have two rituals on transit days:

1.      They have a leisurely breakfast in Atlantide, usually including Diva’s favourite grilled peaches. Which are no longer on the menu. The CEO of Royal Caribbean will hear about this!!

2.      They like to leave the ship for a while to give the crew a chance to reset. On this occasion, they had a short walk before returning for an early lunch before the new guests arrived.

Diva had her nail gel replaced and was pleased that they had a wider range of colours available. Perhaps in response to previous comments of hers?

Their butler has been relocated to a different set of suites and they have a new one to train,

Sea Day Supplement

TSH and Diva were surprised to receive a dinner invitation for the last night of the first leg. They had a pleasant time with the Cruise Directors – outgoing and incoming - at the transit dinner for the small number of guests who are staying onboard until at least Reykjavik.

The sea continues to be calm and the temperature is slowly increasing. So they managed a complete sequence of Tai Chi under the lifeboats!!

First leg finale

From Edinburgh, TSH and Diva went on an excursion to Rosslyn Chapel, whose historical significance is eclipsed by its appearance in Dan Brown’s Da Vinci Code. Visitors to the Chapel were typically 40,000 per year. Following the book’s publication and banning by the Pope, the visitor numbers increased to 200,000. There was money for further renovation and a smart new visitor centre. The bus driver practised his bagpipes whilst waiting for the guests to return.

In Newcastle, TSH and Diva travelled on a private (they were the only people to turn up!) shuttle bus to Tynemouth for a pleasant walk along the promenade. The first outdoor lunch was burger for TSH and BBQ chicken wrap for Diva. The weather is becoming warmer and the hope is that summer has arrived.

Diva has already had her ship card replaced once and she feared that the second was also useless. This was a false alarm and she is trying hard to keep the card away from her phone, which seems to upset it.

The first leg of the voyage will end on June 22^nd and TSH and Diva are looking forward to being two of the six people staying on for the next leg.

5th

Dinner in Indochine was not looking good when the waiter handed TSH and Diva menu folders which turned out to be empty. No food? Fortunately it was a mistake and Diva was able to order sweet and sour prawns, and TSH a Thai curry.

Venetian night is when anybody who has travelled with Silversea before is invited to a cocktail party where achievements are lauded. Achievements take the form of ‘days spent on board’. On this occasion, TSH and Diva were 5^th in the league table with 685. The ‘winners’ had over 2000 days!! At a dinner table hosted by the Guest Relations Manager, TSH and Diva were able to join with two other British guests to take the opportunity to explain that there was a large market for UK-UK cruises, as many people no longer wish to fly at the beginning or end of a cruise.

The highlight of the short excursion in Kirkwall, Orkney, was the Italian Chapel, built by Italian Prisoners of War during the 2^nd World War. The weather was extremely cold and partly wet – difficult even for the hardy Northern British like TSH and Diva. They were also disappointed in having to tender ashore – on previous occasions they have docked in Kirkwall, which is far more convenient.

Celtic Cool

In Belfast, TSH and Diva went into the city on the shuttle bus and had a short walk around the shopping area. In the evening, a local group of musicians and dancers entertained the US guests, whilst being vey lukewarm in their welcome to the English. Maybe times have not changed as much as everybody hoped. Dinner was taken in the outdoor (but covered and heated) pizza restaurant. The pizzas were excellent as usual but TSH and Diva had under-estimated quite how cold and windy it was and they were glad to be back indoors. Non-UK guests are divided. Some think that British summers are always like this and others are totally shocked at the cold and wet. The seas remain smooth.

Silversea IT systems are as bad as ever. TSH and Diva always check the TV in their suite for any messages about dinner reservations etc. So far, there had been none. Until 17 messages, some of them days old, all appeared at once.

TSH and Diva received a letter from the hotel Director in response to their mid-cruise questionnaire. It was both apologetic and constructive, so full marks to him for that one.

There was never any plan to go ashore in Greenock and the grey drizzly weather confirmed this as the right choice. Tai Chi ‘under the life boats’ was going well until Diva spotted a pair of dolphins. By the time TSH had prepared his camera and the dolphins had vanished, they had both lost their place in the sequence and the session was abandoned.

 

Dublin day off

TSH and Diva decided to cancel their planned excursion in Dublin. There was chaos in the theatre as the Shore Concierge attempted to group unruly guests into suitable numbers for the 20 minute tender ride. They decided that the whole operation would not run to time and they decided to opt out, have a quiet day on board and enjoy a relaxed lunch in an almost empty restaurant. Some of the menus have changed quite a lot from when they were last on board but it is still possible to eat very well. Diva had an excellent duck for dinner and Tamarind prawns for lunch. The crew are as charming and hard-working as ever – several remember TSH and Diva from previous voyages.

Silver Spirit and the Swifties

Just a note to record that a certain pop star is appearing at Anfield (Liverpool stadium) tonight but thus far no Swifties have been spotted.

Grubby guests

Diva’s 3^rd tantrum was bigger, prolonged and entirely justified. She ran her morning bath and it was completely cold.  A phone call to Reception established that a pipe had broken and the whole ship was without hot water. TSH and Diva did their best with a cold wash-down but this is nightmare territory for clean-freak Diva. TSH had his own tantrum whilst shaving with cold water. Diva was further incensed by the usual cheery announcement from the Cruise Director with docking information and the instruction to ‘enjoy your day’. No mention of the cold water. So when she passed the Hotel Director’s office she popped in to ask about the lack of any apology. ‘The Cruise Director probably does not know’. ‘The pipe broke, caused a flood and we are working very hard’. ‘Apology comes later’. Diva’s (M.A.) linguistic analysis skills suggested that this narrative was coming from the perspective of the pipe and she pointed this out, saying that empathy with the guests would be useful. They agreed to leave it there and she stormed out. Half an hour later the Cruise Director was back on the PA system with a (lukewarm) apology. Result. TSH and Diva were shocked by many of the crew and many of the guests being unaware of the problem. Many people had not tried to access any hot  water that morning. Hot water was restored an hour or so later.

The rest of the morning  seemed more like the old normal. TSH left the suite alone to go to the top deck to take pictures and then he collected the daily puzzles from the other end of the ship and made it back safely. He then rushed around the Liverpool waterfront with his camera and Diva trailed along to keep an eye on things.

A  note from the previous night: In the bar, Diva ordered a limoncello and TSH a non-alcoholic cocktail. A different waitress brought the drinks and offered Diva the non-alcoholic one. Clearly not familiar with hard-drinking northern England women.

Mersey modification

Diva’s first tantrum of Day 1 was during the disorganised embarkation. The second was during dinner when an enthusiastic wine waiter at the next table continued loudly to explain options during the Captain’s announcement.  She missed most of it but eventually discovered that due to an impending storm, Plymouth and Fishguard were cancelled and the next port would be Liverpool. So if they had forgotten anything (which they haven’t) they could go home to collect it.

The Atlantide menu has changed completely (jury still out on that) but the filet mignon and lemon meringue pie are excellent as ever. Wine (Diva)and sparkling water (TSH) very palatable. At breakfast, TSH enjoyed his first Danish pastry of the voyage.

Ricardo reset

 

The bags were packed in good time and the driver picked them up the night before departure, as arranged, checking that everything (as well as TSH and Diva) would fit into his car. As usual, Diva catastrophised many scenarios. The car and contents would be stolen. The motorway would be blocked for many hours. All 3 of their alarms would fail to go off. She would forget the passports. Etc. etc.

Pick-up was due at 5:45. They got up well before the planned time of 4:45.  Just before 5:45 Diva spotted a text telling her that the driver was ill – suspected Norovirus – and was not fit to drive and did not want to risk passing it on. Fortunately, this is an organised company and another driver – Ricardo – was drafted in at short notice. The previous night’s pack turned out to be a disadvantage, as the luggage needed to be collected and transferred to Ricardo’s car.

A harrowing wait and eventual departure at 6:15 was followed by an eventless journey and arrival at Southampton at 11:00.  Many thanks to Ricardo for helping out. Chaotic embarkation onto Silver Spirit started at 12:00. By 13:00 they were in La Terrazza eating lunch and Diva had her champagne.

Suites ready at 14:00, with the luggage already there.