General Cruise Discussion

[Pushka]

Silverseas Silver Nova was in port in Adelaide today and perfect weather. Very pretty ship. Much smaller than the Oasis there last week.

 

[tgh]

Silverseas Silver Nova was in port..

A really nice ship , try to manage a ride sometime...

 

[Pushka]

Silverseas Silver Nova was in port..

A really nice ship , try to manage a ride sometime...

I looked at the pricing. Yowsers.

 

[TheRealTMA]

I looked at the pricing. Yowsers.

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Is it a giveaway that the car park is filled with oversized “trucks”?

 

[Pushka]

Is it a giveaway that the car park is filled with oversized “trucks”?

Oversized trucks are the new corollas.

 

[RooFlyer]

Silverseas Silver Nova was in port..

A really nice ship , try to manage a ride sometime...

I think it was Silver Muse that was parked next to Ovation of the Seas in Hobart during the week. Tried to get a pic to show the contrast but couldn't. On the Silver Moon mid year to the Arctic.

 

[zig]

I think it was Silver Muse that was parked next to Ovation of the Seas in Hobart during the week. Tried to get a pic to show the contrast but couldn't. On the Silver Moon mid year to the Arctic.

Correct, it was the Muse in Hobart. I disembarked in Sydney last week.

 

[love_the_life]

Silver Nova was in port in Adelaide today and perfect weather. Very pretty ship. Much smaller than the Oasis there last week.

We have booked on her for Christmas 25. She is much larger than Silver Muse or Silver Dawn though so hope we don’t find her too big.

 

[Pushka]

We have booked on her for Christmas 25. She is much larger than Silver Muse or Silver Dawn though so hope we don’t find her too big.

Oh very nice. She's about the same size and passenger number as a Viking Ship. Which we found excellent as there's plenty of places to escape the crowd and find a quiet place but large enough to offer so many nice amenities. And we seemed to get to everywhere quite quickly so not too big.

Looking at the pictures It also has that large forward lounge above the Bridge which in Viking has two levels and is called the Explorers Bar. That's where we spend a lot of time especially in Alaska. We would be there watching the amazing scenery unfold while the mob were watching some ABBA concert. They missed a spectacular sight and as it was the first time Viking had cruised there, and that bar was quiet because of the show, the crew came on the outside deck there and watched with us.

 

[Denali]

We have booked on her for Christmas 25. She is much larger than Silver Muse or Silver Dawn though so hope we don’t find her too big.

I hope you don't get the dreaded 2020-C.

Multiple staff from multiple sites and states had cruises recently and all returned testing positive, some very unwell.

 

[love_the_life]

I looked at the pricing. Yowsers.

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Not cheap but the less expensive cabins are on a par with say a suite on Celebrity and although smaller in size are still around 36 sq m. Nova is all balcony as well. All inclusive and choice of fares from Essential (everything on board but no transfers, excursions etc), Port to Port - includes excursions which range from good to bleh and Door to Door with flights etc which we don’t do. Restaurant bookings for the ones that need them are open to everyone on the same day so everyone is equal in that bun fight.

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I hope you don't get the dreaded 2020-C.

Multiple staff from multiple sites and states had cruises recently and all returned testing positive, some very unwell.

Not for over a year away and have never contracted C on a cruise yet but not getting coughy.

 

[Pushka]

Not cheap but the less expensive cabins are on a par with say a suite on Celebrity and although smaller in size are still around 36 sq m. Nova is all balcony as well. All inclusive and choice of fares from Essential (everything on board but no transfers, excursions etc), Port to Port - includes excursions which range from good to bleh and Door to Door with flights etc which we don’t do. Restaurant bookings for the ones that need them are open to everyone on the same day so everyone is equal in that bun fight.

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Not for over a year away and have never contracted C on a cruise yet but not getting coughy.

Viking loves a good bun fight. Very similar concept as all cabins are veranda too but they seem to enjoy the angst about creating excursion angst.

 

[Pushka]

So now we have a new thread . Maybe we could line up all the cruises we have booked.

Currently four.

1. April 2025 on Celebrity Millenium for 14 days around Japan. It's actually 13 nights but apparently there's a a thing about using that criteria.

2. September 2025 on Viking Saigon which is a combined Land and River cruise through Vietnam and Cambodia. This cruise was a partial compensation for the failed Christmas Rhine Cruise this time last year .( I'm still on the edge as to whether or not we will do this trip. Our last trip on our own to Vietnam saw me robbed in Ho Chi Minh by a cyclo passenger as we were crossing the street, cut off my waist bag with a knife as he passed by after swerving towards MrP leaving me exposed. Seeing the large knife and my bag in his hand as they scooted off, well. This and the trip to the police station afterwards I'm realising I'm still a bit impacted by it. For the record it was June and stinking hot and MrP had carried everything in a neck pouch but he'd developed a rash from the heat so we figured, this is the last night, what could possibly go wrong, staying at the ICH and on the road next to it, well, it did. Thankfully only a mobile and cash stolen and my key card. It was the knife that does my head in. )

3. July 2026 on Celebrity Apex from Southampton through to Portugal and France for 9 nights I think. Then a B2B

4. August 2026 on same ship/cabin to see the full solar eclipse off the coast of Portugal and into Spain again a round trip from Southampton

Now, clearly there are others who have bookings so let's start the list.

 

[p--and--t]

So now we have a new thread . Maybe we could line up all the cruises we have booked.

Currently four.

1. April 2025 on Celebrity Millenium for 14 days around Japan. It's actually 13 nights but apparently there's a a thing about using that criteria.
2. September 2025 on Viking Saigon which is a combined Land and River cruise through Vietnam and Cambodia. This cruise was a partial compensation for the failed Christmas Rhine Cruise this time last year . I'm still on the edge as to whether or not we will do this trip. Our last trip on our own to Vietnam saw me robbed in Ho Chi Minh by a cyclo passenger as we were crossing the street, cut off my waist bag with a knife as he passed by after swerving towards MrP leaving me exposed. This and the trip to the police station afterwards I'm realising I'm still a bit impacted by it.
3. July 2026 on Celebrity Apex from Southampton through to Portugal and France for 9 nights I think. Then a B2B
4. August 2026 on same ship/cabin to see the full solar eclipse off the coast of Portugal and into Spain again a round trip from Southampton

Now, clearly there are others who have bookings so let's start the list.

Oct25 - Because it was one of only 2 choices that fitted neatly into our timetable, +1s holiday break, and super cheap J flights on QR and because it goes to a new country we haven't been, on MSC Western Med cruise next Oct to Malta

 

[Quickstatus]

Too big, too small
What's a just right?

 

[sanne]

We have booked on her for Christmas 25. She is much larger than Silver Muse or Silver Dawn though so hope we don’t find her too big.

We are on it now! Beautiful ship, love it. We have 3 more cruises booked on it for next year. We’re on the New Year 2025/6 cruise so am guessing we get on as you get off in Sydney?

 

[sanne]

Our booked cruises…. we’ve spent the last 30+ years travelling all over the world and have cruised a lot. We have now decided no more overseas travel except NZ. For us now it’s all about being with friends and family on cruises and land trips. We love cruising and trying out different ships.

Silver Nova ..on it now

Silver Nova … January Auckland to Sydney … friends

Seabourn Pursuit …June Kimberley … family

Silver Nova …October Melbourne to Darwin… friends

Silver Nova … December / January …family

Regent Explorer … February Auckland to Sydney …. friends

Crystal Serenity … March

 

[Pushka]

Oct25 - Because it was one of only 2 choices that fitted neatly into our timetable, +1s holiday break, and super cheap J flights on QR and because it goes to a new country we haven't been, on MSC Western Med cruise next Oct to Malta

We weren't all that excited to go to Malta but it was simply amazing.

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We are on it now! Beautiful ship, love it. We have 3 more cruises booked on it for next year. We’re on the New Year 2025/6 cruise so am guessing we get on as you get off in Sydney?

Enjoying Kangaroo Island today then.

 

[Pushka]

Too big, too small
What's a just right?

We book for itinerary first or main place we want to go to then look for best options. Now, for us 3000 is maximum and while we've enjoyed the smaller Viking ships at 900, their itinerary isn't always the best for what we are looking for. Having said that, our last ocean cruise with them from India up through the Red Sea and Israel blew us away. Best ever cruise. We looked at Viking for Japan but they spent too much time on other ports eg S Korea that we weren't interested in.

 

[tgh]

Time has changed our priorities and we now see the ship as more destination and less bus..
We were at the Silversea exit gate after the new owners trashed the brand but a cruise on Nova recovered us enough to book the Dawn in February.
Its all a bit sad that long haul air is now a challenge as we seek comfort and convenience over "experiences"..