Our Cruise Specialists group of travelers on the 2013 Silversea world cruise just returned from their four month journey. The group sailed on the Silver Whisper and visited a large number of destinations in the South Pacific, Australia, New Zealand, Indonesia, Philippines, and West Africa.
Our friendly and personable hosts Kay and Alan gave us the scoop on their top five highlights of the trip:
1. African Safari. It is always breathtaking to view wild animals in their natural habitat.
2. African “Dinner in the Desert”. We truly enjoyed this special dinner in Namibia – one of the complimentary Silversea experiences. We departed the ship in small 4X4 vehicles and drove 18 miles into the desert. Upon arrival, we were served drinks and appetizers while chefs tended open fires in preparation for our amazing meal of salads, seafood, meats and mouth-watering desserts. After dinner, we were treated to a show of native dancers, musicians and fire-spinning. Oh yeah, and camel riding!
3. Hong Kong. This city is always a wonderful place to visit and one of our favorite destinations! There are so many fun markets to see – bird, tropical fish, jade, flower, Stanley, women’s and more. You will find luxury boutiques a stone’s throw away from old hawker stalls and a modern, high-tech horse-racing track just around the corner from a temple housing more than 10,000 Buddha’s. A ferry ride from Kowloon Island where we dock to Hong Kong Island via Victoria Harbor and a double-decker bus ride over the mountain past Victoria Peak and Repulse Bay (multi-million dollar condos everywhere) to Stanley Park is a must.
4. Manila. This city has so much to see, a combination of modernity and tradition. You will see horse-drawn carriages, high-end to low-end cars, and converted WWII jeeps adorned with chrome. A must-see is the Pacific War Memorial on Corregidor Island. The Malinta Tunnel contains mile-long barracks, gun batteries, a ruined hospital and small museum. In addition, it is great to have the Filipino families board the ship and get to visit with loved ones.
5. Ship Life. Finally, and maybe near the top of this list, is the ship life–friendships (old and new), wonderful educational lectures, fun and games, great variety of entertainers, superb service and last, but not least, our Butler.
At the end of the world cruise journey, our Cruise Specialists group enjoyed a great “farewell” luncheon –with their jackets, and their Captain stopped by to pay his respects as well. What a wonderful and compatible group to sail around the world with as well as a team of officers that go out of their way to please.
Learn more about 2014 world cruises
