This also includes Cunard, Costa, Holland America, Princess and The Yachts of Seabourn.

With oil down to $46 a barrel, it’s time to go top off the FerretMobile!

Overview:
-Silversea is an excellent cruise line with superior service.
-The all-inclusive policy contributes greatly to the passengers’ relaxation.
-The Silver Cloud is in fine shape, even before its scheduled dry dock in early 2009. Just make sure to replace those old, yellowed, scratchy towels!
-Cabin service is excellent and unobtrusive.
-Shore excursions are well-run.
-The food was a great disappointment.

Pre-Cruise: We arrived in Copenhagen at 7 am on a sunny and warm July day, and had a mini-van waiting for us — with three adults and three big suitcases, that is the way to go. After considerable research, I had chosen the Copenhagen Marriott for our pre-cruise night. Too many reviews of other hotels indicated tiny rooms, noise problems and non-existent air conditioning. Imagine how relieved and delighted we were to find that our room was ready for us and we could go right up and relax after the long flight! The bed was heavenly, with quality sheets and a fluffy duvet. And the water from the tap was so good that we didn’t have to buy bottled water — usually a must for me.

Embarkation: We paid $100 per person for early embarkation and were on the ship, sipping champagne and being escorted to our cabin within five minutes of arriving at the pier at 10:30am. Although there is no guarantee that your cabin will be ready, ours was.

Cabin: Our cabin was a veranda suite and it was just large enough for two people and a tiny bit cramped for three people. The veranda was small — again, just large enough for two people. It had two upright chairs and a tiny round table. The closet was walk-in and had more than enough space for all our clothes, plus good quality bathrobes and slippers for our use during the cruise. American appliances will work in the cabin — no adapters or converters are necessary.

Regina, the cabin stewardess was wonderful. She made sure we had the choice of toiletries we requested (Neutrogena and Bulgari Green Tea), clean fresh bed linen, a neat and orderly cabin, and all the diet coke, rum and champagne we could possibly want. And she managed to look after us without coming to the cabin when it was occupied. Regina is perfection.

The most glaring glitch, if you can call it that, is that the towels on Sliver Cloud are old, yellowed and very rough. However, if you are looking for exfoliation after your shower, you are sure to be pleased!

Service: Very good. Cheerful pleasant staff always ready to go out of their way to please you.

The ship: The Silver Cloud is in fine shape and did not seem to be tired or dirty in any way. The elevators were very speedy and we never had to wait for them. They’ve got some kind of elevator mojo going, for sure.

Sometimes the smoking room could have used a little more attention in terms of drink service and ashtray emptying, but most of the time everything was splendid.

Food: Bland. Really bland. I’m not a “foodie” sort of ferret and have no interest in caviar or truffles and so forth, so I’m not whining about the fois gras, but the food was very poor. To give three examples, the sea bass was very stinky both times it was served and the wiener schnitzel had too much breading and no flavor. One night we had hamburgers from room service and they were absolutely flavorless! I don’t even care for highly spiced foods, but every night was a disappointment with one exception: lasagna night. This was the best lasagna I’ve ever had, including in Italy. But every other night I left the table hungry and disappointed. I’m sorry to say that this was the worst, most tasteless food in all my thirty cruises.

Stay tuned for my next post, which will be about the shore excursions!

Oceania’s Nautica was attacked by pirates on November 30.

An officer spotted two small skiffs that were attempting to stop the cruise ship and the Nautica outran the small boats, but not before the pirates fired at the ship with rifles.

Piracy is a serious problem in the Gulf of Aden, and I offer a creative suggestion: Sell balcony cabins with swivel mounted guns on the railings! I’d pay extra for that!

Lovey, hold my champagne while I waste those scoundrels.

I am seeing some fantastic, almost unheard-of cruise discounts out there. The combination of fuel prices and the latest economic hiccup have got cruise lines motivated!

Check out this deal: Barcelona, Canary Islands, Morocco and more for $499! This is a 9-night cruise, and only $100 dollars more will move you from an interior cabin to a balcony cabin.

Now is definitely the time to take advantage of the huge discounts being offered. Keep your eye on the internet and/or tell your travel agent to ferret out a good deal.

I just love Windstar Cruises — the small ships, the casually elegant atmosphere, no set dining times and the wonderful, relaxed passengers you find on board.

But their itineraries (Caribbean, Med and Costa Rica) have held steady for a few years now and frankly, I’ve been to all the areas they sail. Several times. So I emailed Windstar asking if they will be changing it up in the near future and received a speedy, but alas, negative response. They told me that the current itineraries are selling well and they have no plans to change them at this time.