Back when I used to work for a living, my group would regularly develop and release IT products to the users across our firm.   Before the first production release we would often do a “beta” release, which we knew contained bugs but which we also thought worked well enough for users to use effectively.  During the beta release period, we would collect reports of problems – bugs – and develop a plan to correct them, either during the beta release period or after we went into full production.

The Silver Muse is a late-stage beta release.  If you were to count the number of features and capabilities which exist on this ship, the number of problems is numerically small.  But they are problems nonetheless, many of which could easily been caught and corrected before we boarded.  So here is our bug list.

B001: Screws missing in some reading lamps by beds.  Risk: lamp detaching and injuring passenger or crew.  

B002: Incorrect information about dress code distributed to 600 passengers. Risk: passengers arriving without proper attire and being denied entry to reserved restaurant. Risk: conflict between passenger and crew. 

B003: “Do not disturb” door tags not ready on time.  Passengers required to use flimsy paper tags with no holes for hanging on door handle.  Risk: cabin staff could intrude on passenger at inopportune time.  Resolved: proper door tags distributed after several days at sea.

B004: Restaurant reservation requirements not understood or followed by passengers. Risk: passengers being unable to eat in intended location. Risk: unnecessary conflict between passengers and crew. 

B005: Water leaking on floor of bathroom. Risk: wet feet. Risk: passengers or crew slipping on wet floor, resulting in injury. 

B006: All toilets on several decks temporarily out of service due to failure of pressure flush system.  Risk: obvious. Resolution: all toilets now functioning.

B007: Inadequate process for dining room and table assignments on first night. Risk: passengers unable to dine with family and friends.  Risk: unnecessary conversations between passengers and crew on first day.  Resolution: no more first nights on maiden cruises for several years, at least. 

B008: Restaurant reservation requirements changed mid-cruise without adequate notice. Risk: passenger and crew confusion.  Resolution: this item determined to be the result of users not RTFM.

B009: Missing heaters in outdoor restaurant on pool deck. Risk: passengers being too cold to dine there.  

B010: Inadequate process for accommodating food allergies. Risk: unnecessarily denying dining options to passengers.  Risk: unnecessary conflict between passengers and crew. Risk: passengers needing to spend precious vacation time dealing with staff.  

B011: lids on at least two toilets in public lavatories broke off.  Risk: embarrassment.

B012: Wifi allowance is unclear and inadequate. Passengers required to take steps to explicitly logout of system; daily allowance of 1 hour doesn’t rollover if unused.  Risk: passengers unable to control usage and have access to network services.  

Mallorca is the principal island of the Balearic Islands, and home to Palma de Mallorca.  Mallorca itself is a huge vacation spot, as are the other islands in the group.  As you pull into Palma’s harbor, you see miles of seafront condominium buildings and an enourmous marina for private boats.  Last time we were here with Laura and Rob, we hired a driver who took us into the northeastern mountainous coast, and Valldemossa in the mountains.   This time, we took the ship’s shuttle bus into Palma and walked around for a few hours.  

Narrow streets, April 2017

Palma is a pleasant if hilly town.   Being Sunday, many of the shops were closed (no big deal) but the streets were crowded nonetheless.  We found live music and a huge book fair in one large plaza, and families out for a walk around town on narrow streets.  

Crowds, florists and a river, April 2017

The commercial district is bordered by a river with extensive landscaping along it’s banks. There is also a boulevard called La Rambla, which is a very scaled down version of the more famous and active street in Barcelona.  The only shops on it are florists.  

Cathedral, April 2017

Just before getting back on the shuttle, stopped for gelato.  As one must. 

We were back on the ship and finished with lunch by around 3:00pm.  The ship left at 5:00, and we were escorted for quite a while by some gulls. They would approach the ship from the rear, and then fly along side for a while, matching our speed.  It made it (relatively easy) to catch a good picture.

Bird in flight, April 2017

We will be at sea from our departure on Sunday at 5:00 until we arrive in Sicily around 8:00am on Tuesday.  

Yesterday was Zelda and Matteo’s 40th anniversary.   To celebrate, we took them to a very fancy restaurant, complete with an expensive bottle of French champagne.  We finished the evening with a cabaret show (1).

Zelda and Matteo @ 40, April 23, 2017

It’s hard to believe that the 15 year old girl I first saw standing in her mother’s kitchen is all grown up.

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(1) Actually, all of this was included in the price of the cruise, and of course, they paid their own way.  Except for the champagne, which was a gift to us from American Express for charging the cruise on their card.   Still, I thought it sounded nice.  

Saturday was Barcelona, so of course we did Gaudi things.  We went for a trifecta: the Segrada Familia, Park Guell, and Casa Mila.  His still-incomplete masterpiece, a failed high-end housing development, and a bankrupt luxury apartment building.

Still under construction, April 2017

Segrada Familia is a massive church whose construction first began in 1882, or 135 years ago.  It is stunning in scale and design, and looks unlike any other church or religious edifice in the world.   Gaudi was hired a year after it was begun, and he threw out the original design for a new concept. 

Listening and learning, April 2017

We met out guide, Marta, outside and she started our 4-hour Gaudi tour by taking us through the museum beneath the structure and explaining the design and construction concepts.  This may sound boring, and I was initially skeptical, but I found it pretty interesting.   His insightful use of geometry and mathematics to create insanely complex and pragmatic design elements that were also straightforward to construct was amazing.   

Interior colors, April 2017

There’s way too much to say about the Segrada Familia, so I’ll leave most of it for you to find elsewhere (see Wikipedia, for instance).  But I’ll leave you with this thought:  construction was creeping along until the Barcelona Olympics, which had the effect of increasing tourist interest in Barcelona generally and the Segrada.  The number of visitors had grown such that the funding has dramatically increased from entrance fees.  The church is so crowded that mass is only celebrated in the main sanctuary once a month.  A cynic might say that this allows for more paid admissions … .

Park Guell, April 2017

Our next stop was Park Guell.   While now a city park, it was originally planned as a high-end gated community in the outskirts of Barcelona.   Guell hired Gaudi to design the landscape and public elements of the project. There’s a grand entrance, a house for the concierge to greet visitors, etc.   An outdoor market area was built where food and other vendors could set up on market days.  Ultimately no one was interested in living that far from the city in the days before motorized transportation.  

Gaudi House (not by Gaudi), April 2017

Only two residences were built in the Park, neither designed by Gaudi.  After the project failed, Gaudi bought one of the houses and lived there for the last 20 years of his life.  

Casa Mila was commissioned in 1906 by a wealthy Barcelona businessman, Pere Mila, to be his residence and have a number of luxury apartments to provide income for the building.  Unfortunately for the later owner, a local bank, the original leases allowed rent-fixed renewals through the grandchildren of the original renters, which ultimately forced the building into bankruptcy.  It is currently owned by a foundation, which has turned several of the apartments into a museum.

We had seen the other famous Gaudi-designed private residence, Casa Batllo, when we were in Barcelona two years ago.   It was great to see another example of his work this time, but we felt that Batllo was more striking.   That being said, this building was extremely controversial when built as it has a number of wonderful and typically Gaudi-esque features.  

Mila facade and details, April 2017

The fanciful chimneys and air vents are a Gaudi trademark. And he spared no effort in this building.  

Chimneys, April 2017

When Casa Mila was originally built, the attic was subdivided into rooms for the tenants’ household staff to live in, and for laundry and other workrooms.   As it has been renovated into a showpiece and museum, the interior walls have been removed.  This reveals a set of supporting arches following the same geometry used in Segrada Familia.  While the picture doesn’t show it, the arches are quite beautiful.   

Arch supports, April 2017

We finished our time in Barcelona with a stroll on La Rambla and lunch.  Then, back to the Silver Muse. 

In typical cruise fashion, we pulled into Marseille in the morning and left in the late afternoon. This gave us enough time to take a quick look at two cities in southern France: Marseille itself, a bustling port and tourist attraction, and Aix, a smaller city about 20 miles inland.  Our plan here was to take a taxi from the dock to and from Aix, and then walk around some part of Marseille before boarding the ship.  As the ship was departing at 5pm, we decided to target returning no later than 4pm.  As it turned out, we needed to take a shuttle bus from the dock into Marseille to find a taxi.   All in all, the transportation options worked out as planned.  

Aix-en-Provence walking street, April 2017

Aix is a pleasant little city, with a large pedestrian avenue surrounded by quiet streets.   The car traffic seems pretty light in this central district.

Quiet streets in Aix, April 2017

 There’s a fair amount of real shopping in addition to tourist shops and restaurants.   I took advantage of this and bought a tie.  After the previous night’s excitement over the ship dress code, I decided I didn’t need any more drama.

Vieux-Port Marseille, April 2017

We found another taxi and headed back to Marseille, were we planned to visit the Old Port area and find some lunch.   The Old Port, or Vieux-Port, is a major tourist area.  It makes an enlongated U around the old port itself, with today is packed with small and not-so small pleasure crafts.  There’s a giant Ferris Wheel.

We walked up and down the street for a while trying to find a restaurant that would meet our diverse needs, and then decided to give up and head back to the ship for lunch.   We got to the appointed meeting place for the shuttle bus about 10 minutes early, and found a hefty line of other passengers.  Fortunately, we got on the bus, but a few people didn’t fit.  They had to either wait a half hour for the next bus or take a taxi.

Dinner this evening was stress-free as it was “informal”, which implies sport jackets and no ties.  I wore my jacket, while Matteo and many other men in our restaurant didn’t.  Go figure.  I also should mention I had a nice talk with the Hotel Director Paulo in the afternoon, where we discussed the issues of lamps falling on people (1), the dress code and the dining reservation system.  He took notes, but basically said he had no authority to change any of the company rules.  He did say that if he got lots of complaints – and I was not the first to complain – it certainly would be reviewed at corporate.  

Very cool, April 2017

After dinner, Sally and I spent a little bit listening to the jazz duo in one of the restaurants. They were very good.

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(1) For the second time, this morning we noticed some water on the floor in our bathroom that was not caused by anything we did.   When we showed it to our butler (aka cabin attendant), he said it was happening in other cabins as well.   Go beta testing!

Thursday was our third day in Monaco, and our first full day on the Silver Muse.   One of the concerns we had when we booked this cruise was that this is the maiden voyage.  Many people are excited about something like that, being first and all.  And let’s not even start with the other meaning of being first with a maiden.  But as a long time IT guy, I translate “maiden voltage” as “beta testing”.  As in ” we haven’t quite finished debugging yet, but let’s get some customers already”.  

Making us safe from the beta test, April 2017

I may have already described the seating chart issue from the first night, but to recap: the ship didn’t allow anyone to make any dining reservations for the first night, which are actually required every other night for every restaurant.  When we inquired upon arrival with the head of the restaurants, we found that they simply assigned people across the ship by cabin number.  So we were sitting with the couple from room 746 (we are 747), while Zelda and  Matteo were with two couples from 654 and 655, as they are room 653.  While a good way to meet people, not what any of the guests traveling with friends or family had in mind.

Not just loose, but missing, April 2017

Matteo came down this morning to breakfast with a cut on his hand.  When we inquired about it, we found out that the bedside reading lamp came off the wall in the middle of the night and cut him.   And when the electrician came to repair the lamp, he said that the screws holding it to the wall were missing, and that was a common problem across the ship.  Seems like the holes in the underlying baseplate don’t always align with the holes in the lamp unit, so they were simply left off during assembly.  Zelda went over to check the lamp on her side of the bed, and it came off in her hand (no injury this time).  When I checked our lamps, one had the required two screws and one had only one.  This is clearly a design problem, but also reflects the lack of time to fix a (minor) safety problem before the beta test maiden voyage. 

I wrote a couple of days ago about all of the work that the ladies put into organizing our diner reservations.  The effort was compounded, in part, by confusion over which nights were “formal” (black tie suggested) at which restaurants.  We wanted to avoid them, so Matteo and I didn’t need to bring suits or ties.  Which I didn’t bring as a result of the careful planning. It took many emails and phone calls with the travel agent and the cruise line itself before Sally secured the information.  Once we were on board and started reading the cabin information, it turned out that two of the restaurants are to be formal every night.   And we have dining reservations at those for four nights.  It also became apparent Wednesday evening that the passengers were taking this formal thing formally.  Even though Wednesday was formally informal (jackets required for men, but no ties), a significant number of men were in tuxedos, and woman in gowns.  I haven’t seen this type of dress widespread on a cruise in 30 years.  It definitely wasn’t the case on our previous Silversea cruise two years ago.

Saving us from beta testing, April 2017

Anyway, Thursday night dinner was at one of the formal restaurants, and we had a lot of conversation during the day about how to deal with it.   My response was, since I didn’t even have a tie with me, I’ll deal with it if and when it’s actually a problem when we show up there.  And I didn’t expect a problem.   

Well, I was wrong again.  

We arrived at the host’s station, and he informed me that the restaurant was formal and I needed a tie to be seated.  I informed him that, per the information the cruise line gave us, I didn’t bring a tie.  He informed me that it was ship policy and needed to be adhered to.   I informed him I came for dinner and wanted to be seated.  He informed me that he would be happy to lend me one of the ties they kept in back for uncouth idiots(1) like me who came without one.  I informed him that I paid a lot of money for the cruise, I didn’t want his stupid (2) tie, and I was going to have dinner in his stinking (2) restaurant.  

At this point he mumbled something about just following company rules, and proceeded to seat us in a nice quiet table in the back of the restaurant, where the fewest possible other guests would need to be exposed to my depraved dress behavior.  I, in turn, made sure I sat facing so that the maximum number of people could see my defiance to immoral and probably illegal authority.

Dessert was yummy: lemon meringue pie, April 2017

We then proceeded to have a lovely dinner, served by a friendly and attentive wait staff.  Although I need to say that three of us had to send our main courses back to be redone, and one of them had to be changed altogether to another choice.   But the desserts were excellent.

Monte Carlo at night, April 2017

After dinner, we went to the show, which featured the “Silversea Singers” (love the alliteration; very clever).  They were very good as they went through a program of songs from the 30s and 40s, which may have matched the age demographic of the passengers (3).  Sally then had to make a quick stop to chat with one of the restaurant managers about ensuring a garlic-free menu choice for Friday night, while I took a last picture of Monte Carlo.  The Silver Muse left port around midnight, headed for Marseilles.
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(1) He didn’t actually call me an “uncouth idiot”.  I’m using literary license to describe my inner feelings at this point.  

(2) I didn’t say either “stupid” or “stinking”.

(3) I jest.  If you were a teenager in the 1930s, you are in your 90s now.  While the passengers appear older than we’ve seen on other cruises, they are not predominantly in their 80s and 90s.   

I wrote the other day about packing. If you missed it, I was discussing two alternate approaches to packing for a trip, mine and Sally’s.  Mine is to bring only what’s necessary, while Sally tries to be ready for different circumstances and plan for contingencies.  

Sometimes my plan leads to a problem.

Falling apart at the seams, April 2017

Sally brought a favorite pair of comfortable shoes, and another pair of comfortable shoes to switch off with.    This afternoon – the second day of our two week trip – the one-piece heel and sole started to come unglued from the body of the shoe, making it unusable. Since she has the other shoes, this will merely be a mild inconvenience, rather than a crisis.  We are planning a lot of touring on this trip, and not having some comfortable shoes would be a problem.    She’ll try and get them repaired on the ship, but we don’t know about that yet.

I brought two pair of shoes: a pair of nice leather shoes for the evening, and a pair of sneakers.   If one of them had failed, I’d be shopping in Monte Carlo tomorrow and undoubtedly paying thousands of dollars for a pair of shoes.