Quest Spring 2017 EB Trans-Atlantic Crossing Travelogue

After a 2-night stay in Fort Lauderdale, I am so ready for the Quest annual constitutional across the Atlantic Ocean for her summer season there.

More to come...

Looking forward to your posts Paul!

Yesterday, I read this review of Quest's transatlantic crossing last year......

https://www.tripadvisor.com.au/ShowTopic-g1-i10703-k9760650-Review_of_Seabourn_Quest_a_Dehumanizing_Experience-Cruises.html

I found it VERY difficult to believe

looking forward to your posts paul!

+1 !

+ 2 - pretty well unbelievable. We all know what can happen on Tripadvisor; surely this is one of those. I would hate to think there was any truth in it.

Yesterday, I read this review of Quest's transatlantic crossing last year......

 

https://www.tripadvisor.com.au/ShowTopic-g1-i10703-k9760650-Review_of_Seabourn_Quest_a_Dehumanizing_Experience-Cruises.html

 

I found it VERY difficult to believe

My husband and I have been traveling on Seaboard since 2005 and we have never had anything like this happen. We have always been treated with respect and kindness by the crew. We have met many other gay couples Seaboard cruises and not one couple has never had anything but praise for Seabourn. I don't post much, but I had to respond to this one.

I think the post on TA is overblown. We will be on Seabourn later this year. I can only speak for Crystal, Regent and Silversea. We have never ever been treated differently and have met many wonderful people from all walks of life. I think there is more to the story than we know. Perhaps it was a different issue that caused the stir...we will never know. I don't believe they sequestered themselves in their suite for 13 days and if they did it does not speak very highly of their actions and what did they prove? Nothing.

My feeling is they just came dressed inappropriately and it offended another table and yes, all luxury lines have a certain standard of dress code. Not being called by name on our first Seabourn cruise will not bother us. We have 25 cruises on Crystal and of course many of the crew on the Serenity and Symphony know us. My first Crystal cruise was on the Harmony and nobody knew us but learned our names during the course of the cruise. We saw many people being welcomed back as they have sailed a few times. So on day one on Seabourn I don't expect hug's and kisses but in time they will get to know us and we will get to know the crew.

I am certain we will have a great time and Seabourn will be a nice change for us. Crystal is our favorite and we hope Seabourn will become another favorite so we will have more choices in itinerary.

Thanks everyone for all the information that you have provided to us.

Miles

We were on that sailing. I will say two things:

1) I 100% absolutely believe the poster that this experience happened. We had a small handful of separate encounters with incredibly rude individual behaviors similar to the one the poster described. (Once, a passenger told my very petite mother that she was standing in his wife's way and physically *moved* my mother to gain access to where she was standing. Another time we were very rudely told we were unwelcome to sit down in an otherwise empty area of The Club because a lady was saving it for "all her friends". You learn, generally, to brush off rude or dismissive people but I know if one is a member of a group that is often marginalized that it can feel like a microaggression.

2) The rude behavior was certainly the exception and not the rule. The crew was exceptional and there were many gay couples on board. I barely recognize these two - I think I saw them once - but we would have no doubt loved to dine with them. It's a pity we never had the opportunity.

We were on that sailing. I will say two things:

 

1) I 100% absolutely believe the poster that this experience happened. We had a small handful of separate encounters with incredibly rude individual behaviors similar to the one the poster described. (Once, a passenger told my very petite mother that she was standing in his wife's way and physically *moved* my mother to gain access to where she was standing. Another time we were very rudely told we were unwelcome to sit down in an otherwise empty area of The Club because a lady was saving it for "all her friends". You learn, generally, to brush off rude or dismissive people but I know if one is a member of a group that is often marginalized that it can feel like a microaggression.

2) The rude behavior was certainly the exception and not the rule. The crew was exceptional and there were many gay couples on board. I barely recognize these two - I think I saw them once - but we would have no doubt loved to dine with them. It's a pity we never had the opportunity.

WOW!! Thanks Jenidallas, I've made a mental note to self not to be so quick to judge. Thankfully, in almost 200 days, we have never seen behaviour like that. It is a pity though that Seabourn gets a such a bad review because of a few rude guests.

So sorry to hear about this couple's horrible experience in the dining room. It is simply inexcusable.

That said, no Seabourn crew members have ever addressed me or my husband by name. Frankly, I didn't care. No one on Crystal or Oceania addressed us by name, either. That said, we have always been addressed by name on Celebrity, Disney, and NCL --sometimes to the point that I found it creepy because I had never met some of these crew members before. I really don't think it's a snub, but I understand why this couple read it that way.

Looking forward to the OP's travelogue!

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Thanks Jenidallas for letting us know that this was not actually someone trying to get revenge on Seabourn in spite of not having been on board themselves. The minority of passengers on your TA sound horrendous, and so many sea days means you are more cooped up together than usual! Still surprised to read from this OP that the staff were cold towards them; that is most unusual if true. Not knowing one's name is not surprising for first-timers, and certainly nothing to be miffed about. Even after 300 days on Seabourn we do not expect all staff to know our names, but the old timers do and it is lovely to be recognised, certainly. I think Suitetravels comment that there is more to this story than meets the eye is very fair.

Looking forward to hearing about this year's TA shortly - and hoping all aboard are at least polite and pleasant to be around.

Embarkation & Sailaway

I left the hotel at noon and arrived at the ship around 12:15 PM. After filling put the standard Norovirus questionnaire, I learned that the entire checking process was handled shore-side. After presenting my Norovirus questionnaire, passport, ePass and credit card, my mug shot was taken and was handed my guest pass and was onboard by 12:35 PM. I am always glad when this portion of the voyage is complete.

When I arrived at The Colonnade, the buffet was about 40% set up. I was told that the annual US Coast Guard and Health & Sanitary inspections lasted several hours longer than expected and the crew was up at 5:00 AM and everyone was scrambling to get caught up.

The good news to come out of this was that at the end of the passenger Muster Drill, Captain Joost Eldering proudly announced the results of the Coast Guard inspection: 100 out of 100 and Health & Sanitary inspection: 98 out of 100. The captain went on to say the Health & Sanitary inspection result was well above the SB fleet average and that there will be crew & officer party as earlier promised. Kudos to the Officers and Crew for their hard work and acing the inspections!!

The suites were not ready for passengers until 3:30 PM. By 4:00 PM I realized that the previous passengers in my suite had locked the safe and I could not access it. I called Guest Services and requested they send someone to open the safe; they asked if it would be okay too take care of it after the 5:00 PM Passenger Muster Drill to which I replied: oh absolutely, in fact as long as my safe in unlocked before I retire for the evening is fine with me.

At 4:40 PM, the Security Officer came to my suite and unlocked it for me and asked me to enter my code and lock and unlock the safe and it worked!

I received my luggage at 6:30 PM and franticly started and finished unpacking at 7:20 PM. The captain told us that we would be a little late departing. Soon, we were backing out down the channel to make our 90° turn towards due east so I ran up on deck to take a picture. I had 30 minutes to get cleaned up and ready for supper at The Grill by Thomas Keller. After being seated, I saw we were leaving the breakwater and was a little disappointed this time in that I was not up on deck enjoying the sailaway celebration.

Fort Lauderdale is one of my favorite ports to sail out of because the residents of the two high-rise condominiums on the port side of the ship perform their “civic duty” to clap, cheer, yell, flash their balcony lights off and on while some had hand-held air horns to bid us Bon Voyage!! J

The former Restaurant 2’s interiors were totally gutted and redone with a subtler ambiance, a very nice improvement IMHO. The dinner at The Grill was outstanding and the service was great! After siting down, a plate of cut cucumber, broccoli florets, radishes, carrots and a dipping sauce on a bed of ice was brought to me. Then a mini loaf of bread the size of a large dinner roll and butter arrived. I quickly decided that would be my appetizer.

I told the waiter that I had not had a steak in months; he replied that I had come to the right place for a steak. I concurred and ordered the thick cut prime New York strip steak and wilted spinach for my main course. Tender, juicy and that flavor, I definitely made the right decision! For dessert, I had homemade vanilla ice cream (all ice cream, sorbet and, I think, yogurt are made fresh daily on board), which was served at a slightly higher temperature akin to “soft serve”. I just let the ice cream melt in my mouth before swallowing. Yum, Yum!

After dinner in the there was an introduction of the entertainment department staff as well as informal performances of Alexandra, the Observation Bar’s singer and pianist as well as The Club’s band and singer.

I then returned to my suite for a restful journey to Seabourn slumber-land. The moment I rested my head the fluffy pillow and pulled the Scandinavian comforter over me, I was back at my home at sea and slept soundly the entire night

I have been trying for almost an hour to access my photo sharing site. So until I can sort that out, there will be no Freeze frames. Grrr :( :(

Paul

Paul, what a nice start to your cruise. We will be newbies to Seabourn and look forward to reading about your cruise. Enjoy!

...Captain Joost Eldering ...

A new name to me. Has anyone else encountered this skipper?:o

A new name to me as well. Captain Eldering is Dutch and maybe from HAL.

The new captain is very nice indeed and I think from HAL. His 1200 announcements are very informative as he likes to give a bit of nautical insight on different things. He is also very easy to understand over the tannoy as we struggled a bit to understand captain Dags announcements. We also had a very good CD, Jim Cannon, who I believe is new to SB. When we boarded in Manaus we thought he was a bit OTT but over the course of the cruise to FLL he mellowed out and was everywhere all the time, having a good time and mingling with all the guests, by the end of our cruise he was easily one of our favourites onboard. As usual, a bit of off topic rambling, probably as I am feeling depressed after my first day back at work... :)

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The only cure I know of for post the Seabourn blues is to book your next cruise.

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The only cure I know of for post the Seabourn blues is to book your next cruise.

... and preferably booked while onboard to get the 5% onboard booking discount. It also doesn't hurt to have an open booking or two in case your dream cruise is being discounted or the new itineraries are released.

Did our 5% jobbie onboard and got our eye on our next cruise, most likely 2019 though...

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It's always smart to have a couple of future cruise deposits in your pocket.

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Sea Days 1 to 3:

For sea days 1 & 2, the ocean was as flat as the kitchen floor and for sea day 3, it was windy with swells and some pitching up and down along with slight rolling. Temperatures have been warm in the low to mid 72-75°F (22-23°C) with partly cloudy skies with long periods of sunshine.

April 1: I slept in and was in no hurry to get out of bed. I strolled down to Seabourn Square and Barista Extraordinaire Olga was there and made my skinny hazelnut latte and also fetched me a bran muffin to enjoy while reading the morning newspaper.

Then it was time for Trivia and I was almost late! I was recruited by the team that won the Trivia tournament on the prior voyage. After a quick round of introductions and the Captain’s Noon navigation and weather report, we got right down to business. My team “Pirates of the Ocean” after day one, were in 3rd place.

I attended a lecture (or “A Conversation With” as Seabourn puts it) by Ralph Vargas on the European Union and how and why it began. It was very interesting and informative. His daughter is Elizabeth Vargas, ABC News.

Dinner was a tossed salad with Caesar style vinaigrette, croutons and Parmesan cheese. Main course was caramelized scallops with crisp bacon and soft Napa cabbage. To keep my dentist gainfully employed, hazelnut pyramid cake with chocolate sauce to top things off.

Then off to the Grand Salon for “The Starlite Club” featuring the Seabourn Singers presenting an evening of lounge and club favorites with songs ranging form Frank Sinatra and Michael Jackson.

Then back to my suite for another restful journey to Seabourn slumber-land.

April 2: After my morning ritual in Seabourn Square, I attended 2 lectures. A conversation with Ronnie Sampson “Wallis & the Windsors.” And a conversation with Tom Goltz Powerful Women: Queen Isabel of Castile”. Planting the seeds of economic, social and Christian globalization, Isabel was perhaps the most important figure in all of Spanish history.

Dinner was a Ceaser salad, Maine lobster tail with lemon risotto, glazed artichokes, snow peas, newburg sauce and decaf cappuccino.

Then off to the Grand Salon for the Barricade Boys, a group of 4 talented vocalists, from international productions to the Hollywood movie of Les Misèrables. They sang ballads and beautiful operatic arias. I really enjoyed the show and they were a big hit with the passengers!

April 3: Today I attended a conversation with Ronnie Sampson “A Poisonous Family” focusing on Lucretia Borgia: sinner or saint. Very interesting indeed as this family was not above poisoning Catholic Popes and assassinating their rivals for political power and control.

Tonight, I was a guest at the hosted dinner table of Barricade Boys Simon and Robert (the other 2 BBs hosted their own table as well). I feasted on butternut squash soup with bay scallops & pistachio flan and pumpkin seed oil. Main course was roasted rack of lamb with eggplant puree, vegetable couscous, dandelion greens, spiced lamb au jus.

Then off to see piano entertainer extraordinaire Elliot Finkel (son of actor Fyvush Finkel) who is also a conductor and composer, perform. I sailed with him on the Quest in the fall of 2012. He gave a rousing performance and look forward to his next show.

There will not be any Freeze Frames available until I get off the ship. :( After trying everything I could think of, including trying different browsers and using the computers in Seabourn Square to connect to my photo sharing website, I asked the folks n Seabourn Square if they had any ideas. I was told that Seabourn’s satellite provider does not allow access to gambling sites, YouTube and some photo sharing sites for various reasons.

Oh those Lazy, Hazy, Crazy Crossing Days! As Always, life aboard Seabourn Quest is great!!

We are also on this cruise, and I've nothing to add to Paul's. Enjoying it all.

The scenery is amazing.

1st day:sea

2ns day:sea

rinse and repeat!

It's great to be on a T/A!

Nice view of the ship in Funchal today. So excited to be there on Odyssey in two weeks! http://www.madeira-web.com/camera/cam-04.html

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Sea Days 4 to 6

All Seabourn sailors are in the ship’s rhythm and vibe while the days and nights blend together in a kaleidoscope of wonderful experiences!

The weather has been partly cloudy with long periods of sunshine and temperatures ranging from 70-72°F (21-22°C). Sea day 4 was just like sea day 3 in that it was windy with whitecaps and swells generating minor vessel motion of the ocean. Sea days 5 & 6 were as flat as the kitchen floor with barely a ripple on the water. Navigationally, the Captain has kept the pedal to the metal and averaging 18 knots since leaving Ft. Lauderdale so we can arrive a day earlier at Funchal, Madeira as explained below.

Upon arriving at my suite on embarkation day there was a letter from the Captain stating the port call at Funchal would be one day early on Sunday April 9 in lieu of Monday April 10. During the second sea day’s noon navigation and weather briefing, the Captain explained why. On Monday there would be 3 behemoth cruise ships in addition to the Quest in port. The pier that the Quest was assigned only had 1.5 feet (0.5 metres) between the bottom of the keel and the seabed and the Captain rejected that. The Port Authority offered to allow the Quest to anchor outside the breakwater and tender the passengers to and from shore. The Captain did not consider this a safe option as the coast where Funchal is faces south towards the Atlantic Ocean is subject to tide and swell activity and asked the Port Authority if the Quest could arrive a day early and they said yes and that the Quest would be the only ship in port that day. J

After getting approval from Seabourn Headquarters to burn more fuel to arrive at Funchal a day early, we would also have an overnight stay so passengers wanting to dine ashore could do so. Also the Officer and Crew party to celebrate acing the Coast Guard and Health & Sanitation inspections will be in the evening at a shore-side location. All passengers and ship’s personnel are due back onboard Monday April 10 at 3:00 AM as the Quest sails to Tangier, Morocco at 5:00 AM April 10 before the 3 behemoths arrive and have essentially 2 sea days sailing at reduced speed to offset the added fuel expenditure. We will arrive at Tangier at the time and date specified in the published itinerary.

Food and service in all dining venues and service in the lounge, bar, Seabourn Square, Destinations and Cruise Sales Manager areas has been great! J J

The conversations with the guest conversationalists continue to be great and thought provoking. Ralph Vargas: NATO has served as an anchor for transatlantic security since its creation in 1949 but is its importance still valued?; “Russia is a riddle wrapped in mystery inside an enigma.” Have Russian leaders transformed the country from a chaotic democracy to a closed autocracy? What is Russia’s view, as it looks west?

Ronnie Sampson: “Don’t Marry A Royal”; Regal weddings do not always last.

Tom Goltz: “Spanish Treasure Galleons, Then and Now”; Spaniards looted the New World native empires of their gold and silver, while modern day treasure hunters continue to search for wealth beneath the waves.

Trivia: On sea day 4, my team was in 1st place. On sea day 5, my team was in 4th place, 25 points behind the leader. On sea day 6, my team was in 3rd place, 40 points behind the leader.

Oh those Lazy, Hazy, Crazy Crossing Days! As Always, life aboard Seabourn Quest is great.

Sea Days 7 to 8

“Eight Bells and All Is Well!” I have been eating, attending “A Conversation With…” eating, Trivia, eating, attending “A Conversation With…” eating and attending the shows in the Grand Salon after dinner. The whole experience has been absolutely great!! :) :)

The Trivia standings after sea days 7 & 8 with our Pirates of the Oceans team solidly in 3rd place with a differential of 85 & 100 points from 1st place, respectively.

Since The Barrier Boys and pianist Elliot Finkel were leaving the ship in Funchal, they each gave a “half show” performance to say Goodbye on sea day 8.