Ka Honu

6 hours ago, LHT28 said:

you probably will want to upgrade to a PH  on the R ships or shower in the spa

JMO

Excellent advice - the spa showers and I are great friends (and for good reason). I know we're all CC buddies but I kinda wish you'd kept that tip secret.

I don't think I've ever heard anyone say any seriously bad things about Alla or SPB (We've used both and were well satisfied). As to the Baltic, they have the handle on small, informative, interesting tours with some amazing guides and their "bundling" discounts make them an even better choice.

On the other hand, ship tours (not just Oceania but pretty much across the board) get mixed reviews for both quality and cost worldwide. We decided many years ago to avoid ship tours when possible unless the political situation, local infrastructure, or probability of missing departure demands it. It's proven a good choice for us.

Jus' sayin'...

On 6/25/2021 at 7:56 AM, Wings55 said:

... Scenic cruise (Budapest - Amsterdam) ... Scenic 'blew us away' with the service, food, drinks, excursions.. Everything was wonderful ...

On the other hand some good friends (and frequent travel companions) of ours lived through an absolute horror story on the same cruise (Amsterdam - Budapest) 4 years ago. Water level problems seemed to take Scenic totally by surprise and their responses were totally inadequate (in terms of rerouting passengers, tour continuity, etc.). This is not to say they haven't sorted all that stuff out by now but just shows that even the best can have bad cruises.

We were on Tauck at roughly the same time and itinerary (opposite direction) and found it (as ALWAYS on Tauck) to be the best trip ever. They bussed us across the "gap" and put us on an identical boat (trading with their southbound trip) to continue the journey with an absolute minimum of drama and disruption.

As others have noted, Tauck prices are somewhat higher but we've never had a bad trip (land or river) with them. They tend to run fewer passengers per (same length or slightly smaller) boat as the others and include absolutely everything (except laundry), even giving you coins for the pay toilets ashore and cash for your lunch if not served aboard or as part of a tour. We've enjoyed AMA & Uniworld but Tauck far outshines either of them by providing consistent excellence every time. 

Jus' sayin'...

We were on a similar 2019 cruise which was r/t Hong Kong (on Ovation) with most of the same stops. It was my first return to some of the places I'd spent a lot of time in back in the day (late 60s thru 90s) and was super interesting from that perspective. I could well have done without much of the Philippines and Sihanoukville (unless you take a side trip to Angkor Wat) but the rest was all pretty cool, largely depending on how much history you have with those places. Highlights were Hong Kong (just before the recent political upheaval), Vietnam, Singapore, and Bangkok and worth the effort of wandering about (if you're familiar with the area) or finding "custom" tours to go where you want to go instead of where the generic tours take you.

Although it's a bit more complicated, if I had it to do over again I'd do it by land/air and spend more time in the places I really wanted to visit/revisit. That's not a slam on Seabourn - as always the cruise itself was wonderful; I just don't think they had the best itinerary in terms of ports and time ashore to meet my personal interests.

On 4/13/2021 at 12:33 AM, gnome12 said:

 

It sounds like Ka Honu has done Asian river cruises where they cruise only during the day and dock at night.

 

Sorry, I should have qualified the tide comment. We had that experience on the Douro (Portugal) and at least one other river cruise. It obviously made an impression.

As well as I remember we've always cruised rivers only during the day but I'm guessing different rivers/countries have different customs/rules.

Shouldn't be too much of a problem since river boats don't typically go anywhere at night. The bigger issue is being near the gangway which may be raised/lowered (noisily) one or more times per night to accommodate tides. Jus' sayin'...

3 hours ago, jenidallas said:

I’ve booked and cancelled a few sailings and never been charged a fee.  I’d agree with others that it’s time to find a better agent.

What she said! (Although I seem to remember a "big box" internet agency used to do that but I didn't do any business with them so can't say for sure).

On 2/21/2021 at 4:00 AM, TrulyBlonde said:

I have not done a river cruise with Viking. However, did one with Tauck on the Danube. If price is similar do not pass up the chance for a Tauck cruise. 5 star in every way.

What she said (except that Tauck is probably deserving of 6 stars)!

We're mostly ocean cruisers but we took our first Tauck cruise a few years ago from Budapest to Amsterdam in September. It was absolutely amazing and worth every bit of the premium price. With COVID shredding 2020 and 2021 travel plans we've only been on one more of their tours since (land trip to Ireland) but are scheduled for their Switzerland land tour next June followed by their Paris to Lyon TGV trip and river cruise

As noted, September is a school month and the weather is pretty much okay so that's a good thing for river cruisers. As to the lower water level, we were stopped by it about mid-cruise (northbound) and while other lines were trying to figure out how to handle the problem (and acting like it was the first time it had ever happened), Tauck simply picked up our luggage and put us in a bus for a three-hour ride to meet and trade places with the cruisers on their identical southbound boat (which was "high and dry" on the other side of the low part of the river). Then both boats turned around and both groups of passengers completed the cruise they'd signed up for with very little disruption. Same model, same cabin numbers, and an "extra day" to choose whether we wanted to take excursions back to the place we missed between the two ports or stay in the area we were transferred to. Totally painless transition, especially after hearing the horror stories from others stuck on the river at the same place and time.

Our cabin category choices on river boats tend to be determined by the least expensive room over my threshold square foot requirements. I'm not terribly comfortable in anything less than 200 sq ft so that tends to be the cut point. After that we try to be at least a couple of doors aft of the gangplank to avoid the traffic and noise. French balconies don't do much for us since we're usually out of the cabin if there's anything we should be looking out the window at.

I could go on about Tauck's attitude, professionalism, and service but will leave that for you to discover.  My best advice is to start saving now, however; you're going to want to have the extra bucks available to spend on future Tauck experiences.

The major downside of our trips (land & river) is that we tend to "fall among bad companions" (usually Canadians or Aussies) on Tauck. I suppose we could avoid the bar (their main gathering place) but at those prices we want to take advantage of the extensive and expensive beverages we've alreasy paid for. Nobody has ever lost an eye so we've resigned ourselves to the hiliarity, good fun, and even the hangovers.

I'm sure you'll enjoy your time with Tauck.

Thought the OP might be interested in a sample St. Petersburg itinerary so went back and looked up the 3-day tour we took in 2018 from ALLA. Each van was limited to 16 people which was pretty manageable but I'm sure you could go for a smaller or larger group if you prefer. Cost was US$370pp. Optional evening programs (ballet, traditional dinner, etc.) were extra.

If the restrictions mentioned by GICNJC are not in force, several large tour companies (such as SPB) give excellent multi-day comprehensive tours of St. Petersburg with well-qualified, English-speaking guides, hitting all the high points with a minimum of waiting in line, etc. They generally use small, comfortable coaches so you may have to do without the double-decker bus. Several of them also service other Baltic ports and give discounts for "bundled" itineraries.

If you go that route make sure you get a company that handles visa requirements and be sure to wear sunglasses to avoid being blinded by all the gold leaf.

Just looked at both sites and they seem to be working normally.

I've received a number of emails, links, etc., that indicate at least some Seabourn crews are still aboard (without passengers) and "weathering the storm" fairly well (and, by some reports, using and staying in "passenger spaces"). They seem to say they miss the passengers but are getting a bit tired of drills, training, and cleaning unused spaces over and over. In general, however, the tone is that they're glad to be where they are instead of where they might be.

My informaqtion is purely anecdotal - I don't how many ships and crew members are involved and what their status will be when they finally disembark (in terms of time off before taking a new contract). I also have no idea what crew members not currently aboard or "off contract" are told about the future.

Strange. I haven't sailed Regent since January of 2017 but as of about 5 minutes ago my "Past Cruises" are still listed in "My Account" when I sign in to the rssc.com website.

16 hours ago, sfvoyage said:

 

As implied in my previous post, the name is buried in old cruise reviews.  The words to google should be fairly obvious based on the original news article at the top of this thread.  Also bear in mind that the person worked for cruise lines (most of the words to google) in the naughts, so you need to read through some old reviews prior to 2010.

I guess my (admittedly somewhat unclear and snarky in a culturally esoteric sort of way) response did not convey my point. To put it more bluntly, what possible reason other than morbid curiosity could anyone on this thread have for identifying the employee concerned?

1 hour ago, Wendy The Wanderer said:

 

Well gee, I guess I'm just using the wrong 6 words,...

I Googled the (7) words that come to my mind when somebody says "X (number of) words" and got tons of links to George Carlin. Guess I used the wrong words to try to find out something I really didn't need to know. Or maybe not.

Jus' sayin'...

I don't mess with the "Save or not" features of the website; I just bookmark the specific cruises I want to consider (often from more than one line) and put them in a folder on my Bookmarks bar. Might not be what you're looking for but it works for me.

I just checked the fare history of the canceled trip and realized that its price started at the same higher level and, over the course of the year we were booked, dropped to about half that. Hopefully history will repeat itself in this instance. 

The worst part is that the same r/t Reykjavik cruise they just canceled shows on the website for double the price in 2021. We're bummed.

7 hours ago, bEwAbG said:

 

 

For those guests who are able to provide supporting documents from their health care provider, Holland America Line will issue them a Future Cruise Credit. For information on submitting a request with documentation under this “Compassion Policy,” please contact your travel advisor or our Reservations Department. 

 

Doesn't that mean that you need to submit medical documentation?

 

Besides all that, the over-70 restriction is a policy that was put out by the trade group for the cruise industry.  All cruise lines that want to sail from U.S. ports have had to adopt it.  However, enforcement was short-circuited by the industry's shutdown shortly thereafter, so no one knows exactly how this will play out once cruising resumes.

Please read what the email says and not what your friends read into it. It does not cover the proposed travel restrictions/requirements for seniors that have not yet been codified and are not being enforced since nobody is cruising. That's a totally different issue which will be sorted out (again) between now and the time the industry resumes operations

It ONLY pertains to cancellations of booked cruises by describing various situations and then adds a "catch-all" health-related Compassion Category that allows you to cancel any currently booked cruise without penalty even though it doesn't fit the other criteria. Cancellations under the Compassion Policy heading are the only thing that require documentation from your health care provider. Easy peasy.

3 hours ago, semibeater said:

We also know that there are people with specific individual health situations that impact their ability to safely travel during these times. For those guests who are able to provide supporting documents from their health care provider, Holland America Line will issue them a Future Cruise Credit. For information on submitting a request with documentation under this “Compassion Policy,” please contact your travel advisor or our Reservations Department. This offer is available for guests booked on any sailing, regardless of departure date.

I may be missing something but this paragraph describes a "Compassion Policy" for clients who don't fit any of the other categories listed earlier in the email but still wish to cancel a bookied cruise because of personal health challenges presented by the current pandemic. It does not require a doctor's clearance or otherwise restrict over-70 travelers as several of the posters seem to believe.

Jus' sayin'....

Catlover - It's NEVER a good time to discuss anything with Seabourn Seattle unless you have a high tolerance for stupidity and pain or an empowered contact there who owes you or your travel agent more than they can ever repay.

Having see the error of my approach (or at least the way I presented that approach) I shall retire from this discussion, return to my state- and city-imposed lockdown, and do what I do best (absolutely nothing, fueled with liberal doses of decent Scotch). Before I go, however, I will contact my excellent TA and instruct her to go into her most fearsome attack mode (which is well past "Shock and Awe") to sort all this out.

Aloha all.

Seabourn is hardly "altruistic" but they do tend to realize if you have a legitimate issue and discuss it with them (calmly and logically) that it is their interest to make it a win-win situation as often as they can.

This is sort of a rant and almost TLTR so I won't blame you if you skip it altogether...

I find it interesting that what was once a love affair between Seabourn and their customers is now morphing into a seriously adversarial relationship. 

Seabourn is trying to cope with an unprecedented financial disaster; there's no manual on how to survive the ramifications of this worldwide panic. They're stumbling along and making it up as circumstances and the knee-jerk reactions of mostly clueless politicians across the globe dictate. I'm not saying the governments are wrong, just that the decisions they've forced on all of us haven't been arrived at logically.

In any event, Seabourn is probably doing as well as they can to cope in a unique atmosphere of fear, misinformation, and emotional turmoil (not to mention the possibility of financial collapse). Their efforts and decisions may not be what many individual customers would like them to be but they don't have the advantage of being as smart as the average fearful, misinformed, and emotional client (that was sarcasm for those of you who missed it).

Give them a break, people. They know you're afraid, angry, and all the rest and they're not trying to make it worse. They're trying their best to keep on keepin' on.

Make your concerns known and try to suggest a few actions that consider the needs of both sides. Strident complaints and whining from a relatively affluent customer base on "issues" such as refunds versus FCC, OBC carry forward, and other relatively minor topics ain't helping. Seabourn needs to know and address those concerns but they need some help in the form of our underlying support.

Before you yell at me too loudly, consider the fact that Seabourn has made wrong decisions before but has, in every instance of which I'm aware, made it good. That's why we sail with them and what we expect on our next voyage. Don't sink the ship before you board.

Jus' sayin'...

Ah, tipping - the never-ending story...

Tipping Seabourn employees (concessionaires not included) is a strictly personal choice and is neither expected, recommended, or required. It's more about the tippers than anyone else and generally reflects their desire to -

     - give an extra reward for exceptional service (tough to judge on Seabourn - it's all pretty exceptional),

     - comply with their own cultural ethos, or, worst case but too frequently, 

     - show others that they are "all that."

In no case should tipping choices be known to anyone other than the tipper and the recipient; anything else is (at best) tacky.

If you don't feel comfortable tipping individuals (which may or may not be equitable and is not Seabourn's policy) but still feel you should do "a little extra," Crew fund donations are a good alternative. Again, no need to advertise; it's nobody's business but yours.

Jus' sayin'...