Mauzac

32 minutes ago, SLSD said:

Mauzac, I've just read that the storm was so severe that Ovation had to bypass Alesund.  I am so sorry.  

Yes!  So near and yet so far... you couldn't make it up!

Update...

Our luggage has arrived in Alesund from Oslo but Captain has announced, due to weather, we are not docking.

Not sure what next plan is..

8 hours ago, SLSD said:

It is true that there are a lot of accessible shops for clothing in Alesund.  People on our cruise purchased down jackets, pants, tops, etc.  I hope your luggage arrives, but if it doesn't you may have some decent options.  I know that SB also has some items they may loan you.  You should ask.  One man was loaned a very nice outdoor jacket.  

Thank you, yes.  I hope Alesund happens and the weather doesn't stop us,  

As far as anything like a jacket loaned from SB I have asked two members of the ventures/expedition team who I know from past cruises, and I have asked three different Guest Services people at different times....nothing!  I am surprised at this actually.  

Thank you for your response. 👍😊

Just now, Isklaar said:

 

So sorry you're having to deal with this.

 

I hope that you make it into port! As Techno pointed out it's good there for hiking gear etc which may be just what you need in the current climate.  The weather in south east Norway is pretty awful just now, a bad storm. Family living close to Oslo told me it's the worst they remember for decades, especially in summer. I didn't realise it was quite so bad up there by the coast in that area. 

 

The weather is very bad and this is the most rocky we've ever encountered on a SB cruise.

(Not so bad as the Bay of Biscay in March though....that was something else!)

@Techno123

Thank you and yes we will ring our insurance co tomorrow.  Just hoping we can get out in Alesund and I can buy some flat shoes.... slippers or heels just won't cut it on a RIB 😂

@SLSD  yes I had heard that one customers bags were waiting for them at the departure airport as they flew home.

Thank you for the helpful comments, when you have a bit of a dilemma, it's really good to hear feedback and suggestions and I do appreciate it.  Tonight we were at a show, that's great because it's dark in there.  😂

2 hours ago, Isklaar said:

 

Sorry Mauzac, does the ship arrive there tomorrow? If so what time do you leave? I thought it was Wednesday. 

What is your next port after?

Hiya.. we've just heard that instead of 10am it will not dock until 'some time in the afternoon' because we are 15ft plus waves and very windy.

Then another sea day and then Svolvaer Lofoten on Thursday followed by Tromso Friday

I pretend I've been in the hot tub which is why I'm wearing my bathrobe and slippers round the ship whilst I wash our clothes!

We flew to Amsterdam then on to Copenhagen @skybluewaters

Yes but it is Alesund tomorrow! Not Wednesday 

2 minutes ago, Isklaar said:

I just checked your route and see that Ovation is due into Ålesund on Wednesday. Depending where your bags are currently, it's possible they can get them there. 

Thank you, they are hoping for Alesund but they were missing and then found in Amsterdam

I live in hope!  SB are doing their best and we are very grateful 

Oh. Right.😥

I was just a bit down about it all, and your post has really not helped

When booking flights through SB flight ease I twice questioned a tight connection and was reassured that it was fine so I do feel SB bear some responsibility 

Sorry, just to edit so I can press the follow topic button which I missed with my original post

We are on Ovation Norway and Northern Cape and disaster!

KLM have lost our luggage.  Because we have flown and sailed all over the world with SB and when doing long haul I put a few bits in hand luggage...because this was a quick hop over to Copenhagen from UK, we flew with nothing but the clothes we stood up in.  I know I know...we were stupid. 😥

SB Guest Services are progressing it but due to the remote locations of the ports they cannot say for definite we will be reunited with our luggage during the cruise.

The point of my post is...(apart from a cathartic whinge!)  I understand that over the last few weeks on this itinerary they have had 7 cases like this and I wondered if anyone reading this had this happen and had been reunited with their luggage?

And yet... on a long 65 day cruise we did stay in to watch a film and have the Main Restaurant delivered to us (with a couple of variations) a couple of times and it was excellent!

It's not something we do as a matter of course but on a long cruise, sometimes you just have to stay in!  

7 hours ago, Techno123 said:

We booked in a roundabout way. Try going into my itinerary and booking from there.

Me the same for Feb 2024

No way of booking. 

@skybluewaters

Thank you.  I can see them if I download them, it's just a bit of a faff!  

The 'add security photo' is new since our last cruise (embarking September last year) ... first time uploading and it worked 👍

1 minute ago, SLSD said:

OH!  I'm going to have to find that podcast. The idea of a a Nordland Night Train is fascinating.   It is a magical place.  What is interesting is that even though we were on the same cruise, we had very different daily experiences (for the most part) from Mary.  I am finding her posts on her wonderful blog to be very interesting.   

Yes, Mary's blog is wonderful and great pictures.

I used to listen to it to send myself to sleep, he has such a mesmerising voice, I usually lasted minutes before I dropped off, so had to properly listen during the day!    It's on an app called 'Calm' but the 'Norland Night Train' is also on youtube. He's done a few about Norway, I think I've got the right one, I've listened to all of his on Calm.  

Thank you for sharing this.  We embark Sunday week so it has whetted my appetite!

Lofoten is particularly of interest to me because I listen to a sleep podcast by Erik Braa 'The Nordland Night Train' and he talks of Lofoten and creates such a magical picture. 

35 minutes ago, shellbeachjim said:

It’s not obvious. On the home page in the “Plan Your Day” section, you can scroll to the right to see more options - including “Dining at a Glance”. When I tap on the “Tonight’s Dinner Menus” button it opens a browser window with the menus. This works on my iPhone and iPad. Since you haven’t boarded yet it may not be available to you yet. 

Thank you for taking the time to reply.

Yes, there is no 'plan your day' section for me.  So I imagine it will all become available when we board.  The strange thing is... it all used to work, and it was just fun to view some of the menus in advance nefore embarkation, but then it just changed.   

There is a new section 'add security photo', not seen that before!

Thank you again. 

11 hours ago, skybluewaters said:

 

Is your next scheduled cruise on Odyssey?  If not, you won't see it.

Currently, the logo appears on the Earth & Ocean menu page.  However, it won't appear if you view the menu via the "Dining at a Glance" link.  It can only be seen by clicking on the "Earth & Ocean at The Patio" link.

We embark in 10 days.

I don't have 'Dining at a Glance' on the app.  I only have the individual restaurants and then click each one individually.  Within that, there is a choice of  'Tonight's Dinner Menu' on each dining venue

or 'Tonight's Dinner Menu (Accessible)' which doesn't work at all.

So if I click on 'Tonight's Dinner Menu' the only way to see it, is to download it onto my phone, then open it within Downloads.

It never used to be like this, it was easy to look at menus.  It isn't now. 

I have, before, cleared the cache etc, and deleted the app and re-installed it.  Still the same.  Most frustrating.  

@SLSD  What an awful experience for you all and of course the Guide.  I am so glad you decent people were able to talk to the Guide afterwards.

We had something similar happen when we were taking in Halong Bay, Vietnam, on a junk boat.  They were such lovely guides, as we cruised around the thousands of islands and rocks.  A once in a lifetime excursion for us.  Admittedly the weather was pretty poor but one man loudly tried to get everyone to agree to cut the tour short because 'if you've seen one rock, you've seen them all'.

So embarrassing for the gentle Vietnamese tour guides and I walked out to the back of the junk and this man approached me and said... you want to go back don't you, you've had enough of this, haven't you?

I'm afraid to say, I was really quite rude to him, (he had form on the ship for endless complaining) and basically I told him to keep quiet and that he was embarrassing everyone on the junk, and no, no one wanted to go back, and then told him not to speak to me again!

It worked!  He never said another word! 

11 hours ago, Mr Luxury said:

I am one who does not.

I go to Seabourn Square usually on the second day of the cruise and make a donation to the crew welfare fund so that all can benefit.

 

Ditto.   But towards the end of the cruise.  There are so many wonderful staff we don't see and they need appreciation too.

I always remember Captain Tim Roberts and other officers doing a Q&A session talking about the wonderful crew.  And he said that every day he goes to the Laundry room to check how the crew down there are doing because they work shifts covering 24/7 and are some of the hardest working on the ship.  We don't see them but we sure appreciate them!  😊

13 hours ago, JMB56 said:

We booked, through Seabourn, a 16-hour British Airways flight in Premium Economy from London to Buenos Aries (including a stop in Rio) on our way to a November Antarctic cruise. The BA website will not let me reserve seats (even at an extra charge), saying that they will be assigned at check-in. I contacted my TA, but she says there is nothing she or Seabourn can do.  Is there any way I can book seats in advance? Should I call Seabourn?

We've had this before and never been able to resolve it.  I think it is a BA thing.  And we are doing that flight next February (London/Rio/Bueno Aries) so I don't hold out much hope.  

We love Sojourn too, as it's the ship we went on for our first three cruises with SB, and subsequently have done the most cruises on it over the years.  Good to hear @avalon1025 you had a great experience!    

Love the little dog on Deck 5 (luckily he isn't real, how times have changed !)  😁 🐕🐕‍🦺

5 hours ago, 2seabournsailors said:

The complaints we have also heard concerning the Seabourn Office is another discussion we had with President Natalya during our Meeting. I think she was quite aware that there was a problem as she wasn't happy that no one seemed to know anything about the upcoming "Presidents Cruise"..... she thought everyone had been emailed about it.....seems whoever was supposed to do that job didn't get on to it....we told her that we very rarely get emails from Seabourn, and never any advertising.....NOW we do......She told us how there is going to be lots more Staff Training ON the ships, and I think OFF the ships as well.....

Isn't the amount of emails you get about upcoming cruises, special offers, down to your email marketing choices on the SB website?

There's a section for marketing preferences showing this...

"Personalize your preferences for news, marketing updates, latest fares, specials and offers." and you can either opt it or opt out of that.   I get lots of SB emails, they don't take a second to delete if not of interest!

😊

41 minutes ago, Mr Luxury said:

Sounds like you need a passenger talent show.

Those were the days 😀

We had a crew talent show in the Grand Salon on the Grand Pacific voyage last year, it was fab!

The guy who makes the appetizers in the Club in the evening, was brilliant with a guitar solo.  One of the Spa staff became something else (hard to explain!) and sang their heart out.  One of the Officers had the whole place rocking, she was nervous but nailed it!  

A great night, I hope SB continue to do this sort of thing, there's a lot of talent amongst the crew!  

8 minutes ago, MBP&O2/O said:

We will be boarding at Vancouver so we will have all the immigration palaver to deal with first ...... plus of course two other ships on the same pier. I have a sneaky suspicion that this will not be a pleasant experience 🙄

Brace yourself!  We embarked at Vancouver last Autumn for Grand Pacific Voyage.  We queued for exactly 5 minutes short of 3 hours, it was horrendous.

Good luck! 😊