Dusko

We are looking at this voyage in June 2023 and would really appreciate some advice from someone who actually did this trip last year, the inaugural run. My wife and I are reasonably active though at different levels and I want to gauge whether one of us will be happily off hiking hills and such while the other is stuck on the ship. I have read the comments about getting in and out of the zodiacs. It seems as though there is plenty of assistance available to load and unload. Am I right? How deep is the water for the wet landings? Do you wade ashore or step on the beach, assisted if necessary? What are the hikes like? Are we climbing steep paths, not quite Pulpit Rock in Norway (done by one of us three years ago) but steep, or ?? Other than hiking what other types of trips are available? I know the kayaks and submarine will be available and there will be Zodiak trips but anything else? Seabourn have assured us that the issues experienced with the relocation back to Reykjavik at the end of the trip have been addressed. We do understand this is an adventure and not a cruise but any other tips would be appreciated.

There’s a saying in cold climates like Alaska or the Yukon. Think about it before you pack jeans (classically wool/cotton but check the label) or moleskin for the Antarctic. Do your own research but here’s an explanation from eDoctorAmerica. “Cotton kills” While this saying is somewhat of an exaggeration, cotton clothing ranks at the bottom of the list of appropriate fabrics for cold weather active wear. With outdoor activity, perspiration is absorbed into cotton layers that are touching or near the skin. As the air pockets in the fabric fill up with water, it ceases to provide insulation. A damp layer of clothing against the skin pulls heat away from the body and can rapidly lower body temperature. Furthermore, wet, cotton clothing takes much longer to dry than comparably weighted synthetic fabrics. Garments labeled as corduroy, denim, flannel, or duck are mostly, or entirely, made from cotton. Clothing made from synthetic fabrics or wool is more appropriate, particularly during physical activity in the cold. The waterproof pants on top are an excellent move.

That’s hilarious on two levels 😆. If you’re serious that’s one level and if it’s tongue in cheek I applaud the creativity. Thanks.

How about “Wow!” ? On a serious note the statement that there will be no formal nights on Venture is great news.

We have just booked the Greenland/Iceland cruise for next June and I came across this thread while looking for hotel recommendations in Reykjavík. I am really concerned. From what I'm reading here it looks as though Seabourn wash their hands of passengers once they hit the beach. I do understand that the facilities in Greenland/Iceland cannot be expected to be the same as those in, for example, Venice but having passengers expected to offload their bags and then drag them through the rain doesn't seem like the Seabourn way. Do you know if anyone has addressed this question directly with Seabourn, perhaps through the email portal on the website? If so, was there any response?

I’m assuming Fletcher will disembark tomorrow. I look forward to the final comments and I want to say Thank You. It has been fascinating to be on the same voyage and to compare experience. I found San Rafael a bit boring but Bandol , and a side trip to Cassis, today were great despite a rain shower. The deck party and the serenade this evening were first class. We’ve enjoyed a real Seabourn experience this last week. Has it been perfect? No. There have been a couple of minor inconvenience moments but no problems. Thanks Seabourn.

I think that word entitled is very appropriate. Some passengers should remember that the crew are equals. I also don’t appreciate meeting people who seem to have an urge to tell me, in sentence number 4 or 5, how badly an ex-President of the USA is being treated by the media. That’s happened twice. No drunks so far. (Some of them can be quite funny). Many years ago I read “Down and out in Paris and London” by George Orwell. It was a life changer. As a night porter in a hotel he relates complaining about repetitive meals, only to be shown a death camp survivor’s tattoo numbers and told to learn the difference between a problem and an inconvenience. I have been reminded of that lesson in the last couple of days. If you are being bombed in a Ukrainian convoy you have a problem. If you get a boiled egg that is too runny or too hard you have an inconvenience. There is no need to summon someone in a white uniform and belittle him. Also, having worked in a service position at one point in my life, I would advise you that nobody knows better what you are putting in your mouth than the person who cooks it or the person who serves it.

In our deck 6 cabin at present. There are two USB ports on one side of the bed, one on the other. There’s a couple of Euro plugs and, in the bathroom, a combination Euro/US plug above the phone.

We joined this cruise on Thursday. Agree there are some dreadful people on this cruise but hopefully we’re not categorized as such by Fletcher! Amalfi in the mist looks lovely this morning. The weather forecast is optimistic for the days ahead.

I actually thought that was self-evident but obviously not. Thank you for clarifying. When we wear masks in the lab working with dangerous organisms, be they viral or bacterial, we wear masks to protect ourselves. Same in the non-clinical environment when we believe infectious organisms to be present. Wearing a well fitted mask when we ourselves are infected will also protect those around us. The degree of that protection naturally depends on the quality of the mask, distribution mechanism of the infectious element etc. Yes, we could compare COVID-19 to the flu virus. People get infected every year with the influenza virus and some die, usually of complications. The difference with COVID-19 is that some are left with long COVID. That’s a complication we still know little about. Of course it makes sense to have rules that err on the cautious side when we are operating in ignorance. As we learn more those rules can be relaxed. It’s a balancing act. We all have personal ‘rights’ to take risks for ourselves. It’s a delicate question when we balance those rights with the ‘right’ to infect someone else or to burden society with our own infections. Just a thought. Now let’s go cruising and enjoy.

As you will note from various posts, announcements are not made about cases on board but both crew and guests do disappear from time to time. I don’t know your basis for “No one has Covid “. Let’s not forget that, although most well vaccinated people, myself included, don’t find Covid worse than a flu case, there’s still people dying and long Covid is no joke. If the crew or guests wearing masks can help prevent tragedy, I consider them a really minor inconvenience.

Thank you!!

When I posted the link on August 27 I hoped that people would read the FAQs carefully. My subsequent post and extract referenced the requirements for European cruises. The requirements for North American cruises state: "How far in advance do I need to be tested for COVID-19 before my cruise’s departure? Guests embarking in a Canadian port OR a U.S. port that includes Canada in the itinerary:: All guests aged 2 and older are required to take either a medically observed antigen COVID-19 test within 2 days of embarkation or PCR COVID-19 test within 72 hours prior to embarkation. " I think the FAQs are actually clear and the first step is to know which set of guidelines you must follow.

We had a similar experience on our May Alaska cruise. One day the Asst Cruise Director was there, next day not. Same with some passengers. Do they give you any credit for the days you're in quarantine?

My apologies Jodi and Frank. As SLSD pointed out there is no facility for private mail on this forum and certainly no restriction on what can be posted in any topic. Only roll calls are provided to allow cruisers to make contact before they meet up before or on a cruise. It's a deficiency perhaps the site managers should address. I consider my wrist duly slapped! I also hope you enjoy your cruise and, in particular Montreal, one of my top favourite cities in North America. I would still be interested in more postings about packing for a 15 day cruise. We are off on a 17 day cruise in the next weeks and the responses are very helpful. We have used the laundry bag approach in the past without incident but I wondered if staffing changes during COVID had seen a negative trend with the results. Our only real change is that I will not be packing or wearing a jacket. We are headed to a warm location and I tend to feel the heat rather than the cold so eating outdoors in simply a shirt will be fine for me. I may pack a V-neck cashmere sweater just in case. Needless to say we won't be in the MDR on formal nights. One thought I did have is that we may be visiting some religious sites where modest dress is required. My usual daytime shorts may not be approved so I will have to pack casual long pants. One thought we have always had is to pack the bare essentials for the trip in our carry-ons in case the checked bags go astray (which seems to be more common these days). I think that, overall, flexibility is the key.

Hi Buck. My understanding came from this: Quote: Am I still required to have a pre-travel, COVID-19 test before boarding the ship? For cruises departing on or before September 5, 2022, all guests ages five and above will require a medically observed, negative viral COVID-19 test (PCR or antigen) result taken within three days of cruise embarkation for all European cruises except for embarkations in Greece which requires a two day medically observed antigen test or a 3-day PCR COVID-19 test. Guests that have been approved for a vaccination exemption, including children ages 5-11, will need an embarkation day COVID-19 test performed at the terminal in addition to a negative pre-cruise PCR test result taken within three days before embarkation. Charges may apply. For cruises departing on or after September 6, 2022, vaccinated guests will no longer have to test before boarding, but we strongly recommend that all guests get tested 3 days before embarkation. Guests aged 5 years and older that are not vaccinated, will be required to show evidence of a negative COVID-19 result within 3 days of boarding the ship from a healthcare provider, or alternatively a photo of a home Antigen self-test result. Guests that choose to do a self-test should take a photo of their test result with their mobile device. Their full names, date and time of test should be written on, or next to the test device result. Guests embarking in Greece are required to obtain either a COVID-19 PCR test within 3 days, or a COVID-19 Antigen 2 days before embarkation. Written evidence of test results is required. Self-administered tests are not accepted. Certain enhanced itineraries such as ocean-crossings and voyages that include exotic or remote ports that have specific protocols. Children under 5 years of age do not need to be vaccinated or tested. Unquote The addition of the underline is mine. Am I misinterpreting? It wouldn't be the first time.

Looks like I missed the latest update on the website of August 25. https://www.seabourn.com/en_US/health-safety/europe-travel-requirements.html#testing-requirements. From this I deduce that not testing is required for voyages in Europe departing after September 6. There are some restrictions and exceptions (Greece) to it's good to read it carefully. If I have misunderstood I apologise.

Roll calls?

Isn't this about packing tips???

We are on a back to back in September, 10 days + 7 in the Med. If we were only boarding for 10 we wouldn't have to test but apparently we are considered as 17 day cruisers. I don't have an issue doing it but do question the logic.

I could image there are a few waiters that would not want to be mistaken for some of the passengers! 😉

We came off the Odyssey, YVR-YVR Alaska cruise on June 21. I didn’t post before now because we both tested positive for COVID the day we left the ship and have been recovering. We had a really great cruise, our first for the last couple of years for obvious reasons. Was everything perfect? Answer would be “No”. There were obvious pressures on staffing and therefore performance. The quality of service was not as it was before COVID. We heard others complaining about minor things and it actually made us rather annoyed. The people complaining seemed to have no understanding as to what staff had been through in the last months and years. Some crew had been stranded for months, unable to get home. Others had no income for months but still had families to support. Carnival/Seaborn is struggling to staff their ships when some countries still don’t allow their citizens to travel. The world is enduring the biggest market correction in decades. Carnival stock price is 10% of pre-pandemic. Europe is enduring the biggest war since WW2. Millions have died of COVID and continue to die. Fuel costs are through the roof. Red tape imposed by countries visited add layers of cost and effort. Despite all these factors we experienced a delightful crew, anxious to do their best and deliver a real Seabourn experience. I really didn’t know or care whether the prizes for putting were less available or of lower quality. I also didn’t care whether someone wore jeans in the bar after 6:00 pm as we cruised through fabulous scenery. I didn’t measure the temperature of the white wine at lunch (a complaint I heard) and didn’t care about that either. I just had a really great cruise, met some wonderful people (crew and people we met ashore mainly) and was really grateful that I was still alive and able to enjoy it. We have our next Seabourn cruise booked in 3 months.

Thanks for that idea!

I've done this look in the MDR before now and fitted right in. I've done this and a Polo shirt in Collonade. To each his own. If you require a jacket to eat, enjoy some wine and good conversation I promise not to sit with you and make you uncomfortable.

Thanks for the info. That sounds like a good idea if Seabourn is using it. Does anyone have recent experience of checking in that way?