Hlitner

Going to try and get this thread on track. We finally met Waltershipman, this evening, and had time for an intellectual discussion about bagels :). But on this post I want to talk about this specific cruise (the 10 day from Quebec to NYC) and our entertainment. EJ has a resident group of musicians and singers are they are quite good. But this voyage is very special as it ends with the naming ceremony for the ship, and in many ways is kind of a christening of a new company. We have gotten to know some of the hosts (staff/crew) and do sense the building of some excitement. There is a gentleman aboard, from the Geneva home office, who is responsible for the corporate entertainment program. From him we learn some interesting history about EJ entertainment. They are a company that is striving to be very upscale and is also building 6 ships (known around here as vessels). What could be more natural than to put Steinway pianos on these ships. Those who know something about music and pianos know that Steinway is special (and a legend) in the piano world. So, when a representative from EJ went to Steinway and Sons, and put in an order for 6 of their best pianos (with player piano capability) it raised eyebrows. Steinway only produces about 2600 pianos a year and there can be a long waiting list for some models. No electric keyboards for EJ, just the best pianos money can buy. And so, a special relationship was born between EJ and Steinway. The payoff is on this cruise where Steinway sent 4 of their contracted pianists (these are world class pianists) to the "vessel" for this voyage. A 5th will be joining us in Halifax. These guys all work full time for Steinway, and travel the world representing the brand, doing concerts, and demos. Tonight, they had a 2 hour show in the Explora Lounge (attended by nearly half the passengers on the ship) and their skills were put on full display. It was one of those special shows that rarely happens on ships, and everyone knew it! They will continue to entertain throughout the cruise and be an integral part of the Oct 12 Naming Ceremony Day. To give you some idea of the quality, one of these gentlemen is the music director for Shirley Bassey. DW and I have been in this cruise game for a long time (50 years for me) and I do appreciate that this is turning into a special voyage. While some on this thread might think it is folly to be on an early cruise of a new cruise line, we now realize that it is a once in a lifetime opportunity for cruise lovers. Yes, things are far from perfect (this is a line that still needs to find the right combination of class, luxury, and the cruise experience). That being said, DW and I are having a great time, have met some wonderful folks (passengers, crew, and guest entertainers) and are thrilled to be a part of what seems to be a special voyage. The downside is that trying to evaluate/rate a product that is still evolving, is quite difficult. We have met folks who cruise on Seabourn, Regent, Silverseas, and some other luxury lines. Most tell us they are enjoying themselves. Whether that translates into future bookings is a question. By the way, tonight DW and I returned to the Med Yacht Club (our least favorite restaurant) for dinner. As soon as we were seated, a gentleman at the next table told me his Dover Sole was terrific (he is a Regent cruiser) so I ordered the sole. He was right. The dish (fileted tableside) was delicious and would hold its own against the amazing Dover Sole served in the Thomas Keller grills on Seabourn. I do think the big weakness in the onboard cuisine are the desserts. This is the area where constraints, imposed by the home office, are likely much of the problem. The same old "tarts" are boring and not even very good. It seems like each restaurant has 1 or 2 decent desserts, but that is not enough when folks will eat in each restaurant multiple times. The dessert problem is even more apparent at the Emporium lunches. Everyday it is two tarts (from a very short list of types) with a single cream puff thingee (which rotates flavors every 3 or 4 days) and some fruit. There is little imagination, and the lack of variety is a huge negative. We seldom see folks getting desserts at lunch, and assume most are as underwhelmed as moi. Perhaps my message to Geneva should be "let your people go" and do their thing without restraints. Hank

Have not seen any tails at lunch. Dinner is on our agenda, since it is the only dinner venue we have yet to sample (except for Anthology which is soon to come). Had the lobster thermidor in Fil Rouge which was sinfully rich. Hank

Lol. As one who was born in NYC and likely had my first bagel before my first steps, this is a very serious topic (as is good lox). But I do think Wiki has it correct when it describes a bagel as having a dense chewy texture. New Yorkers think that is where you get the best bagels which can only be properly made with NYC water. Most would agree that if you call a bagel “light” it is not even a real bagel. We could move on to a bialy discussion 🤪 We were recently in Montreal where the debate between Montreal vs NYC bagels will always cause an emotional response. Montreal makes their holes larger and adds some honey to the dough. They do give the NYC bagel good competition. Once knew some west coast folks who paid to have their bagels shipped from NYC (H and H bagels). Also knew a UAL pilot who was always bringing pastrami sandwiches back to LA (from NYC) for his neighbors. No pastrami on EJ, which is a darn shame. Hank

So now we are starting to get into the nitty gritty details and negative issues. Once the WOW factor wears off, issues like made to order delays in the Emporium do come front and center. EJ does not want to be compared to any other line but, Seabourn solved (years ago) the inherent made to order issues in their lido (Colonnade). They simply use a hybrid system of some buffet combined with sit down ordering and service. If you want Blueberry Pancakes, you simply tell a waiter who immediately inputs your order into a tablet. The nearby galley (an open galley) makes your order which is quickly delivered to your table. EJ needs to adopt something similar, but it will likely take years until they accept the faults in their system and seek a solution. Another issue here is the lack of decent port information. No port lectures, handouts of port info, or even information on port shuttles. You just have to discover this stuff on your own, often by walking off the ship and hoping for the best. This is fine for very independent folks but will not please many cruisers who expect more info. We are docked in Baie-Conway today. There was zero info, in the daily program, on how ti get into town (about 2km distant). We assume there is some kind of shuttle, but will not know until we are off the ship. I guess one could also go to one of the Guest Services desks, wait to see a ”host” and hope they have some answers. I think EJ sees themselves as a hotel, not a cruise ship. Those expecting a more traditional experience might be unhappy. Also consider folks that normally enjoy table sharing on cruise ships. There is no provision for that on EJ (although they do have some get togethers for singles). You cannot go into any dining venue and ask to share a table. They also do not have anything like the popular “hosted tables” found on Seabourn and some other lines. The Chefs Kitchen program (only a dozen participants) is one way to meet folks, but you will pay 150 Euros per class. And lastly a word about the bagels. They look good, but are simply soft bread in the shape of a bagel. They would not pass muster in either NYC or Montreal where a bagel must have a firm chewy texture. I have spent nearly 50 years looking for my first good bagel on a cruise ship, and that quest must now continue. Hank

DW also had similar thoughts about the lobster roll in Marble. When we were in Boston (our first port after embarking in NYC) we walked over to Yankee Lobster and had the real thing with about a pound of lobster in the roll, including claw meat. The cost of that gem was $38 and worth every penny. Halifax also has some good lobster and lobster rolls, so a good reason to eat lunch off the ship 🤪 Hank

The issue is that most cruisers are used to relying on deck plans displayed all over a ship. But on EJ, there are no displayed deck plans. One must rely on sign placards which are supposed to make the “vessel” feel like a hotel.

One joke is that many folks cannot even find Guest Services :). A bar tender at the lobby bar told us there are more than a dozen inquiries (every day) for directions to Guest Services, Dining Reservations Desk, Destination Experience Desk. None of these have any signage, which management seems to feel makes it all classy. Speaking of signage, this ship has what I call "EJ Speak." So, for example, the ship is not a ship or a cruise ship but a "vessel." The Cruise Director is not a cruise director but an Experience Manager. Crew members are hosts. Having spend a lot of time on cruise ships the terminology is sometimes humerous. One day, during his noon update, the Captain actually had the nerve to say that the update was for passengers and crew instead of for guests and hosts! Hank

Just look at Explora Journeys (under cruise lines) and you quickly see the blog and some other posts. There are now several CC posters onboard and contributing.

No. We have been doing live reports on the EJ blog. I do not write normal ship reviews on CC because the format is too rigid and folks have no way to comment, ask questions, or disagree. Hank

Tough question since we cruised on over 60 ships. But the ship we are on now, Explora 1 is a candidate since it has no main dining room, no main theater, etc. Very different and gorgeous.

Since we have been on the ship, they have only had one kind of donut which seems to be plain with some chocolate icing. One negative is that the pastries do not change. Apparently the offerings are all governed from the home office in Geneva. The onboard chefs (we have met two) have the skill to do a lot more, but are constrained by company policy. Hank

Not sure. DW thinks the Normandy butter is salted. But I would bet if one asked for unsalted they would grant your wish. Since they do lots of baking onboard, they would surely be using unsalted. When you get butter in the Emporium or other venues it is provided in individual ramekins. Hank

Lol, very subtle streak :). A shame the QM2 took our docking location. 2nd port that we have lost out to bigger ships.

Sorry you missed us, but we were sitting in the middle bar seats from about 6 to 8 enjoying some adult libations. Sakura does remain our favorite, but tonight we went back to Marble. I finally tried the prime rib, which was trashed by a previous poster. The menu says “grilled” which is a lot different than the roast expected by we Americans. I thought it was fine, but we are used to European style cooking. Still looking forward to getting together. Hank

Hmmm. Well, by your reckoning, since we were the only paying passengers (actually the only folks) who were in the Conservatory, then we are truly special :). But sometimes the truth is better than fiction. According to a crew member-friend who works in that area, today was only the 2nd time he has ever seen the roof open. The weather has not been warm enough, and they generally keep it comfortable in the Conservatory. It has been a gorgeous day here in Quebec (some might call it an Indian summer) with temps in the mid to high 70s. Plenty of folks crowding the lower town since the huge Norwegian Joy is docked nearby. Hank

You are really hung up on this class stuff :). The reality is that they finally opened the roof on a quiet turn around day when the temps were in the 70s. It was to allow some painting and cleaning around the tracks on Deck 12. You might be the only person on earth to equate the opening of a roof to something having to do with paying passengers :). The truth is that they are working hard to get the ship in perfect shape for next weeks Naming Ceremony. The Aponte family is reportable flying in from Italy, so everything must be perfect. Hank

A news flash! This morning the Conservatory roof was opened (the first time we have seen this) and it does work. Hank

We are often at the lobby bar around 6. Old guy with Stacie and wife with purple streak in hair

Yes, I think we lost nearly 200 today. Heard there were only about 50 of us doing back to backs

We now have it on good authority that there will be no more than 300 on this 10 day sailing back to NYC. Hank

Lol, We are on time and docked at 5. But not at the normal port at the lower city. Our pier is in the commercial port a good mile from the main part of town. You would not even see much of us from the Hotel Frontenac. Once saw the Queen Mary 2 at this location, but this is our first time to be at this lousy location.

Docking at Quebec City in the worst possible docking location gar from the lower city. Folks will need a shuttle bus or taxi to get into town. Hank

My understanding is that all the gelato and sorbet is made onboard.

I think this company has a degree of arrogance and naïveté when it comes to pricing. We see it with the premium wines, up charges for not so top shelf booze, cooking lessons, many excursions, and Anthology. It is almost like they think their customers are all fabulously wealthy and do not mind paying ridiculous mark-ups. EJ forgets that many folks who have money are also wise enough to seek value. Perhaps they can find a customer base happy to overpay, but we have our doubts. Many who cruise on luxury lines are quite savvy and easily move between various lines based on pricing and itinerary. Hank

We actually walked from the ship over to the Reversing Waterfall area (not waterfalls but really rapids) to watch at high tide. Total cost of OUR tour was zero :). The walk (from the port was slightly over 2 miles (each way) with much of it along a well marked sidewalk. It was our 2nd or 3rd visit to St Johns, but we had never previously spent our time looking at the tides. Having done it we thought it was somewhat akin to watching the grass grow :). Another couple (from Germany) also did the walk and had the same reaction. If you wait long enough you can actually see the direction of the water flow reverse! WOW! 🙂 Hank