SLSD

Very graphic descriptions. Thank you.

I think it all depends on the weather when you are in Alaska. Our SB Alaska cruise was early in the season with the first port being Kodiak--so we could definitely use the jacket. But, I'm with you on logo ware--which is why I would never wear the jacket "around town".

They are good jackets--insulated and water and wind proof. Two winters ago when we had a polar vortex in Texas, Mr. SLSD brought out his SB jacket to check on things at our farm. We seldom have need for a jacket that warm and it worked perfectly in that instance too. So--we are hanging on to them as we are sure to take another SB Alaskan cruise. Ours are a very bright turquoise. I certainly wouldn't wear it around town, but at our farm, I might in the right weather conditions. I had the feeling some SB cruisers didn't like the very bright color or just didn't want to be seen as part of the group.

I just don't believe that. On our SB Alaskan cruise, 95% of the passengers wore the SB jackets. They worked very very well. Yes, there are the outliers who prefer their own jacket. I see this as a cost cutting measure.

So--did you actually go to the Howdy Doody neighbor party? I'm not holding my breath on that one. I hope you will continue your reports!

Heavy on vanilla and sweetness reminds me of Bumbu rum. We tried one bottle of it. Too sweet, too much vanilla. When my mother in law saw rum in our bar, she used to say "Rum! Who drinks rum here?" I remained quiet.

Not oblivious at all--just disappointed. There is a difference!

Would you share with us which tools you use?

I hope you will visit Hemingway's House on Key West today if you haven't already been there. That was the high point of the island for us.

I look forward to your reports! Have a fabulous trip! I am assuming that you brought your luggage with you this time? And it is on the ship?

Sending Julie all best wishes for a fabulous trip. I believe that Markham is also on the Quest. Sending him best wishes as well.

Find a less expensive hotel.

Always fly at least a day ahead of embarkation. We fly several days ahead and enjoy the embarkation port.

The hair dryer is adequate for me--and I have long hair. There are no kettles/coffee makers due to them being a fire hazard. Please don't bring one and then hide it. Not a good thing to do. You can order coffee to arrive (even a carafe of it) at any hour you choose. We order the night before and it arrives on time. You can also go to the Observation Bar as early as 6am for coffee/tea/pastries. No need to make your own tea/coffee in your suite.

My lawyer husband is on a road trip with one of our sons right now, but I sent him the link from Cornell Law School. He will read it and hopefully comment later.

I've already asked him and he immediately said that suing Seabourn is uneconomic. I would like to know exactly how much more does the S. Georgia itinerary cost than the Antarctic itinerary without S. Georgia? I seem to recall that SB is offering $1,000 obc that is refundable and a 15% cruise credit. How would this stack up against the extra $$ paid for the S. Georgia itinerary? I think that is where you will find your answer about whether it is worthwhile to pursue anything else. Like many, I have always recognized that there is no guarantee that a particular cruise will be able to make every port. On most SB cruises we have taken, at least one port has been missed. On one cruise, a port was added! While people may be very very disappointed in missing S. Georgia and it is an unusual circumstance, SB has offered to let everyone rebook a different cruise.

Heidi's suggestion of obtaining the services of a good Admiralty lawyer with exemplary expert witnesses is good advice. Of course that costs money unless a lawyer will take the case of contingency--which is not likely. The amount of damages becomes an issue. In other words, pursuing this legally will be uneconomic. Seabourn probably has a cause of action against the providers/manufacturers. My attorney husband says that the arbitration clause will not be broken.

What has me thinking is that on our trip on SB from Kamchatka to Kodiak Alaska, we had very rough seas---even with stabilizers.

In my experience, shopping with the chef is hit or miss in terms of availability for all guests. It is announced rather spontaneously and all spots to join have been already filled each time I have received notice.

It is interesting how our interests change over time.

I'm all for banning loud people, wherever they are from... I don't have a real preference for dress code protocol and realize that SB cruisers come from all sorts of cultural backgrounds (even those from the same country). Some like to dress up a bit (I am semi in that category) and others like to dress down. I've only run across one person on a SB ship with really poor hygiene and have seen this same person on two separate itineraries (!). I also totally "get" that stylish smart casual can be a better look than dated unstylish more formal wear. But--we have to be understanding and accepting of those who are doing what they can to abide by a published dress code. Clothing just isn't important to some people and is very important to others. I place myself somewhere in the middle of that spectrum. So--I'm prepared to move on--planning to dress appropriately the next time we sail. As a side note, we are not drawn to sailing again quite yet and hope we will be motivated to resume in 2023. Happy New Year everyone!

Be sure to give us a link to wherever you post about your Aranui cruise.

Thank you Fletcher for posting the fabulous photos.

I'm not planning a trip to Antarctica, but think I would choose something from Patagonia or similar company that was specifically for cold/wet weather--and then the waterproof pants. I would want something that breathes--but not cotton.

Just for the record, I don't think I would be wearing jeans for Antarctic landings either. I think there are better options. Have a great trip. What is a moleskin trouser? Moleskin is a thick 100% cotton fabric brushed for warmth and durability. It even offers reasonable protection from brambles etc. New Forest Moleskins are a traditional trouser cut so they look smart and are comfortable but not too baggy.