SLSD

Markham, I totally agree with you. I do believe that the atmosphere around us contributes mightily to our experience while cruising. Mr. SLSD wears a jacket every night to dinner and almost always with a bow tie (which suits him). We are just a few years older than you are. At the same time, I can see the tide changing. Things are NOT going to stay the same. While we would prefer to see smart casual be something other than droopy jeans and t-shirts, I think we are going to have to accept the fact that younger generations of cruisers do NOT want to dress "up" for dinner. Even the luxury cruise lines are having to come to terms with that. The rest of us are going to have to blend in and accept the changes.

Not ideal if they are just plating what is available in the Colonnade in the MDR for lunch. But, like many, I crave a quiet served lunch instead of a busy buffet.

It must be that beets are a vegetable that keeps for a long long time. Perhaps the ship has a large store of them.

Not obsessing. I expect to have a great time, but taken aback sometimes at the disappointment of others. Mostly, I hate it for them.

Hmm... I typed a response--thought I posted it--and it disappeared. I'm not trying to be critical of anyone posting anywhere--just trying to glean a balanced picture of what to expect when we cruise SB this summer. As I know you realize, different cruisers have different expectations. The fact that some are very unhappy does not mean that there are not others enjoying every aspect of their cruise. The other venue is one where you post as well. You probably just haven't read the entire thread I'm referring to. Once again, I am not discounting anyone's experiences or expectations.

I think people look for different things in a cruise. Some people who have cruised many many days with SB are upset if things they really loved about the cruise line change. I understand that. I am not being critical. It might be a food item that they loved which is different now--and not to their liking. It might be that the quality of the food is perceived as not as good as before--or less consistently good. In the case of what I have read, it's a lot of little things that seem to add up to a change in SB and affect their overall experience. There are things that people have loved about SB cruises that I have never even tried on our cruises. An example would be the snacks provided in SB Square. I don't drink coffee and don't eat between meals (except for tea), so I have never tried the goodies in the case. If there was an item carried in the case which was particularly loved and then changed--I would not know it. We DO go to tea and I try to limit myself to one little cucumber sandwich or one tiny piece of Grandma's cake. If tea was discontinued, I would be disappointed. So--I guess to an extent--I can understand someone counting on a particular thing and then being very disappointed. Caviar could be discontinued and I would never bat an eye--since we only order a couple of times each cruise. We just never think to do it. I understand that Carnival is in financial distress and that there are cutbacks (no more jackets given out for Alaska cruises) of all kinds. I'm sure the cruise line is trying to make cuts that will not be noticed by most people. But, the people most likely to notice are people who cruise on SB a lot--especially people who take the World Cruise and other long cruises. I have noticed that none of these things seem to phase/faze you--Shark b8.

Shark b8, I continue to read some scathing reviews of the World Cruise in another venue. I am very disappointed for those sailing with you who are so unhappy. Evidently, many small cutbacks have made the trip not the usual Seabourn experience. I'm sure you have heard some of the complaints. Is it possible that you are concerned with other aspects of the cruise and are not bothered by many small cutbacks? I'm just trying to assess what we might find when we sail in June (on a different SB ship).

I've been wondering the same thing. I don't recall seeing beets on SB either. They do seem to be a popular item in many restaurant salads lately. Such a shame.

Hmm.. I can't recall our suite number at the moment. If I look on a deck plan, I will see it.

That sounds about right for me, but Mr. SLSD requires more sleep. We were fortunate the only time we did a guarantee. Our suite was midship on the 6th deck. It was our favorite suite of all the times we've sailed on SB. We preferred it to suites on 7 and on 8. Also, it was next to an elevator (which was very quiet) and that was convenient.

I'm an early riser, but Mr.SLSD prefers to sleep late. Under the pool deck might work for me! At least I would have to dine at breakfast alone.

Not the dreaded beets again Shark b8! How much torture will you have to endure? I can't even stand to see them on a plate!

I'll be 71 by the time we sail in June. I'm glad to hear that we may not be the oldest on board. I still have a hard time thinking of us as elderly. I hope you have a wonderful cruise . It sounds like you are off to a very good start.

Small consolation for sure...

You are right. And, port fees in some parts of the world are more expensive than in other parts of the world.

One reason we avoid the buffets while onboard.

I remember reading when last we sailed on SB, that passengers are encouraged to use their own bathrooms instead of the public restrooms to better avoid catching an illness of some sort. And, when you ARE in a public restroom, you are encouraged to NOT touch the door handles after washing your hands and use a paper towel to open the door, placing the towel in the trashcan as you leave. We try to avoid the public restrooms due to this admonition and used them only very occasionally.

The ship will be with a totally different cruiseline and culture. Most likely, the experience would not resemble SB at all. That is after August of 24. Until then, it will be chartered by SB and be as a regular SB ship.

I agree that the layout of the club is better in the smaller ships. This doesn't affect us very much as we seldom go to The Club.

We like both Encore and Ovation. The TK Bar is a favorite place. We also think the decor in the Observation Bar (and all over the ship) is much better on the larger ships. We like the outside area of the Colonnade better also. We even like the Restaurant better on the larger ships (in spite of the plastic ceilings). We are not huge fans of the TK Grill. I have yet to have a great steak there. The best steak I've had onboard was a ribeye in the The Restaurant. While the service is always quite good in the TK Grill, the menu has gotten old (and the specials are not always so special). The side dishes are like Dallas steak restaurant side dishes--and way too large. We usually have a couple of bites each and the rest is wasted. Hopefully, there will be some updates when we sail in June.

I think the issue with debt is that payments come due and the money has to come from somewhere.

Costa is owned by Carnival? If so, that sounds like a great idea-but perhaps it is profitable?

Of course I have no idea if they will sell Sojourn and Quest. It just seems inevitable as they are older ships as well. With Pursuit coming, and the difficulty filling ships coupled with the huge debt Carnival has incurred, I just see it as a possibility. I understand that many do not like Ovation and Encore and prefer the smaller ships. We've sailed both and prefer the larger ships. Of course we seldom/never lounge by the pool which may make a difference.

Right now, money is needed to pay down Carnival's massive debt. The money has to come from somewhere.

I can see Seabourn "slimming down" to four ships--Ovation, Encore, Venture and Pursuit--and hoping to fill them. Not everyone's cup of tea as there are SB regulars who will not sail on any of these ships because they feel that Ovation and Encore have too many passengers and Venture/Pursuit are too expensive.