SLSD

So sorry to hear that Mrs. Fudge has Covid after the cruise. Sending all best wishes for a very speedy recovery. Thank you both for your commentary. It was enjoyable. And Jondfk, I think your first sailing on SB will be the cruise we are on (June 11-25) Copenhagen to Copenhagen. Try to embark early enough to have lunch outdoors at the Colonnade.

Hmm...which is more likely---an airline losing your bags or Luggage Forward failing to get your bags to the ship?

Worth a try--but I think we will go for the refund and if we want to, we can do another deposit on our next cruise as we do have one booked.

I am really not worried as the refund info is clearly on the website--but hidden a bit. I did quote it in one of my posts above. We are going to make our request by letter (certified) as the SB representative decline to take my request. Ours expires in June.

Thank you for this warning.

Jon, Mr. SLSD and I are not the most adventurous when it comes to doing tours on our own. We are happy to walk around an interesting port, but not up for renting a car and driving as far as 140 miles and back---even though we really like to read about Fletcher's experiences. We go on cruises to relax and let others do the driving and the work. I AM studying each port and taking in what others have experienced. As soon as I read about the survival floatation suits, I knew those particular excursions were not going to be taken by us. It is a disappointment not to be doing the Flam railroad, but I am sure there will be beautiful sights to be seen. We look forward to meeting you and your wife onboard.

What everyone is reporting is what I always assumed to be the protocol with these deposits put down while cruising. The puzzling thing is that my SB account (accessed online) AND a phone call to SB yesterday both told me that we would be forfeiting this "no risk" deposit. It took Mr. SLSD a while to find the exact language we had been told at the time we put down the deposit--that if it had not been used, it would be refunded. We are mailing them a certified letter asking for the refund. I am just puzzled by the message on our account and what a SP representative told me yesterday on the telephone.

Calling to get it back was what I did today. They did not offer to refund it--but told me I would lose it if I did not use it on a cruise and sail before June. We are sending a letter to demand the refund.

Here is what Mr. SLSD found buried on the website--which is what we signed up for, read at the time of giving the deposit and were told: Failure to apply the savings to a booking within the four year period will result in forfeiture of the 5% savings and a refund of the deposit amount held to secure the discount. Monetary deposits on Future Cruise Deposits are fully refundable if unapplied. Once applied to a reservation, the deposit is subject to standard booking conditions and cancellation structures. This offer is not combinable with any industry rates. Unfortunately, this is not the information conveyed on our SB account online OR when we called to SB directly. This was not good customer service.

Yes, that is what I always thought, but when I called today, I was told it would be forfeited. And that was also the message on my Seabourn account online. I was surprised.

Thank you.

I have a question that staff at Seabourn has been unable to answer. WAY back in 2019 Mr. SLSD and I put down a future cruise deposit ($500/ea) for a future cruise (exact cruise to be determined) which would have included a 5% discount. We were assured that this was a no risk proposition and would be refunded after 4 years if we had not used it We felt very comfortable about it because we had done it previously and used it. Then, the pandemic ensued. We did not cruise for 3+ years. Now, we HAVE booked another cruise (but through an agent with which we did not use this deposit as the agent had a block of suites). In looking at my SB account online today, I saw that they say I have to cruise by June 2023 to use this already paid deposit (that I was told was refundable) or lose it. I called SB. The agent I talked to said we would lose the deposit. I am so puzzled as I was told it was refundable. Can any of you shed any light on this issue? If so, I would appreciate it. The terms and conditions on the SB website clearly state it is refundable. But, you have to search for it--and staff is not divulging this.

We will look for you. Perhaps I'll recognize you from your photo posted here. I don't post my full name here, but we are from Dallas. Seriously, the survival suits are serious pieces of clothing. Susan aka SLSD

I haven't needed it, but when I saw the numbers, I wrote them down. I have book a few excursions today. I tried a couple of days ago and the website was not working. I'm still studying the ports for our cruise and may change my mind about some things. I find myself wishing that Seabourn would really delve into what they offer and try to put together some exceptional excursions. I looked at Silversea's excursions for a cruise similar to ours and they were mostly the same--but there WERE MORE offerings...

1-800-984-3225 and 1-206-626-9187. I put these in my SB file today after seeing them on the website.

We've signed up for it as well as a few other excursions here and there. I might cancel later. I see them as place markers. We will be doing several ports on our own.

There is an excursion offered to Geiranger in one port--but the excursion is quite lengthy in hours. I don't think we are up for that. We are counting on seeing beautiful scenery without it.

From what I read on the SB website, only those who sign up for Ventures excursions (and I think there are two of them) will be able to leave the ship at this port. If I am not mistaken, these tours require suiting up in a full survival floatation suit. We saw these demonstrated in Alaska at Kodiak. While we are agile and have no health issues, we don't think we want to suit up this way, but understand it is a safety issue and required--so we will be staying on the ship and enjoying the scenery and the ship. Are you on the June 11th-June 25th cruise? Or, a later iteration of this itinerary?

Thank you so much for posting your blog entries on your experiences.

Fletcher, please tell us about Reine. How far was the drive and how long did it take? Did you reserve your car ahead of time?

I have noticed that we are not going to some well known scenic ports, but I am sure we will have a great time anyway. Perhaps SB planned their itineraries late--and missed the opportunity to dock in some ports. That would not surprise me. There are sea days and scenic cruising days interspersed among these ports.

For sure!

Thank you galeforce. I've read that Stavanger has nice old town to explore.

I'm looking to you experienced Seabourners to guide me as I begin looking at ports on our upcoming Seabourn (June 11- June 25) Copenhagen to Copenhagen cruise up the Norwegian coast. Specifically, I would like to know your opinion (from your personal experience) as to which of the following ports can be easily enjoyed on our own and which lend themselves to taking an excursion or hiring a guide. Any details you can offer are very much appreciated. Alesund, Norway Svolvaer (Lofoten) Tromso Storstappen Island Honningsvag Loen (Olden) Skjolden Stavanger Farsund Skagen, Denmark

We are expecting to have a wonderful time and hope that we meet.