worcestergal

Thank you so much for all your posts. The descriptions and photos just whet my appetite to actually travel there. And, your “helpful hints” will certainly make my trip even more enjoyable!

Gorgeous photo! Sounds like it’s been a terrific trip so far.

Thanks so much for posting about your trip. I’m following it and enjoying vicariously, since our Scenic trip isn’t for over a year. Your posts just give me more to look forward to!

On our Antarctica trip a few years ago, I brought 3 different weights of long underwear. I never used the heaviest. I wore them under my lined, waterproof snow pants and I was never cold. I think I could have gotten by with just the lightweight long johns, but I was glad to have the options. (And, since I live in New Hampshire, I didn’t have to go out and buy for the trip). When we were in the Arctic in September/October, I didn’t bring snow pants at all, just fleece lined rain pants, which were more than adequate. It was really never that cold in Antarctica. It was considerably colder back home! I think I could have avoided the bulk of snow pants and just brought the lined rain pants and worn them with the medium or heavy long underwear.

We were on Venture in September/October and I think that the food was as good - probably better - than on any of my 8 previous Seabourn cruises. Just one person’s experience…

Thanks! I’m looking forward to seeing your posts. We are now booked on Scenic in March, 2024 for the trip which includes Hanoi, HaLong Bay, Siem Reap and the cruise ending in HCMC. Even though it’s over a year away, I am really looking forward to it.

Thanks! We are going to go ahead and book the Scenic cruise and land travel. The trip does sound absolutely amazing.

Thank you for your suggestions. Terry&Mike, your trip sounds amazing and I hope you will post all about it. I will be looking forward to reading!

My DH and I are planning a SE Asia trip for the winter of 2024 (yes, I realize that’s over a year away, but I love the anticipation…). Our initial thought was to go with Scenic and do the trip which includes days in Hanoi, Siem Reap and HCMC (Saigon). However, I’ve read some concerning comments about Scenic on this board, so now I am wondering if this is a good choice. This will be our first river cruise. However, we’ve been on Seabourn for about a dozen ocean cruises and we very much enjoy the level of service on that line. I am curious to hear about others’ opinions concerning the Scenic cruise and suggestions about other options. Thanks for your help!

We told Seabourn (via our Personal Cruise Consultant) about the terribly noisy, uncomfortable hotel, the lack of breakfast there and - in considerable detail - about the miserable experience of getting onto the charter flight and on the flight itself. We got a very apologetic letter and the offer of a future upgrade. I doubt that Seabourn will use that hotel again! And, I think that lessons have been learned about getting guests onto the charter flights. At least I hope that lessons have been learned…. They are certainly well aware of what a total mess it was in September!

I am also missing my booking for next October. The booking was for my birthday, so I’m kind of annoyed. I know that I can go to TK once we’re on board, but it is definitely an unnecessary hassle!

Many years ago, we were on a Route of the Vikings cruise from Dover to Montreal. We had a (way too) long day in Trois-Rivières, after spending two wonderful days in Quebec City. Not much to do there but a walk around the not very interesting town. We did that then ended up enjoying shipboard amenities for most of the day. Since we have taken many car trips to Quebec (living in New Hampshire, it’s an easy ride), my opinion is that the best thing about Trois-Rivières is the bridge. It’s a convenient way to cross the St. Lawrence if you’re heading to one of the Québécois parks. As a cruise ship port, it’s a dud! On our cruise, we wished there could have been another night in Quebec City!

I’ve been away from CC for several days and I’m glad to see that DCTraveler is having their TA pursue the credit. We, also, did not have Seabourn Shield or a 3rd party insurance and the credits showed up in our Seabourn accounts about a week and a half after we disembarked. We had told the folks at Guest Services on the ship that we wanted the credits applied to the cruise we had booked while at sea, but before our Covid diagnoses. That also was reflected in our account after a week and a half. I have to say that I am quite impressed with how the whole thing was handled. We were quite fortunate that Canada had changed its Covid protocols while we were under isolation on the ship. According to the old protocols, which were in effect before October 1, we would have had to go from the ship to a quarantine hotel in St. John’s. However, with the new protocols, we were able to leave the ship and, since we had both tested negative at that point, have our planned day in St. John’s and take our planned flights home. Of course, we masked both touring around and on our return trip, in accordance with current CDC guidelines. Bottom line: Seabourn did a great job taking care of us while we were sick and the future cruise credit is a marvelous bonus!

You will also get assistance from expedition staff. And, I’m sure there will be LOTS of photographers on board who are happy to offer hints. 😉

I had heard that there were some very upper management types on the cruise before the one that just ended. Perhaps, they made the decision to allow smoking on deck 9. I have no firsthand knowledge of that. But, I can assure you, cigar smoking was definitely happening on the cruise I was on (which started in Greenland)! And, there were cruise staff of various levels who were there, observed it, and certainly did nothing to stop it.

I found that having a down or fleece vest was quite handy. I would strongly discourage you from bringing a down jacket. The one provided by Seabourn with your parka works really well for those times you are standing out on an open deck.

DC Traveler - You should definitely check with Seabourn about that. Their “Worry Free” policy can be found on the Seabourn website. Do a search on “Covid policy”. I did not know about this when I tested positive. I was told about it when I reached out to Guest Services.

Thanks for your kind wishes. I was released today with a negative test. I had been quarantined for 6 days. DH will be able to disembark tomorrow and avoid the St. John’s quarantine hotel because the Canadian Covid rules changed today. He has had 4 days of quarantine. Unfortunately, there were no other lecturers but the expedition team. They were very knowledgeable, but it really did get rather repetitive. I was very happy to be able to attend in person today. But, the crowd was kind of sparse. I don’t think anyone has been happy with the last seven days.

I very much recognize that the weather can be unpredictable. It happens in the Antarctic, the South Pacific and even the Mediterranean. My point was that the ship needs to be flexible. On our first night aboard, the expedition leader pointed out that, since it’s an expedition route, things are bound to change and he asked all passengers to be flexible. I just think that flexibility is important on both sides. I’ve been on Quest in Antarctica when we were not able to make a landing. So, the captain and expedition leader managed to come up with a wonderful alternative. Unfortunately, on this cruise there haven’t been any alternatives besides more “conversations”. I totally understand the frustration of so many guests.

I am also on this trip, though I’ve been confined to my suite since Sunday after a positive Covid test. With all the cancellations, I have thought to myself that if I had to get Covid, my timing wasn’t too bad…🥴 Honestly, though, I do think that Seabourn erred by scheduling this voyage so late in the Arctic season. It’s an itinerary that would have worked much better a couple of weeks earlier. Maybe this is a learning experience for the schedulers, but it’s certainly an expensive one for the many disappointed passengers.

Thank you all for your responses. I did reach out to the Guest Services Supervisor and she told me that I will be able to use the credits for a cruise which I booked onboard before I got sick. That has made this isolation feel a little bit better. I am very impressed that Seabourn is offering these credits. Definitely a class act…and one that will keep me a loyal customer.

Well, my much anticipated voyage to the Arctic on Venture has taken a bummer of a turn. I was diagnosed with Covid four days ago and, today, my husband tested positive. Fortunately, the Canadian Covid protocols change on October 1, so we will not have to go into a quarantine hotel in St. John’s. We have been told that we would receive cruise credits for our quarantine days here on the ship. But, no one seems to be able to explain how that works. I would appreciate hearing from anyone who has gone through this process. Please advise. Thanks!

I am currently on Venture (in isolation because of Covid, but that’s another story…) and this is the first time I’ve checked CC. I can confirm that all the logistics getting from Reykjavik to the ship were a total mess. There was no one from Seabourn at the Radisson Blu to assist passengers. The hotel, itself, was horrible - the rooms were hot and stuffy and if you opened the small window, you were assaulted by noise from the numerous bars nearby. They were going strong until after 4am! It was someone from the hotel who told us where we could find the bus to the airport and, when we did, we had to load our bags onto the bus! We assisted several other passengers with this. The charter plane was old and dirty. My seat had a half an arm rest. They served something to eat, but it looked disgusting, so I didn’t try it. My husband did (a bit) and he reported that it tasted about as good as it looked. The whole process was an absolutely miserable way to start out our much-anticipated cruise. Seabourn should have done much, much better.

Again, many thanks for your help. My trekking poles are now collapsed and ready to go. I even remembered the tips for rocky terrain. (I’m leaving the snow baskets at home, though. 😉).

Thanks so much for your advice. I will add my poles to my packing list.