Bennniee

For me, because I was on a long cruise, it was the community that I found on board.  I made so many friends and am still in communication with about 10 people 2 years after the cruise ended because of COVID.  So many really interesting people - writers, scientists, entrepreneurs - most of whom were very down to earth and easy to talk to.  

And of course, THE STAFF!

As both a first time and solo cruiser on the Seabourn World Cruise 2020, the hosted dinners were a godsend.  I was invited to a hosted dinner nearly every night and accepted 100% for the first few weeks.  I met so many wonderful people.  I will never forget my first hosted dinner with 10 people, a mix of couples and solo travelers with the Asst Cruise Director.  The woman who sat on my right has become one of my dearest friends.  It was there I learned just how special Seabourn truly was and it opened my eyes to how well traveled everyone else was.  I literally was the only person at the table who had not been to Antarctica!   Most had been multiple times to boot.  And they all were amazed that I had never been on a cruise before and somehow had chosen a 5 month luxury cruise as my first.  

Of course, not every hosted dinner was great.  There were definitely some duds but overall the hosted dinners were a very positive experience.

It was also shown on the in suite television.  I watched from the comfort of my bed.

Very nice!

This American would love to have the opportunity to try new gins and to have Fever Tree tonic available - even my tiny grocery store in my tiny town of 3000 in New England carries it.  Personally I favor Dingle Gin and Edinburgh Gin.  Both lovely but not likely available from Seabourn.    

I am taking the upcoming WC with laundry included.  Does anyone know if there is a weekly limit of some sort or can I have things laundered as needed/desired?

On 8/12/2019 at 10:32 PM, JPH814 said:

During a cruise in October, the Philadelphia Eagles were playing the Chicago Bears on Monday Night Football.  I mentioned it to the cruise director and asked if there was anyway to get the game n a public tv. 

 

The day of the game I was told that there would be a tv set up in the card room.  I showed up with about 6 others.  There was a beer, wine, soft drinks and snacks laid out in front of a large screen TV. 

 

Gotta love it - (and the Eagles won!)

This makes me hopeful that I'll be able to watch the playoffs and Super Bowl.  

8 hours ago, Keith1010 said:

One thing I will add is to pace yourself.

 

In other words, don't book so many excursions that it feels like work.

 

Identify ports that you can easily do on your own and also find some excursions that are three to four hours in length.  Save the full day excursions for places that you really want an in-depth look.

 

 

 

Keith

Keith  - this seems like excellent advice, which is why I am going to wait to book some excursions.  I've booked the ones that I don't want to risk being full and will wait on others.   I am also going to rethink the full day vs. half day.  I tend to think the full day ones are better value but if they leave me wiped out I am not doing myself any favors. 

Heidi13 -  my taxi driver on my last visit to Singapore was wonderful and even taught me a bit of Chinese.  Such a beautiful city. 

Mine starts Jan 4.  Plenty of time to figure it all out.   I am holding off on booking excursions in some ports until I'm on board because I want to get a better feel for the type of excursions that I enjoy.  Also,  I'm holding off on booking excursions in ports that I've been to before as I will be more comfortable with booking privately.   Perhaps I'm mistaken but there seems to be less risk to book privately in Singapore than in Ghana for example. 

I have implemented several of the suggestions posted here including:

1. using trip advisor and other forums for reviews

2. borrowed travel books from library.  Very helpful to combine with online info.

3. created a day by day spreadsheet

I have started to purchase some excursions that I really wanted directly from cruise line with the intention of using OBC to pay for them.  Confirmed with cruise line that they will credit my card once on board. 

I'm really getting into the swing of things and have stopped feeling overwhelmed.  Thanks so much to everyone for the tips. 

On 8/3/2019 at 9:10 AM, Wendy The Wanderer said:

Just remember that research and preparation are part of the excitement leading up to the big trip!

 Totally agree with this!  Its always been part of the fun for me.  But I've never had to research soooo much!  Have made significant progress since starting this thread, so thanks again for sharing tips. 

Wow.  Thank you all for your responses.  I feel better knowing that I'm not alone in feeling a touch overwhelmed.    And I very much appreciate the tips for getting organized.   

I am a bit overwhelmed at the thought of trying to pick excursions for a 146 day cruise.  Does anyone whose world cruise doesn't include excursions have any tips on how to decide which adventures to do?   I'm trying to consider activity level, possible weather, cultural interests while avoiding sitting on a bus and driving by sights.  

15 hours ago, sunshineocean13 said:

We are booked on the January 4, 2020 Seabourn World Cruise, so we will see you onboard, Bennniee! We love the warm, friendly atmosphere on Seabourn, both with staff and other passengers, and the exceptional level of service. We're looking forward to many ports we haven't yet visited, some return visits, and the multiple sea days. We are celebrating our 50th anniversary in 2020, and the world cruise seemed a perfect way to celebrate.

Congratulations on your Golden Anniversary!  So wonderful.

Yes, I wish my cruise was going to NZ.  On the positive side, we are going to many ports in Africa, which is what was most appealing to me.  

Adding: The Seabourn cruise also doesn't go to Europe, which was another positive to me.  I can easily go to Europe but Africa is much harder to get to. 

Jan 4 Seabourn 146 day Extraordinary Destinations.  First cruise ever. Solo.  Its like diving into the deep end before knowing how to swim but what the heck.