JMB56

I was on Venture earlier this month in Suite 616. We loved the location as it was convenient to both Seabourn Square (we drink a lot of coffee, and the coffee made by the baristas in Seabourn Square is fantastic) and the Bow Lounge and Deck. We had very calm seas throughout our voyage, so I cannot comment on which would be the better suits as far as movement; I would think there could be noise from the Constellation Lounge if you were in 828, but I think the ship is well insulated ... we heard nearly no noise from the next cabins, the hallway or the lifts which were close by. 610 is near the 'room' that the cabin staff uses to replenish supplies, store linens, etc., so perhaps Seabourn through it was doing you a favour by switching you to perhaps a quieter cabin. The cleaning/cabin staff did not begin work until about 8.30am on our voyage, and it seems that everyone is up pretty early on Venture due to the expedition nature of the ship. Seabourn Venture Deck Plan | Seabourn | ROL Cruise | Deck 3.psd

We were on board Venture earlier this month, and trekking poles were definitely helpful, especially for my spouse who does not really like walking on snow and ice. I bought these poles from Amazon UK (https://www.amazon.co.uk/TheFitLife-Nordic-Walking-Trekking-Poles/dp/B00WTUVE2C/ref=sr_1_3?crid=3ICJUJKUS075M&keywords=fitlife%2Bwalking%2Bpoles&qid=1703157134&sprefix=firlife%2Caps%2C73&sr=8-3&th=1), which were cheap and worked fine for us. I will now donate them to our grown children who like to hike.

I don’t know if you can really plan when you will arrive in Ushuaia. We were informed two weeks in advance that our flight to Ushuaia would depart BA at 6.30am. The day before departure, we were switched to a 1.15pm departure. We did not board the ship until nearly 6pm. Tomorrow, our last morning on Venture, our bus is leaving the pier for the Ushuaia airport at 8.30am. All we will have seen of Ushuaia is from a bus!

I am currently on Venture now. 'Dressed for dinner' on Venture means different things to different people. I tend to wear a 'good' pair of trousers for dinner along with a collared shirt and a sweater/jumper. My wife wears a nice dress, something she would wear to an upscale restaurant in London. However, there are people in jeans and t-shirts, shorts ... you name it, and they all seem to fit in fine. One woman wore a sequined dress last evening. I brought a tweed sport coat and have only worn it once in six days and probably will not again ... just not necessary. However, the gentleman with whom we were seated in the main dining room last evening was wearing a navy blue suit and white shirt (but no tie). The upshot is to wear what you feel comfortable wearing and you'll fit in. Christmas and New Year's Eve may call for dressier attire, but I doubt if you would be forced to wear it. I agree with others that it is simple to dash back to your room if you need something heavier to wear if whales are spotted. I have taken to bringing the supplied lightweight, black inner jacket with me to dinner and the lounges thereafter so I can be outside awhile if a photo opportunity arises. A lot of us take our cameras to dinner (along with our partners 😊). Many people like to eat outside at the Colonnade at lunch. There are heaters in the ceiling over top the patio. I guess you can also eat outside at dinner, but I haven't noticed anyone eating there (but then I haven't really looked). The weather on this cruise has been sensational: bright sunshine each days with temperatures generally between 0C and 5C and very light winds. I hope your weather is as fine as ours has been. Also worth noting: the infinity swimming pool is heated to about 29C (85F). My wife swims for about an hour each afternoon. The pool is small, but she says she can swim laps if she goes slowly. The pool and the neighbouring hot tubs are delightful and popular.

I'm on Venture now. I think they run pretty true to size as both my wife and I kept the parkas we had originally ordered. However, you can exchange your original parka for a different size the morning of the first sea day. Make sure you do not remove the tags if you want to exchange. Also, just to add, we are having a sensational time on Venture. As we have never travelled on Seabourn before, I cannot comment on whether the service or the food has declined, but I would rate both excellent. The food in both the main dining room and the Colonnade has been superb. There have been some unfortunate lapses in service, especially in the lounges and in the dining room, but overall I have no complaints.

Another silly question from my spouse: Are there any stuffed/soft toys like penguins and seals in the gift shop? She's thinking of Christmas gifts for grandchildren. We have a lot of non-refundable OBC, and the standard wine is likely good enough for us. We're not interested in the submarine or kayaking, and there are only so many spa treatments one can have!

Breathtaking! I hope we are as lucky with the weather next week.

Another question if I may: My spouse would like to know if the water in the swimming pool is heated and warm enough for her to swim (say 75F)?

Thanks for this as we sail on Venture next week. A question if I may: Did anyone measure your carry-on baggage on the charter flight to Ushuaia? My partner is worried about the stated 45cm (17in) limit on the length of cabin baggage. Also, at what time did the bus leave the Alvear Icon for the airport? Our charter next week is at 6.30am, so I guess the bus would leave around 4am???

I had the same question earlier this autumn regarding pre-booked spa treatments: It seems that it may be easier to get the cost of your pre-booked excursions transferred to OBC than it is for spa treatments.

If you have the stamina and the time, check out this fairly recent thread:

I really do not see how Seabourn’s behaviour is very different from nearly any other company. I just purchased a bespoke MacBook directly from Apple because my existing laptop couldn’t be repaired. Yesterday, I saw a Black Friday preview article that suggested that some MacBooks could be discounted by 10 per cent later this month. I asked whether I could have this discount applied to the machine I previously ordered. The answer was “No”. I could cancel my order, wait for the machines to go on sale (if they do), and then wait another several weeks for the machine to be built to my specifications. Unfortunately, I cannot wait a month for a new laptop (since I am heading to Antarctica later this month on Venture), so I must pay the higher price if I want extra storage and RAM. I know this example is not fully comparable with the problem being discussed, but I think it’s similar enough.

We retirees are always looking for something annoying to do! 🙂

First of all, please do not think of jeans as something that are primarily worn by Americans. I visited Selfridges on Oxford Street this morning, and I dare say more than half of the clientele I encountered were wearing jeans (elegant or not). That’s both men and women. Many of the saleswomen hawking perfume in the store’s centre hall were wearing jeans, God forbid I only bought items from the Selfredges Food Hall. I did purchase a pair of jeans this morning; they are black, slim-fitting and, in my mind, rather elegant-looking. However, I must admit that I purchased them at that shop across Baker Street from Selfredges, a place called Marks & Spencer. I doubt Mr L has ever set foot in the place, but I can only assume his billfold is a bit thicker than mine. I shall travel on Seabourn for the first time next month to Antarctica. My question is: Will my £26, slim-fitting M&S jeans be appropriate for daywear, or should I send off for a pair of £120 Patagonia jeans (both pictured)? BTW, to reassure others, I plan to wear proper woolen trousers in the main dining room during the evening, along with a tweed sport coat. I assume a tie will not be required as it is an expedition cruise, although I shall obviously be wearing a dress shirt. Please accept this post in the spirit in which it was written! 😄

I understand the issue regarding weight of carry-on luggage, but I don’t understand the 45cm limit on maximum length of carry-ons. I understand that JetSmart, the charter airline in question, flies A320s on the Seabourn flights to and from Ushuaia. I travel frequently in Europe on EasyJet, which also operates a fleet of A319s/A320s, and my Eastpak carry-on (52cm) fits in the overhead compartments with plenty of room to spare. As I doubt if A320s have differing sizes of overhead compartments, why the 45cm limit on carry-on luggage? I wish to take this bag to carry medication and other essentials in case my larger suitcase somehow doesn’t make it to Ushuaia! Has anyone who has flown to Ushuaia with Seabourn successfully boarded with a ‘normal’ sized carry-on roller bag?