cruising kirby

Looking forward to more.........................please continue!:)

Relax Zentraveler, we are not running a board meeting here. This is a social board and it is human nature for conversations to wander from time to time. Most threads go off track for a while, but usually return to topic fairly quickly.

We've never used the SB (or SS) hotels and I'm not familiar with the one you mention. If you are able to change it there are a couple of possibiliites to consider. Some CC posters like the Ritz-Carlton in Fort lauderdale. I didn't enjoy our stay there and it didn't feel like the usual quality of RC hotels. It's been a few years though so it may have improved.

 

My favourite hotel in the whole Greater Miami/Fort L area is Acqualina Resort. Great service, very comfortable rooms - Oceanfront Suite and above. Food isnt't their strong point though ;).

Alternatively for a smaller hotel in Fort L take a look at The Pillars. Again it's been a good few years since I was there so do take a look at recent reviews.

Can I ask your thoughts on Fontainebleau? I have that booked after my next Seabourn cruise, but wondering if I should change to the Acqualina? I know Fontainebleau is huge, but it is just for one night, and looked to be in a good location with lots of dining options. Apologies for being "off topic".

I was on a Silversea cruise in Asia in March last year and was surprised how chilly it was in many places (the itinerary was Hong Kong to Singapore). Of course that was "chilly" to an Australian! So next year I have all but decided to try the Encore in the Med - September is my favourite time. We did the Sojourn in the Med in July one year and it was hot - great for dinners on the open deck at night but quite unpleasant for walking around during the day.

So come along on the 4 September 2017 cruise with me! The 20 night itinerary has some lovely ports in the western Med, including Spain, Portugal and Gibraltar.

I found the sizing guidelines to be pretty accurate, however if you are "between sizes" my advice is err on getting a larger size rather than going for the smaller option. With the number of layers you will be wearing a bit of spare space is definitely an advantage. Also getting in and out of the zodiacs requires a bit of dexterity, you don't want tight clothing. The same with boots - definitely go up a size and wear two pairs of thick socks if you need to. There is an opportunity to swap the parkas and boots while on board too, so if you find your choices are really not suitable, there is a chance you will be able to get something else on board anyway.

Don't worry, the Antarctica expeditions are not a fashion parade! Everyone looks the same - large and funny, all rugged up with just eyes showing! It remains one of our all time amazing travel experiences, I am so glad we did it.

I was on a 14 night back to back Seabourn cruise a couple of years ago and a large incentive group came on for the second 7 days. It is not an exaggeration to say that our cruise was ruined. The group was highly disruptive, rude, and significantly impacted the cruise experience of the remaining passengers (drunk people passing out in the toilets, people "bombing into the pool" etc). I sincerely hope that our experience was a one off. Seabourn acknowledged the impact and provided compensation. It was truly awful and almost put me off Seabourn for good. I think many lessons were learned. Two cruises since then have restored my faith in the cruiseline, they were wonderful.

Never take a ships tour in St Petersburg.

A private guide is the only way to get around the lines and see much more than you would on a ships tour.

 

 

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Completely agree, don't take a ships tour, they are outrageously priced and you won't get the personalized service of a private tour. We used SPB Tours for 3 days, saved a fortune and had a wonderful experience, tailored to our particular requirements.

I was on the Seabourn Quest in Antarctica in January this year. Internet was as good as, if not better, than any connection I have had on any ship. Even deep in Antarctica I was able to Facetime! I did notice that connectivity and speed did seem to vary based on weather and time of day (presumably when everyone was trying to use the internet). That's pretty normal for internet access on ships.

Seabourn provided a free bus transfer service in ports where we docked further out from the townships.

Take a 20 minute fast ferry ride from the centre of Auckland across to Waiheke Island. Magnificent wineries and restaurants. Not to be missed.

I don't like the sound of this at all. I will watch with interest as it rolls out and see how it goes. I don't mind the addition of services at a cost, such as new spa services, but an exclusive enclave where you have to pay a large sum to get in? Hmm, it doesn't sound like the wonderful Seabourn I have grown to love. Will this be a positive enhancement to the Seabourn experience? Only time will tell.

I am on a little Golden Princess cruise in November, Melbourne to Melbourne. I don't think a drinks package will be available due to the short cruise duration (I think it has to be 8 nights or more?). Anyway, I am trying to decide if I just take a few more bottles of wine on board and pay the $15 per bottle surcharge, or just purchase "nice" bottles on board. My particular favourite is champagne. Does anyone have any information about what champagne is on the Golden Princess (when in Australia) and what the charge might be?

I read that review and took it as the writers sense of humour. I thought they were intending it to mean Seabourn was great because it has no lines etc.

Much to my dismay, we were allocated suite 826, interconnecting, on a recent Seabourn cruise. After reading some horror stories about interconnecting suites I was expecting the worst. We were very lucky, we must have had very considerate neighbours as we didn't hear anything at all. In return, we were as quiet as a mouse!! I loved the location on Deck 8.

I am also arriving on Amtrak into Fort Lauderdale for my cruise next January. I assume I will be able to get a taxi easily at the train station to take me to my Fort Lauderdale accommodation? I am aware the trains often run late, I am not too concerned about that, but would like to know there will be something at the station when I arrive! Anyone else had recent experience with this?

With almost 17,000 views of this thread it is obvious that "Smoking onboard" is an issue of interest to many people, no doubt both the non smokers who want Seabourns policy changed, and the smokers who are keen to see the status quo continue.

I am one of the non smokers who check in to this thread from time to time in the hope that someone is announcing that smoking on Seabourn ships is being significantly curtailed.

I know that the non smoking arguments are regularly repeated, and it appears that nothing is changing right now. However we shouldn't give up the pressure on Seabourn to change its smoking policy. Apart from being very unpleasant, smoking is proven to be dangerous to health and there is no doubt that Seabourn's policy is out of step with most of the rest of the world.

I respect the rights of people to smoke, it is a legal activity after all. It is just that in so many other public places around the world sensible practices apply, where smokers and non smokers rights can be protected, without affecting the health of those who chose not to smoke.

So I have nothing new to say, just support for those who continue to post their protests of Seabourns smoking policy. Don't lose faith that in time, Seabourn will finally implement a policy that reflects worldwide smoking practices.

Check out my blog from when we went to the Antarctic on Quest:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1966337

This is a great blog!

It is very much an individual preference, however I found the one landing a day that Seabourn offered as perfect. By the time we got our gear on, made our way to the zodiacs, had our penguin/whale/iceberg/ landing experience, got back to the ship, got our gear off..................it was time for Seabourn's signature service to kick in!

Seabourn probably isn't for everyone, but as I have said before, it struck the perfect balance between expedition and luxury cruising, for me.

These boards have lots of information about cruiselines travelling to Antarctica, have a look at the Antarctica forum, it could be quite helpful for you.

Seabourn was my choice because I have cruised them before and knew what to expect in terms of high levels of service, standard of accommodation and food, and the general passenger demographic. Antarctica delivered all that and more.

Antarctica is probably the most stunning place in the world I have visited. I was overwhelmed by the beauty of the place. Seabourn has installed an expedition team of the highest quality and they go out of their way to make sure that passengers experience Antarctica in the best possible way. Zodiac landings are safe and exciting, accompanied by professional commentary about surroundings. The captain made sure we took advantage of every day, subject to weather, moving the ship to sheltered locations so we could get off the ship wherever possible.

Once back on the ship, the usual Seabourn hospitality kicked in, with warming drinks , smiles and and caviar plentiful !

I can't speak highly enough of Seabourn in Antarctica and would go again in a heartbeat.

If you are happy to forgo the luxury service, and prefer to concentrate on two landings a day, other cruiselines might be more suitable, but for us Seabourn ticked all the boxes.

I have nothing to compare it with, as I have only been to Antarctica with Seabourn (early 2016), however I can tell you that my experience was absolutely fantastic.

We wanted to combine an expedition experience with a good dose of luxury and that is exactly what we got. The expedition team was brilliant, delivering interesting lectures, keeping us safe and informed on the zodiac trips, and having a high profile around the ship for passengers to interact with.

The ship performed exceptionally well across a very bumpy Drake Passage, in both directions.

Hi Bob!

We met you on a transatlantic on Princess several years ago. I agree with everyone else, book this itinerary as soon as you see it. Apart from being a very good itinerary, one of the great things about Seabourn (and there are many great things), is you can book early, watch the prices and if they go down, secure a reduction or on board credit (in most cases). I assume you can also do what we Aussies have available - we can transfer our deposit to a different sailing if we change our minds. We have cruised with Seabourn for a few years now, and have two Seabourn cruises booked, one later this year and one early in 2017. Having tried almost every cruiseline out there, we keep coming back to Seabourn!

Check out the thread that offers a referral voucher and you can get yourself on board credit just for being a first time Seabourn cruiser.

Sue

Thanks for the honest review.

 

We are on this ship on Friday for a 3 nighter to 'test the waters' so to speak with P&O as we usually go RCI. Whilst I know it will be a different experience to what we are used to, service is something that should be universal.

 

Are you able to pre-book at the waterfront for dinner?

 

I am guessing you embarked in Adelaide? Is there long term parking for the weekend at Outer Harbour, or should I arrange a ride to and from the terminal?

You can't pre-book the Waterfront restaurant, it is anytime dining. If you turn up at peak times, you might have a short wait. They will give you a buzzer and you return when your table is ready. I am not aware of long term parking at Outer Harbour. There is street parking but it isn't secure. We organized a mini bus to take us and pick up.

I have just returned from a 3 night Easter cruise on the Pacific Eden. Before the cruise I was keen to read all the reviews of the ship and was dismayed that so many were very negative. A few days before we left a good review with many photos was posted, and I was filled with hope that the earlier reported problems had been rectified.

Our cruise was a Food and Wine theme.

Here is a quick summary of my experience.

The cabin and the ship:

I was quite impressed with the cabin. Sure it isn't new and flashy like Celebrity, but the cabin and balcony were large, everything was clean, and the bed was comfy. Our cabin stewards were wonderful friendly people who efficiently cleaned our cabin when we disappeared for breakfast and again at dinner.

The ship is currently looking quite good as a result of the recent refurbishment. New fittings and fixtures make a good impression in the bars and restaurants. Now is the time to enjoy the best of the refurbishment before wear and tear takes its toll. Overall the appearance of the ship was generally modern and welcoming, of course the ship itself is old so there was lots of evidence of that, if you were looking for it. However I think it is a good product right now, so it depends if you are a glass half full person or not, I prefer to see the best in a situation so I focused on the new elements of the refurbishment and was left quite impressed with the look of the ship.

The restaurants:

We booked the Dragon Lady and Angelos as soon as we boarded (very important because after the first few hours on Day 1 they were fully booked). Many people expressed disappointment at not being able to experience them. In the end, they didn't miss anything really. Dragon Lady was ok, the food was reasonable, but nothing special. The staff were extremely inexperienced, we had to request the wine list (no one asked if we wanted a drink), and it was served almost as if we were in a shopping centre cafeteria. No interaction with guests and the staff were well meaning but seemed uncomfortable all the time. We are an outgoing gregarious group, used to eating out at restaurants, and know the expected behaviours etc (we a not a "mob of drunks!"), however the staff just wanted us to select food, eat it, and get out. They seemed to see their job as a process that they had been tutored in, and didn't understand the service aspect.

Angelos was really terrible. The food was very ordinary and service didn't exist, with extremely unfriendly staff. Again, no offer of drinks and when we ordered a couple of bottles of wine they came almost at the end of the meal with no offer of replenishment. The staff were so unhappy it was palpable. So sad, I have no idea what was going on but the experience was really awful for us.

The Waterfront is the main restaurant and despite a short wait on most occasions, we found this is where more staff seemed to know what they had to do, but again there was a significant appearance of lack of training or confidence. Unlike other ships where supervisors seem to roam to support staff or provide directions, that wasn't evident. The food was quite good at the Waterfront, a reasonable choice and if they can fix the service issues, it will be a good restaurant I would think.

The Pantry is a good concept. I prefer food being served rather than watching people dive into a buffet and waste half of what they gather on their overfull plates. It still has the feel of a shopping centre food court though. I think it is a good choice for families or those that prefer very informal eating styles. There is definitely a place for the Pantry and I am sure there are people who will always choose that venue for their meals. That is one of the great things about cruising - there is usually choice and there is hopefully something for everyone.

Be aware that on P&O you have to pay for food at the Grill, other venues such as icecream bars, and room service (including breakfast in the cabin).

Entertainment:

Most of the Food and Wine theme offerings came with a cost and places were very limited. If you were not lucky enough to get into one of those, there were a few trivia sessions, one bingo session, and a couple of free food demonstrations. There was a show every night (offered at 2 separate times) that offered variety and the 3 tenors on the last night were simply outstanding. I think they could do more with offering free activities but on a 3 night cruise and travelling with friends, we were able to satisfy ourselves with long coffee chat sessions during the day and general relaxation. The White Party and Gatsby Party were enjoyed by many passengers and many got into the fun by dressing according to the theme.

Overall impressions:

I think that the Pacific Eden has the potential to be a good ship and there is definitely a place in the market for its casual relaxed style. In particular families are likely to enjoy the lack of formality and perhaps those who are more comfortable with café style eating rather than restaurants accompanied by high levels of service/wine knowledge etc. The ship itself is old but the refurbishment is really quite nice and appropriate to a 3 star ship.

However P&O urgently needs to work on building a more positive culture in its restaurant/bar staff. It appears that they are not being supported to do their jobs. At best it looks like they a poorly trained and lacking in confidence. At worst it seems that staff are downtrodden, completely lacking interest in their jobs and don't want to be there. It was a huge problem on my cruise and influenced our experience quite markedly. We were a friendly non demanding group and tried to help the staff deliver their best service, but it didn't help. When you start an interaction with a staff member with a smile and a "how are you today", and it isn't returned with a smile and an appropriate response, you have to be concerned.

Please P&O do something urgently to support your staff on the Pacific Eden to deliver their jobs with confidence and satisfaction. If you can get that right, I am sure you will have a product that many people are prepared to return to.

We used SPB Tours, they looked after all the Visa requirements. We printed off documents as per their instructions and presented them to the very stern border security people when we disembarked the ship. All was in order and SPB people met us immediately after that. Everything went smoothly, SPB took us to all the highlights over 3 days on a private tour. Definitely the way to go in my opinion. There are other tour companies that also get great reviews so plenty to chose from.

Thanks again for your comments. I have taken the plunge and booked a sleeper bedroom on the Silver Meteor. My research also showed on time performance to be a be a bit suspect, but it looks to be only a hour or two at most. That is fine for me for this trip. My main concern has always been ensuring I get away from New York, in the event of bad weather and the train gives me more certainty than a flight.

So, I will definitely report back after the trip on my experience. Now the decision has been made I feel quite keen on trying something new. By the time I read a book, chat to new friends, go to the dining car a few times, watch the scenery, sleep etc, I am sure the time will go by quickly!

It will probably be a picture perfect day in NYC the day I leave !! Ha ha

I agree MomC. Sure, you have to get past the marketing, however I think this new cruise ship will be worth a look. Scenic are river cruise specialists, I don't know how well known they are elsewhere, but in Australia they are one of the 2 leading luxury river cruise companies. The early information about this cruise ship looks tempting and I am following it with interest. An on board helicopter and submarine makes it different already.