Hello all!
I just disembarked Odyssey in Los Angeles after a 3-week Panama Canal cruise.
My intention was to create a travel-logue on board, towards the end of the cruise. I was shocked and disappointed to find out that the log-in link to CC was blocked by SB's IT dept. This was verified by an officer, after she tried to log on to the CC site, called someone in IT and was told of the block. Too bad. I was ready, willing, and able, (at the time), to go in-depth with observations, crew comments, and other general issues. Now, after a hectic flight home, getting re-acclimated to home life, etc., I don't have the time or desire to write a full review. (Could this be the reason SB decided to block CC on board?) One can only speculate. I wondered why there were no more (ship side) on board travel posts after April 14, from the ships.
I will post a few observations from the 3- week cruise. Please post any questions you may have, and I'll be glad to
respond on this thread.
Jan Stearman, cruise director. What can I say about Jan? Only that in my years of sailing SB, I feel Jan is the very best at what she does. Her interaction with guests, confident demeanor, and just plain professionalism shined through most of this cruise. (I say most, as Jan was laid up for about 6 days. James, the ACD, took over beautifully, in Jan's absence.) Hat's off to Jan!
The constant scraping of paint and varnish. The constant smell of paint. The condition of deck 5 aft. (Garbage on the floor, staining, and just unkept) was not acceptable. This was a huge annoyance throughout the journey. What did they do when in dry-dock? The ship should have been sparkling. Far from it. The public bathrooms, (off the Club especially), were in need of a deep clean. Some were even "gross".
The breakfast and lunch in the Colonnade were consistently good. The food in the restaurant was mediocre at best. Entree's seemed to be "convention" quality, and not up to par for a luxury experience. The food was on par to any mass-market cruise. This is not the Seabourn way, IMHO.
Trivia with Jan and the entertainment staff was brutal (in a good way.) It seemed like most of the passengers participated. I was part of a small group (4 to 6 people at any given time). Most groups had 10 players. I was part of the Bar Fly team. We won.
The Thomas Keller Grill was hit-or-miss. The tableside Caesar salad was delightful. the entrees were either excellent, or just plain bad. No in between. We dined at TK 3 times. Dined at Earth and Ocean and Patio Grill. Not memorable.
I did not participate in any SB shore excursions, but heard quite a few complaints. Swim with the Dolphins, great experience, but not told that if you want photos of the experience, its going to cost $300 per person. This was not disclosed up front. A couple was left behind on a city tour. (They were right on time for the motor coach, but the guide forgot to do a head count). Overall the feedback from the Shore excursions were not good. Especially the fact that the tour operators and official shore ex. were not vetted.
Of course I met some wonderful people on board. A shout out "hey" to one of our fellow CC members, she knows who she is! Making new friends is never an issue on SB.
The on board entertainment staff was excellent! (when not in quarantine for COVID). Some of the guest performers were Roy Tan, excellent pianist and artist, and Lou Gazzara, American Idol finalist on season 2 of the show. They both were very approachable, very talented and very down to earth. The lecturer was excellent throughout our Panama Canal voyage, and beyond.
There is a lot more to report, and I'll try to answer any questions anyone might have.
Sante!
