Chairsin

Westmount, 

I also thank you for taking the time to post the farewell picture of some of our favorite crew members bidding you goodbye. Safe travels home. 
 

And so now, I believe all Seabourn ships have been cleared of passengers. Truly a strange time. As we all adjust to a new normal at home and hopefully watch this pandemic subside we begin the wait to see when and where the ships start embarking passengers again. Like many here I don’t believe the 30 days is a realistic time frame to safely start up again. Most of all I hope all my fellow cruisers stay well and I look forward to meeting each and every one of you on future cruises. 

Westmount I really feel for you and the latest unfortunate turn of events. You have done an amazing job of keeping up a good attitude in circumstances that would get to even the most optimistic person. And now, just when you had the end in sight this is a cruel blow.  Being a bit cheeky I think Sojourn should be renamed the Flying Dutchman. 

There is an old saying “ I married you for better or for worse but not for lunch.” 
 

And the ban on cruise ships in NZ extends until the end of June. So this means Seabourn cannot operate the revised leg of the Sojourn world cruise from Auckland on April 28. Will they now revert back to the original embarkation port of Sydney?

Btoohill, 

I hope you have a fun and safe cruise. I’m sure the Seabourn crew will do their utmost to keep passengers as safe as is possible within their powers. Just be aware that Vice President Pence announced this morning that Americans returning from the Schengen countries in the next 30 days will be funneled through an an approved airport (likely conveniently Dulles in your case) and then be required to self quarantine for 14 days. Personally that would put quite a pall on my cruise if I had that to look forward to when returning home.  However as you are returning home the April 22 you should be ok- unless the time frame is extended. So much uncertainty right now. 

It would have been nice had Trump clarified the travel ban in his speech. 
 

In any event I still wonder how the cruise lines will react to this development. 

President Trump just announced a 30 day travel ban from Europe (exempting the U.K.).  It will be interesting to see how Seabourn responds to those of you with cruises to Europe in the next month knowing their US passengers will not be able to fly home. 

To the poster who booked Philippine Airline tickets with Skylux you should know that the reason those tickets are non refundable and non changeable (even with a change fee) has nothing to do with the airline.. Unfortunately you bought tickets from a consolidator (Skylux). Consolidators often sell  tickets that may have a good price but in exchange you are getting very different fare rules and highly restrictive terms - including being truly non refundable. It is too bad for the poster but perhaps can serve as a warning to others that before you buy tickets from a consolidator read the fare rules so you fully understand  what you are purchasing. 

All this recent upheaval in the cruise industry in Asia has made me try to recall if similar mass cancelations and itinerary changes took place during the SARs outbreak in 2002.I was active on the CC boards back them but I really can’t recall a similar situation. Is my memory letting me down or was the cruise industry less affected by that outbreak?

Flamin June

I can’t imagine how beyond disappointed you are. I know you are not surprised by it but that doesn’t make the situation easier to accept. I don’t share the view of others in thinking YOU are better off with the new itinerary. I’m sure it all comes from their good intentions and trying to help you make lemonade out of lemons. But while I might like the new itinerary the point is it doesn’t work for you and A as you had up your hearts set on returning to some favorite spots along with some new ports. And add to that there is the added difficulty of switching flights from a Singapore embarkation to Columbo at this late date if you booked your own air (as we always do). Especially as it would appear airlines (or at least Singapore Airlines, not sure if you are booked on them) are not willing to refund tickets since Singapore is not on the travel ban list at present. I’m not sure if you work with a travel agent but if so this would be the time to get them to really go to bat for you. Good luck and let us know what you decide and what the end result is in dealing with Seabourn. 
 

 BTW, I did not get a chance to reply yesterday but your latest witticism of the Ovation and the loo gave me a good chuckle but now that image is stuck in my head. Unfortunately the analogy was prescient as your cruise plans have literally gone down the toilet. 

Flamin June, 

As ever your remarks are the voice of reason. I too have become concerned about the Covid speculative comments that are based neither on first hand accounts nor reliable sources. And mea culpa, I realize that recent my online wondering if they will maintain the current Singapore to Dubai March sailing puts me in the speculators club. Guilty as charged. I can only imagine how difficult this period is at present for those of you booked on that cruise. Everyone likes certainty and at present the situation is anything but. Please hang in there. There is an old phrase used in the US when hoping for favorable outcomes, “God willin and the crik (creek) don’t rise.” Of course in your case with the flood waters lapping perilously  close  this is unfortunately doubly apt. But please do know that we are all pulling for you whether you end up with a brief Singapore holiday away from rainy, cold weather  or better yet a cruise, modified or otherwise. 
 

As to the communication issue I fear Seabourn is not alone in their failure to keep in constant contact with their customers. One of the key tenets of good PR is simply staying in touch with the customer even when the situation is fluid and there is nothing new to report. Most people just want the assurance they have not been forgotten and that when a situation changes they will be given the updated information in a clear, complete and timely manner.  
 

Well there you go - two great minds in agreement based on some logic and a boatload of hope but with little inside information (at least in my case). My thinking is also that Singapore might be treated as a unique, and therefore a less risky  Southwest Asian port, given the country’s supposed transparency in reporting and measures undertaken to contain further outbreaks.  

And as to the post of Oceania’s canceled cruises while it is quite interesting to see the large number of cancels cruises the thing I note that differentiates this from Seabourn’s planned schedule is that once Seabourn Ovation leaves Singapore heading towards Dubai on March 14 they will be not be returning to Southeast Asia until next fall. So it seems to me that there is less necessity of canceling the Ovation’s cruises from March 14 onwards. 
 

The issue I see as potentially unsettling the current situation however relates to the passengers who disembarked the Westerdam a few days ago in Cambodia. While many are still “self” quarantined in Phnom Penh there are many who have flown out to numerous countries who may or may not have been infected. There seems to be a question as to the reliability of the testing performed by HAL prior to their departure that led to this potential for transmission of the virus by non symptomatic passengers. And of course I don’t believe they have yet determined where the infected female passenger who was trying to fly out of Malaysia picked up the virus. Since the ship departed Hong Kong on Feb 1 and passengers only went ashore in Taiwan either she picked it up when she went ashore there (which seems highly unlikely since there have been so few reported cases there) or she picked it up in Hong Kong prior to boarding and this is one of the rare cases where the incubation period was in excess of 14 days. In any event this situation may make some other countries in Southeast Asia who have until now not banned cruise ships to change their minds. 

Flamin June

I hope enjoy the book as it will not only give you some insight into the early days of cruising but more importantly provide some much needed humorous distraction in this difficult period of uncertainty. And now thanks to you I have another book to add to my reading list. Anyway, let me know what you think.
 

As to flip flops you might think here in sunny Arizona we wear then a lot. Actually the only time I wear them is when I’m out by our pool as they are waterproof and easy to step in and out of (walking on hot flagstone decking during an AZ summer is not something I would recommend). I generally find the stiff rubber thong part uncomfortable and the bed of the flip flop either too hard or too soft and lacking in support. One brand I have found that seems to offer a happy medium is Kate Spade. And they have the added bonus of looking cute!

Flamin June

Just had a thought of another “prologue” activity you might undertake (now that your wardrobe and A’s shoe closet have been restocked) to help get you in the mood for your magical mystery tour. All of this talk of ships being turned away from port after port and passengers quarantined is straight out of Mark Twain’s book “The Innocents Abroad.” If you haven’t read it recently do so again - if you have never read it treat yourself to a barrel of laughs. But please don’t be tempted to reenact the adventure when he and a couple of friends, frustrated as they sat on their ship in the harbor of Piraeus quarantined due to cholera concerns and could only look at the Acropolis in the distance, to decided to jump ship and swim ashore.    
 

Jenny, 

Thank you for your kind thoughts. And I am so sorry that recent medical issues forced you to cancel your cruise and also hope your remaining recovery is speedy and you soon find yourself back on a Seabourn ship. 

 Good for A! I like her positive outlook. It seems like a great trip to commemorate launching the next phase of your life.  And if for some reason the cruise does not come to pass you will certainly be the most dapper fellow in all of Lancashire. 
 

And thank you for the kind thoughts! All I have to do now if figure out what my DH will eat while I’m recovering as his culinary skills are pretty much limited to the coffee maker and microwave. Then again it could be a good time for fasting to prepare for when we do cruise again. 
 

Back to the cruise, in your shoes (new ones?) I would be feeling pretty optimistic about the cruise. As you said there have been some encouraging developments and it seems some countries, such as a Singapore, seem to be getting a handle on containment and tracking the origin of new cases. I’ll stay tuned.

Flamin June 

Dont relish being in your predicament. I am glad the flooding rains did not affect you  directly - from the photos I’ve seen it seems catastrophic. A similar situation is playing out currently in Ohio. Between floods, wildfires first in California and then Australia,, plagues of locusts in West Africa, massive avalanches in Europe, high temps and melting ice sheets in Antarctica and of course Covid-19  it all seems as though our planet  is rather out of control. 
 

But if I were you I would keep marching steadfast through your usual pre cruise to do list. I know I’m a cockeyed optimist but I look at Seabourn’s cancelation of the Feb 14 and 29th cruises and parking the ship in a “safe harbor”  as an attempt at sacrificing in the short term (and I am sorry for those on those two voyages wholes cruises were canceled) to secure the rest of the season when they can hopefully safely sail from Singapore west out of South East Asia and our of harms way. My  thought being countries on the March 14 itinerary would have less reason to bar the ship from docking since the ship had been “clean” for a month. And selfishly I do want to keep reading your blog hoping the prologue is followed by a middle and end. I’m currently drydocked myself as a result of upcoming major surgery so blogs like yours will be a major source of distraction for me as I plow through the long recovery phase and look forward to the time when I’ll be back on board. 

Just ask you driver to take you to an ATM that is within your network on your way to start your excursion. Just be warned there is a limit to how much you can withdraw at a time and some of the machines can be subject to malfunctioning or run out of money. In Delhi we actually had to ha e our driver go to three different ones to find one that worked and had money. I would be skeptical of using an ATM in a cruise terminal. I will only change money at an actual bank. 

Wow - that must feel Ike a ghost ship. 
 

Our first Seabourn Cruise was on the 208 passenger capacity Spirit out Istanbul a week after  9/11. There were less than 100 passengers and that felt strange!

Thank you for the update - I’m not on FB. 
 

I can’t just imagine how doubly frustrating it will be for those in Singapore who had hoped to board tomorrow to see the ship there and not be able to board. 

On our recent trip to India we just used ATMs to get rupees.

Oh Flamin June that sounds just like something we would enjoy - fingers and toers crossed that it all comes to pass as you planned. We also find “ heritage” hotels to be our cup of tea. When we did our private tour in Rajasthan for two weeks before we embarked on the Ovation in Dubai this past December we we stayed in many charming haveli. It really gives you a true sense of place. 
 

And as to the current cancellation does anyone know what exactly the Ovation is doing. Are they going to a port such as Sihanoukville that seems will to allow cruise passengers to disembark or are they going to Singapore and disembarking passengers and then heading somewhere else?
 

I guess one of the troubling factors has been the not surprising recent confirmation that this virus can be transmitted by asymptomatic carriers. So just screening passengers for a temperature when boarding is not a fail safe measure. And this is on top of the pronouncement in a report out of China earlier this week that while the median time for the appearance of symptoms is three days they are saying that instead of a 14 day incubation period it could be up to 24 days. Granted this study has not been verified by peer review but if it is true it is just another troubling complication. 

Westiesheepie, 

I am so sorry you find yourself in such a difficult situation. I certainly understand how difficult it is to fly half way across the world only to have to turn around and fly back home as we landed in Egypt a day before the Arab Spring erupted in Cairo in January 2011 and then spent two days camping out at the chaotic airport hoping flights would start operating so we could get out of there. In your situation while I obviously don’t have first information from what I have been reading from credible news sources and posters here with a dog in the fight such as yourself at a minimum it would appear Seabourn’s communication efforts have been woefully inadequate and their response to the ever unfolding situation has been slow. I agree that while in normal circumstances Seabourn would not be responsible for changing flights you made on your own these are not normal circumstances and they could have made some effort to assist you. 
 

And Flamin June sorry you are also in a difficult spot. As we found with our Egypt “adventure” most travel insurance policies, short of cancel for any reason, have many loopholes that substantially restrict coverage rendering them pretty useless in circumstances such as this. My wish for you is that Seabourn make a decision quickly and that if they cancel the cruise your airline and hotel allow you to cancel without penalty. ( And BTW, we also love the Hotel Fort Canning with its sense of history and oasis like location while still in the middle of the city - we stayed there for the second time this past December). 

Flamin June, 

Funny you should mention railroad car as that is exactly how I describe it recently to friends who will be doing their first Seabourn Cruise this summer. Both the layout, the fittings and the windows remind me the era of classy train travel portrayed in many an old movie. 
 

Yes, have always found the Ad Hoc nights in the Colonnade a fun change of pace and even more fun if you get a group of 6 or so to enjoy a communal dinner. And while the dishes are simple comfort foods the quality of the ingredients are quite high.  The fried chicken is my favorite - so I was quite bummed - though I am also especially partial to the salads and the Humboldt Fog cheese. And as I noted it was disappointing that half way through the cruise these dinners were done and we never received a clear explanation as to why.  
 

I know you wanted details but hope my response was not too wordy. In order to be balanced it seemed necessary to write more than I had intended. But if you are a glutton for punishment and if you or Mrs. June have any more questions fire away. The bottom line of course is that many of us will have a different take on the same cruise and the same ship. I’ll look for your take once you have Ovated.
 

Hi Flamin June

I did not do a full review of our recent "inaugural" Ovation cruise but since you asked I'll try to provide more feedback that my prior comment noting  would only return to the Encore class if the itinerary was irresistible. 

Forgive me if some of what i say sounds a bit vague because I'm actually having a hard time pining down exactly what made it feel a bit off. So here goes, as to overcrowding I can't say that in spite of my apprehension here the this was a noticeable issue. Didn't really notice longer lines, longer service wait times (most of the time) or the feeling as though there were too many people. And yet, it did feel bigger and I was seeing passengers for the first time throughout the cruise whereas usually by day two or three most faces are familiar. I would think "where did all of these people come from - have they been hiding out in the lifeboats?"

The crew was very good with many with whom we have cruised on prior trips who remembered us and some "new to us." Of course there was the occasional service glitch - but then no more than we have encountered on our prior cruises over the years. But we are pretty easy going and we find after a day any minor annoyances become a distant memory and all of the good service certainly outweighs the occasional incidence of less than stellar service.I will say that we rarely saw the HD and this was indeed very unusual. It was actually so apparent that we and some friends started referring to him as the invisible man. Now I can't say if this was due to the increased work load from the additional passengers, the larger ship size or simply his personalty and management style. 

As to the physical layout of the ship some spaces I liked better, such as the MDR and Colonnade, and some I liked less, such as theTK Grill (the furnishings and layout remind me of a nice chain restaurant - not a classy retro steakhouse). While I did indeed find the TK bar convenient the space was unappealing with two thirds of the bar tables tucked into a dark corner.The Square is more open but i did find there was less privacy when you were speaking with one of the guest services staff. The Grand Salon looks to be of similar size to O class (and yes, still has those perky columns) but of course they get around that issue by having two shows. I found this problematical as it meant the second show (we don't like to rush through dinner) often started late - no doubt because the entertainment cast or guest performer needed some time to recover from the early show. We ended up going to fewer shows than usual. Can't speak to the sushi restaurant as we never dined there. Pool Grill seems fine during the day (we often had lunch outside seated at a shaded table) and we did Earth and Ocean once (hard to find perfect weather for an exposed venue like this - besides coming from where we do dining outside is not a special treat). I can't tell you if it felt more exposed than O class because we have not done E&O there yet. 

And then there is the pool deck during the day. You mentioned the concern about overcrowding here. This concerned us as well since it was going to be a warm weather cruise and we like to be outside but in the shade. Again we live in a place blessed with a warm, sunny climate so for us getting a bragging rights holiday tan is not a priority. In fact as it turned out the weather was not as hot and sunny as anticipated and we even had a few days of showers. This may have impacted the lack of crowding. I only recall one day toward the end of the cruise where we had trouble finding a couple of shaded loungers and ended up going to the covered deck area behind the Club. I did not count the loungers on the main pool deck but visually it did appear that there were not many more loungers than on the O class ships. So if I were on a Caribbean or warm weather Med cruise i do see how this could be a problem. 

As to the Retreat, well this subject has been covered on this board ad nauseum. The space seems like a remote outpost totally disconnected from the rest of the ship. We went up briefly for a cocktail party and left unimpressed. So to pile on, yes, seems like a precious waste of space that could be put to better uses and its very existence seems to fly in the face of the ethos of the democracy of Seabourn we have come to appreciate. 

The space thought that really bothered me, and which presents the biggest stumbling block to our returning, is the suite itself - we had a standard verandah suite.  A few inches less in width may not seem like a big deal until you try to function in that resulting space due to the design choices they were forced to make. The bathtub is both narrower and shorter. I love to lounge in a nice relaxing bubble bath and even though I am slender and about 5'6" tall i felt cramped. The closest is a challenge - anything hanging in the back recess was hard to access. And the drawer in the dressing table was so shallow the hairdryer did not fit inside and thus was left to clutter part of the very shallow counter. And okay, i know the wave of the future, but i really detest those light and thermostat controls where you have to keep a key card inserted to turn them on.   

I will note that while this likely has little to do with the size of the ship I did enjoy some of the best food ever in the MDR. And this came on the heels of our 36 night Quest cruise last summer where we had the worst food I've ever had on many cruises over 19 years on Seabourn.Who can tell if it was the chef or provisioning or whatever. For whatever reason we very happy with the food there. Still, we preferred the less hectic dining atmosphere in the TK Grill - yes the menu is unchanging except for the daily specials but the food there seems more consistent to me from cruise to cruise. We were also again fortunate to have TK Chef Michael Sandoval on board for half the cruise and he alway made something special for our table so it was a real treat. And quite odd, usually there are TK Ad Hoc dinners every few nights in the Colonnade. We don't usually have dinner there except on the AdHoc nights.During the first 10 days or so of our 19 night cruise they had a Pork Rib night, a Beef Rib Night, and a Clambake and that was it. We were told they can't do the fried chicken because the ship was not properly equipped.This seems strange since the Encore class was designed with Keller input and they managed to retrofit the kitchens of the O class to be able to fry the chicken.

So in sum it just seemed a bit less like the Seabourn we have come to know and love (as with you, first with the irreplaceable small ships and then with the O class). Still we found enough to love that while it would never be our first choice we would go back on Ovation under the right circumstances. As to your other issue i really feel for you as that is a much tougher matter to address. It is not a issue to be taken lightly and frankly I'm not sure what i would do in your circumstances. Not having a crystal ball there is no way to tell how much longer this disease will continue to spread or where new cases will pop up. I hope for your sake by the time your cruise draws near it is running out of steam and the risk of transmission is greatly reduced.