Aapreciate

14 minutes ago, Selion said:

FWIW, the final payment date is not the date the serious penalties start.  Cancellation fee remains at $100 per person until 120 days out on cruises shorter than 35 days.

Yes but are the refunds in cash or future cruise credits?

Thanks to everyone for your helpful responses!!

Hello. We are booked on two upcoming Viking cruises, but I’m having some serious heartburn about taking them given the extremely random pay in full dates that we seem to be getting. I don’t understand why with one cruise we can pay six months before but with another, our daughter has to pay 15 months before the cruise date? How does that make sense? She is paying a single supplement of 100% so is this some kind of discrimination against single women travelers? I read through this forum and people are asking a lot of questions about financial matters not being treated fairly. Do people here recommend actually taking Viking? I’m beginning to have some serious concerns. Thanks in advance and please don’t hate on me.

This thread appears dead?  Will these be revived?  We are on Splendor from Miami 2/8.  

Hello, everybody.  I am so excited to start cruising again!  I have now retired so hoping to do a bit more (though DH has not yet so not a lot more yet).

My mom is scheduled to go on a Viking trip to Russia (Moscow to St. Petersburg) in September.  I have two questions for the great brain trust here:

1.  Mom's TA said she can book all the shore excursions she wants on Viking and then get refunds even right before them if she cancels.  She's 80+ so she might need to cancel if she gets tired.  Does anyone know if this is the way Viking works?  I have not cruised them before.

2.  Is anyone else looking to cruise in Russia in September?  How viable does that seem to folks who are watching things?

Thanks in advance, so much, for your help with this!

Kathy

This cruise line needs to look at what the rest of the industry is doing and allow for refunds for those who are booked who will be at risk if they travel or cruise which is anyone over 60 according to the CDC. This cruise line needs to change its policy now.

What the hell Ponant!!!  Booked in April with a woman who is 81 but there’s no possibility of a refund? I don’t think the cruise industry is going to be very strong after this but I can promise you that I and every single person that I am able to contact will never ever cruise on Pondant unless you get this changed quickly.  You are a luxury line. Please act like it and respect your customers’ well-being.  We should not have to choose between the health of an octogenarian and tens of thousands of dollars.

Thanks for the responses. This was absolutely not a rant, an honest question. I read a review of the Quest on this site that said that lobster is no longer on the menu and that the wine list has gone way downhill. It said staffing has gone from 1 staff for 2 passengers to 1 for 3. We are looking at a cruise next year and I’m seriously considering Seabourn. I just wanted to see if that review reflected a common perception. 

Our 2015 cruise on Seabourn was my favorite ever. Hoping things are still great. 

4 minutes ago, markperth said:

Hi aapreciate Kathy.

 

i have just completed my 2nd Buda to Amsterdam cruise with scenic. They were exactly 5 years apart. Hand on heart I could not say that the service levels or food had deteriorated in that time. The older ships had been upgraded to a comparable level to the really new ships. Obviously cabin sizes can’t be increased but they did a good job.

 

food is subjective on any cruise and from person to person. But in my experience on the current cruise, we met couples from Dallas, New York, Vancouver, Toronto and we did not hear one word of complaint against  the food. The quandary was which main meal to have. In a few occasions we had an additional main to share with the table to try.  That request was met with of course you can.

 

we had to do a ship swap due to water levels, clearly not Scenic’s fault. It was handled extremely well and seamlessly. Both ships swap relevant information about the passengers, dietary requirement, spa bookings etc so it was just like nothing had changed, except the staffs faces. Lol. The cruise director will always stay with the original passengers to keep a familiar face on board.

 

If any corners were being cut, I did not see it. And I am the type to discuss concerns with the hotel manager.

 

I read on this thread that someone said alcohol was sub standard. Can’t work that statement out or why it was. There was virtually every type of booze on board. - not scenic home brand. Lol.  Wines from many countries available. Moët available during breakfast if you wish.

 Btw, we just booked scenic again for a Mekong river cruise.

 

relax, you will have a great time. Happy to answers and questions you may have.

 

cheers mark.

 

 

 

I found the alcohol extremely sub standard. We were in the Royal suite so we got the fancy red wine. We looked it up - $11.99 a bottle. The whiskey selection was ridiculous. Jim Beam?  Really?  Yes they serve Moët but ONLY at breakfast because no one drinks it then. You can’t get it any other time, I asked. And all the mixers were Schweppes. Nothing nicer.

The food quality was equally mid-market. All the salmon was farmed. Limited fresh fruits and veggies with nothing ever light ot organic. And much of the food was cold, it was a consistent pattern. Room service food was even less warm. Just not a luxury experience at all. 

We were on the Jewel from Amsterdam to Budapest. We had booked on the Jade but the water levels were so tight that only the Jewel could get through. 

We are American. The ship was full, with 166 guests of whom 110 were Australian. Most were nice but we did get the comment that it was too bad Scenic had started advertising in the US as there was now an onslaught of Americans. Did not make us feel very welcome. But that’s not Scenic’s fault. 

My other major complaint is the lack of hand sanitizer protection and the resulting consequence that EVERYONE got sick. There were four sanitizer stations on board and no one used them. Buffet implements were therefore major germ vectors. Ugh. 

Kris was the best Butler I have ever had and the crew overall was great. But never again Scenic for me. 

Hi.  We sailed Seabourn in 2015 and absolutely loved it.  Especially the lobster.

But now I read on a Quest review that things have really changed?  Can anyone who has sailed recently and also a few years ago compare the experiences for me?  I read that the crew-to-passenger ratio has gotten much worse, service is suffering and the top drawer in food and alcohol is not available.

True?  Or not so much?

Thanks in advance!

Wanted to come back and say that while we had a wonderful time with our family, I will not choose Scenic again. 

The crew was amazing and fun, but beyond that I found the food and alcohol to be sub-standard.  The itinerary often minimized port time (to be fair, it was a scrum getting down the rivers, waaaaay too many ships these days.  The experience has certainly changed) and while some of the guides were good, many were not.

We really ended up disliking the food and ate offship as much as we could.

Apparently not Scenic.

I'd argue Uniworld also doesn't suck.

10 hours ago, djh1959 said:

Hi, I feel a little the same as you, as we are booked for a one week cruise in October.  I have tossed up cancelling, but don't want to lose the $2000 AUD deposit!

 

I have done a heap of reading on Scenic, both on here, on Tripadvisor and on various Facebook groups.  While they don't seem to have handled the low water (and previous high water) issues well, neither it seems did many of the other companies.

 

It seems that when things go well, which they obviously do most of the time, then the reviews are extremely good.  

 

I booked for us because my parents have done four trips with them.  They totally rave over everything and have assured me that the food is excellent.  I see no reason for them to make that up so I am ignoring the food comments.

 

I am in Australia, and one thing that I have noticed is that most of the poor food comments come from America.  I am not sure that this isn't a cultural issue - I know that when we visit the States I rarely like the food, it just doesn't seem as good as we have here (sorry!).  The only places I have enjoyed most food in the US have been Boston and San Franciso, and they are smaller cities, much more like Melbourne, where I live.

 

It stands to reason that it is possible that Americans and Australians may not have the same food tastes, so maybe that is part of the poor reviews.

 

I am not sure what sort of deposit structure you had, because it seems that each country is treated differently, but if, like us, your deposit was substantial, it becomes very costly to cancel.  My plan is to watch and read very closely and if things with the water levels occur again, I will invoke my plan b which is is already organised.  This means that I will pretty well follow the Rhine but by train.  I already have hotels chosen in the towns that we will stay in so it will be very easy to organise.  I will worry about refunds then once I get home.

 

I do hope that things go well for you, and for us, and feel confident, strangely, that they will next year.

Thanks for your response.  Interesting to consider the food complaints as driven by cultural differences.  I'm originally from San Francisco area so maybe I wouldn't be as offended?  Certainly  the poster immediately below you echoed my worries based on their experience.

What Facebook groups do you belong to for river cruising?  I would love to read more.

We also put down $2500 so it is a huge deal to switch.  Could consider Crystal during September but it's more than $20k MORE which is hard to even believe.  So we're looking at Tauck in October but then there's the worry about the Rhine levels being even more difficult.

Moral of the whole story seems to be river cruising has a much bigger delta on satisfaction and river levels, which are responsible for part of that swing, are just not predictable.  Wonder if we would be better to book in April/May in Europe, generally? 

Anyway, thanks again.

Thank you for the updates!  Currently on Scenic in September but considering changing to Tauck October. 

Hi, we are currently booked on a two-week Scenic river cruise in the fall.  I've read with some concerns the Scenic reviews posted on this site, particularly with regards to the Danube accommodations that all riverboats had to make due to river levels last year.  Between their apparently not notifying US passengers of the river problems (though they did notify British and Australian), the universal complaints about food quality and temperature, the really midlevel pre- and post-hotels that they are now using (and just check out the complaints at TripAdvisor from Scenic passengers in particular about the Doubletree Amsterdam), and their discontinuing their page discussing river levels at all, I have developed a real concern about taking any trip with them as a US citizen (and I'm going with my 81-year old mom so things need to go as well as possible.  She is fit, it's just that I want her to have a great time).

Can anyone offer me any reassurances about Scenic in Europe?  I note that several years ago they announced that they were going "upscale": does that still seem to be true?  I don't want to be on a boat for two weeks where all the corners are being cut, which is my current concern.  (I don't mean to sound pretentious but the trip is costly and I'd rather change now than face two weeks of disappointment.)

Thanks in advance and please don't flame me.  We don't get to cruise every year so this trip is a BIG DEAL. I just am trying to avoid disappointment.

-Kathy

Hello,

We need to get from London to Tillbury with luggage for embarkment, then vice versa without for a day trip, then from Tillbury to Heathrow. Does anyone have any suggestions for good ways to go? We're on Crystal in July and August. Thanks in advance!

Thank you so much. :). I had the surgery in Beverly Hills from one of the surgeons who helped get FDA approval for the only two-level device available in the US: The Mobi C. Dr Hyun Bae. He was awesome but our insurance company did refuse to pay. :(

I did not ever once have an issue with smokers on the balcony. Occasionally on the corner of the pool deck I noticed smokers but they did not really bother me.

One other interesting thing is how much closer into town the Silversea ships docked versus Seabourn. Much better berths.

Can't wait for Crystal in July! Then we are going to choose a line for New Zealand next year.

I want to apologize to everyone for not being able to complete this analysis. I ended up developing, perhaps from hauling luggage, a critical problem with my cervical spine which made my hands stop working. I have now had successful two level spinal disc replacement and will be cruising on Crystal in July. Truly, I loved both lines. I would give the design edge to Silversea and food to Seabourn. Looking forward to experiencing Crystal again. Very sorry to have fallen off the face of the earth for a while here but have finally recovered.

I want to apologize to everyone for not being able to complete this analysis. I ended up developing, perhaps from hauling luggage, a critical problem with my cervical spine which made my hands stop working. I have now had successful two level spinal disc replacement and will be cruising on Crystal in July. Truly, I loved both lines. I would give the design edge to Silversea and food to Seabourn. Looking forward to experiencing Crystal again. Very sorry to have fallen off the face of the earth for a while here but have finally recovered.

So sorry but yes, first world problems made it impossible for me to post while actually on the vessel. But I took notes so here's the first part of the overview.

TL:DR I really enjoyed Silversea but we did not do as much as many other travelers might do on such a cruise, as my mother was very wearied by the travel.

Embarkation

Embarkation was smooth and efficient. We were first passed through initial screening (including an ebola questionnaire) and then welcmed into the ship. We were sent to reception and checked into our cabin formally, welcomed with champagne, and walked to our stateroom.

I LOVED the physical space. Veranda, deck 6, very cleverly arranged. We had the beds twinned and really enjoyed the veranda and the view throughout. I think the cabin was my very favorite part of the Silversea offering.

The first day we scurried around the ship trying to learn where everything was, and unpacked and settled. I was a little bummed that we left entirely without fanfare (no additional champagne or confetti or even a blast of our whislte) but it was so exciting to be underway!

We had a drink in the main bar and then went to the dining room for dinner. We were tired so sat just the two of us, with a great waiter named Sammy. It was very fun and SO GORGEOUS to see the waves outside the windows. The food was good and the drinks were amazing.

We turned in early that night and the next day skipped between lectures and a coooking demonstration and shopping and massages--quite lovely and relaxing. We met some interesting folks and ate more good food. That night was our only formal night so we had quite a fun evening.

We did not stay up long enough any night to see the shows, which mostly started at 10 or 10:30. We had booked a 9 AM tour the following moring and my mother prefers to arise at least 2 hours before going out in the morning. So we went to bed early throughout.

Our Silversea tour in Helsinki was fairly disappointing. Big bus, full of folks, and our guide was ill so she did not talk all that much. Apparenly there was another bus that was fantastic but we did not have it. I also thought a 4 hour tour with a "snack of cake" at the end, at 12:45, was not good planning. Didn't people (in addition to my mother) want to get back to the ship for lunch rather than eating cake first? Still Helsinki was interesting, if a tad gloomy due to the guide, and we enjoyed seeing it.

That night we had dinner in La Terraza which I loved and my mother did not like as much. Watching from the back of the ship as we plowed through the waves was amazing!

So that's the summary up to Russia. We enjoyed many things. Overall, I give the food an 8 out of 10 but my mother loved all the fancy appetizers and desserts and wines. (I am also from the Bay Area and spoiled about food). Service was good and as I said, the veranda suite is 10 out of 10. :)

More to come....

Whew!! SAS strike threat settled so I made it to Copenhagen. Mom flew KLM from Florida so we met up in the airport and are enjoying a jet lag day today. :). Took a canal tour, had a leisurely outdoor lunch, and mom got a nap.

Tomorrow it's the Rosenborg Slot (castle) and Crown Jewels, then embark on Silversea for a week!! Very excited!! Will keep you posted. Plan to take a cab from the hotel at about 2.

Really appreciate all the nice comments and tips. Thanks for reading!

Whew!! SAS strike threat settled so I made it to Copenhagen. Mom flew KLM from Florida so we met up in the airport and are enjoying a jet lag day today. :). Took a canal tour, had a leisurely outdoor lunch, and mom got a nap.

Tomorrow it's the Rosenborg Slot (castle) and Crown Jewels, then embark on Silversea for a week!! Very excited!! Will keep you posted. Plan to take a cab from the hotel at about 2.

Really appreciate all the nice comments and tips. Thanks for reading!

I have been intensely curious about whether I am more suited for Silversea or Seabourn, and due to a very unusual set of personal circumstances I am going to get to experience BOTH in June (provided I can get to Copenhagen as my ticket is on SAS where some of the pilots are striking...but I digress). I thought I would write up what I see in this next month in case others have the same curiosity. I welcome any comments and questions. What I write will be only my experience. I am not trying to write any definitive guide on anything, just a set of my own observations in the hope that what I see might be helpful to others. Or at least entertaining.

I have only ocean cruised once before: On Crystal Symphony in the Mediterranean in 2008. My husband and I took our kids, then early teens, and it was BLISS, the best vacation ever. I loved Crystal. But a bunch of circumstances and other travel (and river cruising) have delayed my ocean cruising again until next month.

A tiny bit more about me because one's observations are necessarily filtered through one's experiences: My husband and I live in Silicon Valley today but we are moving to Oregon a month after we get back from the Seabourn cruise. He works in tech and I have been running a nonprofit. We are empty nesters with one child in college and another in grad school.

From the outset, both Silverseas and Seabourn seem extremely lovely. I'm very excited about taking both cruises! I am not likely to get to do two cruises again in the same month anytime soon, so I am reveling in this chance and feeling very blessed.

On this side of the cruises, I have just received the ticket packets from both companies. Seabourn provided the old-fashioned quasi-leather folder carrying printed information and tickets, along with very fun luggage tags and a personalized 8.5 x 11 book about the cruise. Silversea presented us each with a nice box with a smaller personalized travel journal about the cruise (very cool!) and some paper luggage tags. Both very fun to drool over.

As you can see from the footer, the Silversea cruise we are doing is me + my 78-year-old mom, the Baltic, 7 nights. We are in a Veranda suite, Deck 6. Mom has always wanted to do St Petersburg so we are doing to do so. I'm clandestinely organizing ballet tickets for her too while we are there. Hopefully very fun. Because she is 78 and moves at her own pace, we chose to go with a private car and driver in St. Petersburg but will do the Silversea shore excursions in Estonia and Finland.

The Seabourn cruise is 2 weeks up the Norwegian Fjords. Again a veranda suite, Deck 5. We are celebrating 25 years of marriage! Husband and I have not yet chosen any shore excursions for this. Nothing like leaving things until the last minute....

So that's what I know today. Provided that SAS keeps flying (fingers crossed) I leave on Saturday for Copenhagen. Won't be back for a month (very happy to have great dog and house sitters for the period that hubby and I are both gone!). Please let me know if anyone is curious about anything in specific about these trips. And thanks for reading!

PS Cross-posted from Silversea unless the mods object? Thanks!

__________________

I have been intensely curious about whether I am more suited for Silversea or Seabourn, and due to a very unusual set of personal circumstances I am going to get to experience BOTH in June (provided I can get to Copenhagen as my ticket is on SAS where some of the pilots are striking...but I digress). I thought I would write up what I see in this next month in case others have the same curiosity. I welcome any comments and questions. What I write will be only my experience. I am not trying to write any definitive guide on anything, just a set of my own observations in the hope that what I see might be helpful to others. Or at least entertaining. ;)

I have only ocean cruised once before: On Crystal Symphony in the Mediterranean in 2008. My husband and I took our kids, then early teens, and it was BLISS, the best vacation ever. I loved Crystal. But a bunch of circumstances and other travel (and river cruising) have delayed my ocean cruising again until next month.

A tiny bit more about me because one's observations are necessarily filtered through one's experiences: My husband and I live in Silicon Valley today but we are moving to Oregon a month after we get back from the Seabourn cruise. He works in tech and I have been running a nonprofit. We are empty nesters with one child in college and another in grad school.

From the outset, both Silverseas and Seabourn seem extremely lovely. I'm very excited about taking both cruises! I am not likely to get to do two cruises again in the same month anytime soon, so I am reveling in this chance and feeling very blessed.

On this side of the cruises, I have just received the ticket packets from both companies. Seabourn provided the old-fashioned quasi-leather folder carrying printed information and tickets, along with very fun luggage tags and a personalized 8.5 x 11 book about the cruise. Silversea presented us each with a nice box with a smaller personalized travel journal about the cruise (very cool!) and some paper luggage tags. Both very fun to drool over.

As you can see from the footer, the Silversea cruise we are doing is me + my 78-year-old mom, the Baltic, 7 nights. We are in a Veranda suite, Deck 6. Mom has always wanted to do St Petersburg so we are doing to do so. :) I'm clandestinely organizing ballet tickets for her too while we are there. Hopefully very fun. Because she is 78 and moves at her own pace, we chose to go with a private car and driver in St. Petersburg but will do the Silversea shore excursions in Estonia and Finland.

The Seabourn cruise is 2 weeks up the Norwegian Fjords. Again a veranda suite, Deck 5. We are celebrating 25 years of marriage! :) Husband and I have not yet chosen any shore excursions for this. Nothing like leaving things until the last minute....

So that's what I know today. Provided that SAS keeps flying (fingers crossed) I leave on Saturday for Copenhagen. Won't be back for a month (very happy to have great dog and house sitters for the period that hubby and I are both gone!). Please let me know if anyone is curious about anything in specific about these trips. And thanks for reading!

PS Will cross-post in Seabourn unless the mods object? Thanks!

Hello, I've read a lot of suggestions about good private tour groups especially in St. Petersburg, and lots of folks mention avoiding the otherwise long lines. Has anyone done the Silversea shore excursions in the Baltic? Can you please comment on their quality? I've not cruised Silversea but would think that they are a nice enough line that their shore excursions would be better than, say, HAL's. Am I being naive? I will appreciate any insight--thanks!