commodoredave

Business Insider has today published the most insightful story into Storylines since I published my critical piece in September of 2020 at: Search Results for “storylines” – Gentlemans Portion. I was interviewed for this story: Storylines Residential Cruise Faces Backlash From Investors, Ex-Employees (businessinsider.com) Load of Ship A startup is charging up to $8 million to live on a never-ending cruise. Investors and ex-employees say it'll never happen.

Me too!

We have found most cruise line excursions to be hit and miss. Which is why we always compare offerings from local tour providers to those offered by the cruise line. About 50% of the time we book a private tour, especially if we can find another couple or two to share the cost.

Never rely on Seabourn for information on Visas or entry fees. If you’re lucky, they will advise you 5 days before departure.

The engine room is lovely, and everyone there enjoys self-service.🤪

Smart.

For 2 people that is

Actually, one if the 2 companies (CBIT) recommended by Seabourn charges GBP 164 for the evisa, whereas the other recommended company (vfs global) charges US$65. I think the big price difference with CBIT is because Seabourn knows it is okay to charge Brits more than Americans for anything. 😃

I’m sure they did. My point is that SB kept us up to date on Brazil but not Suriname, leaving us with a false sense of security.

I’m so grateful to Seabourn that I just booked my next cruise with Silversea. 😊 When we originally booked our Seabourn expedition cruise about 18 months ago, both the cruise line and our TA told us that no visas were needed in advance for Canadians and Americans. Then, about 9 months later, Seabourn advised that Brazil now required a visa. Then, 4 months after that Seabourn advised that Brazil no longer required a visa. And then last night, that Suriname now requires a visa. Actually, it’s just a $25 visitor entry fee that should have been easy for the ship to organize, as so many other cruise lines do, including parent HAL. But no, we have to do it last minute. In defence of Seabourn, they do state in the fine print that it is up to passengers to check on the entry requirements as they may change. If we cruise with Seabourn again, i will make a point of regularly checking entry requirements right up to departure. As for the multiple changes (again) to the itinerary last night, I guess that comes with a new ship doing its inaugural cruise a new place. Either that, or someone shoreside has a drinking problem 🤪.

The Seabourn Gong Show continues. Today, just 4 days before our cruise departs, we received notice that a visa for Suriname is required and must be applied for by end of tomorrow for it to be processed in time for our arrival in Parimaribo on October 14. In addition, a large number of itinerary changes were announced last night. We are already in Barbados and now using vaction time to sort the mess out. Another Gong for Seabourn shoreside.

As long as you can still remember the cruise that you are on, you're doing just fine! ☺️

I can share some of mine if you'd like!🤪

Was "The Bar" still in the lounge at the stern on Deck 5?

We sailed on the Shadow in December of 2019 in the Caribbean and enjoyed it very much. It had recently been refurbished and we liked the changes -- in particular, moving the casino from deck 5 and adding a cafe there. And we made some good friends having pre-dinner cocktails at The Bar each night. I am curious about what was done in the most recent dry dock in 2022. One thing I find confusing is that the current deck plan on SS shows no mention of The Bar which used to be near the stern of deck 5 near the Show Lounge. It is there on the deck plan in the review of the Shadow on CC, but not on the SS website. Is the Bar still on the ship?

Thanks. It’s getting close!!

Well said. I put a premium value on advice from well-seasoned cruisers like Mr. Luxury and others like him, so I appreciate knowing how much actual experience they have with a cruise line and ship that I may be considering. I also love the manner in which some of the advice is delvered -- often good fun. So please keep it up!!

I agree. All of our previous cruises with SB have been delightful, and I see no reason why this one will be any different. And one of the best parts will be that once we are on the ship, we won't have to deal with shoreside!

Thanks for the tip. My TA called SB and straigthen it out. SB were embarrased that the "computer" assigned us different boarding times than our friends since our reserations are linked.

I realize it's only 50% expedition, but that's the part that is on the Amazon River. It's basically a one week Caribbean cruise combined with a one week Amazon River cruise. And, that's one of the reasons why it was so well priced. My main point about boarding time was that when we book with and travel with another couple, we have always been boarded at the same time, no matter what the cruise line. I thought it was ironic that despite our higher loyalty status, we couldn't board at the same time as our friends travelling with less status -- it looked like we were being punished for our loyalty.

I dunno. She might have saved my first two marriages!😝

Think of it as a bit like marriage counselling- it takes more than one session to get things back on the right road.

I don't let it bother me for long. That's why after 81 cruises, we've never cruised with any one cruise line that often. We keep switching to different lines, stay until they screw up, they move on to the next one. Strange thing is that they all willingly except our money.😉

I'm pretty sure the cruise will be very good, just like all the other cruises we've taken with Seabourn. However, when onboard staff have to make up for the bad impression left by shoreside management, there is something not quite right about the organization. Perhaps adding 2 new expedition ships in close proximity has tested management's bench strength. But that should not be my problem. And yes, when two couples are travelling together, they should be boarding together. The good news is that SB's excuse was that the computer assigned the boarding times. I say good news because this shows that Artificial Inteligence still has a long way to go before it can replace good human common sense! 😄

I just watched the Q&A with CEO Laura and found her to be completely charming, as well as her host, Andrea. While these types of canned discussions can be too scripted and promotional, this was not the case here -- I found the range of topics and candid responses to be refreshing. Was everything covered and to my complete satisfaction. No. Did I walk away feeling better about X and their future? Yes. I look forward to more Q&As with Laura in future. It's far more than many other lines are doing.