sfvoyage

I agree. The expedition ships are designed for expedition voyages - hence repositioning voyages on the 2 ships are priced much lower. For me, sea days and expedition ships are not compatible. I go on Venture and Pursuit for expedition voyages, and for other voyages with more sea days and non expedition-type ports, I go on the regular ships with more space, regular Seabourn entertainment and activity options, and more dining options.

The info I got: QF301 dep HIR 8:00, arr SYD 13:10 While this is subject to change, obviously, I wouldn't count on having any time on 29th May to explore Honiara before the charter flight.

just google "Hong Kong cruise schedule": https://www.cruisetimetables.com/hong-kong-china-cruise-ship-schedule.html https://www.kaitakcruiseterminal.com.hk/schedule/2025-2/ http://www.oceanterminal.com.hk/en/schedule.php?cid=1

The information is from Seabourn's documentation department, which is usually the ultimate resource for visas and related paperwork. Next time you talk to Seabourn, you can tell them to get the answer from this department. Let me know what you find out!

Google.

Below is the information provided by Seabourn yesterday for the particular voyage sailing on May 15, 2024: The following information is provided as a courtesy and specific to a national of the USA for voyage P435. Papua New Guinea - Yes, Visa Required - Guests will fill out a form on board and ship staff will submit it to the port agents in PNG. Micronesia - No Visa Required. Guam - No, Visa Required. Solomon Islands - No, Visa Required

Thank you, and I couldn't agree with you more... Aside from specific logistics and questions that may require taking actions in advance, I would much rather discover on my own and have a sense of wonder with new experiences and explorations.

Our stay at the George is at the start of our Arctic voyage, which includes a stay there plus transfer the next day to the airport for our chartered flight to Longyearbyen. Your voyage does not include a night's hotel and airport transfers. So, no, I don't think you'll be able to hitch a ride to your embarkation port; your voyage has nothing to do with airport transfers and does not coincide with the same date anyway. (If you are Diamond Elite, you'll of course get a free private transfer to the port, within the distance limit.)

The George in Edinburgh

The exchange rate on the official Visa exchange rate calculator for 4th January is 1 USD = 964.486 ARS, assuming a 0% bank fee. This is very close to the dolar blue rate. (For 3rd Jan, the rate was 924.365.)

Does the process still involve letting the street tout take you to an obscure office in a nearby building?

The dolar blue is roughly 1000 vs. 800, or 25% better than the official rate on 4th January. https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.pagina12.com.ar/700969-dolar-blue-hoy-dolar-hoy-a-cuanto-cotizan-el-jueves-04-de-en

Same on the Encore & Ovation. The Odyssey men's locker room also has a hamman in addition to the dry sauna.

No cold plunge.

It's easy for men not to have to bring a blazer on board: just avoid the main dining room (i.e. "The Restaurant") on the few "formal optional" nights (no more than once per week). If you must dine at The Restaurant on those nights, a blazer is available on loan from the seating hostess. On the Venture and Pursuit, perhaps a blazer isn't even required in the Restaurant on any nights. (Are there even "formal optional" nights on the 2 expedition ships?)

When were you told that? On the Odyssey last month, I was told that TK Grill will convert to Solis during the World Cruise so that the full world cruisers will get to enjoy both venues.

Good news! Looking forward to reviews and photos of Solis dishes when the time comes.

The post cruise survey is promptly emailed to guests a day or two after disembarkation. Did you provide Seabourn with your correct email? Spam folder?

Experienced the Drake Lake a few years back, and the Captain remarked that on average only 1 in 7 crossings is rough. Not sure if that's PR speak, but hopefully the odds will be with you.

I read that very few landing places are still open in South Georgia, and the Avian flu is spreading in Antarctica. Good luck, and please report back regarding which landing spots will be available to you.

The fundamental issue here is inequity. Again, the spa is the only department on the ship whose staff members do not get a base pay, and the argument is probably because that is the only department on the ship whose staff members receive a tip from guests, which, as already mentioned, is variable and not guaranteed. There are days when the spa staff would be getting no business, and hence they made the comment about "starving" sometimes. When we visit a spa at a luxury hotel on land, would we expect the spa workers to work for tips and nothing else? I don't know, but I'd guess not, at least not in a luxury hotel in a first world country like the US. Many of the spa workers hail from the third world and are working on ships not necessarily to "see the world and have a good time" but to make money to send home to support their family. Over the years, I have met and become fond of many of the wonderful Seabourn team members. At times, I have also noticed when the spa staff have no or few appointments and look sad. We are all free to do and think as we wish. And when going on a luxury cruise, many of us are focused on enjoying ourselves and getting pampered and would prefer not to see, hear, or think about non first world issues and unpleasantness. I get it. But hope springs eternal...

According to the youtube video upthread, the additional gratuity goes entirely to the staff member.

Faulty comparison & analysis that is totally missing the point 😞 All those other positions are paid a guaranteed salary. The spa staff, on the other hand, is paid by commission, which can be as low as zero. (In the long run and on average, the highs and the lows will average out, and they may end up making enough to satisfy their needs, but there is no guarantee - and that is the main difference.)

I found this YouTube video which may be of interest to some. It's probably not on a Seabourn ship and is from 2020. Just one data point.

On the Quest a few years ago, with just over 400 guests, there were 5 groups (limit is 100 per landing), and thus we only did one landing per day. On the expedition ships, the main advantage is the possibility of 2 landings per day. In your case, you only had at most 1 landing per day. Was there any attempt to do a 2nd landing on any day, weather permitting, or was that not even contemplated?