Les Picantins

On 7/20/2023 at 3:06 PM, Mahogany said:

Speaking of kids, my Seabourn travel mate read on Seabourn Facebook page that there was a fight because of kids in the pool on Encore. Anyone hear about this?

I wouldn’t call it a fight…it was a number of passengers in the pool animatedly expressing their disapproval towards a young mother trying to join in with a diapered baby

The problem was intelligently resolved by introducing a blow up baby pool 

Everyone seemed to be satisfied…well almost everyone 

There was one couple who complained that the sight of the baby pool disrupted their view. Said couple disrupted my view, but I kept that to myself 😉

Reasonable advice

Thank you

Thank you SLSD, that is helpful information 

I just received our boarding passes 

It states Priority Boarding and it also states boarding time 14:40!

This is our first post Covid cruise 

We had always been able to board just before lunch on past sailings 

This is also our first cruise as a Diamond member 

I am unsure about how I should organize the transportation from our hotel 40 minutes away to the ship (not to mention that I get very cranky when I’m hungry 😉)

We enjoy so much the vibe in the Colonnade on arrival day…looking for familiar faces, having our first glass of champagne etc. I would hate to miss out on that just because I followed instructions if in fact we could have boarded sooner 

Any advice would be greatly appreciated 

Marjorie 😁

20 hours ago, frantic36 said:

I have heard great things of Peppi so hope you have a great trip. You and your chocolates will be a great hit 🙂.

 

I have sent an email.

Gros bisous 😘

3 hours ago, lexus man said:

Karolina Grannatas is the Guest services manager and Peppi Schuppier is the Hotel Director 🛳️🛳️

Thank you 

Enjoy the rest of your holiday 

6 hours ago, 2SailingNomads said:

Hopefully you enjoy your return voyage Marjorie.  We will miss you as we will be on the Ovation in just over 2 weeks.  

Cheers my friend!

Hi Ed

Thanks

It’ll be good to finally be back on board

I hope you and Lauri have a great time on the Ovation 

🍾⚓️🛳️

Thanks for the updates on the Encore 

I also will soon be boarding for my first post pandemic cruise and am sooooo excited.

May I ask who the Hotel Manager is please?

Is by chance Colleen the Guest Service manager 🤞🤞🤞

Marjorie

I am in the process of modifying my July reservations and need some help with hotel recommendations in Venise. We live in one of the hardest hit Covid areas in France and will exercise the same precautions in Venise as we do when we go to our local bank or supermarket. I’m hoping to experience Venise in the summer without the mass cruise population. Our inter-Schenghen borders should be opening on June 15.

My 3 choices are The Bauer Palazzo (Seabourn partner hotel), The Danieli (3 x the price of the Bauer) and the Gritti Palace (almost 6 x the Bauer). I’d like some insight as to why the huge price differences. If some of you have previously stayed at The Bauer Palazzo and had a fantastic experience that would make the decision very easy. 

 I’m hoping this will take your mind’s off of current events to more pleasant memories.

Thank you in advance for any insight you may offer. The past 3 months have been exhausting and I am looking forward to better days.

On 5/31/2020 at 4:55 PM, toseaornottosea said:

We love the Hotel de Russie.  It's between Piazza del Popolo and the Spanish Steps.  A great location.  Great service, wonderful courtyard restaurant and bar, great rooms.  

My vote also goes to the Hotel de Russie

As I write this, I am sitting at my juliette balcony overlooking one of the main streets in my town of 40 thousand habitants.Today, there is a little more movement as a drive through COVID-19 testing pop-up was installed a half a block away. This time 2 weeks ago all I would see from this same spot were ambulances, hearses (some carrying 2 coffins), domestic food delivery vans and desperate people popping in and out of the pharmacy across the street. Occasionally people pass while walking their dogs, since that is one of the few justifiable reasons to be out in public on the streets of France.

For me, 3 months ago this virus was one of those tragedies that only happens on the other side of the world. A few weeks later it was ravaging our neighbors and cousins in Italy. It still didn’t hit home until BAM -on February 26th our mayor was on national news. The first COVID-19 death in France was declared and the victim had just been transferred from our local hospital to Paris!

I totally understand that waiting around for information about refunds or future cruises is very frustrating especially considering the substantial sums involved. I also understand the fear that those working to process those refunds and massive inquiries, are facing. Are they risking their health by showing up for work, maybe taking public transportation to a job that may be on the line?

I too have a cruise scheduled for this summer which has not yet been canceled. When the first wave of sailings were stopped, I waited several weeks before bothering my TA figuring she would be drowning in frantic calls from others like myself. When I finally made contact last week she had just finished arranging for her last clients to make it home safely. I hadn’t even imagined those travel nightmares trying to return to their country.

This situation is AWFUL for EVERYONE worldwide.
 

I guess the moral of all this is it’s better to be waiting around for a refund than waiting around for a loved one to hopefully make it home from the hospital. I have so much more to say, but this has been long enough.

 I can only hope that Seabourn makes it through this storm, everyone stays safe and we can all return to a life as it was just a few months ago as soon as possible.

The recent problem on the website has been fixed but still no news on the 2021 itineraries.

I have friends onboard one of the Ponant ships at the moment. They sent me a message warning me that there is lots of buzz about the cruise I have been considering on the Laperouse to the Maldives in January 2021. Considering there are only 92 cabins on that vessel, I gave the go ahead to my TA to lock in my reservation. I’m afraid to wait any longer.

Sorry Seabourn, « you snooze, you lose ».

That happened to me too yesterday. Maybe once the circle stops spinning, the 2021 cruises will FINALLY be released.

We are now in August and still no news. I’m leaning towards an itinerary to the Maldives on a different cruise line (January 2021) with limited capacity. I’ve been patient up until now, but I’m worried that if I wait too long...

I understand the complications caused by the Cuba situation, but all the cruise lines were confronted with the same challenges, yet most have managed to get it together. I’ll wait a few more days. Longer than that, I might miss out on the other option.

Regular soap was offered. 

The complimentary soaps (Occitane, Hermès and the bumpy green) have been discontinued or are in the process of being phased out. Seabourn is going green and they are eliminating plastic emballage (straws, to go coffee lids etc.). At least this is information given by staff. I didn’t ask if there were plans to replace all of the Molten Brown products.

Our cruise finished yesterday in Piraeus. My TA offered us a private taxi transfer who showed up 45 minutes late due to a timing miscommunication. Waiting with us were a handful of other pax in similar situations (wrong terminal). We had plenty of time to kill so there was no panic, but had our flight been earlier, we wouldn’t have hesitated to take one of the many available taxis waiting outside the terminal.

The majority of meet and greet chauffeurs were in taxis. Regular taxi fare to the airport is 50€, while pre-reserved taxis are 100€. 

If you are not on a tight schedule, relying on the available taxis is not a gamble. 

We had a very good experience with Civitavechia Cab Service. Raphael was our driver. He was more than a chauffeur but acted as a tour guide as well, with both knowledge and enthusiasm. The prices were very reasonable. 

If your itinerary stops in Ilhabela, I highly recommend covering yourself with insect repellent before catching the tender. There are giant flies that leave nasty bites if you are not protected but will leave you alone otherwise. Personally I was warned prior to my cruise by a Brasilian and only encountered one on the pier on my way back to the tender. It did a nose dive down the front of my dress. It didn't bite, but I almost ended up in the water.😎

On 6/13/2019 at 3:24 AM, Thecat123 said:

candylover enjoy you cruise

If you go to Komodo Island go to Pink Beach for a snorkel as a early tour, which is worth it, then go back to the ship to see the dragons in the afternoon

A little off topic - if Komodo Island is what is motivating you to take this itinerary, I remember hearing that it will be closed to tourists for the next year. I don’t know the details, but you may want to look into this.

I hope this is true as Montaudon was the included champagne on Regent a few years ago and is a better choice, however, sometimes Seabourn has a different selection for a special event and will continue to offer it until the stock is consumed. Is it possible that they brought on a different brand for the GP event? Time will tell.

Today, all of the television channels here in France are covering the 75 year anniversary of D-day. Watching this event made me realize that it would be a great opportunity to find oneself on a cruise in the region and to be able to participate in the commemoration. I just checked out CruiseMapper only to find one cruise ship and a small number of river boats in the area. What a shame.

While every year there are events on June 6, every 5 years the events are more important. Since cruise lines reserve their ports years in advance, now might be the time to plan for the 80 year anniversary in 2024.

A few years ago when I cruised up the west coast of France, there was much interest from other passengers to visit the debarkation beaches. The cruise line even offered excursions from our stops in St Malo and Honfleur.

The last time I disembarked in Barcelona there was a bit of a delay with the ship being cleared. 

Also, keep in mind that May 1 is Spain’s Labor Day and there may be fewer government employees working that day at the port, and more travelers at the airport. 

I’ve cruised regularly (2-3 times yearly) for the past 10 years, mostly on Seabourn as it had been my preferred cruise line. In 2015 I sailed on Crystal for the first time and though I really enjoyed it, the set seating was not to my liking. Recently Crystal has switched to open dining and I just stepped off of the Symphony a few days ago. Today I give Crystal the edge over Seabourn but every cruisers likes and dislikes differ.

What I prefer on Crystal:

Service - Seabourn used to be unbeatable, but with the new builds all over the industry, too many experienced crew have left the company. On Crystal there is a balanced number of senior staff and new hires resulting in outstanding service.

Dining - Not only do I prefer the food, I also prefer the dining options, especially at lunchtime. The MDR is open for breakfast and lunch on Crystal. It is now rare to find the MDR open for lunch on Seabourn.

Animation - There is ALWAYS something going on. I do enjoy the Signature events on Seabourn like Rock the Boat, Opera under the Stars and Officers on Deck, but the diversity on is better on Crystal.

Pool deck - Visually, the pool deck is nicer on Seabourn however the loungers are much more comfortable and always available on Crystal. There are no food odors as the grill is behind a sliding glass door (this also prevents having dripping wet passengers going up to the grill for a quick bite before jumping back in the water). And best of all, it’s never too crowded to be enjoyed.

WiFi - Unlimited for all pax with a one time only simple sign in. I am one cruise away from unlimited WiFi on Seabourn, up until that point is reached you must log in, log out several times per day and always check to see how much time is left. 

The included champagne - Jacquart is better than NF

What I prefer on Seabourn:

Cabins - This is mentioned in every comparison between the 2 lines. The standard cabin is much more spacious than the equivalent on Crystal. The same for the PH cabins, Seabourn’s are larger and more comfortable. The PH cabins on Crystal, however, do come with a few extra perks.

Guest Services - Being in the Seabourn Square, the set up is more pleasant. I don’t spend very much time in the square but the concept is very nice and appreciated by many pax.

Pre-dinner apéritif - The Cove is lovely on Crystal in a beautiful setting, but I prefer the Observation lounge even if they are pouring NF rather than Jacquart.

Caviar - Included on Seabourn, available with supplement on Crystal.

Voila, these are the points that are important to me and these are just my opinions. Different passengers have different priorities; gym equipment, officer interaction, trivia, cooking classes, lectures etc...The other evening at the Cove I overheard someone say they tried Seabourn and it was way too small, only 200 passengers...now those were the days. Different strokes

Thought I would tell you that I wrote to Seabourn directly. I was particularly interested in whether they would be going to Cuba. Here is their response.

"Typically our Itineraries are released approximately 18 months prior to their Sailing date. In light of this, if we will be sailing to Cuba again in the fall of 2020, the itineraries should be released around Spring of 2019."

I appreciated their response, but I told them that I would likely be booking with another cruise line that releases their itineraries earlier.

I would avoid Cuba in the fall. It’s hurricane season.