crwydryn

Any one on board the Sojourn recently-- do they still have the "old" Molton Brown toiletries (esp shampoo/conditioner) or just the "new" custom Seabourn scents? If only the new products, how are they? Thanks!

We were on Quest a few weeks back - our stewardess readily found us a selection of soaps, including Occitane. Try asking and there may be alternative shampoos too

Let's not generalize. Lower prices or aggressive marketing does not necessarily mean 'lower class' or boorish.I have met many well heeled travelers on Seabourn whose manner, style and demeanor is terrible. To equate money with class is out of date, discriminatory and the height of snobbery. Everyone likes to get a good deal on a cruise and just because you paid 'full boat,' hardly means you're full of style. That sounds like a lot of hot ballast air to me.

hello Hobar,

just to agree; as you say, generalisation is not useful. I didn't and don't attribute the behaviour we saw to any particular 'group', class, gender or ethnicity. My hope was that SB could address this behaviour if it features again. I wrote about an actual series of instances specific to the Observation Lounge, on specific evenings on a specific cruise. I didn't inquire the background of those who disrupted the atmosphere. You're correct - we can have that kind of behaviour from any class, culture etc. But boorish behaviour it was for sure. :)

This is a really difficult one.

 

If they were to use drugs it's off the ship.

 

If they were to physically abuse a staff member or fellow guest it's off the ship.

 

If they were to vandalise the vessel it's off the ship.

 

Getting drunk, telling jokes which you might find risqué or ordering copious quantities of caviar are not grounds for getting thrown off the ship.

 

In no way am I belittling the impact these people had on your cruise but different cultures, nationalities and lifestyles bring with them habits which might clash with our own ideals. It's a slippery slope if the ship intervenes with too heavy a hand.

 

I witnessed an otherwise charming guest who got a bit over involved during a performance in the grand salon recently. The entertainment staff stepped in to defuse the situation but some might have called for her removal.

 

Alcohol in particular brings out the worst in people. There are security staff on board and ultimately it is they who step in when required but deployment is a bit like riot police, it can sometimes escalate things.

 

Henry :)

Dear Henry,

quite agreed. It's not an easy task at all for Seabourn - and that's why I put our perceptions - twice - in writing to onboard management. From subsequent comment by several of them on Quest It's clear that this was taken seriously. For reasons of discretion I do not want to name or quote the staff concerned.

On return from the cruise I wrote in similar - and I believe constructive - vein to Richard Meadows. I'm happy to say that I rapidly received a reply from his office which shows that :

• the email I sent had been read carefully
  
• the annoying/upsetting issues I evidenced from the Observation Lounge in the evenings were going to be analysed
  
• gave good reason to believe that Mr Meadow's office empathised with my disappointment
  

(My email to him, like the feedback letters I submitted on board, emphasised the wonderful crew, great food and other positive as pects of the cruise)

Like you, I'm sure there's no fit-all prescription for differences in behaviour and its perception. We're all different.

That said, the main purpose in putting my perception of specific incidents in the Observation Lounge to Richard Meadows was to see if Seabourn acknowledged that this nightly noisyness in that specific venue detracted from SB's desire to present the particular venue as a relaxing one, where a gentle and talented pianist could be heard rather than drowned-out.

It's plain that my objective has been achieved and that SB have done as I wish and considered seriously my perceptions of those occasions. So I now stand back. However, I do hope that this thread, or similar, continues to catch future cruisers' perceptions - the evidence would be useful to SB, and on a person level, would give me a bit more information regarding whether to go for SB or rival for our autumn cruise.

Huh? Jes is here on the sojourn right now.

The menu sheet I have in front of me as reminder from the early days of the cruise is headed "Chef's Dinner. Please enjoy signature dishes prepared by our Executive Chef de cuisine Jes Paskins."

Whether he was onboard or not, the food was great!

I know it's not often a feature on our beloved Seabourn, but a few comments on previous posts/threads lead me to offer this brief account of how a small number of pax on Quest (mainly 15-19 May towards St.Petersburg) loudly and drunkenly monopolised the evening Observation bar, making it it a rowdy area as opposed to a gently quiet area to enjoy a drink and soft piano.

It would be interesting to see if anyone else has observed this behaviour - my hypothesis is that it could be related to aggressive marketing/late price reduction of seven day cruises.

We travelled Dover-Copenhagen-St. petersburg-Stockholm 1-19 May. Despite diversions and port and related excursion cancellations that the Captain described as owing to weather conditions, we enjoyed all other aspects of this voyage.

The crew was wonderful, the food was the best we have had on Seabourn. The CD and senior staff are excellent ambassadors for Seabourn.

However, to come to the point, this almost wonderful cruise was negatively impacted upon by loud drunken behaviour of some guests. This was mainly toward the end of the cruise, and especially bad on the final four nights in the Observation lounge.

The behaviour was apparent among approximately six to ten guests and more, some of whom drank solidly and extremely heavily in the Observation lounge from 16.00 hours until its close. The offensive behaviour consisted of:

• communication by frequent shouting and screaming , especially by those monopolising the bar stool area
  
• loud ‘racy’ jokes - eg “have you heard the one about the three hookers…”
  
• the accomplished evening pianist was often inaudible above the screeching and shouting
  
• on some evenings, every pause by the pianist was accompanied by football-style prolonged whistling, “whooping” at huge volume
  
• constant requests to sing with the gentle, diplomatic pianist
  
• evidence of vomiting in the toilets
  
• on one evening, a couple started vigorous jiving about six inches from my seat until dislodged I was forced to leave as my drink was in danger of being dislodged and spilt. And I was in danger of asphyxia from their huge body odour. One of these later earned the soubriquet of 'Smelly XXX'
  
• frequent and ostentatious large special orders - eg caviar at 11pm
  

Thus in the latter stage of this cruise some passengers were determined to treat the occasion as a ‘Booze Cruise’ accompanied by inappropriate behaviour. and conspicuous consumption and ‘possession’.

Senior crew and staff who came into contact with these disrupters were very discreet, but as true professionals they were plainly very concerned by this decline and fall of the exclusive atmosphere of the Observation Lounge. it appears this behaviour is apparent on other seven day cruises and is increasing in frequency. Our experience on this particular cruise has led us to doubt our return to Seabourn, and without doubt we would exclude seven day cruises from our immediate horizon.

I certainly raised this behaviour issue with senior staff, including twice in writing. I'm also so concerned that I have written to Mr Richard Meadows. I am sure the Quest did their very best to address the issue, but for us and several other acquaintances it ruled out visiting the Observation bar - or leaving it prematurely - during the last week of the cruise.

As one who travels for most of the year, for business and pleasure - including as travel writer - I have to say that this element of this latest Seabourn experience has been a most unpleasant and very unexpected part of my experience. I and my wife would love to return to Seabourn, but now must actively seek for other providers featuring genuinely quiet and elegant atmosphere throughout the vessel.

I am sorry to post this unfortunate experience. I do so in the hope that senior Seabourn executives may read it and find it useful, and to ask others to report their experiences (indeed I truly hope this was a one-off). And as one hypothesis - which may deserve investigation - if this is not simply an isolated experience of boorish and off-putting behaviour, is it connected with last minute price reductions to bargain levels?

Sorry about the poor formatting on this post - tried to edit but my ICT skills can't manage it. Basically the italicised section should not be so.

Here’s a few notes about our 19 days on Quest, 1 May exDover-Copenhagen-St.Petersburg-Stockholm.

First, a reassuring experience in terms of the nature of thecrew. Following some recent posts wewere a little apprehensive about the possible dilution of the experience. Without exception they were outgoing, friendlyand efficient, and a major change of crew/turnover in Copenhagen did not alterthat perception. Many were new orrecent Seabourn recruits, but good mentoring by their longer-term corecolleagues encouraged them to develop the familiar SB characteristics.

CD Jim Cannon was highly visible, always enthusiastic andresponsive. He and other officers led andmotivated their teams throughout. AndF&B Manager generated a lovely Seabourn Moment for us – a corridorconversation about cheeses resulted in a surprise delivery of lovely Norwegianmorsels to our suite just ten minutes later.

The food throughout was excellent – better than on any ofour four previous SB cruises. TK Grillhas a new Maitre – Dushan from Croatia, he is a great communicator and runs thewhole restaurant with an easy efficiency. Old favourites remain on the menu, with some outstanding new dishes suchas a vibrantly fresh Jerusalem Artichoke with a tangy garlic lemonaccompaniment, and a soft, buttery sole filet expertly disassembled at thetable. There is no pressure to buyrevenue wines, and when ordering a cognac which was chargeable I was gentlyadvised that they could supply an equally satisfying alternative at nocost. The receptionist here (such alsoworks the MDR desk) is a warm and efficient person, who will try hard fit youin for additional reservations if she can.

MDR service is faultless, and the effective teamwork gives arelaxing and efficient experience. Severalof the Maitres/Assistants are real stars, particularly the giant SerbianDamir. For us fish cookery is a test of anyrestaurant – a few seconds can make the difference. We tried a fish option many nights, includingseveral types with strange names – all glisteningly perfect. Deserts included asoft, gently poached Isle Flottant, and the cheese selection was always at thecorrect temperature, often featuring some unusual Scandinavian examples. We commend the selection of breads, each witha character and texture to remember. A particularly memorable evening wasprovided by Executive Chef Jes Paskins’ six or seven course signature dish menu,ranging from gravadlax (with avocado and a bit of gentle chili pep, roastgarlic and lime mayonnaise) through a faultless roast garlic soup, throughTournedo Rossini (suitable foie-grased and truffled) to a chocolate surprise (asecret – go for it, it is ‘surprising’.) We even managed a fresh cheese plate too… TK dishes often appeared as inserts on the dinner menu - we tried several, with the vegetarian ones being light, fresh and as original as can be. A few words don't do them justice-just try.

The interior of the Colonnade was often busy owing to the low temperatureoutside on the rear terrace. However,it’s worth braving the initial chill as the heaters prove quite efficient. You also get Brownie Points from staff and fellow pax for bravery. The usual mix of theme evenings provided aninteresting Scottish event out on the bouncy North Sea, with the best haggis we’vehad in years. We doused this in ten year old Talisker whisky – just as itshould be served in Scotland. The teamof chefs on Colonnade are visible, outgoing and love feedback.

In our perception, the base wine list has improved inquality and quantity. There are a coupleof 94/95 pointers featured – Pinotage Golden Triangle 2012 (or 2013?) ruby colourwith wonderful warmth; and then Coyam 2013, which we think has a very fullfinish and complexity resulting from a blend of syrah, carmenere, merlot, cabernet sauvignon, mourvedreand Malbec! There’s several sauvignonblancs and chardonnays from Old and New World (see the list kindly posted onthe previous Quest thread). TheSommelier team is responsive and enthusiastic, and we found our previousfavourites/choices appearing automatically.

Entertainment isthe usual SB mix, this time with great classical pianists and an amazingClarinet based jazz group The Virtuosos. Sadly, John the talented Observation bar pianist and singer was drownedout several nights by a group of loud and boorish passengers who drank solidly and monopolised bar stools. Because this was somethingof a detracting feature from an otherwise great cruise I’m posting a separatethread on this theme.

A weaker area overall wasthe decidedly poor value of most SB excursions. As example, we took to the internet and in St Petersburg arranged ourselvesa three day package of individual guide, a/c limo, negotiated and flexible itineraryfrom USD 590pp a day – way below SB’s individual package, and almost as cheapas SB’s group excursions. Similarly, wetook a local excursion in Stavanger, almost identical to SB’s for around 40% ofthe costs. In several ports, especiallyTallinn, there was no signage or timetable for the Shuttle bus at either end. In Copenhagen, the Square had incorrectinformation about the bus and there was no sign for it at the port exit doors.SB staff there couldn’t tell us its departure point! We eventually saw it zoom out from a farawaydeparture point, running 10 minutes early! Luckily, CD Jim Cannon rectified our problemby rapidly calling us a complimentary taxi. But again, its alleged departure point in the city had no SB sign orinformation so we took a taxi as return.

Suite standard andservice remained good, but we found the ‘new’ soap to be goo-ey and lacking inscent. That said, our suite lady foundsome better choices – so remember to ask. A further point, which will no doubt please the bean counters – there’sno longer a SB pad and pen in the suite. Little things maybe, but cutting corners has its effect on perceptionsof ‘luxury’.

Hope this is useful– basically all was very good on the crew/staff side and with food, beverage,restaurants. But please take a glanceat my separate posting on loud loutish drunks…

Would anyone know who Captain, CD, Hotel Manager is on this departure?Grateful for any knowledge

Crwydryn

First time on Seabourn?

I have a $400 referral coupon for anyone setting sail on or before 1 May.:) ian.hume@mac.com

We are based in the UK and depart on our first SB voyage on the 18th March. Only just discovered this thread have we left it too late to participate in the voucher scheme??

Poolside Adventurer, we are UK based and can easily get the necessary details to Seabourn, Southampton by first class mail

This referral for the $400 mutual credit can be done immediately

- just let us know name, address, cruise and Seabourn reference numberAny query - ian.hume@mac.com

Thanks to you both for the info. Now I understand the date issue. I will come back after we book and make final payment and find a fellow cruiser with a coupon for our mutual benefit...

Hello there,

we'd be happy to help you toward the $400, especially if you are travelling on or before 1 May. This referral for the $400 mutual credit can be done immediately after your booking, without need to wait for final payment.

We hope you will decide to travel with our wonderful Seabourn - just let us know name, address, cruise and your booking number

ian.hume@mac.com

For a first time Seabourn cruiser - a US$400 onboard credit.

You need to have a cruise booked - and preferably paid in full - leaving on or before 1st May 2017.

We can then refer you to our wonderful Seabourn and both enjoy $400 each.

The procedure is very easy, we send off our coupon to Seabourn with your name, address cruise detail and booking number.

Seabourn then acknowledge to both parties, and the $400 will be credited to your onboard account once your final payment is made

If you want to take advantage of this, please email us at ian.hume@mac.com with the detail mentioned above - or with any query

Yes Handre is scheduled to be the initial CD on the Encore.

Just a snippet - :) Seabourn UK tell me he is to be CD on Route of the Vikings, leaving Dover on 20 August.

Hello,

just to mention that I still have 2 x ¢400 vouchers for cruising before 20 August

I think some prospective cruisers have had my email bounced back, thus I'll give a different one: ian.hume@icloud.com

Very happy to explain the procedure for first-timers

Ian:)

We have a $400 referral coupon for anyone who is sailing before mid-August and has paidup or is close to doing so.

It needs to be sent back to Seabourn in UK quite soon, so please bear that in mind.

If you would like it, please drop me an email: ian dot hume at mac dot com (replace dot with . and at with @).

Naturally you need to be a first-timer with our wonderful Seabourn to take up the credit.

Happy to help

:) Yippee, it was a ring from Seabourn. "they had booked me on the 5th Deck" :)

---------------------

We're on board Legend in the Aegean at the moment. The past ten days have been exceptional - it's just not possible to name any one of the crew above the others. Each one is a star and there's a very strong team spirit. thus all us passengers are happy, convivial and relaxed. You'll find the ship in pretty good condition (overall nothing out of place other than a few leaks - otherwise maintenance is fine). As you know, the team heads are super people, and for sure they have inspired all their colleagues

Miss Martita, you'll not be disappointed.... I'm sure you know this but I thought it would be worth a note of reassurance

Wishing you a great cruise

Ian

As a previous poster has made clear, no visa is required if you are simply calling in at a port as part of a cruise that originates and terminates outside Turkey.

This is part of the authoritative information from the Government of Turkey:

"Foreigners who are travelling to Turkey by cruises are allowed to enter Turkey without visa for a maximum period of 72 hours, with the permission given by the local security authorities."

Any doubts about this, please consult the Government of Turkey website:

http://www.mfa.gov.tr/frequently-asked-questions.en.mfa