toseaornottosea

Based on my experience in the Antarctic on the Venture we were all broken up into color coded groups and if you had plans, say a spa booking, that conflicted with the time your color group was scheduled to go out on a zodiac excursion there was no problem going out with another group.  All you had to do was make the request with the expedition desk to go with another group.  They were very accommodating.

Any suggestions for a sit-down restaurant within a short distance of the Incheon Port International Cruise Terminal?

I'm sure the concierge at your hotel can arrange a car for you.

53 minutes ago, JPH814 said:

My wife and I are considering the 11 day Antarctica cruise on one of the Expedition ships.  We have done several Seabourn Cruises as well as other lines. 
 

We are used to having to pay for excursions - either booking through the ship or booking private tours.  On this cruise I imagine there are not many if any private tours.  My question is:  Are the excursions offered by Seabourn included in the price of the cruise? Or Do you pay for the excursions you want to book?  Or is it a combination of both?  

 

We are familiar with River Cruises.  They will have one or more included excursions in each port but then some excursions you can book for an additional fee if you desire.  But each day there is at least one included excursion.  Is this the way the Expedition ships work?

As a general rule, weather and sea conditions allowing, you have 2 zodiac trips each day.  One a landing where you get out of the zodiac and walk around and the other a zodiac cruise.  Those are included at no extra cost.  Then there are kayak trios and submarine trips.  Both of them are extra cost. I don't recall the cost of the kayak trips but the sub trip cost $1,000.  Both of them also subject to weather and sea conditions as to go or no go.  Weather, wind and sea conditions determine everything on an Antarctic cruise so be prepared that schedules can and most likely will change.  Just go with the flow.

14 hours ago, Suzanne123 said:

 I am considering the Fly the Drake cruise with Lindblad.  They have 2 hour flights over the Drake Passage, then board the vessel in Antarctica for 5 or 6 days, and fly back.  If the winds are bad at the Drake Passage, would that not make flying even worse than the ship for turbulence? 

Either way you could have delays.  On our cruise we left Ushuaia 4 hours early to dodge a storm and returned a day early for the same reason.  2 other ships in Ushuaia were delayed leaving 2 days due to weather.  So pick your poison.  We had 10 - 12 meter seas going and coming and it wasn't too bad. We had met with an expedition guide on a Med cruise who was there to talk up the Venture before she was launched and were advised to get a specific motion sickness medication, Stugeron.  It worked great. Not available in the USA but you can get it thru an online Canadian pharmacy.  Takes a few weeks to get it so plan on that. We tried it at home before we left to make sure we had no ill side effects and had none.

Yes.  Go to Seabourn Square and ask them to apply your credit to the cost of your excursions.  Easy peasy. Have a great cruise. 

57 minutes ago, Catlover54 said:

Is there at least a *box* that one can step down unto when boarding the zodiac (like some lines have for zodiacs) , before then stopping unto the zodiac's floor, or is it straight from the ship exit down unto the floor of the zodiac (the latter requires more sense of balance and puts more pressure on sick knees, which is my concern)?

Can't say what the situation is on Pursuit but on Venture you step onto the zodiac then onto a box then onto the deck of the zodiac and with more than ample assistance from the crew.  Have to guess it's the very same set-up on Pursuit.

No special status for the meal on the return to EZE. We were surprised to be taken to a restaurant after return to EZE and learned it was due to the fact we booked our flights through Seabourn Flight Ease. 

If you book a private transfer my guess is that the company you book with should be able to provide guidance on this. 

On 12/26/2023 at 3:10 AM, DISNEY GIRL said:

Hello all - We dock at 7am and our flight home is not until 11pm at night, so we are looking at a tour (private or smallish) to give us a tour of Hong Kong, then take us to the airport - with our suitcases in the trunk.    any recommendations please?

I would suggest you check out Tours By Locals for Hong Kong https://www.toursbylocals.com/Hong-Kong-Tours and contact one (or more) of the guides who specializes in full day shore excursions in a private vehicle and tell them what you want.  I'm confidant they will customize their tour to meet your needs.  

9 hours ago, WanderingTravels said:

Are goggles necessary?

We found googles very useful when running in the zodiacs.  Had sunglasses too.

We were on a Venture Antarctica cruise in January’23. Shortly after boarding, I don’t recall the exact time but I think it was around 1:30pm, the captain made an announcement that we would be leaving Ushuaia early to get ahead of a storm.  We left at 3:00pm and lucky we did.  2 other ships were stuck in port for 2 days due to the storm.  So could be risky to go into town. 

4 hours ago, markham said:

no sun lounge hogs

 Not true on our Nova sailing this past August.  Often difficult to get a sun lounge with all the books and other paraphernalia strewn about on unused lounges with no one in sight for hours.

If you haven't been and you have the time (it's a bit outside of Copenhagen) you should go to the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art.  https://louisiana.dk/en/  It's  a magical place.

34 minutes ago, the simpsons said:

CC review mentions a 'diy laundry' as a pro.  Don't see anything on deck plans.  Is this a mistake?

google seabourn venture deck plan and open the pdf version.  Look at the key to the symbols and you will find "self service launderette."  It's on deck 5 just aft of suite 528.

9 hours ago, Belgian fry said:

Tipping is not appropriate in Japan. Please respect the culture

Thank you.  I will of course resect the culture.  I would guess the same is true in Korea.  Correct?

1 hour ago, drron29 said:

Disappointed that Miss Vicki has left Silversea. One our favourites.

Vicki was on the Nova this past August.  She was great.  Does anyone know where she went?

2 hours ago, scvgirl said:

 We did consider booking the Arctic Expedition while sailing on SS in Antarctica, but can we really top Antarctica (topic for those of you who have done both itineraries)?

Have not done the Arctic but I suspect not.

I know tipping in Japan is generally not expected but does that apply to a private tour guide?  Is a tip expected or would it be insulting to tip?

12 minutes ago, Vineyard View said:

Sounds just like how we always travelled. I am finding it more difficult to find private guides post Covid though. 

We have had good success both pre and post Covid with Tours By Locals.

My guess is that this topic has been covered before so please forgive the redundancy.  In what time zone is the 120 days counted from for booking purposes?  I seem to recall that it's in Monaco.  Has that changed?

Cruise line excursions, be they Seabourn and the "included excursions" on Silversea and Regent, are generally not for us. Although we have from time to time used the so-called "on your own" transfers into a city or town to meet a private guide.  We have taken a few very special "extra cost" excursions where we have been assured that the head count is low but we prefer to hire private guides.  

Itinerary indicates she’s not scheduled to depart until 23:00. 

Why not check out ToursByLocals since you've been happy with their guides.  We have always been happy with their guides.

Just now, toseaornottosea said:

It was Jetsmart Argentina.  

Just checked.  I was wrong.  It was an Airbus A320.