avalon1025

Last year we had a wonderful cruise on Sojourn and a just ok cruise on Ovation. It was our first time on the larger ship and it just felt materially more crowded,  staff overwhelmed and honestly nothing special.  We had the some of the same crew from our earlier Sojourn cruise and they were so overworked on Ovation.  The Ovation was beautiful,  and perhaps it was the officers on board leading to a blah atmosphere, but we’d likely sail the smaller ships going forward 

On 1/5/2024 at 3:52 PM, Covepointcruiser said:

Sailed Ovation on the November transatlantic.    Everything was excellent, never felt crowded.    Service was great just like our April cruise.

We had friends on your sailing.  Our sailing was full,  the TA wasn’t.  Perhaps these ships can’t handle over 600 passengers?  We found many untrained staff and when discussed with the leaders of these areas,  they were dismissive. Seabourn seems to be in transition.

• Our June/July 23 sailing on the Sojourn felt like a Seabourn Cruise, good service, happy crew, we were made to feel special.   Our November 23 cruise on the Ovation felt crowded, staff were stretched and overall felt like a downgrade from the Sojourn.  I feel Seabourn was more consistent pre covid.

29 minutes ago, arzz said:

We are currently on the Sojourn and we are finding Seabourn much as we remember it. Folks know our name, even many we have hardly had contact with.  This is our first cruise since Covid and Seabourn to our eyes seems fairly intact.  We have not, however, tried ordering a hot dog without sitting at a table so I cannot respond to that one with anything other than “huh”?

 

Today at the patio as our table slowly crept into the sun we were immediately offered a shaded table and moved. What can I say?  Hope the Ovation staff is brought up to speed soon. 

Hardly anything to “huh” over or hard to comprehend.  I was not able to order any food at the pool grill unless I was sitting at a table,  there were no tables.  So no lunch at the pool that day.  In asking some of the crew we knew from Sojourn,  all they had to say about Ovation is that it wasn’t the same and they were all overworked.  Glad you are enjoying the Sojourn,  we did too.

We disembarked the Ovation in Lisbon last week with our last Seabourn cruise being on the Sojourn in June/July.  While the Ovation was a beautiful ship,  the service seemed off.  We also had the wrong key cards in our suite, simple requests were denied (our waiter from our last cruise was onboard and we asked if we could be his area and the hostess stated “we don’t do that”). We found new crew just aren’t being trained before being front of house with passengers.  The ship also felt overly crowded,  situations like wanting a hot dog and being told you have to sit at a table by the pool to order,  but there were no available tables by the pool.  No one had a solution for that one.  Overall we love Seabourn,  but this cruise was off.  No one remembered  our name,  drink etc even through we sat at the same table in the observation lounge each night with the same wait team.  Our cabin attendant never introduced herself and we ended up tracking her down three days later to say hello.  Very much the opposite of our experience on Sojourn 

1 hour ago, AtA said:

Actually it very much is luxury right now. 

Hmmmm,  It’s great you think that and I’m sure the onboard product is amazing.  It’s the details that impact a luxury vacation and if you are ok overlooking them,  great.  

I’d say wait a bit,  I’ve placed some clients on the new crystal and though on board product is still great,  there are still issues with this start up.  Missing reservations on board for restaurants and shore excursions.  No record of transfers.  Etc.  Bring all your paperwork and back up on board,  not what I’d call luxury right now 

I hope it works,  as a TA I have some feedback about their home office and the lack of confidence about anything going on there.  

Looks like a new Celebrity ship.  Is there no separate tub and shower in the standard cabins?

I used to sail SS and enjoyed the Whisper, Cloud, Wind and Shadow.   Our last cruise on the Spirit was so disappointing.    Food was awful, service with a NO, etc.   Returned to Seabourn last month and it was so much nicer, the staff seemed happy and everyone engaged with passengers.

We are back from a 12 night Med cruise on the Seabourn Sojourn.   I had not been on Seabourn since the Pride and Legend.   We had been sailing Crystal over the past decade (with one mediocre cruise on the Silver Spirit pre pandemic).  Overall we had a wonderful time.  Crew was great (some hiccups when there was a large crew turnover in Malta), loved the cabin, officers and crew were al so friendly.   The CD was great.   Food was very good, no issues with wine or cocktails.  Even enjoyed the new DJ.  Overall, looking forward to our next cruise on the Ovation.

Having sailed the last transpacific on the Westerdam and the prior month the Discovery Princess,  I’d still choose Westerdam.  Westerdam didn’t feel as crowded and felt like a ship vs a mall.  Covered pool area and forward facing crows nest are great on the Westerdam 

This may be ship specific,  but honestly there is nothing special about this cruise. It’s starting to feel like a nice ferry ride where you make your own fun.  The rolling stone lounge is fun,  but that’s likely the one thing to do on this ship and they play a few songs then break and finish by 10:45. I’ve overheard many thinking of cancelling their future longer voyages or asking questions about how other cruise lines are in comparison.  
 

I do not regret taking this voyage,  but I would think twice about sailing HAL over other lines. 

10 hours ago, Destiny0315 said:

I think the plan has been three fold. First keep loyal HAL cruisers, some who have been with them for decades and helped fund their survival. Next bring people back in who may have cruised one, two, or a few times in the past with them, and this is where a lot of those free room offers generated from, especially from pax who spent extra $ onboard when they did cruise with HAL. Finally bring in new cruisers without given some of them a good reason why other than low deposits and HIA promotions. Of those three areas they appear to have not done a lot in the first instance and that is being reflected in some threads on here. They have kept good files on past customers though because a number of people who were getting those free or discounted cruise offers have said on here that they haven't cruised with them in the last 10-15 years+ and rarely or never played in the casinos. The competition for new customers is stronger than ever amongst the lines and the longer itineraries angle is good but at the same time you shrink the audience because the average new customer can't come up with the time and $ for such adventures. Who knows at this point where this strategy leads to.

Being on board Westerdam I could not see how anyone under 60 would consider this line.  Friends currently on Celebrity Solstice are sending photos of cool entertainment and great dining.  I don’t dislike this ship or cruise,  but would never see how this line would attract a younger clientele.  Come to the sad gallery bar around 10:30 to see all that’s hopping on this ship.

I’m sitting in the ocean bar,  it’s 6:30, listening to Muzak and watching a couple play cards.  Whoopie!!!

2 hours ago, Expo67 said:

You are absolutely correct as it is throughout the entire Carnival Fleet. It is the Carnivore fear we all felt would eventually happen when they gobbled up all these other lines and placed them under their umbrella. They promised not to alter the different lines but of course we know promises are not meant to be broken but usually are. I know that these same cruise itineraries never experienced these shortages in the past as we have done 4 S. Pacific cruises in the past decade on HAL. I know that Covid has caused supply issues but with the knowledge of these ships and their past inventory needs that excuse is wearing thin. Supply issues are beginning to surface throughout the entire cruise platform from crew staffing cuts, entertainment deletions, food & beverage shortages, etc. Add into that the increasing changes to exotic itineraries with deletions to expected ports of call after final payment has been made and the fish start to stink a little more. I would love to give Carnival the benefit of doubt but somehow as time passes and I continue to read of more and more of these instances I sadly am losing the ability to pull the wool hat over my eyes and ignore what the facts truly are. It is one thing to add more ala carte priced items, add additional charges for additional appetizers in specialty restaurants, or add tier levels of pricing to wifi and drink packages. It is not ok to continue to make excuses and place blame on items that as a supplier you should have recognition and control over. 

When will carnival corp purchased my cruise line blah blah go away,  it was 30’years ago that they purchased holland America 

Seas have started to calm ; ). Seriously,  not as bad as it could be, at least the spa pool reopened today (the closure wasn’t weather related but something that required a lot of the pool to be taken apart over the past few days)

 Yay!  Something to do!

Food is fine,  entertainment continues to be laughable.  Thankful for a drink package and the gallery bar,  at least there, passengers can make their own fun!  I can’t imagine how boring the 7 day Alaska cruises will be if all remains the same. 
 

Crew as always is lovely.

Spa pool is closing for the next three days.  Rough seas

I call BS on staffing shortages,  I know crew waiting to get back on board and the delay is the cruise line trying to save money.  Try finding food on this ship (outside of room service) after 10pm.  Entertainment is laughingly bad.  My dinner last night took 20 min,  I could barely swallow before they were taking my plate away.   Cruise director?  Who?  No idea who she is other than today’s announcement for $2.99 deals in the photo gallery.  Nope  to HAL unit they get this fixed

The one aspect of this cruise that hasn’t changed is meeting nice interesting people.  Conversation,  cocktails and sleep Is the new HAL

Boarding yesterday was a subdued event.  I was even shown the crew gangway vs passenger which on the bright side meant I looked younger than my 53 years?  Ha!  First impressions:  Westerdam looks lovely and fresh and clean,  cabin steward is as usual, very nice. They asked if I wanted service once or twice a day.   Started meeting some nice fellow passengers in the Ocean Bar.  Ship was dead as we were in port.  Not sure if it’s my gut,  but the management on the ship just seems lazy and could care less.  No fanfare for boarding a new cruise,  no letter in my cabin about all the internet changes (thankful for CC!), nothing.  The little band in the ocean bar felt like some nice high school kids playing for their parents.  We will all make the best and make new friends and cocktail our way across the pacific.  Food in the dining room was fine last night : )

3 minutes ago, avalon1025 said:

Thank you!

1 hour ago, BetsyS. said:

avalon1025 - Bon Voyage! 🥂😊

Thank you!

13 hours ago, Hlitner said:

Today is a sea day with sunny skies and cool temps in the mid to upper 50s.  The Captain announced that he had cancelled the April 26 port day in Kushiro due to forecasted high winds and rough seas.  Since they can night find a substitute port we will spend overnight April 24-25 in Yokohama.  This means that those boarding tomorrow will get no Japanese ports. 

 

I am interested to see how HAL handles those with HIA packages.  We got $200 pp in shore excursion credit and used it to book a $220 excursion in Kushiro.  So now, we will have that credit with no decent option to spend it (most decent tours in our few AK stops are already booked.  At this point we do not even have any access to AK tour info on the Navigator app.

 

I should mention that onboard supply issues have been changing.  This morning, Earl Gray tea was available for the first time in over 3 weeks.  Beer selection has been constantly waning as has the wine selection.  We are hoping to get resupplied in Yokohama, but only time will tell.

 

Hank

Thanks for the update,  waiting for you all to arrive the port of Yokohama.  It’s been wonderful here for the last five days,  weather,  food,  people.  Boarding today with little to no expectations for this cruise which is sad given I’ve sailed HAL since I was a small child. Interesting that they are cancelling a port three days from now due to the weather which seems to change here daily. 

The former Harmony!

Heard she’s not leaving,  any cancelled crossings?