Laylam

Just throw all that crap overboard!!!!!

wripro, you have made me laugh out loud.

One word of caution about taxi drivers in BA. We took one from our hotel to the port and the taxi driver took us to the commercial port and was unsure where the cruise terminal was. We ultimately got to where we wanted to go, but with some difficulty & dispute for fees. Thus, make sure the driver knows where to go.

Great advice. The good thing about http://www.buenosairestaxis.com/city-tours/ for those of us with VERY limited Spanish, is that English is their first language.

Don't count on taxi drivers in Buenos Aires taking US dollars. Some will. Most don't. Best ask in advance. And, as the previous poster said, be sure to ask about exchange rate if they do take dollars.

I have organised our BA transfers with this company, and they have quoted in USD. http://www.buenosairestaxis.com/city-tours/

No I don't think so.

Thanks Mr L, hopefully he achieved what he was hoping for.

I see it's under new management. Viewing the pictures on line, I think they've updated the rooms....they look even nicer than when we were there.

Let me know if you decide on this one (just curiosity).

We stayed at Abode a couple of years a go and were very happy. I received this email earlier this year re the change in ownership....

Hello,

 

I'm Orlando , the new owner of Abode since the month of June, I'm french and I speak spanish and english.I'm following the B&B launched by David and Zoe 6 years ago.

It will be more or less in the same style of what David & Zoe did.

It would be a pleasure to receive you if you come back in Buenos Aires one day.

 

Here's the new email of Abode : abodeorlando@gmail.com

We'll be back in BA in Feb 15, and have chosen to stay at the Duque Hotel because of its reviews and its closeness to the Domestic Airport. We'll stay there one night either side of a 2 day trip to Iguazu Falls, before joining our cruise.

...............

Like you I find that talking to crew about what interests them is a good way to start a conversation.

On THAT topic (but slightly off topic), may I ask if Joel is back aboard the Legend?

The Fauna has stairs, correct? An elevator?

Reception is at street level and, as I remember it, there were rooms one flight below, some at street level and some one floor up. I would ask for one at street level or above & preferably one with a view. We thought the location was great, near lots of restaurants and very close to the Concepcion Funicular.

http://www.tripadvisor.com.au/Hotel_Review-g294306-d2170687-Reviews-Hotel_Fauna-Valparaiso_Valparaiso_Region.html

I should add we are in our 60's and I am "none too fit"!!

Marita B, I think those books are still used. We were on Sojourn last July and saw the books at the restaurants. The waiters would look and then call us by name on the next table visit. They use the pics taken at check-in and learned our names very quickly.

You have to marvel at how the crew put names to faces given the quality of those check-in pictures. I'd like to think I looked nothing like mine.

Two senior couples staying for 3 days post cruise. We cannot deal with more than one flight of stairs and we would prefer a moderate to budget priced hotel in a good location. We often stay at B&B's and that would be fine as well (assuming VERY limited stairs).

We stayed at the Fauna Hotel, Rooms range from about $90 - $140 USD p.n.

The cheapest room only has a view of the inner courtyard, is under the restaurant and very noisy. Ask for a room with a view and you will be delighted. It has a great restaurant, with views to die for. Lots of good reviews on TripAdvisor.

I have already done so earlier in this thread.

Oops!! :o

........

The cancellation penalty clauses are effectively unenforceable in both Oz and the UK and some other places.

 

:)

UKCruiseJeff, would you expand on this please?

Rightly or wrongly, we have relied on our Premium Credit Card's free travel insurance on our last two cruises (and crossed our fingers!!). As we are travelling to some more remote destinations next time I am thinking we may need something more comprehensive.

Are you serious???? You should bring what you want and not what others want you to!!!!

wripro, I couldn't agree more. Following our Amazon cruise next year we are travelling to Maccu Picchu and the Galapagos Islands. DH will definitely not be packing more than one sport coat to schlep around....if he packs one at all!!

....

Translation: Officially Im grasping at straws;)

Whilst bending over backwards to help - I like the mental picture that creates :)

I understood that it is one free bag for SILVER level...not one each week.The subsequent levels get one bag each 7 days. Yes? No?

Yes, that is correct, just one bag per cruise, but if your partner also elects laundry, you get one bag each.

If you have any preference for how your pants are pressed I would ask, otherwise they come back with a crease down the middle.

We dined twice in R2 on our recent Quest trip and the "tasting" concept made a pleasant change even though that style of slightly theatrical (pretentious?) dining isn't usually our thing. We also noted that while R2 was supposed to be "fully booked" it was half empty most nights.

I am not sure if the same applies on the bigger ships, but there were always empty tables in the "fully booked" R2 on our recent Legend cruise. We were told this is because they restrict themselves to preparing a certain number of meals (I think it was 30 - 40) and had nothing to do with tables available.

I love restaurant 2 the way it is, eclectic tapas style and different Theme restaurants get boring and are what the mass market ships offer.

I agree, and, as it books out quickly, others must also.

There are two best known in the UK for Seabourn and other luxury lines; one based in Reading and the other in Bournemouth! Hence the confusion.

 

IMO you can almost always get the best quote from Reading, but the Bournemouth one has more helpful charm in dealing with you. You pays your money and takes your choice. We have used both.

Thank you lincslady, that is very helpful.

I understand -- look for a company in Bournemouth.

:confused: Mmmmm, now I am confused. I thought I had worked out which TA you were all talking about, but they are in Reading.

I've come late to this thread. We are sailing Singapore to Athens next March on Sojourn. It's a 5 week cruise though I imagine it could be made up of 2-3 legs. It's hard to find the light from the heat in the thread but am I correct in assuming that the MDR will be open for lunch and dinner daily? It's only the 7 day cruises affected by this strange policy? As someone who talks to no-one, accept myself, before 1.00pm the MDR is important to me. Perhaps i should ask my TA to investigate.

We did this cruise on the Legend this year and the MDR was open for lunch and dinner daily. However, with the weather being so good, we ate outdoors at almost every meal.

A laundromat on each deck.

Please email me at phasmann @ cyberspace dot net dot au if you are a first time Seabourn cruiser, sailing before Feb 24, 2015 and we will both benefit with $400 onboard credit.

TAs are VERY relaxing. Often the ship is not full up, so there is more space and staff to go round. No or minimal ports, so no getting up early, no rushing back before sail away, no scrums at breakfast or lunchtime with returning tour parties.

 

You get into a regular pattern of life on board, at sea. You get to know your fellow passengers. There is a feeling of camaraderie between passengers and crew. It is very peaceful, no planes or vapour trails above. The sky at night is stunning. Someetimes you see whales, or whale spouts, or dolphins. Sunsets are stunning. As you approach land you notice sea birds again. There is a real sense of a voyage or journey, a sense of the vastness of the ocean.

 

There is LOTS of trivia for those who like it.

Flamin_June, Seabourn should have you on their pay-roll! You have convinced me we should give more thought to taking one. Thank you.

I advise not to stay near the bow of the ship on a TA Crossing! Book midship ~King Neptune can become very angry in the middle of the ocean ~not pleasant staying in a forward suite. I've been aboard many Atlantic Crossings, in fact the TAs are my favorite sailings.

Enjoy!

Martita B

Martita, I am very interested what it is about TAs that make them your favourite sailings. We have never done one. Sorry to be slightly 'off topic'.

All the itineraries have "names" i.e.: "Atlantic Coast Harbors"

They run year after year with very little change, possibly a stop or two.

So if you like a specific cruise you can request it for the future with no real obligation. The deposit is always refundable.

Thank you San Jose King, that is very helpful.