Joc123

Greetings Coolers!

 

Thanks Terry! Hope you get the chance to visit next year! :) Celebrate our 150th birthday!

 

Joc123...I couldn't find any info on the Hallelujah video location. Maybe something will pop up soon because that video has gone viral. :)

 

Have a great day all!

Thanks for trying, not surprised it has gone viral.

Thank you mysty. It is stunning. This may replace K D Lang's version as my favourite. Do you know where it is was filmed?

Well we are the ones that go against the trend - don't like sea days. We like port intensive itineraries probably because we like to visit ports and we don't play bridge, trivia or lie in the sun around the pool. Each to their own.

We have done 10 cruises with Seabourn but our last on Sojourn left us disappointed. We feel each cruise has been a little bit less exciting than the previous. We can not decide if it is us getting a little tired of the same thing or if things are changing. We have tried 2 river cruises with Uniworld and 2 with Windstar. We knew each experience would be different and had prepared for that and we have enjoyed them. We are now going to try Ponant, perhaps against our better judgment. They are doing the Kimberley (outback Western Australia) August 2017 and it is an area we have wanted to do. Friends who have sailed on Seabourn have also sailed on Ponant and they were not disappointed. Time will tell what we think of it but we are really looking for something else. Ponant have told us English will not be a problem and the expedition team will be locals. As I say, time will tell, but we will go with an open mind.

DO you think the drinks are high priced? I find them quite the common norm to even very reasonable when compared to hotels and resort charges Pub prices in UK and Wales were to me rather high... and I wont go into London at all as it realize its been made a Saudi and Kuwaiti territory and shopping zone

I don't think London will miss you

I can't believe this conversation has gone so far. You like something, I don't. My upbringing suggests I should leave this conversation now.

Not sure what the end of my post is - my be the extra glass of wine I had with dinner 🍷🍸🍹😉

Jeff, I can understand your emotional point of view about holding the games in Greece. What about the "home ground advantage" and the poor teams (Australia, not so worried about New Zealand😄) who have to travel out of their time zone. It is much better to share it between the hemispheres. We (Oz) are doing much better than our games in London but still not as well as we hoped in the pool. I love the fact that every 4 years I'm an authority on all sports! (Some I've never heard of 😄)

Jenidallas, Are you really suggesting that because I don't like to hold the arm of someone I don't know I haven't had a good up bringing? My parents (may they rest in peace) would be horrified! I note, on the smoking thread you say you give smokers a "death stare", something my upbringing would not tolerate.

Personally I don't care what anyone wears as long as they are clean. Before our first cruise I woke up at night worried about my clothes - would they be good enough? Turned out I didn't have to worry but I wonder if people should be made to feel this way. Let's face it, what I think is tasteful/ formal/classy may not be what the next person thinks. Each to his own. I do, however think that if there is a dress code set out, people should try to adhere to it, but you will always have people who think that it is for everyone else, not them!

I have just returned from a Uniworld river cruise and a lady regularly came to dinner nicely dressed but with wet hair. Maybe she couldn't find the hairdryer. At least she had clean hair. We still had enough food to eat and the conversation was still good.

They haven't made me unhappy. It's just that each cruise is not quite as good as the previous. I still think they are as good as you can get. Maybe we have had enough of cruising and are looking for something different but I will stick by my comment that they are cost cutting and they are hoping nobody notices. That is my opinion, it may not be yours.

I am constantly surprised on these boards by what people find to complain about.

I am not complaining, just making a comment. It seems that if there is something we don't like about Seabourn we are instantly classed as a whingers. That is not always true. I didn't like it the 1st time we sailed, after 10 cruises I still don't like it. I don't refuse the the offer because it is obviously their policy. I don't make a fuss nor do we complain onboard about the way they do things. However, we have decided to have a break from Seabourn because of their very obvious cost cutting - ready to flamed!

Sorry, but I really don't like it. I'm not a "touchy feely" person so prefer not to have to touch someone I don't know or have them touch me (that's why I never have a massage).

As for a chance to have a conversation - I can do without having to answer the generic question "How has your day been?". When an arm is offered, I always accept (it would be rude not too) but it makes me feel very awkward and embarrassed. I would much rather be shown to the table with my husband by my side.

Offering to carry my plate to the table is something I do decline or though at times it has almost ended up like a tug of war! Mind you, our last cruise on Sojourn, you were lucky to find a waiter to offer to carry your plate!

What will the dress code be?

We were on Sojourn in March - Hong Kong - Hong Kong. I would say over half the passengers developed a nasty cough (including DH). I do wish people would isolate themselves until the worst is over. We had 2 days in the cabin and really it was no hardship. DH was not feeling like the life of the party anyway.

Thank you for your video - she looks a lovely ship. I think we will love our trip on her.

Thank you for the review. We have taken the plunge and booked L'Austral August 2017 Darwin - Broome. It is a new itinerary for Ponant and from all accounts very heavily booked already.

So let me get this right - Seabourn is now promoting fried chicken, burgers and hot dogs as their gastronomical specialties. Sounds like take away food to me.

Thankyou for your review and lovely photos. We are thinking of sailing with Ponant but have hesitated due to some not so flattering reviews. Your photos of the ship are helping to change our minds.

OP is in Australia. We (also in Oz) have sailed with Windstar twice and both times it has been very hard to contact them. Their website is very difficult and they just don't answer emails. I even tried to call them (expensive and difficult due to time difference) and was told to send an email! Our TA had problems also - eventually everything was sorted and we loved our cruises, but from here it is hard to negotiate. Good luck.

If there are any Canadian Coolers who are or have loved ones who are affected by the fires my thoughts and prayers are with you. As an Aussie I am well aware of the damage and devastation caused by fire. I personally have been affected and my heart goes out to you.

My suggestion, "offer us the large bar of Hermes soap."

Martita B

LOL! I was flamed in another post for reporting the Hermes soap is getting smaller! I did say I was probably the only person that would notice or even care but honestly if it gets any smaller it will be nonexistent! I love that soap!

On our last cruise the ship was full but it was announced only 14 were sailing with Seabourn for the first time!

I really wanted to like TK menus but for me, it just didn't work. I actually liked the casual style of the Ad Hoc nights but the food was not what I liked. I never eat dessert and cheese courses but they are brought out anyway - what a waste.

In the MDR the only dish I liked was a pea pasta starter. I wish I had ordered it as a main also.

Instead of trying to replicate the dishes that are served on land, why don't they say the menus are inspired by TK. That way they would get the kudos from the name but menus would be more suited for life at sea - win / win

It was the couple who were asked to join the other couple that ended up with the dread. This couple had just sat themselves at a table set for four, alongside another couple sitting at a table set for four. After a polite nod of recognition and a "hello", the couple who had been seated longest asked, "would you like to join us?" and they didn't know how to decline. No Maitre'D or waiter was involved. I don't think there was anymore to it other than a table that became very overcrowded with wine glasses & platters of food, a long conversation about the weather where each lived and the awkwardness of each having to dish up their own meal.

 

Our observation has been that at tables where there are more than 2 people, food seems to go uneaten, perhaps because everyone is reluctant to be seen to dish themselves too much.

I wish people at our table were reluctant to serve themselves too much - by the time I was passed the salad all the good bits were gone! If it was a true family style ie with my family, I would have said "save some for me!" When you are with people you have not met before it becomes a little awkward.

Food at Afternoon Tea is now brought around on a tray. I prefer it this way but others didn't.