BasandSyb

Mauzac we haven’t experienced Ian and his partner, but he sounds wonderful. Have often wondered if you were able to ascertain who was CD, particularly on the smaller ships if there would be a particular “following”. It would certainly tip our decision to jump in if we knew our favourites were on board. It can make such a different to the ship culture and vibe. Loving your posts Shark b8. The Barron Falls are certainly magnificent. They are linked to a hydro system so the water releases are timed for the train etc. However, you were lucky enough to see them with a bit more water given the recent rains. This in no way is anything near their original power. Occasionally in flooding situations it comes close (but not fully). They were magnificent. Sky rail is a great experience.

The Arctic P is generally based there. Owned by Gretel Packer it was formerly an icebreaker before being turned into a luxury yacht. You can usually glimpse the indoor swimming pool and fabulous toys in the hold if the crew are there working… a different life, but available but available for charter $$. Last time we were in Papeete Spielberg‘s yacht was there with the Hanks family on board next to our ship the Paul Gauguin. Always something interesting to see in French Polynesia in addition to the beautiful islands, water and people. Very much enjoying your posts. Thanks for taking the time.

We did a Christmas/NY Aust/NZ 4 years ago and loved it. 16 days great vibe, all adults with Ross Roberts (did I say adults? 🙈). Classy, fun, relaxed. Would do it again in a heartbeat. We were surprised there were quite a few Americans on board escaping family demands/awkward get togethers and the timing suited their limited holiday allowance. All in the best of spirits. Thinking of lining up again this year. The Caribbean will definitely have the party vibe, I’m reading B2B with a return to Miami in the middle ? which may attract families for a shorter trip. We would find that something to avoid too. In 2014 we did the small Regent Navigator 12 day Caribbean after Quest BA to FTL. Perhaps it was going from the sublime to the ridiculous. It was overrun with loud multigenerational families - all having a good time eating and drinking everything in sight, but not our scene. Still can’t look at chicken wings. Hope it works out for you as Christmas away is a joy.

We are on the same cruise FJ. Hopefully it will be smooth sailing with no COVID issues. First trip post COVID - In November we did a Viking Ocean (our first) in Asia and they did daily testing with a lab on board assessing samples collected from each room by 9am. Nothing to report and very easy. Am having some issues pre cruise - just can’t thread the needle and get organised. The Viking was only 16 days, but this one requires some planning - I’m feeling it will happen when the last minute adrenaline kicks in. Usually I’m all done researched, booked and filed at this stage. I fear there may be quite a few Australians on board - hope we are tolerable travelling companions. Bags out week after next. Safe travels.

It was a general comment about landing likelihood. Not all advertised port itineraries carry the same likelihood of landing. It would help manage expectations.

I took it as spin on the only time centralisation really worked was during COVID which gave them the opportunity to downscale and strip workers etc across the board quickly and efficiently. Pre COVID the issues were being identified with treating every brand the same way from provisioning to customer service. Now it’s time to decentralise, sort out brand devaluing in preparation for sale but wrap it up in jargon to make it sound all new and strategic. Perhaps a bit too cynical?

For complete sales transparency and to minimise emotions on board when weather doesn’t cooperate - surely it’s time cruise companies had different coloured dots on their itinerary maps to indicate ports known to be more unlikely for landing eg Norfolk Is, Pitcairn, Falklands etc. they would have the stats. If passengers knew upfront 3 in 10 landings were made at Norfolk they could adjust their hopes. It would also indicate that some of the itineraries at various times of year are … optimistic? Thoroughly enjoying your postings sharkb8.

Spot on Fletcher. Sad, but true.

We’ve done quite a bit of travel here over the years but pre COVID. Spend a few days, and enjoy the restaurants, people and places around the island without the madhouse knock on from the cruise industry. Stay at Oia, 20-25 mins by taxi from the airport - visit Fira for an afternoon (preferably when there are fewer ships, it’s a complete tourist trap). Oia without the hoards is amazing. Within an hour of their departure the real locals come out from hiding and it’s a totally different place. You’ll find art galleries and little restaurants - order local food and enjoy the caldera sunsets. While flights are frequent I would never rely on them for a day trip. We have had many cancelled and delayed. Luggage being on the same plane is another topic…

Fletcher - look forward to your report on Aranui. Have looked at it previously and ended up deferring back to old faithful Paul Gauguin. We have been lucky enough to do the Marquesas many times but not the Australs. Hopefully the weather will be good for you.

Sorry to hear you are not enjoying and the ship is looking sad. Do you have any thoughts or opinion on the service issues? Training? Not enough staff? End of contract and tired? Christmas malaise away from home?

We miss the previous offering of Suma Ginseng MB before the own-scent products. Was fantastic to do a Marina day and shower at Koh Kood with Suma - very heady and exotic. we bought a few large bottles years ago and are still eeking them out - almost gone!

We have never enjoyed TK grill and thought it was a lot of pfaff over very pedestrian fare. We did have hopes that the contract may have run out post pandemic, but are disappointed that it seems not. The bar on the larger ships is lovely. Over the years the main dining room has gone from very good to just okay in our opinion. The change seem to occur at the same time. Restaurant2 was phased out - which we loved. Many of the MDR stunning dishes are no more, surrendered to the two week menu rotation, which we agree, becomes quite boring on longer cruises. The TK intrusion into the colonnade on certain nights also reduces options. Good to hear that the food on Odyssey is okay as we will be boarding in a few weeks for an extended trip. Totally agree that strangely, despite the fixed menus and rotation, the executive chef and talented staff can provide a point of difference. Otherwise there’s always our special orders. For the record, the best food we have ever had at sea has been on the Paul Gauguin on which we have done 9 cruises over 10 years pre- Ponant. tried Viking recently, and it didn’t seem to be suffering any supply issues having provisioned in Australia and Asia and provided lots of fresh, healthy meals and salads.

We did a 19 day land based tour several years ago and it was probably the best trip we’ve ever had. Therefore when we did Athens to Singapore we didn’t bother getting off the ship despite the “lovely” cement works at the Safaga port making the ship stay not the most pleasant decision. From memory those who did the excursion confirmed support vehicles that went with them with armed guards and that it was quite a gruelling and rushed experience. It was a full day, some 13 or 14 hours and I recall the post discussion was more around the trip itself rather than the sights. If you think it will be your only chance to get in and see Luxor, I’d go for it as it’s truly wondrous. Just prepare yourself for a long hot trip. Yes you’ll get hassled by hawkers, but they are all over the world. We were in Bali recently and many very desperate and persistent which is quite unusual. Take a few dollars and buy a scarf and leave some money behind. They have certainly had it rough in the last several years in the Egypt tourism sector. Hope you enjoy it.

My comments echo Clay C Have been twice for 4-5 days post and pre cruise 2 years apart. We were warned to take care security-wise and were grateful. Both fit in our 50s at that time (6 years ago) we did not take valuables and at all times were wary of our surroundings. We were followed once on the first trip and twice on the second. One a solo suited male, the other two a tag team operation of young and old. In both instances we made sure we were in a safe area near security when we turned and looked at them to acknowledge they had been spotted. At no time did we lead them back to our hotel. I’m not a fearmonger - just saying to keep your eye out. Our first trip was near Florida mall - very rough at that time. Next we stayed in the Recoleta area which was nicer but still had its issues. Highly recommend the cemetery - we spent hours there, Iguazu Falls trip (did 3 days) and the Ho-Ho bus for orientation. It’s an interesting place.

Glad to hear you’ve had positive experiences. I know ours aren’t in complete isolation. The last effort pre COVID was my husband’s dress shirt which looked like someone had scoured it with a Brillo pad. Not a happy chap as it was his favourite one. Will again test it out when onboard in a few months, but will have supplies with me. 🤞

Also depends on whether you are doing a hot or cold weather cruise and how many sea days you will have. Agree with SLSD you should be very discriminating with what you send to the laundry. We have had free laundry for years and seldom used it. We wear mostly linens and cotton clothing. Each cruise we “dip our toe” in and then regret it when basic items come back with pilling or marks that you would not think possible - even cotton business shirts have had their finish and texture damaged. Dark items end up with their colour leached. We tend to pack a lot of clothes and I use the ship’s self serve laundry as we take long cruises which have sea days. While there is soap on board in the laundry, I purchase fabric softener and dark clothes detergent at port prior to boarding - I know, I’m nuts but I don’t like having a favourite item damaged. It doesn’t take long and it’s a great place to meet lovely people and pick up on the gossip. If you are doing a Med cruise with a port each day try a bag of laundry - you can fit a lot in, but be discerning.

👍 without a view you could be anywhere.

TUCHIK re your accom question. My husband travels regularly to Sydney on business and said the Marriott is a short, flat block to Circular Quay. It’s surrounded by buildings rather than front on to the harbour. Trip advisor may update you on recent stay experiences. Our thoughts were the same about being annoyed with the changed itinerary and regretting it if we blithely went along with the flow. At those prices there are many other things we can do and enjoy more.

Yes, we had the same deal going in Australia and took advantage of it. It's always a shame when celebratory events roll around and planning is thwarted. Same for our group of travellers so we are also on the lookout for something to fill the gap. We generally only book directly with airlines/hotels etc it reduces the hassles with refunds and changes in not dealing with agents, third-party aggregators and insurance companies. COVID shutdowns only reinforced this for us. Phillipahain - I understand your frustration and hope that mess is resolved quickly.

Would be interested to see the final itinerary if you could post when received please. We ended up cancelling and booking for the return trip in March 2023 - more similar to the original itinerary, just no PNG or Solomons - back to the original Pacific Islands cruise without NZ. Of course in doing so we had to book prior to 31 July to take advantage of “deals”, so we haven’t been privy to where the final itinerary for Oct/Nov 2022 settled. A continuing disappointment in terms of visiting PNG and Solomons, but on the bright side the return trip is 1/2 the price. Possibly as it is being referred to as a repositioning, rather than “grand voyage” go figure. Based on this experience we fully expect further itinerary tinkering without reference/consultation/explanation. Happy cruising to those who decided to stick it out despite the changes.

Hi Glorygaf, we are at Surfers. I'll be online this afternoon if you want to drop me your email or phone I'll keep an eye out. You should be able to edit and delete it within 20 minutes of posting.

After review, Seabourn has advised we can obtain a full refund. We also put to them disembarking in Auckland (20 of 38 days) given it is a usual cruise turnaround point and NZ represented the larger part of the itinerary change. The answer was no and they would not consider re-pricing if we chose to disembark at that point. This is really disappointing as we were trying to make the best of something we booked more than 12 months ago and were so looking forward to sharing with friends. The result - 3 cancelled bookings of $200k+ for Diamond members. It does leave us feeling very let down. Martrini and Mauzac enjoy your cruise. We tried to convince ourselves of the same, that once on board etc. However, we were on from Papeete after which the changes kick in, and thought that we would just be disappointed and bored with the ports when we start to deviate and also paying what was over the odds for the trip just didn’t make sense in these circumstances. It’s sad. While it was to be our first post-COVID trip it was also a celebration squeezing in group travel while we are all able and for two significant birthdays. We similarly sympathise with Phillipahain. Now to haggle over accom and airfares…😪

Great pic Fletcher. We have put to sea (crane launched) from Cascade for fishing many times. It looks like a wonderfully calm day. I believe the pier has been upgraded. We were last there about 7 years ago. One of the lasting memories is locals being called on the radio to come to the docks to assist in off loading supply ships. We have seen cars perched on planks stretched across two long boats in heavy seas brought into KIngston together with local supplies. Real heart in the mouth stuff. Hopefully the new facilities have improved supply transfers (and the safety of locals). A great excursion would be deep sea fishing, if offered. Using multiple hooks and small boulders for weights, the haul is prolific. Very satisfying.

Mauzac - being the holiday researcher at this end I can appreciate the additional work this will bring - I’m sure you will enjoy the cruise given it is new territory to explore. Glorygaf - we are GC also. We thought the same about Norfolk Island. Seabourn included it twice in its last two full season itineraries down here. Haven’t heard what the success rate was for landing, although NI has improved some pier facilities in the last 5 years for the purpose. I’m sure it’s still Russian roulette. Haven’t heard back from Head Office as yet, but the acknowledgement was to allow 2 business days - will follow up on Monday. SLSD - friends through their TA (after lengthy calls) have been promised a refund, but had to leave behind significant $ held as pre-payment for a future cruise. Note, we deal with the Sydney office here. While accom and flights can be cancelled with some cost involved, in the meantime the cost of business class travel now exceeds the old 1st class price. Not sure if it’s the same case in the US. Therefore, the other “knock-on penalties” for cancelling and looking to make other travel arrangements start to mount - including for insurance changes. It never ceases to amaze how Seattle central continues to fail in its customer service - they just leave it to regional offices to deal with the fall out, rather than do it in a planned, coordinated and conciliatory way.