***Live from the Sojourn, 20-day Iberian and Celtic Sojourn***

[Seabourntraveller]

I haven't posted on this board for quite a long time, in fact since around October 2011 when I was shouted down for making not such great remarks about our September cruise on Odyssey in September 2011 which certainly did not come anywhere near our experience on Spirit in September 2010 in terms of food, wine, service & everything else. No matter, as ST evokes, we made our lemonade out of our lemons & enjoyed nonetheless. However, it does seem to me & maybe others who don't wish to make any posts with negative comments that might be shot down by the 'regulars' who enthuse on here daily, that honest criticisms by ordinary folk which are valid to themselves are dismissed. We all don't have either the good fortune or opportunity to travel as regular as some and therefore know the ropes; Cello 44 has every right to their opinion in the points made & I for one value that opinion - ST is no doubt completly au fait with everything Seabourn by virtue of the fact of being a regular/repeat customer & known to staff & guests alike; others do not have that priviledge but those guests have no less rights to make their feelings known.

 

Noted and Fair comments above, however the Herald is a great resource if you take the time to read it and a lot of the gripes of cello44 would have been avoided....I have now put pom poms on the floor.:eek:

[Seabourntraveller]

Hi ST, we are waving to you from our balcony, about 20 mile south of Malaga We flew back on Sunday. Glad the weather has warmed up for us both

DottieD.

 

Waiving back at you now as we sail out to open sea!;)

[Seabourntraveller]

Always good to eat at the Patio Grill on Rock the Boat nights. That way, you get to claim a premium place for the party.

 

Knowing this as well Roxburgh I got there for 7:30pm sharp and already half the place was full.:eek: The entire Patio Grill has filled up in less than 10 minutes time and there are several people waiting for tables by the Patio Bar....impatiently waiting I may add.

I am now enjoying some sangria with my meal people watching full on.:eek:

[Seabourntraveller]

ST

Enjoy your day in Cadiz ~a favorite ship's call of mine. If time permits stroll over to the center of town to the Plaza. Grrreat people watching ~and maybe a few food carts and fun, nice gift stalls. Last time I was there Miss A and I took a Taxi to the Plaza ~on a weekend, I recall. A band was playing, children dancing and we had homemade ice cream! I found a gorgeous silk red rose and a matching red Spanish fan ~wore it that very evening to the Club! (this was before the carpet/sofa seats were REfitted with the RED ROSE design~~thank goodness:eek: ~matchy, matchy)

 

And enjoy the Deck Party tonight! Invite Crew Purser Thomas to join you for a cocktail ~he is special!

Miss Martita B

 

Miss Martita I will be enjoying Cadiz as well tomorrow...maybe more churros? The Deck party should be a lot of fun with this great weather we are having this evening and low winds and smooth seas.;)

[Seabourntraveller]

Dinner Options Onboard Tonight;

 

 

The Restaurant

 

FIRST COURSE

 

Fennel Seared Salmon, shaved red onions , red radish, daikon salad and capers

Mousseline of Chicken Liver, Sauterne Jelly, grilled pears, toasted brioche

Seafood Tempura. roasted mango, sesame dipping sauce

Rustic Vegetable Broth, three cheese tortelini, tuscan croutons

Yello Bell Pepper Soup, crisp artichokes, chorizo, black olives

Young Spinach & Shaved Fennel Salad, herbed croutons, red wine vinaigrette

Haricots Verts, Cumin Toasted Almonds, roasted pepper strips, curry oil

 

MAIN COURSE

 

Seared Mahi Mahi with Polonaise Garnish, fingerling potatoes, thyme braised leeks

Crab Spring Rolls, papaya, coriander

Pink Grilled Lamb Loin, cauliflower-zucchini semolina, lamb jus

Veal Medallion, Citrus Pan Sauce, haricots vert, fingerling potatoes

 

Vegetarian- Mushroom & Eggplant Lasagna, garlic cloves, roasted tomatoes

 

 

Restaurant 2; REPEATED MENU FROM LAST NIGHT

 

 

The Colonnade- INDIAN MARKET

 

Join US This Evening for a Burst of Indian Flavours

 

 

Patio Grill- BBQ

 

APPETIZER (FROM THE BUFFET)

 

California Rolls

Crab and Avocado Cocktail

Marinated Grilled Vegetables

Smoked Halibut, Honey Mustard

 

 

PIZZA (FROM THE BUFFET)

 

Chicken BBQ

BBQ Sauce, Chicken, Corn, Peppers, Mozzarella

Cheddar Cheese, Onions and Garlic

 

PASTA

 

Lobster Mac and Cheese

Lobster, Elbow Pasta, Bechamel, Cheddar Cheese

 

FROM THE GRILL

 

BBQ Beef Short Ribs

BBQ Glazed Corn Fed Chicken Breast

BBQ Glazed Salmon

Tamarind Glazed Jumbo Shrimp

 

 

SIDINGS

 

Corn on the Cob, Grilled Vegetables, Roasted Potato

 

SAUCES

 

Peppercorn, BBQ

 

DESSERTS

 

Assorted Cheeses

Mango Tartelets

Opera Cake

Frsh Fruits

Ice Cream & Sorbet

[cello44]

ST and SOC1965, thank you both for your comments.

 

We just enjoyed the deck 8 BBQ dinner. Food was good, as ever; service was ok. I finally went up to the Observation Bar on Deck 10 to order a second round of drinks, as no one came round to offer.

 

ST, you may be right about expectations. We have a penthouse stateroom, and at the price point Seabourn IMO is competing with rather nice hotels. We have very high expectations. On Spirit, those expectations were met. Sojourn feels rather, well, cruisy.

 

Our stateroom is very nice, our stewardess wonderful. We are healthy and able to enjoy the trip. We are well aware that, in this world, we are better off than so very many.

 

Regards, Cello

[Seabourntraveller]

ST and SOC1965, thank you both for your comments.

 

We just enjoyed the deck 8 BBQ dinner. Food was good, as ever; service was ok. I finally went up to the Observation Bar on Deck 10 to order a second round of drinks, as no one came round to offer.

 

ST, you may be right about expectations. We have a penthouse stateroom, and at the price point Seabourn IMO is competing with rather nice hotels. We have very high expectations. On Spirit, those expectations were met. Sojourn feels rather, well, cruisy.

 

Our stateroom is very nice, our stewardess wonderful. We are healthy and able to enjoy the trip. We are well aware that, in this world, we are better off than so very many.

 

Regards, Cello

 

 

Cello44 I am glad you also enjoyed the BBQ dinner in the Patio Grill but just so you know, the service that you received tonight isn't typical. They got killed and attacked all at once and obviously caught off guard. Poor Matt the drink waiter and Claudio both were very overwhelmed tonight and almost couldn't keep up. Give the Patio Grill hopefully a second chance before you disembark as I have had some of the best service and food in that little spot than anywhere else on this ship.;)

Enjoy the rest of your evening onboard. BTW, the Observation Bar is such a beautiful room at night especially on a georgeous night like tonight.

[MARIANH]

people waiting for tables by the Patio Bar....impatiently waiting I may add.

I am now enjoying some sangria with my meal people watching full on.:eek:

 

And are those critters whose name we dare not mention watching you with their baleful eyes? Or is the Patio Grill critterless tonight?

 

If you fancy some churros for afters they may be able to rustle some up. I had them in the Colonnade last week on the Quest.

[Seabourntraveller]

And are those critters whose name we dare not mention watching you with their baleful eyes? Or is the Patio Grill critterless tonight?

 

If you fancy some churros for afters they may be able to rustle some up. I had them in the Colonnade last week on the Quest.

 

I am happy to report that the Patio Grill tonight was "critterless";)

Oh don't give me any ideas to place a special order with the Pastry Chef to whip up a batch.:D They are so addictive with coffee in the mornings.

[purpleally]

I don't have such good news for you.:(

I ran into Robert the Bar Manager and he indeed did confirm that we do not have any Pinot Noir onboard on the Complimentary Wine List. The container is only coming in Hamburg the day you and I disembark!:eek:

You better pack some in bring them onboard and/or purchase some locally in some ports.

 

Thanks for checking. That's not in stone; we are quite willing to try other reds and whites and vodka and scotch and... Now, if the chocolate muffins were unavailable that would be a deal breaker!

[purpleally]

I am happy to report that the Patio Grill tonight was "critterless";)

Oh don't give me any ideas to place a special order with the Pastry Chef to whip up a batch.:D They are so addictive with coffee in the mornings.

 

churros and chocolate muffins? yum!

[Seabourntraveller]

Post Dinner Update;

 

Had a great meal again in the Patio Grill tonight although it was the busiest I have ever seen it....as I mentioned the place was packed with not one empty table by 7:40pm.

The weather tonight was perfect for dining outside.

 

I had the Chicken Pizza, some soup and the Glazed Chicken Breast. I also had some Sangria which they still had at the Patio Bar from the other night. I topped it all off with a slice of Opera Cake and coffee.

Rock the Boat performance outside was a wise choice to move it outside tonight as we had no winds at all.

It made for a very pleasant nice under the stars.

 

We are currently travelling at 14 knots per hour to arrive tomorrrow morning in Cadiz, Spain by 8:00am.

The sea conditions tonight are near perfect with the ocean looking like asheet of glass right now.

 

More to come later tonight onboard the Sojourn making our way towards Cadiz, Spain.;):eek:;)

[seabournaddict]

do you always just dine at the Patio Grill? Dont you ever dress up and have dinner in the Dining Room? What about on Formal nights?

[Seabourntraveller]

do you always just dine at the Patio Grill? Dont you ever dress up and have dinner in the Dining Room? What about on Formal nights?

 

I prefer the Patio Grill and on Formal Nights the Restaurant. The Food in the Restaurant is good don't get me wrong but I don't always want to eat in the Restaurant and spend 3 hours eating dinner. BTW, people do dress up to go to the Patio Grill.

[Seabourntraveller]

now, if the chocolate muffins were unavailable that would be a deal breaker!

 

agreed!:d

[Seabourntraveller]

Day 7: Cadiz, Spain 8:00am-6:00pm

 

Good morning from the Sleepy Seabourn Square at 6:15am!

 

Of course just Kevin and I here today as usual. It's still dark outside and the sunrise isn't expected until 7:30am. We currently are 20 nautical miles away from Cadiz, Spain and will be taking our pilot onboard in a few minutes time. The current temperature is already 19C or 66F. The forecasted high for today in Cadiz is 82F or 28C and under sunny skies.

Looks like another day to work on that tan before this cruise turns back into the "Polar Express".

 

We currently have some movement on the ship as we are headed straight into the winds which are currently at 32 m.p.h or 7 on the beaufort scale.

The Restaurant opens at 8:00am for breakfast and the Colonnade opens at 7:30am this morning.

 

 

More to come later this morning from the Sojourn about to arrive in Cadiz, Spain.;)

[Seabourntraveller]

Activities Onboard Today;

 

8:00am Arrival

8:30am Local Hospitality Desk Representative

10:30am Golf-Putting enthusiasts, The Retreat Deck 11

12:00 noon Colonnade opens for lunch until 2:00pm, Indonesian

12:30pm Restaurant opens for lunch until 1:30pm

12:30pm Patio Grill opens for lunch until 3:30pm, Oriental

2:00pm Unhosted Social Bridge Play, Card Room Deck 7

3:30pm Mahjong Get-Together, Card Room Deck 7

4:00pm Afternoon Tea Time & Piano Melodies, Observation Bar Deck 10

5:30pm Friends of Bill W. Meet, conference Room #1, Deck 5

5:30pm All Aboard

5:30pm Caviar Sail Away Social, Poolside, Sky Bar Deck 8 & 9

6:00pm Departure: Sojourn set sail for Portimao, Portugal

 

Evening Activities Onboard;

 

Tonight's Attire: Elegantly Casual

 

6:30pm Panoramic Piano Melodies with Nick Messina, Observation Bar

6:30pm Club Cocktails, The Club Deck 5

6:45pm Pre Dinner Seabourn Speaker Series: "Recap on Lisbon & Portimao", Grand Salon Deck 6

9:30pm Smooth Melodies with Nick, Observation Bar Deck 10

9:30pm Brian Chartrand on Guitar, The Club Deck 5

9:45pm SHOWTIME: Limelight, Grand Salon Deck 6

[Seabourntraveller]

Post Breakfast Update; Cadiz, Spain

 

Just came back from breakfast in the Colonnade and it was very quiet this morning. We have currently wind gusts of 40 m.p.h. and it was very windy outside trying to each breakfast...even the birds are having a hard time to fly!:eek:

 

Alongside with us today in Cadiz, is the Astor again from yesterday in Malaga and also RCCL's Vision of the Seas. The ship this morning is relatively very quiet as I don't know if most people went on tour or are still in bed.

 

Background on Cadiz, Spain:

 

Cadiz stands on a peninsula jutting out into a bay, and is almost entirely surrounded by water. Named Gadir by the Phoenicians, who founded their trading post in 1100 BC, it was later controlled by the Carthaginians, until it became a thriving Roman port. It sank into oblivion under the Visigoths, and Moors, but attained great splendor in the early 16th century as a lauching point for the journey to the newly discovered lands of America. Cadiz was later raided by Sir Francis Drake, in the struggle to gain control of trade with the New World, and managed to withstand a siege by Napoleon's army. In the early 19th century it became the bastion of Spain's anti-monarchist, liberal movement, as a result of which the country's first Constitution was declared here in 1812.

 

Cadiz can be divided into two parts-the new town on the "neck" of the strip of land and the old town at the "head". The new town looks like most coastal cities in Spain, with large through fares lines with palm trees and the best beaches can be found here in the new town but it is the old town where the character is. As you pass through the city's walls that encompass the old town, the road splinters off into narrow streets that lead into the centre. Old town Cadiz is a collection of plazas joined by a series of these narrrow streets and the "main square" is Plaza San Juan de Dios which is home to the ajuntamiento (council) building or the Plaza de la Cathedral.

[cello44]

ST, out of curiousity, are you a Seabourn employee or otherwise compensated by Seabourn? I hope you are not offended by the question, it is always difficult on any Board to determine whether one is independent of the subject discussed. I could not help but notice your consistently effusive reviews of all things Seabourn, as well as extensive reproduction of menus, itineraries, etc. Thank you, Cello

[Seabourntraveller]

ST, out of curiousity, are you a Seabourn employee or otherwise compensated by Seabourn? I hope you are not offended by the question, it is always difficult on any Board to determine whether one is independent of the subject discussed. I could not help but notice your consistently effusive reviews of all things Seabourn, as well as extensive reproduction of menus, itineraries, etc. Thank you, Cello

 

I wish I got compensated by Seabourn nor am I an employee.:rolleyes:

I am just a very thourough individual with a eye for details.:D

Hope you are enjoying the warmth today in Cadiz, Spain...albeit the high winds be careful not to burn when taking sun today.

[Seabourntraveller]

Post Lunch Update; Cadiz, Spain

 

Decided to have a very light lunch by the pool at the Patio Grill. Had some pizza and a noddle salad with a spicy peanut sauce which was delicious. For dessert crossed over to the Patio Bar and had some ice cream with a chocolate peanut butter cookie.

 

The weather here in Cadiz today is great. Currently under sunny skies and a high of 28C or 82F and quite windy with wind gusts of 30 m.p.h at times. Not a day to wear a hat!

 

Have been working most of the morning and now time for some R&R. Going up to the Retreat on Deck 11 to take in some sun again this afternoon and then later ashore for maybe some more churros with an espresso anyone?

 

More to come from the Sojourn in Cadiz, Spain until 6:00pm;)

[fairbourne]

Cello44 - If you read all of ST's posts I think you will find he can be just as quick to point out and report on something which is not consistently effusive on "all things Seabourn"!

 

ST has had a great following since his original posting "Live from Athens to Mumbai" and what an adventure that was, hence his now infamous ;) posts!

 

SOC1965

 

I am sorry you are feeling you are reluctant to post but please do - I think a genuine exchange of experiences and opinions is just what is needed for these threads. I know it gets a bit silly at times, with me probably being the biggest culprit, but I never knowingly offend anyone, nor do I believe does anyone else! Like you, with the DH still working to keep me in the style I've become accustomed ;), we only manage one big holiday a year due to time restraints, and have only sailed on SB once and that was last year, so I am NO expert when it comes to all thing Seabourn! So please don't think that we are all sailing all the time, far from it! But what I did do prior to our cruise was do lots of research on it and also found out once on board what's going on. ST is right, the Seabourn Herald tells you all you need to know daily and by reading posts on here from some of the SB "veterans" like Miss M, sorry Miss M but I know you won't mind me saying that as you always have useful advice, stories and suggestions and you can learn so much more. And what I didn't learnt on our first cruise, and have since, only makes me more excited for our next! Anyway, it's good to have some surprises left for when you get on board. So please do tell us your news, if only to make a change from me wittering on about those little bug eyed critters that ST loves so much and him wittering on to us about the chocolate muffins that he scoffs his face with every day - for "pre-breakfast"! LOL!

 

ST - sounds like you're having another great day .. wish we were under sunny skies here, pouring rain, but I just know the good weather is coming north with you, and if it doesn't, you'll be in trouble! :pLOL!

[Seabourntraveller]

Cello44 - If you read all of ST's posts I think you will find he can be just as quick to point out and report on something which is not consistently effusive on "all things Seabourn"!

 

ST has had a great following since his original posting "Live from Athens to Mumbai" and what an adventure that was, hence his now infamous ;) posts!

 

SOC1965

 

I am sorry you are feeling you are reluctant to post but please do - I think a genuine exchange of experiences and opinions is just what is needed for these threads. I know it gets a bit silly at times, with me probably being the biggest culprit, but I never knowingly offend anyone, nor do I believe does anyone else! Like you, with the DH still working to keep me in the style I've become accustomed ;), we only manage one big holiday a year due to time restraints, and have only sailed on SB once and that was last year, so I am NO expert when it comes to all thing Seabourn! So please don't think that we are all sailing all the time, far from it! But what I did do prior to our cruise was do lots of research on it and also found out once on board what's going on. ST is right, the Seabourn Herald tells you all you need to know daily and by reading posts on here from some of the SB "veterans" like Miss M, sorry Miss M but I know you won't mind me saying that as you always have useful advice, stories and suggestions and you can learn so much more. And what I didn't learnt on our first cruise, and have since, only makes me more excited for our next! Anyway, it's good to have some surprises left for when you get on board. So please do tell us your news, if only to make a change from me wittering on about those little bug eyed critters that ST loves so much and him wittering on to us about the chocolate muffins that he scoffs his face with every day - for "pre-breakfast"! LOL!

 

ST - sounds like you're having another great day .. wish we were under sunny skies here, pouring rain, but I just know the good weather is coming north with you, and if it doesn't, you'll be in trouble! :pLOL!

 

Speaking about the "Muffin Man" here onboard I told Kevin in Seabourn Square a couple of days ago that the chocolate muffins were getting dryer and dryer by the day and he would need a good dental plan before bitting into one. Hence I have moved on to the blueberry and/or oatmeal muffins (actually you can eat two of each of these since they are not chocolate).

 

All kidding aside, I am by no means a Seabourn Guru with less than 78 days currently on Seabourn. I find overall, the quality of the product to be excellent. I do feel they can improve in areas and when i do see soemthing not right I do make mention of it to Senior Managment onboard.

Now if I could only turn that "huge following" into a money maker for me each time I would get paid for a hit on here!;)

[Seabourntraveller]

Afternoon Update; Cadiz, Spain

 

Forget about tanning upstairs in the Retreat on Deck 11, it's a wind tunnel up there. In fact the deck hands removed all the cushions from all the furniture. So I decided to go to the AFT Deck pool on Deck 5 knowing full well it would be a lot quieter than the pool on area on Deck 8. In fact there is only 2 of us here at the moment but the wind gusts of 35-40 m.p.h. that are blowing cross deck makes it almost unbereable to lie out there today. We actually have white caps currently in the harbour here in Cadiz, that's how windy it is. I wouldn't be surprised if our sailaway time is delayed until the winds die down a bit or we will most certainly need a set of tugs to help us out of the harbour area.

 

The weather has been fantastic in terms of warmth today as we are currently sitting at 29C or 84F under complete sunny skies....couldn't ask for better. Tomorrow's forecast is looking much of the same minus the winds.

 

I wonder tonight if it will be even feasable to eat outside at the Patio Grill if these wind gusts persist after we set sail for open waters.

 

That being said might have to abandon my tanning now and go up to the Observation Bar and check out what kind sweet treats they might have upstairs....stay tunned!;)

[redheadednancy]

ST, out of curiousity, are you a Seabourn employee or otherwise compensated by Seabourn? I hope you are not offended by the question, it is always difficult on any Board to determine whether one is independent of the subject discussed. I could not help but notice your consistently effusive reviews of all things Seabourn, as well as extensive reproduction of menus, itineraries, etc. Thank you, Cello

Cello and ST: I still think Seabourn Traveller is a double agent!! I love the food on Seabourn and know it well but my favorite part of your posts are the travel within the various ports. I know many people do "destination ship" but if I was going to spend a lot of time on the ship, the transatlantics are for me. I have been on a similar itinerary as this on Seabourn, and when you write about the ports, it brings back such happy memories!