.......idle jottings

[ho-hum]

I'm a tad alarmed now! How does one ascertain the likelihood of a 'large group' being onboard?

 

First time on SD approaching (7th March) and not relishing being a spare part to a swarming hoard.

 

Any helpful chap got the low down (or 'heads up', depending on which side of pond you hail from)

 

Cheers

 

Hi NN, see post 1591....still working on finding out about the 30 cabins.

As HH said it may not be a group.

[ho-hum]

......sorry to hear that HH. My poor mother took a tumble on her 85th birthday so Poppy's been busy back and forth looking after her. All mended now thankfully. Final packing today, flying tomorrow in my Emirates suite (getting as posh as HH). Emirates are sending TWO cars, one each! What on earth will the neighbours think? Arriving into Auckland on Monday. Yeah. House and animal sitter sorted. Once we arrive at the airport lounge I will reveal the surprise itinerary to the birthday boy. He hates flying and hates window seats so I've only booked him to fly half way around the world in a window seat. I'm sure he'll be fine! Oh, I've also arranged for us to meet up with two of our dearest friends on the big day itself. We haven't seen them in years. I'm keeping that one a surprise until the day when we will simply 'bump' into them in a restaurant. I have him completely ruined!! Ha

Hope the hand heals soon. Take care P xxx

 

What a lady you are Poppy !

Your husband is a lucky man.

NZ eh...it will be great.

Have a fantastic time.

HHxx

[ho-hum]

Here in "the settlements" we have the Auto Club, where members for an annual fee

can avail themselves of the services of mechanics at home or on the road for minor

repairs. I am amazed that a similar Club does not exist in the "posh...est parts of the

UK"

 

You have never struck me as one particularly mechanically inclined, so I would

avoid any further attempts at home or auto repairs, should your well being be put in peril.

 

Hope your injured hand will be sufficiently healed to uncork the Tattinger Rose

pool side in a few days. Get well "old" (emphasis added) chap!

 

Yes CC we do have two roadside repair agencies and Ho Hum belongs, naturally to the RAC (Royal Automobile Association)...... Yes the "posh" one.

 

HH really thought he could change a tyre (you spell it tire, methinks) himself, as he has done for decades but this time.....HH failed.

The man from the RAC turned up in 10 minutes. He even drove HH home. Marvellous service ! HH in his deep gratitude, impetuously gave him a bottle of a rather fine wine. Yikes ! It was a good one too.

 

Your the only person HH knows who although offering sympathy ends up doing nothing for HH's ego.

Not mechanically minded !

"Old" chap emphasised !

 

Really CC ! But have no fear opening a champagne bottle is easy.

Remove foil (there is a lifted section present).

Undo wire.

Twist bottle holding cork.

Pressure will do the rest.....in external environments, a pop is fun.

 

Taittinger rose eh.....we really must treat you to the Laurent-Perrier rose, altogether superior.

 

Whilst we are throwing admonishments about to look after oneself...HH will reciprocate where you are concerned also. You gave us a fright a little while back. So please care for yourself kiddo (as we love hearing you call us).

 

Hell we are so looking forward to meeting up.

[ho-hum]

I seem to recall someone describing a time when Ho-Hum was incapacitated with another injury to his hand......extreme blisters from corkscrew overuse.

 

Not so Jimmy boy with these two devices.

Foil cutter & levered screw pull.

Eezy-peezy !

 

Now schucking oysters...that's another thing.....thats a tad more difficult and impossible at the moment.

But again with another two devices.

A wooden block that you can set up on a table edge and an oyster knife, well it helps tremendously.

[ho-hum]

Not so Jimmy boy with these two devices.

Foil cutter & levered screw pull.

Eezy-peezy !

 

Now schucking oysters...that's another thing.....thats a tad more difficult and impossible at the moment.

But again with another two devices.

A wooden block that you can set up on a table edge and an oyster knife, well it helps tremendously.

 

..and for the oysters we have

[Jim Avery]

Should I ever be onboard SeaDream and we strike an iceberg, I should hope you also are aboard. You, Sir, are prepared for anything....

[abenaki]

Seadream 1 and 2, together today in Cruz Bay

 

http://www.caribbean-on-line.com/caribbean-web-cams/cruz-bay-st-john-webcam.shtml

[fpebbles]

Abenaki--

 

new desktop pic!

[ho-hum]

Seadream 1 and 2, together today in Cruz Bay

 

http://www.caribbean-on-line.com/caribbean-web-cams/cruz-bay-st-john-webcam.shtml

 

Born romantic.........thanks for posting A.

[ho-hum]

Abenaki--

 

new desktop pic!

 

Yes agree........great taste fpebbles.

[commodoredave]

Of course you will all have a great time BUT a new waiter on SD has reported about the chaos on SB !

He could'nt bear it any longer: dont know if it was your specific ship.

The cabins seem vastly superior at least.

 

Have also been told that when it finally transfers to WINDSTAR, the crew of 180 will be culled to 120 !

 

If the service is bad now...what will it be like then ?

 

So Dave at least you are travelling whilst it's still Seabourn.

 

But yes, please let us have your views.

 

The price difference is brilliant but it is reflecting a declining standard before handover to Windstar. Think of it as a bargain but " pack your own lunches" !!

 

Lady Gail and I just returned from a week aboard the Seabourn Spirit cruising from Barabdos to Sint Maarten. As requested by HH, here is my report:

 

Ship: Showing some wear and tear in a few areas, but for its age and considering it’s been sold, the Spirit was in reasonably good shape and was well maintained. Most importantly, all the key things such as A/C, toilets, water, engines, tenders, etc. worked the entire cruise, which can be a concern on older ships. I won’t go into the strange location of the pool (hidden behind the smoke stack) and its small size other than to stay it was not used often (most people preferred to use the hot tubs as they were closer). The sunning area near the hot tubs was very popular, especially given the good weather (wish there was more shade). A good choice of indoor space that was well laid out. While larger than SD, we still love the small size of the Spirit and its sisters. Rating 4 out of 5 for ship.

 

Crew: This was a happy group and one of the best we’ve had afloat. I spoke with several crew members who said they were just doing a rotation on the Spirit and had other ships to return to in future, so this was likely a contributing factor to their happiness. No request was too much for this crew, and we made several, all met with a smile. Full marks to the Captain for maintaining such good morale and high standards. We rated them 5 out of 5 (“excellent.”)

 

Food: The chefs did a fantastic job and consistently produced excellent food in the main dining room where we ate 5 out of 7 nights. There was also a lot of good choice on the menu in the dining room, and the Maitre ‘d gladly did some special orders for us. We ate one night at the Sky Bar Grill, which is the al fresco dining area set up next to outdoor bar that offers barbecued steak and fish under the stars. We dined at the grill on the only night the ship stayed late in port, so we had ideal conditions for outdoor dining. The steak and shrimp was great. Our only disappointment was the last night at Restaurant 2, where the food theme was “Steak House.” All 4 in our party ordered the Cowboy Steak (16-oz in-bone Sirloin Steak), which was tough and rubbery – we sent it back. The side dishes were strange for a steak house – no baked potato (only mash or roasted), and a side of vegetable ratatouille. Our overall rating for food on the Spirit was 4.5 out of 5.

 

Itinerary: We loved Bequia, Dominca, Antigua, Anguilla, and the BVI. Deshaies, Guadeloupe was a major disappointment. We were a party of 4, so arranged our own taxi excursions ashore where needed. Caviar in the Surf at Prickly Pear Island (BVI) was nearly as good as SeaDream’s. Weather the whole week was marvellous, and made the ports of call even better. 4.5 out 5 for itinerary.

 

Overall: We’ve taken 4 Seabourn cruises, and while all were very good, this was our favourite. We will miss the triplets, which in my view, were the only serious competition to SeaDream in the luxury small ship market. I’m glad we took this final opportunity to say “farewell” to these wonderful ships, and that we will have such a warm and wonderful memory of them. Overall cruise rating of 5 of 5 – Excellent.

[Jim Avery]

Thanks for the review Dave. It is exactly how our time on Seabourn Spirit would be rated. Loved the Triplets. Welcome back to your snow shovel.:eek::D

[ho-hum]

Here in "the settlements" we have the Auto Club, where members for an annual fee

can avail themselves of the services of mechanics at home or on the road for minor

repairs. I am amazed that a similar Club does not exist in the "posh...est parts of the

UK"

 

You have never struck me as one particularly mechanically inclined, so I would

avoid any further attempts at home or auto repairs, should your well being be put in peril.

 

Hope your injured hand will be sufficiently healed to uncork the Tattinger Rose

pool side in a few days. Get well "old" (emphasis added) chap!

 

 

"Not particularly mechanically inclined on the road or at home"

 

Ho hum did'nt spend his formative years as a dancer in the third row of "Seven Brothers for Seven Brides" in amateur dramatics touring the province of Ottawa during the early 70's playing to rough tree fellers in far flung settlements, darling !

 

Really sir.

HH personally converted and completely re-furbished 4 properties whilst struggling to build up an architectural practice as a young virile man.

HH can lay bricks, plaster, undertake carpentry, stone wallling, roofing, gardening, operate a mechanical digger.

You name it, he's done it !

 

As a young man he was sportive, played for his school in football, rugby and boxing !

 

In later years he was a proponent of yoga and later tai-chi !

 

Has Ho Hum lost his red blooded manhood and now appears as a candyass, mummy's boy, dilettante and fop ?

 

The truth sir.

 

And why oh why would one want to spend one single second with such a person ?

 

Aha blondie is the reason.

 

Ho hum (crushed and forlorn)

 

PS you can be so very cruel CC.......hope your cold is a heavy one !

[ho-hum]

Lady Gail and I just returned from a week aboard the Seabourn Spirit cruising from Barabdos to Sint Maarten. As requested by HH, here is my report:

 

Ship: Showing some wear and tear in a few areas, but for its age and considering it’s been sold, the Spirit was in reasonably good shape and was well maintained. Most importantly, all the key things such as A/C, toilets, water, engines, tenders, etc. worked the entire cruise, which can be a concern on older ships. I won’t go into the strange location of the pool (hidden behind the smoke stack) and its small size other than to stay it was not used often (most people preferred to use the hot tubs as they were closer). The sunning area near the hot tubs was very popular, especially given the good weather (wish there was more shade). A good choice of indoor space that was well laid out. While larger than SD, we still love the small size of the Spirit and its sisters. Rating 4 out of 5 for ship.

 

Crew: This was a happy group and one of the best we’ve had afloat. I spoke with several crew members who said they were just doing a rotation on the Spirit and had other ships to return to in future, so this was likely a contributing factor to their happiness. No request was too much for this crew, and we made several, all met with a smile. Full marks to the Captain for maintaining such good morale and high standards. We rated them 5 out of 5 (“excellent.”)

 

Food: The chefs did a fantastic job and consistently produced excellent food in the main dining room where we ate 5 out of 7 nights. There was also a lot of good choice on the menu in the dining room, and the Maitre ‘d gladly did some special orders for us. We ate one night at the Sky Bar Grill, which is the al fresco dining area set up next to outdoor bar that offers barbecued steak and fish under the stars. We dined at the grill on the only night the ship stayed late in port, so we had ideal conditions for outdoor dining. The steak and shrimp was great. Our only disappointment was the last night at Restaurant 2, where the food theme was “Steak House.” All 4 in our party ordered the Cowboy Steak (16-oz in-bone Sirloin Steak), which was tough and rubbery – we sent it back. The side dishes were strange for a steak house – no baked potato (only mash or roasted), and a side of vegetable ratatouille. Our overall rating for food on the Spirit was 4.5 out of 5.

 

Itinerary: We loved Bequia, Dominca, Antigua, Anguilla, and the BVI. Deshaies, Guadeloupe was a major disappointment. We were a party of 4, so arranged our own taxi excursions ashore where needed. Caviar in the Surf at Prickly Pear Island (BVI) was nearly as good as SeaDream’s. Weather the whole week was marvellous, and made the ports of call even better. 4.5 out 5 for itinerary.

 

Overall: We’ve taken 4 Seabourn cruises, and while all were very good, this was our favourite. We will miss the triplets, which in my view, were the only serious competition to SeaDream in the luxury small ship market. I’m glad we took this final opportunity to say “farewell” to these wonderful ships, and that we will have such a warm and wonderful memory of them. Overall cruise rating of 5 of 5 – Excellent.

 

A great detailed review.

So pleased you had a great time and with friends.

High praise indeed.

End of an era.

And what value t'boot !

Thanks once again.

[ho-hum]

Supplementary question Dave, Jim, anybody ?

 

So the three ships were popular, so why were they sold ?

[Jim Avery]

Supplementary question Dave, Jim, anybody ?

 

So the three ships were popular, so why were they sold ?

 

Carnival. Same reason the QE2 was sold. Older ships, dump them and replace with newer, bigger, more crowded. The airlines business model. Cram buttocks in the seats.:eek:

[commodoredave]

Supplementary question Dave, Jim, anybody ?

 

So the three ships were popular, so why were they sold ?

 

I agree with Jim: Carnival can squeeze more profit out of larger ships. In addition, I'm not sure that young people share our love of small, luxury ships. My concern is that ships this small operating on a luxury basis may soon become too costly to operate or too expensive to afford. So book those SD cruises while you can!

[ho-hum]

I agree with Jim: Carnival can squeeze more profit out of larger ships. In addition, I'm not sure that young people share our love of small, luxury ships. My concern is that ships this small operating on a luxury basis may soon become too costly to operate or too expensive to afford. So book those SD cruises while you can!

 

 

Ho Hum would have thought that with people better off (certainly than their parents) that the 50+ age group would want something more exclusive, small scale, better standard.

Cannot believe younger people would ever be attracted to Sea Dream in significant numbers as money would be "tight" for them.

 

No, Just don't get it !

 

And now with SB going and the rumour that the crew will be culled (no not beaten with base ball bats for their fur) to almost HALF, the quality will no doubt suffer.

Though actually surprised it isn't suffering already.

But Dave say it's not....and his word is good enough for HH.

 

So that leaves SD "sitting pretty" doesn't it ?

Surely SB'ers will transmigrate to SD in sufficient numbers to fill SD for good.

 

Unfortunately that will see SD prices rise.

 

My God, back to paying itineraries and vessels full-ish, oil price falling to less than half, crew already well paid so no need for significant wage increase.

Atle must be making a fortune !

Well good luck to him.

So please buy a few new engines, overhaul all mechanical components and smarten the vessels up (not a bit, a lot).

AND you will still have money to burn.

AND you will have an exclusive product that people will pay premium money for.

WIN, WIN.

[commander courageous]

I will have you know that I played the "lead" in the seventh "truck and bus" company

tour of "Little Mary Sunshine" in the late fifties, to rave reviews.

 

While perhaps a bit "light in the loafer", my dancing prowess never captured the same attention as my acting ... and singing, as you are well aware. You might also be interested to know that as a very young child, I performed in various military hospitals for returning war veterans, who on hearing my rendition of "Over There", wished they were back on the front lines.

 

Regrettably, I was never exposed to more mechanical requirements of life, as we

had ample staff for those purposes. Anyway, just wanted to update my CV, and I will

now go back to the steam shower and see if I can shake this wicked cold.

 

See Ya Kiddo, and love to Blondie.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Jim Avery]

Ho Hum would have thought that with people better off (certainly than their parents) that the 50+ age group would want something more exclusive, small scale, better standard.

Cannot believe younger people would ever be attracted to Sea Dream in significant numbers as money would be "tight" for them.

 

No, Just don't get it !

 

And now with SB going and the rumour that the crew will be culled (no not beaten with base ball bats for their fur) to almost HALF, the quality will no doubt suffer.

Though actually surprised it isn't suffering already.

But Dave say it's not....and his word is good enough for HH.

 

So that leaves SD "sitting pretty" doesn't it ?

Surely SB'ers will transmigrate to SD in sufficient numbers to fill SD for good.

 

Unfortunately that will see SD prices rise.

 

My God, back to paying itineraries and vessels full-ish, oil price falling to less than half, crew already well paid so no need for significant wage increase.

Atle must be making a fortune !

Well good luck to him.

So please buy a few new engines, overhaul all mechanical components and smarten the vessels up (not a bit, a lot).

AND you will still have money to burn.

AND you will have an exclusive product that people will pay premium money for.

WIN, WIN.

 

As far as the cruise industry is concerned, if you are near 60 or above, you are "in the bag". They know you cruise and will probably manage to dodder along for another decade or so on whatever ships are around. The big interest for them is what do people now around 30 want? That is who the new ships will be built for. Expect them to be bigger with more bodies per ton of ship. More "content" to keep short attention spans occupied. More electronic stuff for those not interested in conversation with strangers. Sorry, but there it is.

[ho-hum]

I will have you know that I played the "lead" in the seventh "truck and bus" company

tour of "Little Mary Sunshine" in the late fifties, to rave reviews.

 

While perhaps a bit "light in the loafer", my dancing prowess never captured the same attention as my acting ... and singing, as you are well aware. You might also be interested to know that as a very young child, I performed in various military hospitals for returning war veterans, who on hearing my rendition of "Over There", wished they were back on the front lines.

 

Regrettably, I was never exposed to more mechanical requirements of life, as we

had ample staff for those purposes. Anyway, just wanted to update my CV, and I will

now go back to the steam shower and see if I can shake this wicked cold.

 

See Ya Kiddo, and love to Blondie.

 

So now Commander you seem to be claiming to have single-handedly shortened the war !

By veterans urgently wishing to return to the front and get away from your un-tuneful singing.

 

Ho hum is surprised this was never recognised by your grateful countrymen with a "Pink Heart" medal or at least some land........desert area of Arizona would not have been missed.

 

Yes Ho Hum loves your crooning and since your youth, like a great fine wine, it is now at its best having dispelled the rough edges.

Indeed it is one of the main reason for accompanying you on a SD voyage and of course both for your wit, gentle humour and cultural discernment.

 

It is great to "bandy words" with you though it is opaquely, transparent that ho hum's "harsh banter" is simply a means to gain your attention.

Attention from a gentleman ho hum admires so much.

 

So now young man, wrap yourself up this very minute and keep warm until the horrible cold has abated and you are on e again restored to your most virile and handsome self.

Your adoring public will demand another strong performance from you (singing that is).

[ho-hum]

As far as the cruise industry is concerned, if you are near 60 or above, you are "in the bag". They know you cruise and will probably manage to dodder along for another decade or so on whatever ships are around. The big interest for them is what do people now around 30 want? That is who the new ships will be built for. Expect them to be bigger with more bodies per ton of ship. More "content" to keep short attention spans occupied. More electronic stuff for those not interested in conversation with strangers. Sorry, but there it is.

 

If it works for rounders....sorry baseball fields....why not ships ?

 

Aha got you there Jimmy boy !

[ho-hum]

Keep receiving begging emails from friends to join them.......mmmmm sure looks good.

Well what if we did a 5:7 dayer.......Yes it seems to lack soul but its only a week.

Maybe we should look around...bet their Reservation Department isnt the shambles SD is.

 

 

Take a peek:

 

http://www.hl-************/ships/ms-europa-2/portrait/

[Jim Avery]

Eureka!!! Ho-Hum, the SD Transatlantic is going to feature a CANADIAN scientist to lecture you. I know you won't miss a single dissertation.

[ho-hum]

Eureka!!! Ho-Hum, the SD Transatlantic is going to feature a CANADIAN scientist to lecture you. I know you won't miss a single dissertation.

 

...and did you check with ho hum which SD he will be sailing ?

 

Or maybe there are two Canadian scientists each giving an identical seriesof lectures on each ship