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.......idle jottings continued

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By CCHelp ,
in SeaDream Yacht Club

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ho-hum

ho-hum

Posted
Posted

OK then Jim, well here is Hum's review though Hum has edited some parts, out of a sense of fairness. Hum wants to be as encouraging as possible.

Hum has forwarded the fuller review to a few senior management persons onboard and shoreside which contain a few "hard truths": no, nothing serious just Hum being awfully self-important.

 

Hum raised a few concerns too with the review:

1. The Kitchen galley and restaurant service is in a transition after the loss of a few experienced waiters and runners. Why is that ? SD need to keep good guys.

2. The lack of a children policy for parents who are simply bad parents is really complex to deal with. They should not be allowed onboard but I do not want to deprive responsible crew, their time with precious family. I am assuming this is purely an Owner's decision, so it is useless to complain to shoreside management. It caused a real problem for the crew who handled it extremely professionally but one or two poor housekeepers really suffered.

3. Chartering SDII at next New Year really annoys me. Please never do it again (no matter how much you are paid).

4. I really dislike the swopping of Captains. I love a certain style on SDII. Swopping changes the atmosphere especially when combined with sporadic lack lustre Management.

 

 

 

GUEST VOYAGE REVIEW

SEA DREAM II: 15 December, 2016 - 7 January, 2017

 

1. Yacht Embarkation: 8

 

2. Stateroom Appointments : 9

 

3. Stateroom Stewardesses, Stewards & Laundry: 10* (1 star)

- Head of Housekeeping: Dana followed by Ivana. Great standards maintained by two very professional ladies

- Ivana is a wonderful host for dinner

- all the housekeepers are amazing

- love the character of Edhz, Jayson and Armeill, their confidence and interaction with them is great

- Smyla , our housekeeper was a darling, extremely professional and efficient

- Jeanesa deserves a medal: the treatment she received by some guests was awful yet she remained positive and seems well supported by her manager, senior management and crew. Jeanesa then "wowed" everyone at the "Fashion Show" thus demonstrating such resilience after the "family from hell". Very inspiring and a capable lady of great charm and so very kind but she needs to eat more !

 

4. Cuisine: (No score submitted: service in transition)

- kitchen appears to be in a transition. The basis remains sound and some dishes were exceptional with immaculate presentation but there were ocassional lapses.

 

5. Restaurant Services: (no score submitted: service in transition)

- restaurant service is also in transition due to loss of experienced waiters

- Tyrone has "big ship" experience and his service was fine: he's always folding napkins !

- Mario is a charming and courteous guy with wonderful "old world" manners which I like.....a lot. Super Mario.

- Eugene is friendly, likeable and seems happy in his position which transfers to his guests. Nice warm banter with guests and popular,

- with so many new guys and the loss of very experienced waiters, maitre d', Nichola, had an enormous role to undertake which saw him severely "stretched" yet he maintained an incredible professional presence but boy it must have been so hard. Don't know how he does it. Immense respect for him (as usual).

- the Filipino waiters always create a warm and happy atmosphere (Jerry, Louie, Fernando, Jesse, Chris plus others)

 

6. Bar Services, Sommelier, Wines & Spirits: 10

- great to see Jasper back: seems leaner and re-invigorated by short break away. Whenever I stay onboard, he takes good care of me.

- Christian is great to see back too. Very efficient, friendly, knowledgeable and bore responsibility of dealing with rude guests with politeness and firmness: many would have done less well.

- Severin is the "rock" and has a reputation as one of the kindest gentlemen onboard. He has a lot of great ideas: please listen to him.

- Frank, hardest working, friendly and professional. It's all been said before. Awesome.

- Gareth: efficient and presentable. Ladies love him ! On the third week more personality and confidence came through. More please.

- Jeanil. Not just a "pretty face" but serious and smart. He warms a room, has great style and flair and must be "out front" as soon as possible. "Fast Track" him is my recommendation. Needed in Restaurant Service. Hugely impressive.

- service professional at all times but I need "va-va-voom" !

 

7. Concierge / Reception, Shop & Purser: 10* (1 star)

- Frude: brilliant as always. World class. The SDII "feel" in a smile.

- Arla: amazing and fully deserving of her recognition as "Employee of the Month". My "employee of the year for SDII".

- Shop Manager: Katherine: wonderful. So supportive to Arla and Frud. Adds style.

- Night Manager: Lucy is lovely

- a great team who handled awful family with so much professionalism. These ladies are "bonkers great" !!

- Purser: Dan. Very affable who's reputation is enhanced by having a very elegant and beautiful lady onboard during the week! And my bill was correct.

 

8. Onboard Recreation (including Casino Manager, Musicians, Doctor & Security): 10* (1 star)

- Club Director: Matt. Amazing and only been in the job 5 minutes ! Extremely impressive. Has it all. Perfect face of company. Simply "blown away" !

- Activities Manager: Anna. Brilliant. She made no complaints having her contract extended. Highly professional, loved by crew and passengers. Top, top lady. The most amazing dinner host. It's crazy she rarely hosts. Indicates a lack of appreciation by senior management and or shoreside management for her or maybe it's because she has too many duties.

- Activities Manager: Richard. Great experience, confident and approachable.

- Casino Manager: Stella. Wonderful and great dinner host. Undertakes many duties besides (water sports, flowers). Always very interesting and most amusing. I love her.

- Musicians: Ray & Sammy. Great guitar playing. Also undertake many other duties. Give a great SDII feel. Ray should make a CD for guests of his pre-dinner guitar playing. He has "soul" and plays like it.

- Doctor: Princess. Amazing lady. Great reports from guests who have been treated by her. Highly professional (very glad to see quarantining of patients). Kind, considerate, polite, humorous, confident and capable. A wonderful dinner host too.

- Doctor: Mark. Kind person with lovely manners and would love to get to know.

- Security: Prim. Too talented and over qualified for SD and should return to the "big ships" at end of contract. Where was security for awful family disrupting Pool Deck and entering jacuzzi with kids ?

 

9. Shoreside Activities : 10

- all seemed to go mostly very well (as reported by other guests: I never went)

- it also seems that more and more guests are doing activities. Wonder why ? Is it because of Activities Manager Anna and her friendly approachability ?

 

10. Ports of Call: N/A

- all seemed OK (again as reported by other guests)

- St. Barts is "the jewel in the Caribbean crown"

- hate St. Thomas more and more: SD must consider later embarkation and "sail away" so flights from mainland US can facilitate not needing to stay on island the night before where it is hugely expensive and standard of service is far from acceptable at even basic standards

 

11. Spa Services: N/A

- Spa Manger: Piro. Bright, well presented and great dinner host. Fantastic energy, fun and sophisticated. A boon to SD

- Pla's offering of soup and desert was most welcome and it was delicious. An accomplished masseur and essential key-person of SDII.

- Joy is one of the kindest ladies onboard, wise beyond her years and essential for the "feel" of the ship. Her presence onboard radiates and I love the time with her.

- all ladies are very nice.

 

12. Overall Appearance of the Yacht: 9

- fine and slowly getting there due to Chief Officer and Chief Engineer's dynamism and their aim to improve throughout

- it's in the details (paint splashes everywhere, external furniture chipped, state of external doors and the "horror" of the entire passage way between landing and deck outside galleys, paint around windows)

- I am much more concerned by ship "feel", "vibe" than physical appearance

 

13. Overall Impression of your Voyage: 9.5

- great Captain (Steiner), Chief Officer (Mark), Chief Engineer (Torbjorn), Hotel Manager (name escapes me ?), Club Director (Matt) & Activities Manager (Anna) but the great "vibe" has yet to fully "trickle down"

- Hotel Manager, Christophe was out-standing on this voyage, absolutely out-standing ! His warmth, professionalism and style lead to a wonderful experience for all guests. World class. No one comes close. I would either pay more when he is onboard or less (a lot less) when he is not.

- maitre d', Nichola had an "up hill battle" with so many new guys onboard but he is the best "under study" to Christophe providing a highly sophisticated element to the ship and guest experience. Very sophisticated, charming. He has it all.

- Chief Officer: Mark has a real "snap" about him and a "drive" to improve, improve, improve. An amazing dinner host. The ultimate professional. Mark's wife was hugely impressive, with wonderful manners, awareness, kindness and is also immensely talented. Real honour meeting her.

- Chief Engineer: Torbjorn. The CE's are usually mysterious figures in the background whom we are introduced to only at Captains parade of senior management. Torbjorn is different. Hugely interesting, intelligent and always improving and looking after the ship. A fantastic dinner host too. His influence onboard has lead to many improvements for guests, not all of which are recognised.

 

As you can see, Hum mostly focussed on some of the individual crew that enriched the voyages. Some sections are repetitively commented upon and certain recommendations have been repeatedly ignored by shoreside management, so there seems little point in repeating them.

The standard of crew members always gives Hum immense pleasure and so this is an opportunity not to be missed in crediting them with the acknowledgement they so richly deserve.

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ho-hum

ho-hum

Posted
Posted
That's more like it sir. Appreciate it Bigly! Sounds like some of the crew we liked on our trip have left. Living at sea is a tough life even without the family from h*ll.

 

Jim, what on earth did you do or say on the voyage to those that left ?

 

What ? Blondie says that is cruel and unfair and wrong. She says it's more like the thought of Hum returning that caused the exodus !!!

 

Anyways Hum can't dwell on it.

Hum and The Contessa are in last minute rehearsals for an inauguration in the US.

Yes it's a bit last minute...it seems one or two acts "pulled out".

We are doing a Sonny & Cher number; "I got you babe"

Wish us the best of luck.

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Jim Avery

Jim Avery

Posted
Posted
Jim, what on earth did you do or say on the voyage to those that left ?

 

What ? Blondie says that is cruel and unfair and wrong. She says it's more like the thought of Hum returning that caused the exodus !!!

 

Anyways Hum can't dwell on it.

Hum and The Contessa are in last minute rehearsals for an inauguration in the US.

Yes it's a bit last minute...it seems one or two acts "pulled out".

We are doing a Sonny & Cher number; "I got you babe"

Wish us the best of luck.

 

As usual, Blondie is correct.. I merely mentioned we were chums with Ho-Hum and the exodus began. Every port a few more left....

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TrulyBlonde

TrulyBlonde

Posted
Posted
Jim, what on earth did you do or say on the voyage to those that left ?

 

What ? Blondie says that is cruel and unfair and wrong. She says it's more like the thought of Hum returning that caused the exodus !!!

 

Anyways Hum can't dwell on it.

Hum and The Contessa are in last minute rehearsals for an inauguration in the US.

Yes it's a bit last minute...it seems one or two acts "pulled out".

We are doing a Sonny & Cher number; "I got you babe"

Wish us the best of luck.

 

If our rehearsal goes well, we can always add "Killing me Softly" (Roberta Flack). See you in a few days Hum....

xoxo

Contessa

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Host Dan

Host Dan

Posted
Posted

Hey there idle jotters! I know that this is an "off topic thread", and you have to admit, for the most part, that I leave you all alone. That said, PLEASE do not post political, religious or any other sensitive topic on this thread. Thanks all! :)

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Ragnar Danneskjold

Ragnar Danneskjold

Posted
Posted

I.

THE PLAIN was grassy, wild and bare,

Wide, wild and open to the air,

Which had built up everywhere

An under-roof of doleful gray.

With an inner voice the river ran,

Adown it floated a dying swan,

And loudly did lament.

It was the middle of the day.

Ever the weary wind went on,

And took the reed-tops as it went.

 

II.

Some blue peaks in the distance rose,

And white against the cold-white sky

Shone out their crowning snows.

One willow over the river wept,

And shook the wave as the wind did sigh;

Above in the wind was the swallow,

Chasing itself at its own wild will,

And far thro’ the marish green and still

The tangled water-courses slept,

Shot over with purple, and green, and yellow.

 

III.

The wild swan’s death-hymn took the soul

Of that waste place with joy

Hidden in sorrow: at first to the ear

The warble was low, and full and clear;

And floating about the under-sky,

Prevailing in weakness, the coronach stole

Sometimes afar, and sometimes anear;

But anon her awful jubilant voice,

With a music strange and manifold,

Flowed forth on a carol free and bold;

As when a mighty people rejoice

With shawms, and with cymbals, and harps of gold,

And the tumult of their acclaim is rolled

Thro’ the open gates of the city afar,

To the shepherd who watcheth the evening star.

And the creeping mosses and clambering weeds,

And the willow-branches hoar and dank,

And the wavy swell of the soughing reeds,

And the wave-worn horns of the echoing bank,

And the silvery marish-flowers that throng

The desolate creeks and pools among,

Were flooded over with eddying song.

 

-- Tennyson

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