Live from Sojourn

[Isklaar]

We boarded ten days ago. This "Live from" will be a collection of thoughts and seemingly random comments about our experience on board. Most of the random comments will be related to points raised in other threads.

Individual posts will be relatively short due to horrid internet speed.

The crowd on board is a good mix of first timers and regulars. I didn't attend the Seabourn Club cocktail event so I don't have the breakdown of numbers. I know that there are several CC posters on board so would be interested if someone does have the figures. 

Food has been very good so far. We have two great chefs currently, Lindsay and Jes. Jes will be leaving soon, I guess in San Juan. New menus were introduced toward the end of the previous cruise. Will attach a copy of the Afternoon Tea menu from yesterday. Tea is now served to the table, no buffet style. There is plenty of seafood available at lunch and dinner. 

 

We have a great crew who are trying their best and working hard as usual, but in my opinion SB has reduced crew numbers too drastically and in some dining venues at certain times there are not enough of them to provide a top notch service. They really are trying their best though and at this point it certainly isnt spoiling our cruise. However if I were new to SB with experience on one of the other luxury lines I may well be disappointed. 
 

The new filtered water tastes kind of brackish or earthy to me. I really do not like it. I was expecting it to be very clean tasting, nfortunately it isn't. Also agree with previous posters that the bottle size available at the gangway to take ashore is unwieldy. We will bring our own smaller bottles next time.

 

If anyone has any questions I'm happy to try to answer them, although as I said internet for me is poor so I doubt I will be posting often. 

 

[Isklaar]

Ok no surprise my photos won't upload, will add them later ! 

 

[galeforce9]

10 minutes ago, Isklaar said:

We boarded ten days ago. This "Live from" will be a collection of thoughts and seemingly random comments about our experience on board. Most of the random comments will be related to points raised in other threads.

Individual posts will be relatively short due to horrid internet speed.

The crowd on board is a good mix of first timers and regulars. I didn't attend the Seabourn Club cocktail event so I don't have the breakdown of numbers. I know that there are several CC posters on board so would be interested if someone does have the figures. 

Food has been very good so far. We have two great chefs currently, Lindsay and Jes. Jes will be leaving soon, I guess in San Juan. New menus were introduced toward the end of the previous cruise. Will attach a copy of the Afternoon Tea menu from yesterday. Tea is now served to the table, no buffet style. There is plenty of seafood available at lunch and dinner. 

 

We have a great crew who are trying their best and working hard as usual, but in my opinion SB has reduced crew numbers too drastically and in some dining venues at certain times there are not enough of them to provide a top notch service. They really are trying their best though and at this point it certainly isnt spoiling our cruise. However if I were new to SB with experience on one of the other luxury lines I may well be disappointed. 
 

The new filtered water tastes kind of brackish or earthy to me. I really do not like it. I was expecting it to be very clean tasting, nfortunately it isn't. Also agree with previous posters that the bottle size available at the gangway to take ashore is unwieldy. We will bring our own smaller bottles next time.

 

If anyone has any questions I'm happy to try to answer them, although as I said internet for me is poor so I doubt I will be posting often. 

 

Thanks for your post.  I really couldn’t drink the water on odyssey . It upset my digestion. I brought chillys bottles with me.  

[Isklaar]

Tomorrow is the final day of the 11 day cruise and there has been no Howdy Doody (thanks Markham!) party. CD is Emma Able. 
Our deck party should have been a couple of nights ago but was held in the Club instead due to rain. Even so,  It was such a fun night that this poster missed breakfast the next day. 😳

 

[2SailingNomads]

What I found on the Quest, with the new water is I think the funky taste, at least as far as I observed, comes from however they clean the bottles.  Drinking the same water from a glass in the MDR was fine, but when you drank out of the bottle "save the planet" - and I'm big into reusable we bring our own coffee cups which stupidly the barista makes the coffee in a paper cup to pour into our reusable one, go figure what a little training could do there to cut down on waste  - (which could spill all over you if not careful) it had a strange taste.  YMMV.

 

[saminina]

7 hours ago, Isklaar said:

We have a great crew who are trying their best and working hard as usual, but in my opinion SB has reduced crew numbers too drastically and in some dining venues at certain times there are not enough of them to provide a top notch service. They really are trying their best though and at this point it certainly isnt spoiling our cruise. However if I were new to SB with experience on one of the other luxury lines I may well be disappointed. 
 

 

 

It's fair to say that even the Seabourn diehard loyalists are beginning to notice this is no longer  anything close to the experience expected a few short years ago.   Not even close.

 

[SLSD]

6 hours ago, saminina said:

 

It's fair to say that even the Seabourn diehard loyalists are beginning to notice this is no longer  anything close to the experience expected a few short years ago.   Not even close.

 

Saminina, I thought the service on our mutual recent Kobe to Vancouver itinerary was excellent (with a very few exceptions in our case).  Did you experience otherwise on that trip?

 

I am a bit concerned about the new funky water though.  Perhaps I'll be drinking a lot of iced tea on our next voyage.  

[markham]

Fear not all you diehard fans of Howdy Doody! The Git to Know Yer Neybers Party (a Seabourn Seattle  Signature Event no less) will be back on the Sojourn Christmas Cruise! Nothing to do with Markham that Isklaar was denied the chance to shine in his curlers and bunny floppies outside his suite after Miami. And get locked out like he did last time, the naughty thing. Emma, CD, said it was ‘bout the itinerary and conflicts and things last week.

 

Oh, and yes... Markham will be prepared with his usual green bean bake, serving up a storm, to the delight of our captain and his entourage, and all of you nice folks.

 

Happy and healthy sailing!

[saminina]

SLSD....I've done a couple SB cruises since the crossing.    You would be surprised how many times "we used to do that" is heard.   Even the piano in OB has been cut in half.      The written notice about the Molton Brown changeover is a bit laughable.

 

[Catlover54]

What toiletries are available now in place of Milton Brown?

[saminina]

No fear, MB is still there.  Changed container size to be earth and ocean friendly.   Loose, attractive 10 oz. containers with a note stating you will be charged if containers are missing at end of voyage.   If you interested in purchasing available in gift shop.

Cannot imagine room attendants enforcing this on turnover day.  Like they need one more thing to do.

[Isklaar]

7 hours ago, markham said:

Fear not all you diehard fans of Howdy Doody! The Git to Know Yer Neybers Party (a Seabourn Seattle  Signature Event no less) will be back on the Sojourn Christmas Cruise! Nothing to do with Markham that Isklaar was denied the chance to shine in his curlers and bunny floppies outside his suite after Miami. And get locked out like he did last time, the naughty thing. Emma, CD, said it was ‘bout the itinerary and conflicts and things last week.

 

Oh, and yes... Markham will be prepared with his usual green bean bake, serving up a storm, to the delight of our captain and his entourage, and all of you nice folks.

 

Happy and healthy sailing!

We had a brief discussion amongst our little travel group about the lack of Howdy Doody party so far.  We surmised that it was only missing because of a rather busy schedule every evening so far.

I'll polish my curlers and bunny floppies in preparation for the next segment! 

[Qld13]

8 hours ago, saminina said:

No fear, MB is still there.  Changed container size to be earth and ocean friendly.   Loose, attractive 10 oz. containers with a note stating you will be charged if containers are missing at end of voyage.   If you interested in purchasing available in gift shop.

Cannot imagine room attendants enforcing this on turnover day.  Like they need one more thing to do.

 

If I am reading this correctly Seabourn have done away with the small MB bottles? My wife won't be happy, a lot of places are now doing this. She does not like it as there is no telling that the bottle or pump top have been hygienically cleaned from the last guest. Are they topped up or replaced when empty?

[2SailingNomads]

Seabourn did NOT do away w/ them on our Quest cruise that started on Oct 25th, some days bigger (by a few ounces) containers vs. the original size.   AND NO SIGN THREATENING TO CHARGE YOU IF YOU DID NOT LEAVE EMPTIES IN YOUR SUITE.  Not sure what the poster above is referring to - same as his/her ongoing complaints about the quality of tissue and TP, which were the same as always for our 34 days on the Quest. 

[sfvoyage]

1 hour ago, 2SailingNomads said:

Seabourn did NOT do away w/ them on our Quest cruise that started on Oct 25th, some days bigger (by a few ounces) containers vs. the original size.   AND NO SIGN THREATENING TO CHARGE YOU IF YOU DID NOT LEAVE EMPTIES IN YOUR SUITE.  Not sure what the poster above is referring to - same as his/her ongoing complaints about the quality of tissue and TP, which were the same as always for our 34 days on the Quest. 

Sojourn is the first ship in the fleet to implement the new full-size molton brown toiletries in the bathroom, replacing the small tubes.

 

Officially the changeover is tomorrow for the holiday segment but in transit guests have been getting the new bottles over the past few days .

[2SailingNomads]

Hi sfvoyage,

Is there the threatening note to charge you in the suite?  Aa the poster above claimed?

[MightyQuinn]

On 12/19/2019 at 12:22 PM, Isklaar said:

The new filtered water tastes kind of brackish or earthy to me. I really do not like it. I was expecting it to be very clean tasting, unfortunately it isn't.

 

Sounds awful!  Are they still serving Pellegrino and Perrier on request?

[galeforce9]

2 hours ago, MightyQuinn said:

 

Sounds awful!  Are they still serving Pellegrino and Perrier on request?

Yes. I requested Evian. It came in glass bottles but it did mean I couldn’t drink as much water as usual. I drink lots anyway. The bottles were glass (recyclable good) but therefore not portable.  My drinks containers were quite small so I couldn’t take much with me.  Previously I would have just used the bottles from the gangway.  ( odyssey dec 19). 

[Isklaar]

7 hours ago, MightyQuinn said:

 

Sounds awful!  Are they still serving Pellegrino and Perrier on request?

I have asked for  Pellegrino several times, they didn't have it but they do have Perrier.

[galeforce9]

On Odyssey they had both but Perrier was substituted when pellegrino ran out 

[Isklaar]

I can confirm that we have the new size containers for the MB products here on Sojourn.  Can also confirm that a card was left with them reminding guests that they can be purchased from the boutique, or a charge will be made for any that go missing.

 

They are a pump dispenser, the tops do unscrew and I am assuming that they will be refilled but will check for sure at some point during the next segment and will update here.

 

[Emperor Norton]

The one thing I didn’t miss that they used to do was the hallway meet and greet they purloined from Regent. 
 

The water bottles (and their sanitization/sterilization process) were a bit off putting. 

[zelker]

2 hours ago, Isklaar said:

I have asked for  Pellegrino several times, they didn't have it but they do have Perrier.

 

What about non-sparkling water (other than the horrible-sounding new filtered thing they're putting in suites)?  A previous poster mentioned they could get Evian so am praying that's the case.  We're booked on Ovation for 28 days in May/June and I'd hate to think I'm going to have to bring on a case of water myself. 

Edited December 21, 2019 by zelker

[saminina]

14 hours ago, 2SailingNomads said:

Hi sfvoyage,

Is there the threatening note to charge you in the suite?  Aa the poster above claimed?

 

Are you satisfied now?  And please, do not attribute threatening note when there was none.   Geeeez!

[Isklaar]

Just a quick note about the water, as I don't want to cause unnecessary concern. 
For people who take their water with ice, (I don't), I think perhaps t you won't have such a problem with the taste. Also see post #5 by 2sailingnomads. 

Edited December 21, 2019 by Isklaar