Greek islands cruise: new updates from Seabourn?

[marazul]

32 kg = 70 lbs

[marazul]

44 minutes ago, SLSD said:

I'm not familiar  with kg, but know that our large suitcases are usually 50 lbs.  

32 kg = 70lbs

Edited August 4, 2021 by marazul

[Jane21]

47 minutes ago, SLSD said:

It's not paying for extra luggage weight that is an issue for us-it is actually dealing with the luggage (and yes we get help with it) .  You can say to each his own--without even knowing us or how we would really like to dress.  Sometimes there are multiple days (up to a week) on either end of the cruise and a need to pack all kinds of clothing.  We make the best decisions we can.  Mr. SLSD wears a jacket every night to dinner, usually with a bow tie. He dresses this way at home as well when we go out for dinner.  He packs dress pants and dress shirts.   I usually wear black dresses, black silk pants and tops  with  scarves and jewelry or something similar for dinner. I pack a lot of things that lay flat and take little space.  We actually love dressing up, but have difficulty packing everything we might like to pack  for a long trip.  And yes, we use the laundry services of Seabourn.  We try to travel with one large suitcase and a a tote with things we would want to have if all luggage was lost.  We would love to hear exactly how you do it.  I'm not familiar  with kg, but know that our large suitcases are usually 50 lbs.  

I think you are misunderstanding “each to their own”. 
I mean everyone does what they want to do /able to do re luggage etc. and not really for anyone else to comment. I am not criticising you in any way.

 

Our cases are not an issue for us. We don’t pay for extra luggage : it is included with our flights. The driver collects us from the house and loads the cases. He drops us at the airport where the guy takes our luggage from the car, loads it onto the trolley and immediately wheels it to the check in lady to place the luggage labels on.

On arrival we get a porter and point to our luggage. Same thing at the port. The only thing we actually carry/lift at any point are our two wheelie bags.

As said below 32kg is around 70lb a case. 

[Hlitner]

5 hours ago, Jane21 said:

We have 2x 32kg each. Not bothered how many cases we take.

We dress for ourselves.

As I previously said, it is each to their own 😀

This is the curse of Business Class.  When we fly economy I get out the digital scale and tell DW we have to be careful not to overpack.  But with Business I need to work out so I can lift the luggage!

 

Hank

[Mr Luxury]

I am on the Silver Moon and I must say that as a regular Seabourn guest who's last sailing with Silversea was in 2005,Silversea have got the food selection on this ship just right.

The SALT programme is perfect and the location menu changes nightly and reflects cuisine from the region that we are in.

There is also a general menu offering that covers Greek favourites.

Local wines are offered as well as world wide wines.

The SALT bar is by far the best bar at sea.

The bar is cosy and intimate headed up by Carlos who is a master of his art.

Nothing is too much trouble and he likes to talk to guests about the cocktails.

There are many on the list and there are Greek gins that I have never before tried and are exceptional.

On this ship there are a lot more options for dining than on a Sebourn ship.

In room dining is also twenty four hours and you can get food from most of the restaurants so it makes for a vast choice.

The included wines seem popular and guests seem to find something that they like.

I have been buying wines from the list and it could be improved upon but it's a very personal thing.

The list does not have a french Provence Rose but there is a drinkable Greek rose on the included list.

Top class wines are also available by the glass to buy as they are using the Coravin system that keeps the wine in the bottle without taking the cork out and uses a fine needle to extract the wine.

It's an excellent option if you only want a glass without spending out on a bottle.

Any questions, please ask.

Edited August 4, 2021 by Mr Luxury

[mcondition]

3 hours ago, Mr Luxury said:

Any questions, please ask.

Thanks for bringing Silversea on topic. I understand that the room service menu is more complete than Seabourn. I am wondering about the music, how do you find the music on Silver Moon? Seabourn seems to concentrate on past century tunes, but no electronic, chill-house or ambient and especially no modern day hits, either live music or playback.

 

MDW and I love the attitude inside Seabourn Ships and the crew's professionalism. We only didn't like the early departure from ports of call, like 17:30 last tender and found the music repetitive and little boring. 

Edited August 4, 2021 by mcondition

[SLSD]

13 hours ago, Jane21 said:

I think you are misunderstanding “each to their own”. 
I mean everyone does what they want to do /able to do re luggage etc. and not really for anyone else to comment. I am not criticising you in any way.

 

Our cases are not an issue for us. We don’t pay for extra luggage : it is included with our flights. The driver collects us from the house and loads the cases. He drops us at the airport where the guy takes our luggage from the car, loads it onto the trolley and immediately wheels it to the check in lady to place the luggage labels on.

On arrival we get a porter and point to our luggage. Same thing at the port. The only thing we actually carry/lift at any point are our two wheelie bags.

As said below 32kg is around 70lb a case. 

I think we are on the same page.  We don't pay for extra luggage either--but at some point or another find ourselves in charge of it, at least temporarily.  It is just a lot easier to travel lighter and we try to figure out a way to do that and still be well dressed for formal nights.  I wish I could levitate my favorite dresses and shoes and they would appear in the closet on the ship--but it doesn't work that way.  

[wyattsaunt]

I pride myself on packing LIGHT!  
I have a newbie question about the self serve laundry facilities on the Ovation.  I’m going to be on the 8/14-8/28 cruise.  I prefer to do my own laundry and plan to do a couple loads for me and my DH at the midway point.

 

Are there several machines?  Is detergent available for purchase?  Is there an iron?  This will help me decide which clothes to bring.  Right now I’m planning to bring clothing that won’t need ironing, but it would look better if I could iron it.

 

Regarding formal night, my husband plans to wear a sport jacket with slacks, dress shirt and tie.  I can choose between a casual black linen dress that I can dress up with jewelry and dressy shoes, or black pants with a black silk tunic and white linen slouchy jacket.  Would pants be acceptable for a woman on formal night?

 

Thanks.

 

 

[B-HQC]

I don't disagree with anything said re. Silversea on the Muse class ships, however wanted to point out that on Seabourn while the printed room service menu is limited you can order pretty much anything (within reason) off menu. Of course they don't proactively make guests aware of this which has always been strange to me...

[SLSD]

3 hours ago, wyattsaunt said:

I pride myself on packing LIGHT!  
I have a newbie question about the self serve laundry facilities on the Ovation.  I’m going to be on the 8/14-8/28 cruise.  I prefer to do my own laundry and plan to do a couple loads for me and my DH at the midway point.

 

Are there several machines?  Is detergent available for purchase?  Is there an iron?  This will help me decide which clothes to bring.  Right now I’m planning to bring clothing that won’t need ironing, but it would look better if I could iron it.

 

Regarding formal night, my husband plans to wear a sport jacket with slacks, dress shirt and tie.  I can choose between a casual black linen dress that I can dress up with jewelry and dressy shoes, or black pants with a black silk tunic and white linen slouchy jacket.  Would pants be acceptable for a woman on formal night?

 

Thanks.

 

 

You can have a whole bag of laundry done on SB for $50.00.  A laundry bag is provided and you can stuff it full.  It holds a lot.  Pieces that require ironing will be ironed and returned on hangers.  Other items will be neatly folded.  Considering how much a Seabourn cruise costs, spending a bit to have a LOT of laundry done a couple of times does not seem like a big expenditure.  If you go this route, do pay attention to the form and make sure you fill it out in detail and correctly.  (Don't ask me how I know this.)  We enjoyed the laundry service.  

 

There ARE washers and dryers, but not very many.  You will probably need to find a time when others are not using them or wait your turn in line.  There is an iron and ironing board as well.  For me, it is not worth spending my vacation time doing laundry (do plenty of it at home) when I can have it done fairly economically by others.  For SB club members, a free bag of laundry is one of the perks.We have enjoyed this.   I don't remember at what point that kicks in, but it is there.  For those who have sailed many days, SB does their laundry without charge--which is a wonderful perk.  

 

For me, a black dress works well for formal nights (and other nights as well!).  I've seen women wearing pants on formal nights as well--depending on how they are styled, etc.  My husband wears a conservative sports coat, dress pants, dress shirt and bow tie for formal nights (and other nights as well).  He has taken a tux in the past and has taken a dark suit, but finds taking a couple of dark sports coats, dress slacks, and ties to be the most versatile for our trip as whole.  Others love really dressing up and don't mind packing extra to do this.  You have a choice!  You can also plan to dine at Earth and Ocean or another venue other than the MDR on formal nights.  

 

 

Edited August 4, 2021 by SLSD

[wyattsaunt]

Thanks so much, SLSD!  I realize I’ve continued to take this thread a little off-topic, but I appreciate being able to get advice and insights from those with experience on Seabourn.  
 

In regard to what to wear on formal nights, for women, when in doubt, I think black is always winner. ❤️

[Mr Luxury]

10 hours ago, mcondition said:

Thanks for bringing Silversea on topic. I understand that the room service menu is more complete than Seabourn. I am wondering about the music, how do you find the music on Silver Moon? Seabourn seems to concentrate on past century tunes, but no electronic, chill-house or ambient and especially no modern day hits, either live music or playback.

 

MDW and I love the attitude inside Seabourn Ships and the crew's professionalism. We only didn't like the early departure from ports of call, like 17:30 last tender and found the music repetitive and little boring. 

The music is generally good but I am afraid that the production singers are not up to much.

Seabourn do the shows and production much better but I think Belinda King has got a lot to do with the attention to detail.

There is a great singer pianist duo that perform in Silver Note which is a super club.

The venue is a wonderful addition to a ship.

You can go for dinner and last orders are 10.30pm.

You can dine and dance which I really like.

There is a DJ that plays good music for all tastes in the Panorama lounge and also a trio who play modern classics.

All of this I know is subject to taste.

But that said it is generally good 

There is a pianist and a guitarist who have also been good.

They play solo in different venues or as a duo.

All good except the production shows.

Magician was rubbish and based his act around a white and a red handkerchief.

Disastrous 🙄

Edited August 4, 2021 by Mr Luxury

[saminina]

Gee whiz Luxury, you can almost get me on a new SS ship.   I've been a few days short of a two week freebie on SS for about ten years.  It's been difficult justifying the time/expense to climb aboard a SS ship.  

 

The laundry facility on SB ships is pathetic.   The former regime originally omitted them on the newer ships.  Later relented and installed four cheap W/D in two tiny spaces.   It's a department SS wins over SB and Crystal beats both.....by far.   And yes, I cruise to do my own laundry.

[Hlitner]

Regarding the passenger laundry on the Ovation, there is a laundry room on deck 5 near the central elevators.  It has 5 washers and driers as well as 3 ironing boards.  Use of the machines is free and there is a large container with free detergent capsules.  If you want to send out a bag of laundry the cost is $50 which would be a bargain compared to paying by the piece.

 

Hank

[tv24]

Mr. L:  I've got a comparison question for you.  Don't know what your accommodation is on the Moon, but can you compare stateroom size of a Verandah on SS to a Verandah on SB?  I think the Verandahs on the new SS ships are a bit bigger than SB

 

We are looking at a crossing on SS for next April if it fits with the timing of a need for us to be in Portugal next year.

[markham]

I can add something here since I know both Encore and Muse from recent sailings. 
 

The V class cabins on both ships are very similar. Main difference was 2 sinks on Encore and a better (for me) layout of the closet on Muse - although there is no narrow cabinet opposite the end of the bed.

 

Hope that helps make sense of what shows on  the websites.

 

Happy and healthy sailing!

[SLSD]

17 hours ago, wyattsaunt said:

Thanks so much, SLSD!  I realize I’ve continued to take this thread a little off-topic, but I appreciate being able to get advice and insights from those with experience on Seabourn.  
 

In regard to what to wear on formal nights, for women, when in doubt, I think black is always winner. ❤️

Just as an aside, I remember being at a hosted table on one formal night across the table from a woman in a ball gown.  I was in my unassuming black dress with pearls.  I did not feel out of place. 

[marazul]

18 minutes ago, SLSD said:

Just as an aside, I remember being at a hosted table on one formal night across the table from a woman in a ball gown.  I was in my unassuming black dress with pearls.  I did not feel out of place. 

I have bought really nice black linen dresses in Haris before boarding in Athens.  It saves room in the suitcase on the way over.😉

[wyattsaunt]

Since we’re also on the topic of what’s available in the suites on Ovation, I was wondering if there is a magnifying mirror in the bathroom.  I usually pack a small  magnifying mirror when I travel to use for applying makeup.  It’d be great to be able to leave that at home.

[jjs217]

I used to pack a different cocktail dress for each formal night.  Once I realized that I didn't remember what anybody else was wearing (or care) from the night before probably meant that nobody remembered what I was wearing either.  From that point on - I have packed just one cocktail dress.

[markham]

Yes, there is a magnifying mirror on a stand between the 2 sinks.

 

Happy and healthy sailing!

[Mr Luxury]

12 hours ago, tv24 said:

Mr. L:  I've got a comparison question for you.  Don't know what your accommodation is on the Moon, but can you compare stateroom size of a Verandah on SS to a Verandah on SB?  I think the Verandahs on the new SS ships are a bit bigger than SB

 

We are looking at a crossing on SS for next April if it fits with the timing of a need for us to be in Portugal next year.

I have looked and I think that they are very similar.

As Markham says there is only one sink in  SS verandah as opposed to two on Seabourn.

Twin sinks in a Silver suite in the Silver Moon

[markham]

Tv24,

 

I have opined on this before so I hope you have picked it up. But in any case, my view is that the Moon/Muse/Dawn offer are far superior quality and scope of experience than all of the other Silversea ships. They are chalk and cheese offerings. Just look at the deckplans and the build dates of the ships to ensure you are going to get what you plan to get.

 

Happy and healthy sailing!

[Hlitner]

Last evening (Thursday) we had an outstanding Captain’s Dinner which was one of the best meals we have had in a normal dining room on any ship.  This morning everyone had to get an antigen test before they could go ashore in Nafplion.  We are also having a Marina Day for those interested in signing up for the various options like a banana boat ride.  Yesterday we enjoyed our day on Mykonos.  It was very hot but was pleasant for those of us who went to the various beaches.  The Aegean was surprisingly cool and refreshing.

 

Hank

[tv24]

Thanks Luxury and Markham.  The crossing that we might book is on the Dawn, so we would get one of the better ships.  I think we would enjoy it and Verandah class would suit us fine.