Live from the Seabourn Quest, Montreal-Montreal, 9/22/22-10/4/22

[Catlover54]

Once again, dinners  (yesterday, escargots and sea bream in Colonnade on French night, and tonight coq au vin chef special in The Restaurant) have been very good.  The addictive crispy French baguette with sweet butter continues to threaten the integrity of my 'girlish' figure  (😳).  Unfortunately The Restaurant has remained closed at lunch, so we will have an early heavy lunch off the ship in a highly regarded French  restaurant before more touring, to take care of both breakfast and lunch needs (other than my mandatory morning coffee).

 

The stewardess is much improved (no more removal and hiding of my personal items), and is researching with her supervisor whether or not a Nespresso machine could be found for me.

The SB website indicates Nespresso machines are only available in the "Owner's Suite and above" (it says nothing about any veranda suites having them) but maybe they can still make it happen if there is a stray lying around.

 

 

Tonight's scheduled entertainment was "Let's Dance!"  Entertainment crew and the band inspired  about 20 or so septuagenerians, including a couple with hearing aids,  to gyrate to songs such as Abba's "Give Me Give Me Give Me a Man After Midnight" and "Gonna get some hot stuff baby tonight."  It was indeed entertaining, and the band and singers (including the CD, who did an Elvis number) are quite talented. 

 

 

 

 

[Catlover54]

Day 5, Quebec City part 2

 

The CD came on the loudspeaker at 8AM (heard only in the hall after the bell , or if you turn the TV on to the bow camera), to give a short speech about QC .  

 

He also noted that at 4:30 the navigation officers will discuss the impacts and challenges that Fiona had on this voyage.

 

Finally he reminded that there is a show tonight with young singer Jo Rochell (described as "one of the UK's leading piano bar entertainers."

 

All this information was also in the Daily Herald, which I am happy to receive in paper form each evening, per my request.

 

Tomorrow we will be in Saguenoy.  One excursion is posted on SB Source, a trip to a scenic park.

 

Weather is getting a bit wet, so it may be a good day for some museums.  We hope to, among others, get into this  "Museum of Bad Art" (art "so bad it has to be seen"):

 

 

 

I'm not sure how much street art, always a delightful aspect of walking in QC, will be out today in the drizzle (some from yesterday):

 

 

Not far from QC is also a copper museum and family run center for copper craftsmanship:

 

 

 

A bit outside QC, the beautiful Basilica of Sainte Anne de Beaupre's copper adorned door (posted earlier on this thread) was also created by that same family, and has an interesting history.

 

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basilica_of_Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited September 26, 2022 by Catlover54
Typos

[jsiegel]

Can someone currently onboard the Quest let me know if they have stevia available or if we should bring our own packets.

 

Thanks,  Jackie

[JPH814]

How difficult is it to have more than one dinner at the TK Grill on your cruise?  Have you made any attempt?

[tjcox9]

51 minutes ago, jsiegel said:

Can someone currently onboard the Quest let me know if they have stevia available or if we should bring our own packets.

 

Thanks,  Jackie

Not on currently, recently disembarked. All they have in some container with unnamed sweetener in it and it's impossible to use. Certainly would take  your own sweetener,  whatever kind you use!!

[travel4b]

2 hours ago, Catlover54 said:

Day 5, Quebec City part 2

 

The CD came on the loudspeaker at 8AM (heard only in the hall after the bell , or if you turn the TV on to the bow camera), to give a short speech about QC .  

 

He also noted that at 4:30 the navigation officers will discuss the impacts and challenges that Fiona had on this voyage.

 

Finally he reminded that there is a show tonight with young singer Jo Rochell (described as "one of the UK's leading piano bar entertainers."

 

All this information was also in the Daily Herald, which I am happy to receive in paper form each evening, per my request.

 

Tomorrow we will be in Saguenoy.  One excursion is posted on SB Source, a trip to a scenic park.

 

Weather is getting a bit wet, so it may be a good day for some museums.  We hope to, among others, get into this  "Museum of Bad Art" (art "so bad it has to be seen"):

 

 

 

I'm not sure how much street art, always a delightful aspect of walking in QC, will be out today in the drizzle (some from yesterday):

 

 

Not far from QC is also a copper museum and family run center for copper craftsmanship:

 

 

 

A bit outside QC, the beautiful Basilica of Sainte Anne de Beaupre's copper adorned door (posted earlier on this thread) was also created by that same family, and has an interesting history.

 

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basilica_of_Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You absolutely must go to the Museum of Bad Art (aka MOBA).  It is riot!  Don't judge but it was a highlight of our day in QC on Quest in August!

[Txcotn]

Catlover, Your pictures are just wonderful! Thank you!

[DaveA]

3 hours ago, JPH814 said:

How difficult is it to have more than one dinner at the TK Grill on your cruise?  Have you made any attempt?

We asked about a second booking a couple of days ago and got one for 8pm that evening.

[Catlover54]

2 hours ago, suzeluvscruz said:

Catlover, Your pictures are just wonderful! Thank you!

 

I am glad you are enjoying them.  The better ones (though sometimes delayed) are often from DH (he cruises primarily to have digital photographic opportunities).  More will be forthcoming! 

[Catlover54]

5 hours ago, JPH814 said:

How difficult is it to have more than one dinner at the TK Grill on your cruise?  Have you made any attempt?

 

We have not yet attempted (though DaveA had success as he posted), because so far we like sampling the variety of interesting daily special offerings in The Restaurant for dinner (3 there so far, plus 1 in Colonnade on French night, have been to our liking, so we are batting 4/4 at dinners, despite service not being ideal).  We probably will try for again later in the cruise, to sample other things this time around and reenjoy the stellar service and friendly, unrushed but efficient staff.

 

Maybe I am misremembering prior cruises (possibly too distracted by the previously loud music, not at all too loud this cruise), but I think the TK Grill food (which we had the first night of the cruise) was even better than on previous SB sailings (same courses we usually get), and service, as before , was excellent there.

 

BTW of the 3 dinners we had so far in The Restaurant, the best service was when we went for a late dinner, e.g., 8:30, when the plan was to skip the 9:30 show because dinner with the 3 courses we typically get there would obviously take longer than an hour.  I don't have enough of an "n" to say that is going to be a pattern, e.g., dining late to get better service, and we also had a different server.  Plus, you have to be ready to miss the beginning of a show, but not everyone goes.

 

People who like to dine earlier than the 7 PM opening time for The Restaurant, Colonnade, and Earth and Ocean have to go for the TK Grill, which opens at 6.

 

 

 

[nancygp]

2 hours ago, DaveA said:

We asked about a second booking a couple of days ago and got one for 8pm that evening.

If you’re flexible on time and date it usually happens 😄

 

Nancy

[marazul]

6 hours ago, JPH814 said:

How difficult is it to have more than one dinner at the TK Grill on your cruise?  Have you made any attempt?

Go to the Grill on embarkation day and ask about openings. We always get additional options. Ask if any of those are on formal night because you might prefer the Restaurant instead.

If you are traveling with others, each suite can reserve a table for up to 6 persons, so just coordinate the evenings you want to reserve. 

Edited September 26, 2022 by marazul

[Emdee]

On 9/25/2022 at 11:34 AM, nancygp said:

 

 

choice is good!  Everyone has different wants, needs and priority’s.

FWIW…we have sailed exclusivity on lux lines for 18 years.  While it’s great for those who love caviar, it’s readily available on seabourn…we aren’t big caviar fans and my husband ordered it twice in 14 days.  We  don’t special order for 2  and never did on crystal unless we were dining with our friends,  on our recent ovation cruise, the restaurant MD,  F & B manager as well as the hotel director initiated and encouraged us to special order in advance anything we might desire…we didn’t see a need to do that yet greatly appreciated all the offers to do so.

 

happy sails to you one of these days, 

 

Nancy

We always special order on any line we are on. Most of the time they are very good. 
 

On Encore we special ordered after it was suggested by the F&B manager but our order wasn’t made. On Odyssey we special ordered twice and things were good. Looking forward to special ordering on our next three SB cruises actually 5 with two b2b. 
i almost never visit a bar and don’t eat caviar but good water and special orders are important for me. Yes choice is good…

[nancygp]

3 minutes ago, Emdee said:

We always special order on any line we are on. Most of the time they are very good. 
 

On Encore we special ordered after it was suggested by the F&B manager but our order wasn’t made. On Odyssey we special ordered twice and things were good. Looking forward to special ordering on our next three SB cruises actually 5 with two b2b. 
i almost never visit a bar and don’t eat caviar but good water and special orders are important for me. Yes choice is good…

my DH prefers San pelligrino and we had an oversupply in our suite…he was very happy.  It was readily available throughout the ship.

 

as there are no sweetener packets on seabourn, I plan on bringing a large supply of Splenda so I can have a proper coffee in the morning!😄

 

Nancy

Edited September 26, 2022 by nancygp

[labonnevie]

5 hours ago, DaveA said:

We asked about a second booking a couple of days ago and got one for 8pm that evening.

YMMV, on our cruise when we asked we were put on a waitlist and never received a call. 

[Emdee]

3 hours ago, nancygp said:

my DH prefers San pelligrino and we had an oversupply in our suite…he was very happy.  It was readily available throughout the ship.

 

as there are no sweetener packets on seabourn, I plan on bringing a large supply of Splenda so I can have a proper coffee in the morning!😄

 

Nancy

Ever since I found they had those splenda bottles on our first Seabourn I carry my own. SS doesn’t have Splenda at all they have stevia.

Fortunately the first time I was able to rush ashore and pick some up now I don’t leave home without it…the little things make us happy. 

[Astride]

10 hours ago, tjcox9 said:

Not on currently, recently disembarked. All they have in some container with unnamed sweetener in it and it's impossible to use. Certainly would take  your own sweetener,  whatever kind you use!!

I do think they have Sevia but not in individual packets. The artificial sweeteners on board come in special dispensers that are terribly designed. What I did was opened them up & used a spoon to serve myself. If I remember correctly, it was the barista in Seabourn Square who suggested that I do that. I also think they will try to accommodate you if you ask for a special brand of artificial sweetener.

[Emdee]

10 hours ago, tjcox9 said:

Not on currently, recently disembarked. All they have in some container with unnamed sweetener in it and it's impossible to use. Certainly would take  your own sweetener,  whatever kind you use!!

You can get a name brand….Splenda in a bottle if you ask for it.

i prefer the packets as I serve myself the amount I need instead of sprinkling too little or too much. I carry my own Splenda now.

[Catlover54]

We returned to our suite after a rainy day of interesting  self-guided touring of Quebec City (more on that when our premium internet is better) and to our surprise and delight, found this Nespresso machine and paraphernalia waiting for us!

 

The two pitchers contained hot water, plus there were 2 kinds of sugar, 10 baggie packets of misc. tea, and 2 cups and spoons. Unfortunately there were no coffee capsules or coffee of any kind to go with the Nespresso coffee machine (when I had inquired about the possibility of getting a Nespresso machine, as Covepointcruiser suggested, even though I was not entitled to one as a mere V3 deck 6 suite booker, I admittedly had not *specifically* also asked about getting coffee to go with the machine). 

 

Later, we thanked the assistant stewardess we saw in the hall for securing the coffee machine and asked  if we could also get some coffee capsules to go with it.  She instantly replied that unfortunately they were "out" of coffee capsules.   I then cheerfully said that not having coffee for the coffee machine kind of defeated the purpose of having a coffee machine.  She smiled and quickly said she would check again and. depending on what she found,  she would let me know, and I could then decide whether or not to keep the machine. 

 

When we came back from dinner, misc. coffee capsules previously "out" had miraculously appeared.  SB service comes through!  Tomorrow, we will test it out.

Edited September 27, 2022 by Catlover54
Typo

[Catlover54]

QC was gray and a bit windy, but we still managed to walk about 5 miles (slowly), about half of it up and down steep hills and steps (be careful, especially on the "breakneck" steps).

 

There are many boutiques with tasteful clothing and gift items (very few with just souvenir T shirt items), for those who like to shop. I love the narrow winding streets and European atmosphere.

We also had an excellent sit-down, calm lunch at restaurant Echoud.  

And, as planned, we also toured the Museum of Bad Art (admission free, donations welcome), and loved so much of the "bad" art, everything from depictions of people as drainpipes to an ode to ladies' underwear. Think Magritte on steroids. It provided good laughs, and I highly recommend it to people with a sense of the absurd.

 

Some street scenes (from DH:)

 

 

 

SB excursion:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Catlover54]

 

 

Various women in "agony":

 

 

 

This one was called "Until blue in the face" (but could be renamed, "Uncaffeinated morning cruiser") 🙂

 

Surprisingly, the next one was painted by an apparently clairvoyant artist 30 years ago:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited September 27, 2022 by Catlover54
Typo

[Catlover54]

 

 

Meanwhile, back at the ranch:

 

 

And BTW at the bigger ranch (successful asteroid interception):

 

 

 

 

[Catlover54]

 

The show tonight was singer Jo Rochel, accompanied by the ship's band.  This UK mezzo in a sparkling red jumpsuit energetically belted out a variety of popular tunes, from Motown to Moon River.  

She also described how, for 18 months of lockdown, she had lost all her income and worked as a delivery driver for online goods to make a living (and showed some photos of her doing just that).  Again, the show was well-attended, and well-received despite an initial nervous start.

 

Earlier I had gone to SB Square to ask if we would have any enrichment lectures this cruise.  The staff person asked, "What do you mean, enrichment?"  I tried to clarify what "enrichment" is, but he was still confused.  Finally when I said "like a teacher talking to students", he got it, and said we would have a talk on 9/28 and 9/30.

The Herald later announced we will have a talk tomorrow morning, 9/27, while at sea, 10:30.  We do not get into Sagounoy until noon.  Other than the school bus trip to a nature park and interpretive center (one hour one way), no excursions have been added, so we decided to just DIY in town, especially since it will likely be rainy.  

 

While I was at the Square people inquired about the boutique and the casino, which were of course closed since we left Montreal late at night because per laws they cannot be open while in port (and the little sailing time we had was at night).  I don't care about the casino and the store, but some pax do.

 

This art piece at MOBA was called "The Long Arm of the Law":

 

[Catlover54]

 

DH's favorite hot tub in the bow was closed today due to rain.  

But the bathtub in our suite (which has both a tub and a shower) was available, as were the tubs at the pool.

I like that SB suites still have bath tubs, which I'm a fan of after a lot of walking on cruises.  The trend on higher end cruise lines is away from having a shower and tub except in the top suites, and instead just having a big shower, which is what most (especially younger) people want.

 

There are also two sinks, and there is plenty of storage, it is all just on open shelving (no closed drawers).  The bath towels are a bit thin for a luxury line, but the stewardess can and does bring extras when I want them.  Products are Moulton Brown, as they have been for a few years.

 

Everything works well in the bathroom (nothing is broken, even the tub plug does not leak), and we have had no surprises like clogged toilets, leaky ceilings, or broken AC.  We knew from prior experience the bed would be a bit hard, so we had had our TA advance request a topper to soften it up, and it was already on the bed when we arrived.

 

Overall, the ship comes across as still well-maintained, with very nice clean, simple lines, no fuss.

 

 

[travel4b]

On the topic of enrichment lectures, two young bridge officers gave a talk in August that was very interesting.  The captain chimed in at the end and promised more in the future.  Perhaps you can suggest they follow up on that.  Also, glad you enjoyed MOBA!