Reporting from the Le Bellot…

[AngloSaxonCelt]

We boarded yesterday in Punta Delgado, Azores, Portugal. The boarding process was quite quick and easy. Not issues at all. Later I found there are only 110 passengers onboard, so that may have been part of the reason why. Other lines would have offered us an upgrade since there seems to be availability. As far as the ship itself, it is nice, not overly luxurious, but in good condition. Our balcony is adequate, but panels block the view if you sit down…😖

 

I must say, the service it not quite what I would have expected. Compared to other cruise lines; Seaborne and Silversea, they are not quite as attentive. While sitting on the aft deck where there is a restaurant, bar and pool, they do not serve you. Everyone must go to them. There is only one attendant. I believe that the crew may be new as a few times we asked questions and were told “I do not know, but will find out”. Nonetheless, all are pleasant and cheerful. 
 

We were to have a hiking excursion today, but due to “heavy swells”, we could not dock at the pier. I’ve seen bigger. 😏 Nor could we anchor and take the tenders in. All excursions have been cancelled and we are instead pulling up anchor and having a “scenic cruise” along the shoreline. It only makes us frustrated to see the island Santa Maria, but not able to get off! The beaches look fantastic… from the railing!

 

Another detail to remember, breakfast ends at 0900. I must say, other lines we have been on serve until much later. Nevertheless, I will make note of that. As for the food, we have had only one meal last evening and it was perfectly fine.

That is all for now. I will report back later and see if the Moderator approved my log entry…🚢

 

P.S., the internet connection is pathetic so far…

[AngloSaxonCelt]

Today is a day at sea as was yesterday… unexpectedly. The day was spent lounging around and reading. Little else to do as there was nothing planned. Nevertheless, it was nice to do little. The seas were a bit rough but manageable. At times the wind was too much to make sitting on the deck enjoyable.

 

As stated earlier, the ship is small and has few venues for entertainment. There was live music in the lounge from time to time and was nice. At tea, there was a pianist. There was a lecture about whale hunting, but my wife found it objectionable so we found other distractions.
 

Last night was the Captain’s Reception and Gala. A simple, but nice reception to introduce the staff followed by a very nice meal. Service was still “rough around the edges”, but not a distraction.  
 

More later as we start a new day…

[vjt]

Just want to let you know that I really appreciate that you are posting. Ponant passengers don’t seem to be as chatty as others. I am a French speaker and encouraged my husband to travel on a fairly long Arctic cruise this June. We will have a very nice cabin, but I know there will be a lot of sea days, so service, lectures and music will be very important to us.

[AngloSaxonCelt]

The rough seas persist, but not too bad. This is a scheduled day at sea and activities are sparse. Lunch was quite good today. Many French dishes as well as Portuguese specialties. The service is still less than my expectations, but adequate. The wine is nice and they do serve Charles Heidsieck champagne as included. 👍 We have heard a few negative comments about their “Premium Spirits” option. Most are selections that would be considered standard on other cruise lines; Grey Goose vodka, Hendricks gin, etc. It is better to simply pay for them if you wish to have one on occasion as I did with the Saint-Étienne Rhum from Martinique. Otherwise, just go with the included selections.

 

More later…

[Host Jazzbeau]

I see you made it to Funchal, Madeira today.  Here is Le Bellot in port (after the huge Tui ship had departed).  You got a nice parking spot!

 

 

[AngloSaxonCelt]

We disembarked yesterday morning and are now staying at the Yeatman hotel in Porto. We hired a driver to bring us here yesterday and spend the day seeing the sights along the way. A pleasant day…

While riding along, I had time to reflect back on our experience aboard the Le Bellot. Here is a summation of our experience;

Pros:

A very nice, well maintained ship. It is smaller than most expect, but had open areas so as not to feel boxed in.
For a small ship, the cabin layout was well designed with adequate space for storage of clothes, etc. We generally pack more clothes than necessary and had enough space to put it all away.
The Captain and his officer staff were accessible, polite and generally in good cheer.

Our fellow passengers were from a variety of countries and were all pleasant and generally interesting to speak with.

The food was usually quite good and the selection was interesting. They had a few night where Portuguese food was offered with that day’s menu selection. The baked goods and cheeses were exceptionally good.

The dancers put on fun shows and were quite entertaining. The female vocalist and the pianist were also quite entertaining.

 

So-so:

During the days at sea, there are very few planned activities. Some, like myself, had no issue as I used the time to relax and read. The Blue Eye lounge is very small and we were never in a situation where we could see anything other than bubbles as we moved along. The lights were on, but it was less than interesting. It is only open at 2130. There were a few lectures, but most in French and the others were given by a presenter with a very heavy accent.
 

Cons:

The food and beverage service staff was not attentive. Many times when in the lounge, we waited for over ten minutes to get a drink… and we were the only ones in there! It seems they prefer you to come to the bar and order. They are more interested in doing the service work (stocking the bar,  putting away clean glasses, etc) than serving the guest. And to top it off, they have no problem at all with the noise they make. They laugh and talk loud, bang pots and pans without considering the fact that we came to the lounge or deck area to relax!
 

Once, I was dining alone in the MD. I had to seat myself (no big deal) and then waited 5 minutes to get water, 11 minutes until a waiter asked if I wanted a menu. There were only 3 other tables occupied. When a waiter does come to the table, they have no hesitation in interrupting whoever is speaking to say their part. For me, that is VERY unprofessional and rude. It sometimes has the feel of a family-style chain restaurant; e.g., Chili’s.

 

The “Premium” drink option is ridiculous. On it, they have drinks that are standard brands on other cruise lines; Hendricks gin, Blue Goose vodka, Johnny Walker Red. 
 

There is a nice, mostly quiet area on the ship called the Observation Lounge; 6th deck, forward. A nice place to sit and read, gaze out over the ocean (we spotted whales from there) or have a quiet conversation. The only issue is that there is no self-serve option and it rarely had an attendant. I guess we appreciated the Bow Lounge so much on the Seabourn “Venture” that we were spoiled. One day while in the Observation Lounge, we took seat covers off lounge chairs so we could sit outside during a crowded reception. The attendant became angry with us and told us not to remove the covers. When asked why, he said did not want to go through the trouble of putting them back on! He asked us to get up and sit elsewhere. After he put the covers back on, he found some rope and made it nearly impossible to remove them again. They stayed like that most of the cruise until one of the officers had the rope and covers removed.

 

All in all, a nice cruise somewhat tainted by an F&B staff that simply was not up to the level that a luxury ship should be and that they advertise. Well, except for the two young ladies both named Lea. They were exceptional. Always helping, always looking around the room to see if anyone needed anything.

Edited April 26, 2023 by AngloSaxonCelt

[Catlover54]

Thank you for your detailed report.

It absolutely is unprofessional and annoying for cruise ship servers to interrupt to "say their piece", and yet it is becoming increasing common.  But the anger and rudeness expressed by Monsieur Seat Cover Patrol was over the top, and unnecessary.  What are the chairs there for, if not the guests to use on a ship that is already small with limited seating?

 

DH and I have been enjoying some very nice land travel in Europe lately, and it is so nice to be reminded that true luxury can still be found, with uninterrupting servers, and helpful personnel, even after Covid!

We will be on a port intensive Ponant cruise soon and are bracing ourselves for the new experience.  Let's hope it will be a bit better than yours, i.e., there are more staff of the "Lea" type.

[AngloSaxonCelt]

“Monsieur Seat Cover Patrol” 🤣😂🤣 Thank you, Catlover54 for your reply. Yes, indeed. I hope your cruise is a more enjoyable experience than what I described. Nevertheless, I am confident you will meet many wonder people and see such interesting sights that those memories will overshadow any inconveniences you may encounter. 
 

“Fair winds and following seas to you…” ⛵️

7 hours ago, Catlover54 said:

Thank you for your detailed report.

It absolutely is unprofessional and annoying for cruise ship servers to interrupt to "say their piece", and yet it is becoming increasing common.  But the anger and rudeness expressed by Monsieur Seat Cover Patrol was over the top, and unnecessary.  What are the chairs there for, if not the guests to use on a ship that is already small with limited seating?

 

DH and I have been enjoying some very nice land travel in Europe lately, and it is so nice to be reminded that true luxury can still be found, with uninterrupting servers, and helpful personnel, even after Covid!

We will be on a port intensive Ponant cruise soon and are bracing ourselves for the new experience.  Let's hope it will be a bit better than yours, i.e., there are more staff of the "Lea" type.

 

[Jim_Iain]

On 4/19/2023 at 3:26 AM, AngloSaxonCelt said:

We boarded yesterday in Punta Delgado, Azores, Portugal. The boarding process was quite quick and easy. Not issues at all. Later I found there are only 110 passengers onboard, so that may have been part of the reason why. Other lines would have offered us an upgrade since there seems to be availability. As far as the ship itself, it is nice, not overly luxurious, but in good condition. Our balcony is adequate, but panels block the view if you sit down…😖

 

I must say, the service it not quite what I would have expected. Compared to other cruise lines; Seaborne and Silversea, they are not quite as attentive. While sitting on the aft deck where there is a restaurant, bar and pool, they do not serve you. Everyone must go to them. There is only one attendant. I believe that the crew may be new as a few times we asked questions and were told “I do not know, but will find out”. Nonetheless, all are pleasant and cheerful. 
 

We were to have a hiking excursion today, but due to “heavy swells”, we could not dock at the pier. I’ve seen bigger. 😏 Nor could we anchor and take the tenders in. All excursions have been cancelled and we are instead pulling up anchor and having a “scenic cruise” along the shoreline. It only makes us frustrated to see the island Santa Maria, but not able to get off! The beaches look fantastic… from the railing!

 

Another detail to remember, breakfast ends at 0900. I must say, other lines we have been on serve until much later. Nevertheless, I will make note of that. As for the food, we have had only one meal last evening and it was perfectly fine.

That is all for now. I will report back later and see if the Moderator approved my log entry…🚢

 

P.S., the internet connection is pathetic so far…

 

Curious about breakfast hours.     Do they still offer some type of Continental Breakfast after 9:00?   My DH usually never rolls out of bed until after 9:00.    We are not big breakfast eaters and usually just have Coffee/Tea and a Croissant etc?

[jpalbny]

They have coffee and pastries in the main bar until fairly late in the morning. I just looked at one of my daily schedules from the last cruise and it says they're open until 10AM. That should give you some time to fuel up.

 

If you look at the first page of my review from the Corsica trip on Le Bellot (link in my signature) I have a picture of some of the offerings from that venue.

Edited June 1, 2023 by jpalbny

[parischris]

8 hours ago, Jim_Iain said:

 

Curious about breakfast hours.     Do they still offer some type of Continental Breakfast after 9:00?   My DH usually never rolls out of bed until after 9:00.    We are not big breakfast eaters and usually just have Coffee/Tea and a Croissant etc?

Room service breakfast is also an option

[Jim_Iain]

On 6/1/2023 at 2:54 PM, jpalbny said:

They have coffee and pastries in the main bar until fairly late in the morning. I just looked at one of my daily schedules from the last cruise and it says they're open until 10AM. That should give you some time to fuel up.

 

If you look at the first page of my review from the Corsica trip on Le Bellot (link in my signature) I have a picture of some of the offerings from that venue.

Thanks - I'm an early morning person and was envisioning myself having to bring back morning fare. 

 

One other question.   Our cruise documents say to bring Whites for a theme night.  Do they really do that?   We probably won't bother.

[Jim_Iain]

On 6/1/2023 at 4:52 PM, parischris said:

Room service breakfast is also an option

 

Do you know how late they serve room service.   I hate to ask all these questions but Ponant's website leaves a lot of questions.

[jpalbny]

34 minutes ago, Jim_Iain said:

Our cruise documents say to bring Whites for a theme night.  Do they really do that?   We probably won't bother.

 

They have on one of our two cruises. 

[parischris]

4 hours ago, Jim_Iain said:

 

Do you know how late they serve room service.   I hate to ask all these questions but Ponant's website leaves a lot of questions.

From memory you selected a time for breakfast, otherwise room service is 24/7. I'm sure that they'll be able to accommodate a room service breakfast if you're a late riser. 

[parischris]

4 hours ago, jpalbny said:

 

They have on one of our two cruises. 

 

4 hours ago, Jim_Iain said:

Thanks - I'm an early morning person and was envisioning myself having to bring back morning fare. 

 

One other question.   Our cruise documents say to bring Whites for a theme night.  Do they really do that?   We probably won't bother.

Yes, there is always a 'white night' or 'officers night'. Up to you whether you go or not. They ask for all white or black and white. 

[Host Jazzbeau]

28 minutes ago, parischris said:

 

Yes, there is always a 'white night' or 'officers night'. Up to you whether you go or not. They ask for all white or black and white. 

On Le Bellot in April in the Azores there was no 'white night' or 'officers night' or request to wear white.

[parischris]

12 minutes ago, Host Jazzbeau said:

On Le Bellot in April in the Azores there was no 'white night' or 'officers night' or request to wear white.

There's always been one on all 9 of mine, including Le Laperouse in April, but here's the official answer: 

 

"Officer’s evening:

For all cruises longer than 8 nights, an Officer’s Evening with a white dress code may be organized. Therefore, we encourage you to bring a stylish white outfit for the occasion (otherwise black and white)."

 

Clearly I've never done less than 8 nights 🙂

Edited June 3, 2023 by parischris

[Host Jazzbeau]

10 minutes ago, parischris said:

There's always been one on all 9 of mine, including Le Laperouse in April 🙂

I checked the daily programs before posting to be sure.  I also don't remember one on Le Laperouse in Iceland in 2019.  I've always thought of that as an Azamara thing.

[parischris]

@Host Jazzbeau See my edit above....you need to take longer cruises 🙂

[Host Jazzbeau]

12 hours ago, parischris said:

@Host Jazzbeau See my edit above....you need to take longer cruises 🙂

You're right – both my Ponant cruises were 7 nights.