Any tips on avoiding crowds? Ovation Caribbean Dec

[ephguy]

My parents are booked on the December 10-17, 2023 Seabourn Ovation cruise from Sint Maarten to Barbados. My mom is very cautious about covid and is planning on only eating in outdoor venues (Colonnade buffet outside seating area, and the poolside dining area (called the Patio for breakfast/lunch and Earth & Ocean for dinner)). She also wants to avoid crowds and indoor areas as much as possible, and is planning on boarding at 2:30 or 3pm on embarkation day, to avoid any rush of people boarding as soon as possible and what seems to be crowded embarkation day lunch.

 

This is my parents’ first cruise. Any tips on avoiding crowds / indoor areas on the Seabourn Ovation? Will they have trouble finding outdoor seating for breakfast and dinner? They are flexible about going at off-peak times. I think they will be off the ship for most lunches, except for the one sea day.

What about open air bars? It seems that the two options are the Patio bar by the pool, and the Sky Bar one floor up. Any tips about these? Do they have live music at any of the outdoor locations? I have heard about the sail away parties with live music outside by the main pool on some nights.

 

Was the pool area that crowded in evenings? Is the deck 5 pool a good alternative if the main pool has too many people? What about other outdoor areas on the ship? It looks like there might be outdoor space on the sides of deck 5. How about the sun terrace on the top deck?

My dad loves sushi. Is it hard getting seating for 1 or 2 in the evenings?

 

Thanks in advance for your advice. Much appreciated.

Edited November 8, 2023 by ephguy

[Mr Luxury]

Wow,

Is this a real post or a wind up.

It is also your first post.

Edited November 8, 2023 by Mr Luxury

[ephguy]

This is a genuine question. I know that Seabourn is a luxury small boat, so shouldn't generally be crowded. But my mom is worried about getting covid on the cruise, so trying to find out what tips I can, so that she has an enjoyable cruise.

[Mr Luxury]

8 minutes ago, ephguy said:

This is a genuine question. I know that Seabourn is a luxury small boat, so shouldn't generally be crowded. But my mom is worried about getting covid on the cruise, so trying to find out what tips I can, so that she has an enjoyable cruise.

I have several answers here but I'm not going to able to post them.

Perhaps others have a view.

[Cantara24]

I agree Mr. L .. this is a wind up

My question is how do they handle the flight to SXM

[SLSD]

OK.  I'll make a comment.  You might suggest to your mother that hanging out at Seabourn Square which is an indoor venue might not be a good idea.  It can get a bit crowded during the day.  

 

Having breakfast through room service might be a good option for her.  I have always enjoyed room service breakfasts on Seabourn ships.  

 

Perhaps she should wear a mask if she takes excursions which include buses. 

 

If your mother is vaccinated, she would hopefully have a milder case of Covid if she does come down with it.  

[johng75370]

7 hours ago, ephguy said:

Any tips on avoiding crowds / indoor areas on the Seabourn Ovation?

Here’s a few general thoughts/comments: 

- In 9 years of sailing on Seabourn I can barely count on one hand any time I’ve shared an elevator, waited for an elevator, or felt crowded in almost any part of the ship.  YMMV, but that’s been my experience.

- If they judge an area to be too crowded looking (i.e. Observation Bar for pre-dinner cocktails), the other similar places (like The Club) will typically not be crowded at all.

- The Restaurant is very easy to not be seated near other people, and especially if it is open for lunch or breakfast, should they want to dine inside

- Some events will have people close together (such as trivia, or entering the theater for a show or Captain’s reception), but otherwise seems pretty easy to keep distance

- The theater can get relatively packed, so they will need to judge that for themselves.  Enrichment/lectures are hardly ever crowded. 

- Deck 5 pool outside The Club is often not crowded; the hot tub at the front on Deck 7 is also often empty.  

- Ovation also offers the Retreat which is not usually booked up, although you have to pay extra.  If they want an outdoor massage, lunch in their cabana, or higher quality wine pours the Retreat might be a good option

 

Hope that helps, but in general if the crowd is going left and your parents are going right they will have a lot of space to themselves.

Edited November 9, 2023 by johng75370
Typo

[ephguy]

Thanks for the tips SLSD and Johng, much appreciated.

It looks like there is outdoor seating right outside Seabourn Square in one video I saw. So that could be a good place to hangout after picking up a coffee in Seabourn Square.

 

Thinking the poolside Patio might be good option for breakfast, and perhaps the occasional room service. It sounds like the Colonnade is most popular at breakfast, so thinking it might be tricky getting an outside table then. My parents wake up early, so perhaps an early breakfast at Colonnade would have plenty of outside seating.

It seems like the Colonnade is less popular for dinner, as there are more other options in evenings, so hopefully they won't have too much trouble getting outdoor seating for dinner.

[johng75370]

7 hours ago, ephguy said:

My dad loves sushi. Is it hard getting seating for 1 or 2 in the evenings?

It usually is not, but if they want a “better than usual” Sushi dinner on formal nights they offer a Kaiseki menu which has some items special to that night, FYI.  Here is a link to a post from 2019 showing the Kaiseki menu:  https://boards.cruisecritic.com.au/topic/2674969-earth-and-ocean/?do=findComment&comment=57783236

 

[SLSD]

10 minutes ago, ephguy said:

Thanks for the tips SLSD and Johng, much appreciated.

It looks like there is outdoor seating right outside Seabourn Square in one video I saw. So that could be a good place to hangout after picking up a coffee in Seabourn Square.

 

Thinking the poolside Patio might be good option for breakfast, and perhaps the occasional room service. It sounds like the Colonnade is most popular at breakfast, so thinking it might be tricky getting an outside table then. My parents wake up early, so perhaps an early breakfast at Colonnade would have plenty of outside seating.

It seems like the Colonnade is less popular for dinner, as there are more other options in evenings, so hopefully they won't have too much trouble getting outdoor seating for dinner.

I think the Colonnade is very popular for dinner.  Your parents might enjoy Earth and Ocean for dinner as it is outdoors around the pool.  It is great in good weather.  

[ephguy]

14 minutes ago, johng75370 said:

It usually is not, but if they want a “better than usual” Sushi dinner on formal nights they offer a Kaiseki menu which has some items special to that night, FYI.  Here is a link to a post from 2019 showing the Kaiseki menu:  https://boards.cruisecritic.com.au/topic/2674969-earth-and-ocean/?do=findComment&comment=57783236

 

The Kaiseki menu sounds amazing. Thanks,

[ephguy]

23 minutes ago, SLSD said:

I think the Colonnade is very popular for dinner.  Your parents might enjoy Earth and Ocean for dinner as it is outdoors around the pool.  It is great in good weather.  

Earth and Ocean does sound like a good fit for them most dinners (and the same area as 'The Patio' for breakfast). For dinner sounds like snagging a table can be a bit of a challenge. Maybe best bet is to get there 20-30 minutes before it opens for dinner service, to ensure they get a table.

Edited November 9, 2023 by ephguy

[markandjie]

Note that the sushi restaurant on Ovation is quite small and seems to alternate between being packed and being empty. If I were worried about airborne illness it would not be high on my list, but then again, neither would a cruise. 

[cruiseej]

2 hours ago, ephguy said:

For dinner sounds like snagging a table can be a bit of a challenge. Maybe best bet is to get there 20-30 minutes before it opens for dinner service, to ensure they get a table.

 

They'd certainly get a table that way, but… just before the restaurant opening, a lot of other people will queue up in the same area, which sounds like it's exactly what they're trying to avoid. If they aren't planning to go to the show in order to avoid the theater, it might be a better strategy to go to dinner later; as the first seating starts leaving (about 90 minutes after opening time) there will be plenty of tables becoming available, and there won't be a lot of people queuing at the entrance. Just another thought…

[ephguy]

7 minutes ago, cruiseej said:

 

They'd certainly get a table that way, but… just before the restaurant opening, a lot of other people will queue up in the same area, which sounds like it's exactly what they're trying to avoid. If they aren't planning to go to the show in order to avoid the theater, it might be a better strategy to go to dinner later; as the first seating starts leaving (about 90 minutes after opening time) there will be plenty of tables becoming available, and there won't be a lot of people queuing at the entrance. Just another thought…

That's definitely an option I'll pass along.

 

I was hoping they could perhaps grab a drink at the Patio bar, and plop themselves down at one of the Earth & Ocean tables 30 minutes ahead of when E&O opened. That's how it sounded like it worked according to this 2019 post that I think is about Sojourn, but maybe it's different now / on the Ovation ship they will be on.

 

[alc13]

15 hours ago, Cantara24 said:

I agree Mr. L .. this is a wind up

My question is how do they handle the flight to SXM

My goodness, you and @Mr Luxury are a tough audience.  

[alc13]

22 hours ago, ephguy said:

My dad loves sushi. Is it hard getting seating for 1 or 2 in the evenings?

 

We're on the same cruise.  We are not overly concerned about covid, but the sushi restaurant information is helpful.

[Mr Luxury]

16 hours ago, markandjie said:

Note that the sushi restaurant on Ovation is quite small and seems to alternate between being packed and being empty. If I were worried about airborne illness it would not be high on my list, but then again, neither would a cruise. 

You're not suggesting stay at home are you. 😀

[ephguy]

Is it easy to avoid crowded tenders?

Thinking if you aren't in a race to be first off the boat, and don't wait until the last few tenders back at end of port day, it should be pretty easy to find an uncrowded tender to/from the ship. Is that your experience?

Edited November 9, 2023 by ephguy

[Covepointcruiser]

No, you won’t avoid crowds on tenders.   They will often wait until they have mostly full load.   We waited on the pier instead of the tender as it was cooler.   They should wear masks whenever they are not eating or drinking.    Is a cruise the right vacation for those afraid of catching COVID?

[Mr Luxury]

3 hours ago, Covepointcruiser said:

No, you won’t avoid crowds on tenders.   They will often wait until they have mostly full load.   We waited on the pier instead of the tender as it was cooler.   They should wear masks whenever they are not eating or drinking.    Is a cruise the right vacation for those afraid of catching COVID?

Is that another stay at home post 😀

[fdnycruiser]

Without being sarcastic, and/ or a wise guy, I’d respectfully say , you’d be better off staying home.

  My wife, and I were on the holiday cruise of 2021 on the Ovation. Up to date vaccinations and masks were required . We social distanced , avoided crowds and ate outside as much as possible, and took all the precautions that were advised.Still, we both got Covid, at different as did many others. We were separated and quarantined. However , we’ve taken several cruises since then without masks and testing. We’re currently on day 25 of a 32 day cruise on SS. You can take all of the precautions and still be exposed.

  I realize that we all have different thresholds of risks, and you need to do what you feel comfortable with . Good luck with whatever decision you decide to make. Only you can make that decision. 

[jenidallas]

I’m going to echo the “if this is really an extreme concern, stay home” advice.  They’ll face bigger crowds on the airplane and in the airport than they will anywhere on a Seabourn sailing. So unless they plan on swimming to/from the embarkation/disembarkation ports it frankly seems silly to take the risks to get there and then refuse to enjoy most of the experience they are paying for. Seabourn doesn’t ever pack passengers in the way you might be imagining.  For example. I’ve never been on a Seabourn tender with more than 40 people which is about 1/3rd or 1/4th the amount a mainline cruise would squeeze into tte same space.  You aren’t hip-to-hip in the theatre or standing in crowded queues at the port.  It just does not happen.

In that vein, I took a Silversea cruise to Alaska this summer.  The sailing was fine - no crowds except for when I was completely off the ship, specifically the airports, when I was out and about in one Alaskan port at the same time two mega ships were there, and on a whale watching ship after disembarkation. I came home with Covid and based on the likely incubation time and observed circumstances, I almost surely caught it on that whale watching boat.
 

I ended up taking to a lot of people who weee in Alaska in June, July, and August and a significant number came home with Covid so it was presumably everywhere.  Presumably the Caribbean in the winter will be the same.

 

 

[Mr Luxury]

Stay at home is winning so far.

[ephguy]

Thank you fdnycruiser and jenindallas for sharing your experience with covid on cruises. It does give me pause that so many people seem to have caught covid on Alaska cruises this summer.

My mom seems to mostly be concerned because she has never been on a cruise before, and has images in her head of crowded megaships.

Both of my parents got the latest booster a month ago, had mild covid cases a year ago, and are in good overall health. They go indoors to stores and restaurants regularly, my dad never masked and my mom occasionally masked. It seems inevitable they will be exposed to covid repeatedly this winter in their normal lives on land. So, to me, the incremental risk of going on a cruise seems low, where they plan to mostly hangout/eat in outdoor areas, and my mom plans to mask indoors and on tenders. My mom plans to still fly to St Martin for 4 days ahead of the cruise, whether or not she ends up going on the cruise. If she decides not to go on the cruise, I will take her place and go with my dad.

Edited November 11, 2023 by ephguy