Going Live on Scenic "Chef's Culinary Adventure of Belgium and the Netherlands with Lynn Crawford and Lora Kirk"

[Host Jazzbeau]

The gas works images don't seem to be as amazingly immersive as the ex-salt mine in Les Baux (which I think is the original locale for this type of show).  I will be seeing the one in Bordeaux next year.  Each year they feature different artists, so it's something you can keep going back to if you enjoy it.  

 

It isn't the same as seeing the originals in a museum, but if the museums are crowded (as they often are around these masterpieces) you can't really appreciate the art work there either.

 

[I'm just back from a very interesting lecture on Turner and Constable at our local library.  Slides of paintings projected on a movie screen are not much like the originals, except that the lecturer had high-res close-ups to illustrate his points about the painter's technique and you really could see the brush work and impasto that way.  It would be nice to visit the museums in London without the public!]

[notamermaid]

Those projected images look amazing, albeit a strain on the senses potentially.

 

1 hour ago, Host Jazzbeau said:

It would be nice to visit the museums in London without the public!

You may actually find the Turner and Constable ones to be more approachable, i.e. you can get quite close, compared to the other paintings in the gallery. When I was in London - in winter, mind you - I found enough space at my Turner favourites to enjoy them. People crowd around Monet, etc.

 

notamermaid

 

[Canal archive]

Try fairly early in the morning in winter. I know awkward but a certain artists sunflowers in the flesh are stunning.

[pontac]

13 hours ago, Host Jazzbeau said:

 I will be seeing the one in Bordeaux next year.  Each year they feature different artists, so it's something you can keep going back to if you enjoy it.  

 

I saw that in 2022.

 

Parts of paintings I didn't know by artists I've never heard of slowly moving across walls and floors to a background of muzac was interesting for about 10 minutes. Then it was 'how much longer?' Too much longer.....

 

Tip:- at first you're invited to sit on large concrete steps facing a basin; some are part cushioned. Grab a cushioned seat, your bottom can thank me later.

 

You can get up and move around, other pens have bits of other pictures projected.

 

There's also information boards about the pens; they're difficult to read in the gloom of the show but more interesting, I thought.

 

I won't be going back.

 

 

[Canal archive]

Just a small example of something left of the submarine pens.
 

So much improved from when we went so will try to twist a certain DH's arm to do the cruise again.

[1of4]

Well that’s a wrap. Even though I fell the second day, I was able to stay onboard and DH went on all planned excursions. It didn’t ruin the vacation; it certainly changed it though. No fault of Scenic except I would recommend that they remove the astroturf on the stairs leading to the sun deck as it is extremely slippery when wet. 
 

There were 98 passengers onboard. The passenger breakdown was mostly Canadian and American but also included some Australians, English, Scottish, some from Malta. 
 

We were on the Scenic Jade. We stayed on the Sapphire Deck in a Junior Suite #201. I prefer the Sapphire Deck as it is one flight of steps up to the lounge or one flight down to the dining room. We booked the junior balcony suite a year in advance because it was 250 sq feet and there are no Deluxe Balcony suites on the Jade. Even though I asked Scenic directly if there was a bathtub in the bathroom and was told no after being on hold for over 5 minutes, there was a bathtub in the bathroom so a very small shower. This was a massive disappointment as the extra square footage was mostly taken up by that massive tub and there was little extra space in the cabin outside the bathroom. The toilet was squeezed between the tub and the shower wall…and I do mean squeezed; it was uncomfortable to use, especially after my accident. The shower was a square that didn’t allow me to bend over. There was an abundance of cabinets in the bathroom and a long counter with 1 sink. The hand soap and lotion were mounted on the wall too high so I could not see the pumps when standing so had to bend over. Finally, there were no hand towels, or what DH and I think of a hand towel, or a place to put one that is being used. The 2 towel racks were over the end of the bathtub. There was a large bath towel and a towel I would think was for my hair on each rack and 2 facecloths on the counter.  We enjoyed both the location of the cabin and the cabin itself. 
 

We will sail again on Scenic but will not book the Junior Suite again unless there is absolutely no tub. We used the daily pressing that came with the cabin category and DH enjoyed the daily canapés (I don’t eat cream and most days they contained cream or raw fish which I don’t eat either but that is just preference). 
 

Because this was a special guest chef cruise, the onboard activities centred on the  two chefs and food: oyster tasting, cooking with cheese, stroopwafel demonstration, cooking with chocolate , question and answer session. But it also had a tulip lecture and a general presentation on Scenic. 
 

Would we do a special voyage again - yes. Is it imperative-no. The planning has begun. 

[cbr663]

Thanks so much for taking us along and sharing your final thoughts.

 

Like you, washrooms are important for us.  For our upcoming Avalon River Cruise we spent so much time watching review videos to try and find the perfect washroom for us.  I realize that cabins are smaller on these ships, yet sometimes, it is simply too small for us.  I also would have been very disappointed to discover a bath in the washroom after confirming that there wasn't a bath.

 

I find it surprising that after meeting with the Chef on embarkation to discuss your dietary needs that canapés were served that didn't meet those needs.  That was certainly a bummer.

 

Enjoy your next cruise planning and I am sure that those wonderful chocolates will help with your choices.  😃

[1of4]

20 minutes ago, cbr663 said:

Thanks so much for taking us along and sharing your final thoughts.

 

Like you, washrooms are important for us.  For our upcoming Avalon River Cruise we spent so much time watching review videos to try and find the perfect washroom for us.  I realize that cabins are smaller on these ships, yet sometimes, it is simply too small for us.  I also would have been very disappointed to discover a bath in the washroom after confirming that there wasn't a bath.

 

I find it surprising that after meeting with the Chef on embarkation to discuss your dietary needs that canapés were served that didn't meet those needs.  That was certainly a bummer.

 

Enjoy your next cruise planning and I am sure that those wonderful chocolates will help with your choices.  😃

It is interesting, the canapés were the only food that wasn’t vetted. I think that all suites, including our junior suite, get them automatically. The last day of canapé delivery we received a frantic call to our cabin for me not to eat them 😂. One look had already told me that. I was made a special dessert every night, made special soups and had changed ingredients. But these changes were never a lesser choice. 
 

I was given hot chocolate without whipped cream (or Bailey’s) and Dutch pea soup without cream, for two examples. Here are DH and I before our anniversary dinner in Portobello's and with chef Lora and chef Lynn. 

[1of4]

Well…here’s my update. I couldn’t take the pain anymore so went to our local hospital this morning. Turns out I have 3 fractures; 2 in my left foot and 1 in my left hand in my small finger. I find out next week if I will need surgery for my foot. Until then I need to stay off it. It will make getting my dye-transfer head MRI on Sunday very interesting. 
 

My only disappointment is that I was told nothing was broken and they asked me if I needed to have it looked at as the captain wanted to know if he had to change the departure schedule. My personality is to not cause any fuss. So I walked on it for a week. I wasn’t even offered the use of a wheelchair while onboard. In future, I would like to see someone tell the injured person what their options are instead of just saying nothing is broken but do you want to hold up the boat?

[1of4]

Update: 4 fractures. 2 in my fingers of my left hand and two in the bones of my left foo. I find out Tuesday if the one in my left ankle will require surgery. It’s a 50-50 chance right now. 
 

The head MRI tomorrow morning in Toronto just got a lot more complicated!

[Canal archive]

🤞my thoughts are with you and fingers crossed for good news. I do have a bit of a suggestion when you know exactly what damage has been done to get an official report written up and send a copy to Scenic head office, just for their information of course and their insurance company it just might help them try to make sure it doesn’t happen again.

My thoughts are with you.

[1of4]

33 minutes ago, Canal archive said:

🤞my thoughts are with you and fingers crossed for good news. I do have a bit of a suggestion when you know exactly what damage has been done to get an official report written up and send a copy to Scenic head office, just for their information of course and their insurance company it just might help them try to make sure it doesn’t happen again.

My thoughts are with you.

I was wondering if I should say anything. Not to complain, but to ensure it doesn’t happen again. 
 

I know if a crew member was stationed at the bottom of the first set of stairs down from the Sun Deck (see arrows) after the safety drill, my fall would not have happened. The astroturf carpeting was saturated with water and was very slippery. The railing ends before the last stair. As soon as I let go of the railing both feet (in running shoes/trainers) slipped off the stair, missing the last/first stair and I landed with both my left hand and left foot curled under my body. 
 

I was told by someone on the crew, after asking me if they could touch my ankle, that nothing was broken. 
 

My husband asked the program director if I could use the onboard wheelchair and he came back and essentially said the answer was no.  Neither of us can remember exactly what was said but it wasn’t  a no but I was never offered the use of the wheelchair. 
 

We received a call into our cabin stating the captain wanted to know if he had to make arrangements to delay departure so I could get medical attention. But I was already told nothing was broken. My personality is not to make a fuss so I said no. What would have worked better is if someone, probably the program director, had of presented me with options for places to go, who would go and with me and could translate either that day or the next. 
 

I am not sure who to contact at Scenic to discuss this as I am NOT wanting compensation as it was an accident. But I think there is a solution to ensure it doesn’t happen to someone else. 

[Canal archive]

I think they should be made aware then at least you would feel you had done your best without making an enormous fuss. Best wishes.

[ontheweb]

15 hours ago, 1of4 said:

I was wondering if I should say anything. Not to complain, but to ensure it doesn’t happen again. 
 

I know if a crew member was stationed at the bottom of the first set of stairs down from the Sun Deck (see arrows) after the safety drill, my fall would not have happened. The astroturf carpeting was saturated with water and was very slippery. The railing ends before the last stair. As soon as I let go of the railing both feet (in running shoes/trainers) slipped off the stair, missing the last/first stair and I landed with both my left hand and left foot curled under my body. 
 

I was told by someone on the crew, after asking me if they could touch my ankle, that nothing was broken. 
 

My husband asked the program director if I could use the onboard wheelchair and he came back and essentially said the answer was no.  Neither of us can remember exactly what was said but it wasn’t  a no but I was never offered the use of the wheelchair. 
 

We received a call into our cabin stating the captain wanted to know if he had to make arrangements to delay departure so I could get medical attention. But I was already told nothing was broken. My personality is not to make a fuss so I said no. What would have worked better is if someone, probably the program director, had of presented me with options for places to go, who would go and with me and could translate either that day or the next. 
 

I am not sure who to contact at Scenic to discuss this as I am NOT wanting compensation as it was an accident. But I think there is a solution to ensure it doesn’t happen to someone else. 

Hope all goes well with your injuries healing.

 

Did they give you any reason why you could not use the wheelchair? It seems odd that they did not allow that.

 

Do they have any post cruise survey? Maybe that is where you could give your thoughts about how a future similar accident could be prevented.

 

Again, thank you for sharing the details of your cruise. 

[puppycanducruise]

Thanks for sharing your cruise.  Your pictures are spectacular.

So sorry for your broken bones.  I hope you heal quickly.

[pontac]

I agree that you write to Scenic HQ with a plain statement of the facts.

 

If there is a design fault with the boats (and there seems to be) then only Scenic HQ are able to do something about it. The accident you suffered could also be happening on other boats in the fleet. They're unlikely to be reported by staff on the boat, so it's important Scenic centrally know.

[1of4]

On 4/28/2024 at 7:56 AM, ontheweb said:

Hope all goes well with your injuries healing.

 

Did they give you any reason why you could not use the wheelchair? It seems odd that they did not allow that.

 

Do they have any post cruise survey? Maybe that is where you could give your thoughts about how a future similar accident could be prevented.

 

Again, thank you for sharing the details of your cruise. 

Unfortunately, the survey is/was time sensitive so I didn’t know I had 4 fractures when I filled it out. As for the wheelchair, my husband didn’t recall the exact reply when he asked if I could use the wheelchair onboard but the answer wasn’t an outright no, but it wasn’t an outright yes either. He returned to the cabin without the chair saying something like he didn’t think the captain would allow it. 
 

thanks for reading. I hope to do another next year. I find out if I will need surgery tomorrow morning 😬 

[ontheweb]

1 hour ago, 1of4 said:

Unfortunately, the survey is/was time sensitive so I didn’t know I had 4 fractures when I filled it out. As for the wheelchair, my husband didn’t recall the exact reply when he asked if I could use the wheelchair onboard but the answer wasn’t an outright no, but it wasn’t an outright yes either. He returned to the cabin without the chair saying something like he didn’t think the captain would allow it. 
 

thanks for reading. I hope to do another next year. I find out if I will need surgery tomorrow morning 😬 

🤞, that you do not need surgery. I believe i mentioned in this thread my experience in a walking boot at Versailles, so I know about ankle surgery. I broke my left ankle on a Memorial Day Weekend and later had surgery after the swelling went down. When post operation I told the surgeon we had a trip to Paris and Amsterdam planned for mid-August for our wedding anniversary, he first made a face and then said if all went well it would work out.

 

I do hope it was your left ankle as opposed to your right as that allows.you to a least drive a car.

 

As for the survey, if it was like on our river cruise, it was filled out onboard so would have been before you found out, but there should still be a way to contact them. I know I decided I wanted to raise an issue I put on our survey and found contact us on the line's website.

 

I would especially want to find out the issue of why they were hesitant to let you use the wheelchair that was onboard..

[notamermaid]

2 hours ago, 1of4 said:

I find out if I will need surgery tomorrow morning 😬 

Fingers crossed it is not needed. All the best.

 

I also think it would be good to contact Scenic. I do wonder about the handrail you mentioned being short, that is, not covering the last step of the flight of stairs. That can confuse the brain and something that could be addressed, if not with a material solution than by a warning sign or the crew pointing it out.

 

notamermaid

 

[1of4]

3 hours ago, ontheweb said:

🤞, that you do not need surgery. I believe i mentioned in this thread my experience in a walking boot at Versailles, so I know about ankle surgery. I broke my left ankle on a Memorial Day Weekend and later had surgery after the swelling went down. When post operation I told the surgeon we had a trip to Paris and Amsterdam planned for mid-August for our wedding anniversary, he first made a face and then said if all went well it would work out.

 

I do hope it was your left ankle as opposed to your right as that allows.you to a least drive a car.

 

As for the survey, if it was like on our river cruise, it was filled out onboard so would have been before you found out, but there should still be a way to contact them. I know I decided I wanted to raise an issue I put on our survey and found contact us on the line's website.

 

I would especially want to find out the issue of why they were hesitant to let you use the wheelchair that was onboard..

Yes it is my left ankle!  Right now I’m not allowed to put any weight on it which was real fun when I went for my 3D head MRI Sunday. But tomorrow morning is coming quickly and I will have my answer. 
 

My travel agent found the correct email to inform Scenic. They don’t want me to phone and prefer an email. Her opinion was if they aren’t informed then they can’t fix it. 

2 hours ago, notamermaid said:

Fingers crossed it is not needed. All the best.

 

I also think it would be good to contact Scenic. I do wonder about the handrail you mentioned being short, that is, not covering the last step of the flight of stairs. That can confuse the brain and something that could be addressed, if not with a material solution than by a warning sign or the crew pointing it out.

 

notamermaid

 

Thank you. I now have the correct email to use for Scenic. I’ll write it after I get back from the fracture clinic tomorrow. That way it will have (hopefully) more information. 

[Canal archive]

Most companies are more than happy to know if anything has happened outside of the norm. The actual company because they can then see a gap, if any, in their H & S training and the Insurance Company so that they are aware of the training necessity, the lack of which could impact on themselves. 
Keep well, in my experience foot bones are usually left to heal themselves, having played sport level badminton in my youth I know to my cost but that was quite a few years ago things have most probably changed. Fingers crossed.

[1of4]

NO SURGERY!!!
 

I’m so relieved!  The doctor said that since I walked on it for nearly 2 weeks (I had a cane/stick) I can now get rid of the crutches and it will probably speed up the healing of a notoriously slow fracture to heal. No more sleeping in the air boot either. 😊 I go back in 3 weeks for another X-ray and consultation. I will be contacted about getting a home ultrasound machine that will enhance bone regeneration. 

I searched for photos last night on the web. None were the Jade but it reaffirmed my memory that the railings end before the last step when going down. The stairs I fell down were from the upper Sun Deck to the lower Sun Deck and they were covered in an astroturf-like carpeting that was saturated from rain. Thank goodness I only missed the bottom step. 
 

So good news all around. I will email Scenic this afternoon on what happened and measures they can consider to improve the steps to hopefully help avoid future incidents. 

Edited yesterday at 03:28 PM by 1of4
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[puppycanducruise]

So happy to hear you won't need surgery.  I hope you are not in too much pain.

[ontheweb]

1 hour ago, 1of4 said:

NO SURGERY!!!
 

I’m so relieved!  The doctor said that since I walked on it for nearly 2 weeks (I had a cane/stick) I can now get rid of the crutches and it will probably speed up the healing of a notoriously slow fracture to heal. No more sleeping in the air boot either. 😊 I go back in 3 weeks for another X-ray and consultation. I will be contacted about getting a home ultrasound machine that will enhance bone regeneration. 

I searched for photos last night on the web. None were the Jade but it reaffirmed my memory that the railings end before the last step when going down. The stairs I fell down were from the upper Sun Deck to the lower Sun Deck and they were covered in an astroturf-like carpeting that was saturated from rain. Thank goodness I only missed the bottom step. 
 

So good news all around. I will email Scenic this afternoon on what happened and measures they can consider to improve the steps to hopefully help avoid future incidents. 

Also glad you do not need surgery. Did the doctor recommend seeing a physical therapist to help with walking?

[1of4]

27 minutes ago, ontheweb said:

Also glad you do not need surgery. Did the doctor recommend seeing a physical therapist to help with walking?

I currently go to physiotherapy weekly for vestibular therapy so it will be worked into my current appointments. Because of balance issues, many traditional exercises are out for me (wobble board for example).