Live Dubrovnik to Dubrovnik - Aug 25- Sept 15 on the Encore

[bishopb]

Did you listen to the 'sea organ' too? 

[galeforce9]

@Hlitner. I wonder if you can help please?  What’s the current on board temperature like please?  The weather is going to take a significant turn for the worse next week and I am debating rethinking my wardrobe! Looks like it will be rainy with night time temps about 13c 

[Heather White]

2 hours ago, galeforce9 said:

@Hlitner. I wonder if you can help please?  What’s the current on board temperature like please?  The weather is going to take a significant turn for the worse next week and I am debating rethinking my wardrobe! Looks like it will be rainy with night time temps about 13c 

Where are you going to be?

[Hlitner]

3 hours ago, galeforce9 said:

@Hlitner. I wonder if you can help please?  What’s the current on board temperature like please?  The weather is going to take a significant turn for the worse next week and I am debating rethinking my wardrobe! Looks like it will be rainy with night time temps about 13c 

Regarding temps onboard, it can be cold in the Grand Salon, warm in Solis, etc etc.  Truth is the temps vary around  the ship so you might want to bring along some kind of wrap.

 

Hank

[galeforce9]

44 minutes ago, Heather White said:

Where are you going to be?

Dubrovnik to Athens on Encore 

[Hlitner]

On 9/10/2024 at 3:39 PM, bishopb said:

Did you listen to the 'sea organ' too? 

We did hear the sea organ, as we walked along the seaside promenade (Zgar).  

 

Yesterday, 9/11, the Encore tendered folks into the seaside resort town of Opatija.  The highlight is a long (over 7 mile) walkway that takes folks, mostly along the sea.  It was pretty nice day, so DW and took the tender and walked about 3 miles along this walkway.   We could gaze down on folks at various "beach" spots which were mostly concrete or stone beaches.  The old resort town has quite a few older mansions (many of which are now hotels, B&Bs, etc) and a smallish village with some shops, restaurants, cafes, etc.  

 

Today, we docked in Kotor, Slovenia.  As forecast, the weather was awful (in the morning) with T-Storms, heavy rain, wind, etc.  In a word it was "dreary."  Many passengers went off on their early morning excursions (they likely got drenched just getting to their buses) with Lubijana being one of the more popular day excursions.  Since much of the itinerary on the excursions involved walking tours, searching for truffles, etc. we do hope that our shipmates make it back to the Encore without having been drowned by the heavy rains.

 

DW and I had no plans, today, other than to walk around Kotor.  After "Mexican" lunch in the Colonnade, the rain stopped, the skies brightened, and we quickly took advantage and strolled through the small town.  After our walk (about 40 minutes) we returned to the ship just as the rain again hit our location.  Kotor is not very impressive, and planning a day trip or excursion is a good choice....assuming it is not a dreary, rainy day.

 

I previously mentioned 3 Seabourn "secrets," and here is a 4th.  Coffee on Seabourn is typical cruise ship brew which is made in large commercial devices.  For those who prefer strong and more flavorful coffee, the grog poured by the waiters can be disappointing.  An alternative, in the Colonnade is to request (from your waiter) a French Press coffee.  This item does not appear on the menu and is another of those things where knowledge is power.  The French Press coffee is usually very good and strong.  The problem is that once the press is put on your table there is no way to know, for sure, how long it has been steeping.  I will normally push down the press as soon as the pot arrives, and most of the time I get a very flavorful strong, rich, brew.

 

Last evening we had our 2nd show by a singer named Sam Bailey.  For those who have never seen Sam, she is a delightful English lady with quite a background.  At one time she was a prison guard who enjoyed singing.  She then managed to get on the English X-Factor show (akin to American Idol or the Voice).  Sam won the X-factor (over 10 years ago) which triggered her career singing in West End productions and working on cruise ships.  We found her two shows delightful and also enjoyed some of her story/joke telling.  Future SB cruisers have a good chance of seeing Sam, since she is booked on about 15 SB voyages in 2025.  Dinner, last evening, was another Hosted Table in the restaurant.  We dined with one of the ship's excellent singers and the table conversation was lots of fun.  In fact, we spent nearly 2 hours in the Restaurant because of the good company (we were later joined by another of the ship's singers).  

 

Hank

[lincslady]

I am pretty sure that Kotor is in Montegro - a pretty town approached from the sea via a very long 'fjord' which is a lovely scenic way in. ??

[Hlitner]

32 minutes ago, lincslady said:

I am pretty sure that Kotor is in Montegro - a pretty town approached from the sea via a very long 'fjord' which is a lovely scenic way in. ??

Yep, my bad.  The port (today) is Koper.  Thanks for spotting my error :).  Ironically, on this cruise we have also stopped in Kotor, which we think is a fantastic port.

[Vineyard View]

We loved Kotor last year. The whole sailing and port experience. 
 

Koper, on the other hand. It was dreadful. We also walked a long ways on the promenade and experienced a few very sad encounters during that walk. We stopped at a seaside restaurant for a cold beer and nibble, then turned it into a lovely day relaxing on the ship. 
Koper definitely has to be about excursions, and one I would not recommend spending much time in. 

Edited September 12 by Vineyard View

[FeliciaLee]

5 hours ago, Hlitner said:

Last evening we had our 2nd show by a singer named Sam Bailey.  For those who have never seen Sam, she is a delightful English lady with quite a background.  At one time she was a prison guard who enjoyed singing.  She then managed to get on the English X-Factor show (akin to American Idol or the Voice).  Sam won the X-factor (over 10 years ago) which triggered her career singing in West End productions and working on cruise ships.  We found her two shows delightful and also enjoyed some of her story/joke telling.  Future SB cruisers have a good chance of seeing Sam, since she is booked on about 15 SB voyages in 2025.

We saw her on Regent and she was absolutely phenomenal! She also told so many hilarious stories at dinner that we initially thought she was a comedian. Glad to see she is still so entertaining.

[2SailingNomads]

On 9/1/2024 at 6:56 AM, Hlitner said:

Greetings fellow cruise lovers.

Since the two "Fudges" debarked this morning, I have decided to continue the live report which is under another thread.  This morning, the Encore docked at Terminal C in Pireaus.  That particular terminal is about 1/3 of a mile from the main cruise terminal, which means a slightly longer walk or ride to get anywhere!   DW and I are, normally, very independent travelers and today was no exception.  We decided to walk over to the relatively new Dimotiko Theatro Metro Station, rather than hike to our usual station located on the other side of the port (across from the main ferry terminal entrance.  This was our first experience using the new station, which provided access to the metro blue line (I think it is also known as line 3).  Both the Green Line (which is from the older station) and the Blue Line (from the newer station) provide easy access to Athens.  In this case, DW and I were going to the Monastiriki Station (which can be accessed by either the Blue or Green lines).  Round trip on this metro cost us 2.30 Euros, so the total cost of going into Athens (for a couple) is less than $5.  

 

The walk from Terminal C to either station is about 1.1 miles and folks might want to consider that the old station (often referred to cruisers as the train station) can be accssed by the local #843 bus for those that do not like 1 mile walks.  The new station does mean hiking uphill for about 2 blocks to get to its access road.  We really appreciated that the Blue Line has new trains which are in great condition.  Folks can actually take this metro line all the way to the Athens Airport, although that does require purchasing a more expensive ticket (9 Euros one-way).

 

After our 20 min metro ride we alighted at Monasiriki and did our usual Athens Sunday stroll through the various streets of the popular flea market.  After 1 1/2 hours of shopping, we decided to head back to Pireaus (and the ship) for lunch, which we enjoyed on-deck.  It occurred to us that some would find it strange that a couple of cruisers were back aboard by 1pm after having trekked all the way into Athens.  I mention this for folks who like to do their own thing, since traveling between the port of Pireaus and downtown Athens is actually quite simple (and inexpensive).  One could also take a taxi (for a lot more money), the X80 express bus, or even make the trek on one of several local bus routes (not recommended by me).

 

On our way to the station, about 9:30 this morning, it actually rained!  This is unusual for Athens in the summer, but the shower was a minor inconvenience and did help keep down the temperatures (which eventually made it to the mid 80s F or about 30 C) and clean-up the usually polluted air.  

 

After our lunch, near the pool on Deck 9, we found loungers in the shade on the aft end of Deck 5 (behind the Club).  One big change, that has happened on Seabourn, is that most of the deck loungers now have cushions.  These are about 1 1/2 inches thick, have a plastic coating (which is great if they get wet) and really add to the comfort of using the loungers.  While many talk about the various cut-backs (such as with Cognac) it is nice to also see some improvements.

 

This evening, DW and I will again dine at a "hosted table" in the Restaurant.  For those not aware, Seabourn does provide some larger Restaurant tables that are hosted by various staff.  This is a popular thing with some singles and couples and invites may sometimes just happen, or anyone can simply tell one of the restaurant hostesses that they want such invites.  DW and I love the hosted tables since it is a way to meet some other cruisers and staff.  Since the COVID shutdown, we seldom see the marine Officers hosting tables, and most hosts are either non-marine staff (such as the Cruise Director, or various entertainers.  So far, on this voyage (we have been here a week) we have dined with two Guest Entertainers (who we knew from having met them on two previous cruises), the Seabourn Club Hostess, and a third invite (which we turned down) to dine with one of the regular singers.

 

The reason we turned down the third hosted table invite was because, last evening, we wanted to dine in the Colonnade where they had the somewhat popular "Indian Market."  The Indian Market is a common occurrence on Seabourn and a personal favorite.  This buffet is obviously about Indian Cuisine, and we really enjoy the change from the more normal menu items.  Last evening was quite pleasent, outside, and the ship was cruising at a very slow speed which made dining behind the Colonnade a near-perfect experience.  The outside area was packed with happy cruisers enjoying the Indian dishes.  The evening later continued with a 9:30 Production Show, which was quite full.  On most nights when there is a show, there are two performances (usually about 8:15 and 10:15).  But last night, being the final night for a cruise segment, the CD only scheduled one show.

 

A word about our Suite.  I had mentioned, a few weeks ago, that we had booked a V1 (basic veranda suite) guarantee for this cruise.  SB offered us several opportunities for upsells (always to various V categories) which we ignored.  When we got our suite assignment. we received a free upgrade all the way to V4 which put us on Deck 10.  While these V4 cabins are the highest and most expensive "V" Category, we actually prefer lower category suites on decks 5-8!  Deck 10 is actually, in my opinion, the least convenient location for a suite since the only inside elevator access are the two forward elevators.  To get to the main elevator bank, one needs to go outside.  Funny thing about cruise ships is that folks are willing to pay more money for the highest category cabins/suites, which are often in less desirable locations.  But cruisers have always been brainwashed to accept that the best cabin locations are on the highest decks (usually amidship).  Just one of those long-standing cruise traditions.

 

Hank

As a gentleman we sailed with several times on Seabourn years ago rightly said about suites on higher floors: "You pay to sway".... 

[galeforce9]

Not off to a good start on our trip out to join this cruise’s next segment.  Woke up at 4.30am with airport pick up at 5.30am to Heathrow.  BA had cancelled our flight overnight and assigned an indirect flight for a day later, the day of the cruise but arriving too late anyway.  Managed to get two of the last seats on EasyJet out of Manchester.  Not quite business class (Club Europe) but what can you do.  Now trying to sort out revised airport transfers. 
 

I also need to ensure our return flights are not automatically cancelled and start the claim process for my new flights with Seabourn (booked under FlightEase).  No word from Flight Ease of course!  I think my best point of contact is BA re flights and travel agent re claim.  Thoughts welcome!  
 

At least my hotel in Croatia has already reorganised transfers and dinner for me.  
 

On another point, heard overnight that Monday’s port is rescheduled from Vis to Korcula.  Which is a plus.  Always wanted to go there! 

[lincslady]

Hope the travel is working out for you now, what a bummer.

[Hlitner]

We wish Galeforce the best and hope that the remainder of their journey to the Encore is a good experience.  We have decided not to drink all the booze, since it does sound like Galeforce will need a stiff drink, once aboard :).

 

I think it is correct to say that Seabourn has saved the best for last!  Today is the last day of our 3 week cruise, and we are tendering into the port of Hvar.  The weather is ideal with temps about 70f (28C), very low humidity, and a strong breeze (which did make the tender ride a bit bumpy.  I say the "best for last" because this port is simply gorgeous.  In fact, it is one of the more beautiful places we have every visited.  Hvar is a popular jet set destination and seeing a very expensive new yacht called Dyna, docked in town just emphasized that Hvar is a place for the rich and the famous.  The Dyna yacht rents for over 310,000 Euros per week and, according to online info, holds 12 passengers (with a crew of 10).  

 

Hvar is one of the most picturesque places we have seen in Croatia.  Above the attractive town sits the town fortress which is accessible by hiking up steps and a well manicured trail, or it is also possible to get to the top via taxi.  The views from the fortress were enough for DW to remark. "we need to come back on a driving trip or another cruise."  The lower part of the town  (around the harbor) is full of cafes/restaurants offering all kinds of food with seafood seeming to be the most popular option.

 

Tonight, for our final dinner on this cruise. we have again been invited to a hosted table with one of the SB singers.  However, we also noticed that the Colonnade is having the "Indian Market" which is one of our favorite SB meals.  Tough choice, but we declined the hosted table invite so we can enjoy the Indian cuisine.   During this 21 day cruise we have managed to dine at 6 hosted tables and declined several others.  All the hosted tables were great fun and we are truly grateful to the staff that volunteers to socialize with we passengers.  It is something that makes SB somewhat different from most other cruise lines and is an option just waiting for those with an interest.

 

Hank

[Vineyard View]

On our Quest trip last year, we took an ‘excursion’, from Avis to Hvar. Vis had nothing to offer, unless you took an excursion to the blue caves. Hvar was a wonderful day. So glad you were able to experience it, and end out this trip on such a positive note!