Quest: NY- Montreal

[adoctor]

Have just returned from a really excellent cruise. A full ship but a good captain ,an outstanding Cruise Director and Great Chef. This was the best cruise since the shutdown. Enough of the adjectives here are a few issues/points:

1 This is a popular route .We seemed to have the knack of arriving in port at the same time as other ships. Viking was manageable but the horrendous Norwegian Joy was a nightmare. The port stop at Saguenay was an ordeal not a pleasure. Charlottetown also rammed .

2 Solis. A soli(s)d effort but not up to the consistent standards of Thomas Keller. A chicken dish for 2 was very ordinary but the fish stew was delightful.

3 Other Dinning: Excellent fare and the evening service in the Colonnade best ever. Service generally good but the continued refusal to open the dinning room for breakfast (except on sea days) was a big problem. When it is raining and the Patio grill and open deck are unavailable the Colonnade  is unable to cope. It's not just about choice and preference its about the numbers. Listen Seabourn this is an issue for you to fix.

4The Chef. Sami is a great Chef and Seabourn long server. His Cooking demo was really interesting with plenty of tips and his Shopping with the Chef in Quebec a delight. I commented on the lack of fresh seafood on board as we were sailing through some of the richest fishing grounds. He would like to do more but is restricted by the requirements for any supplier to be certified. I suspect however this is more driven by corporate supply chain requirements. The whole lobster lunch on a ship's excursion on Prince Edward Island was top notch.

5 Cruise Director: Aimee Lang is great and works really hard. She has an outstanding voice and Trivia is always great fun. She did struggle with the Conversationalist she was sent by Seattle. We had three. All were speaking on the same topic. Space, the Stars, Black Holes, Alien beings(not the guests!) etc. .Great if this is your bag but dreadfully dull otherwise. In my book "worthy but dull" 

6 Wines: I thought the pouring selection was pretty good. Oyster Bay Sauvignon Blanc, the wonderful Provence Rose(known as the one in the sexy bottle) ,and the Nine Hats Cabernet were all very quaffable. BUT Seabourn has a whole strategy called" Enhancing on board revenues" .They want to sell the so called fine wines and we were bombarded with invitations to Wine tastings, lunches etc all at extra cost as part of this program. Some Seattle wizard may think that downgrading the pouring selections will enhance on board revenue and save cost! Selling the Retreat is also part of this ill conceived strategy. The Seabourn concept of "all inclusive" should be sacrosanct and not eroded by these initiatives.( I wont start another debate but In my view needless tipping falls into the same erosion of concept category).

7 Summary. After a pretty poor cruise on Odyssey in 2023 we we thinking of trying other lines. This trip has restored our faith and we will return.

  

 

 

 

[Utopia1]

I do not plan on switching to another cruise line--  I agree with the above review.  I just returned from a back to back cruise and felt a decline in food and beverage, entertainment, and housekeeping.

The problem in food and beverage was communications-- not the food.

 Rainy days or late arrival times made breakfast in Colonnade overcrowded and difficult to get seating.

The guest entertainment was geared to the English guests.  The Conversationalist was qualified in his field-- but for those of us that were not interested in his field he was boring. He was on back to back.

The reason I am not switching cruise lines (yet?) is the crew and officers.  They are beyond wonderful.  They genuinely care and have made the ship feel like home.  I will overlook a lot for the comfort and pleasure I receive on the ship.

[nancygp]

Aimee Lake is the name of the CD currently on the Quest.  She’s terrific and can’t wait to sail with her again very soon.  I sure hope for better conversationalist.,I’m aware of one that will be on my cruise and know he will be worth listening to

 

Namcy 

[Gourmet Gal]

Adoctor, thanks for the review of the ship but could you comment on the itinerary and ports beyond the crowds?  Itinerary is my first consideration and I’ve been interested in this region.  Were there any notable excursions? 

[adoctor]

Apologies for my typo on CD'S name. Thank you Nancy (or was it Namcy!)

Sorry couldn't resist.

As requested some notes on the ports:

New York:

Not a great boarding experience(Why are New Yorkers rude?) but sail away past Statue of Liberty, Ellis island etc iconic. Captain sailed closer to the sights to enhance the experience.

Provincetown.

A replacement port for Newport.(apparently the Rhode Islanders didn't want cruises till after Labor Day. Landing by Tender .Attractive main street but very busy on the holiday weekend.

Boston.

Plenty to see and do. Port well served by Taxi's,  Hop on off buses. 

Halifax .

Great port and city. History, Museums (Ref Titanic) or trip out to Wine Country and Bay of Fundy. Overnight in good port location .Ship organized an evening trip for Lobster at Peggy's Cove . Late return to ship but seemed to be enjoyable for those who signed up.

Charlottetown

PEI is a great island. The city is walkable and interesting. We took a ship's bus trip to the home of Anne of Green Gables author Lucy Maud Montgomery. Enjoyable but very wet and busy.(Ref Norwegian Joy also in port).

Followed by a brilliant Lobster lunch(whole lobster per person) in family restaurant + entertainment.

Saguenay: 

Fjord still very green(Too early for leaf peepers).Dreadful experience with Norwegian Joy dominating. Also there Viking,  Silver Seas and Princess.

Many took a trip to the National park but everything rammed. An Ordeal.

Quebec:

Star of the show. Great docking location in the old town. Easy access to the funicular up to the Chateau .Great views .History, Restaurants, Museums and that "Je ne sais quoi"

A good selection of ship's tours but very easy on your own.

Stayed an extra night as scheduled stop at Trois Riviers cancelled(Piloting issue) .No hardship as plenty in Quebec. Shopping with the Chef in purpose built indoor market about  2 miles from the ship.

Montreal:

Good port location and very smooth disembarkation.

 

 

 

[nancygp]

32 minutes ago, adoctor said:

Apologies for my typo on CD'S name. Thank you Nancy (or was it Namcy!)

You’re welcome…it’s Nancy…didn’t proof my typo! 😄😄

 

Nancy

[kahuna21]

On several Seabourn cruises, we haven’t had the apparent good luck to enjoy CD Aimee, but not to worry, our Seabourn CD’s have been consistently better than on any other line we’ve tried.