First time Seabourn Cruiser...a few question

[boxsterr]

My husband and I are scheduled on the Panama Canal cruise in November. This will be our first Seabourn experience....have cruised extensively on Oceania.When do you get detailed info about shore excursions and do you recommend using the ship's excursions or making private arrangements. Also, is snorkeling equipment provided or should we bring our own? Appreciate your response,

Brenda

[Tex805]

We're going on our first Seabourn too - sounds like it'll be the same trip - the Legend. Based on what I've read and found out, most of the Seabourn shore excursions sound very worthwhile. The one questionable one (for us) is the Roatan one. Looking forward to meeting you!

[PeaSea8ch]

Hi Boxsterr and welcome to Seabourn Cruise Line! Click on the first link below and scroll down to post # 6 and read from there on about the shore excursions. The rest of the thread deals with airfare and transfers to and from the ship for your Panama Canal cruise. This year, I received the Preliminary Documentation Booklet about 2 months before sailing on the Legend's Nov. Atlantic crossing (the cruise before yours). The second link is to the Panama Canal webcams to wet your appetite for your PC transit. Enjoy!

 

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Click Here for PC webcam

Prepare yourself to be pampered and spoiled — you will have a GRAND time on the Legend indeed! :)

[wripro]

I did the same cruise on the Legend last year and it's a great itinerary. The only shore excursions I took through SB were a zip lining one in Nicaragua (great fun) and an air boat ride in Belize (so-so.) Oh, also did the tour of the Miraflores Locks in Panama which is interesting if you'd like to know about the history of the canal. Other than that we did our own thing in most ports and enjoyed exploring on our own. You can take the SB shuttle into Panama City from Fuerte Amador, and walk around the old part of town...very interesting. The best day of the whole trip anyway will be the beach barbecue at Hunting Cay. Whatever you do, don't miss that.

 

Have a great time.

[Missabby]

boxsterr - IMO, whether or not Seabourn provides snorkeling equipment or not, I would at least bring my own mask and snorkel. I personally do not want to put my face and mouth where someone else had their face and mouth a few days before me. Seabourn is good, but I am not trusting enough to assume they will properly sanitize the equipment between cruises.

 

We just came off the Pride in London last Friday - as we passed through the marina to catch the tenders during the cruise I did not notice any snorkeling gear but it might have been put away. It's not too hard to rent flippers in the Caribbean if you bring your own mask and snorkel.

 

BTW - I bring my mask anyway as they have perscription inserts in them.

 

Have fun!

[Reneekc]

We are so looking forward to our first cruise on Seabourn! We are doing the Grand Voyage Fll to LAX in January, and would love to hear any reviews and suggestions from those who have done this before. There seems to be a great comraderie among Seabourn travelers and I hope to meet many new friends on this trip. As an aside, my husband and I are taking my parents along for the 50th anniversary. They are extrememly active (skiers, sailors etc) and are so looking forward to this cruise.

 

Any advice for us...and do people often mix at dinner tables?

 

Thanks for you input.

 

Flautista Renee

[LaPaloma]

We will be on your last segment of the trip. You are correct that the SB cruisers are a compatable..friendly sort. As for the mixing of tables...that is at your discretion. If you feel like a family meal..that is possible, and..if you want company, they will seat you at a larger table. It is a good way to meet people, as are the tours. You are going to love the care and pampering of the wonderful staff. Lola

[PeaSea8ch]

Flautista Renee, Welcome aboard and prepare yourself to be pampered and spoiled! I had started composing this post and got sidetracked. Then I saw LaPaloma's post when I previewed, so please consider this an embelishment of what she posted. You and your traveling party will love the Panama Canal. Ok, I am biased being an engineer and have made the transit through the big ditch 4 times (and will do it again), the last being on the Legend in 2004 and disembarking in Puerto Caldera.

 

Seabourn sailors are a fun-loving group, sophisticated and well-traveled. Passenger ages range from the 20's through 70's. The pasengers mix very well together. On the Trans-Atlantic crossings, with no port stops and pasengers not rushing about for shore excursions, we are a captive audience and the passengers, crew and officers bond together to form an extended family. That is what I love about Seabourn.

 

There is something for everyone and you can do as much or as little as you want to do. I like to do deck walking for hours on end each day. By the third day of the cruise, all the sun worshipers know who I am. The entertainment program is low-key. If you want glitzy brass, glass and flash Las Vegas type reviews, then Seabourn is not right for you.

 

Dinner is always a special occaision on Seabourn. With open seating, you can dine when and with whomever you want or just have a table for two. Seabourn is very good at inviting pasengers, especially solo sailors, to dine at hosted tables. You simply accept or decline, if you have other plans. On formal evenings, the principal ship's officers also host tables in the dining room. On all nights, the entertainers, guest lecturers and cruise staff also host tables. It is always fun to be seated for dinner at a hosted table. This is how you meet and get to know people and most likely will make new friends which is part of what cruising is all about.

 

You and your parents will have an absolute blast on your cruise! :) The crew starts to fuss over you the minute you come alongside the Legend for boarding and continuing on until you leave the customs area after disembarking in Los Angeles. Yes, life is always good on Seabourn! :)

[SchnauzerPup]

My suggestion on dining is to ask to be seated with others. For me at least the mix of people and perspectives you find on SB is the best part of the trip. Everyone I met was interesting, personable, and great to talk with. If you want a romantic evening alone take advantage of in-suite dining (it is truly superb) when in the dining room don't miss the chance to meet fellow cruisers.

 

I will tell you a short story that sums up the staff on SB. Every day the cabin attendant would make small a towel sculpture. One of them was a small "dog". The next morning she asked if there was a problem since we had not used that towel and we said it reminded us of our pet schnauzer who had recently passed away and who we missed very much. Every evening after that there was a small towel dog on our sofa and each day it had a different small cookie in the shape of a dog bone, freshly made by the galley, placed on a small plate in front of it. Needless to say we were very touched.

[LaPaloma]

For anyone who is on the canal trip, I urge you to read David McCullough's book "The Path Between the Seas". It's a great read, and makes the passage thru the canal much more interesting. It's the story of the building the canal! It wasn't easy!!! Don

[Seabourn-nail]

What a lovely name you have! My husband (René) and I (Marja) will be on the last 10 days of your cruise from Caldera to LA (and back by the way).

You will have a wonderful experience on Seabourn, that's for sure! We had the pleasure of sailing with Seabourn a lot. I'm sure we will meet you and then I can ask you how you and your parents liked the first part of your cruise!

[Reneekc]

Thanks for all the great replies....! A few more questions....how great is the food and the wine? Is the house wine good, (and what is it, if anyone knows), can you request and have them bring specific wines for the sailing? I understand that you can bring wine on board, but that sounds a bit cumbersome. I know there is a reserve wine list, but haven't yet seen a list. How are the quality of the shore excursions, and are there any that you would especially recommend? Any great cities for Aztec or Mayan ruins we should surely take, and for the adventurer in me, is the swim with the dolphins more than just a pet the dolphin outing? I would love to hear your experiences, and look forward to meeting Rene and Marja on the journey!

(loved Path between the Seas...!)

Flautista Renee

[PeaSea8ch]

Flautista Renee,

Yes the food Is wonderful on Seabourn! My favorite appetizer, dinner entree and dessert are the garlic goat cheese soufflé; lobster, lobster, lobster consisting of lobster tail, lobster spring roll and lobster salad with lobster sauce (no drooling Backbird and I hope you have your tux cleaned and pressed before you pack for your Turkey Day Cruise); and last but not least crème bruleé on parade consisting of 3 small ramekins with dark chocolate, milk chocolate and white chocolate crème bruleé. These are my favorites. The prime rib, escargot, shrimp and crab chicken Kiev, rack of lamb and rack of veal are always succulent! At the back of the dinner menu are entrees that are always available such as Caesar salad, salmon (cooked he way you like it), New York steak, fillet mignon plus a few more items that I cannot remember at the moment.

 

Luncheon menus in the dining room are similar to the diner menus but portions are scaled back a bit. I prefer to have lunch in the Veranda Café. They always have a hot soup and a chilled fruit or cream soup and an impressive array of salad fixins, shrimp, crab, scallops hot entrees, a carving station where the chef will carve the meat du jour to your order and a daily pasta specialty; desserts include ice cream, yogurt, pies and cakes.

 

Breakfast menus in the dining room and Veranda Café are typical. The veranda has a lot of fresh fruits prepared and I love fruit for breakfast. Each cruise I always have on separate days the eggs Benedict and crepes with lingonberries, my favorite breakfast entrees.

 

If you have a special request, let the head waiter know at least a day or two in advance and they will gladly accommodate you. One day for lunch at the Veranda, I had special ordered for a small group Monte Cristo sandwiches with caramelized cabbage on the side. The sandwich melted in your mouth and the cabbage was sooo good that I though I had died and gone to heaven! The motto of the staff is your wish is their command. That is why sailing on Seabourn is so special.

 

If you prefer to dine alone or with another couple, Seabourn offers in-suite dining during dining room operating hours. Dining in your suite is always course by course and not the entire meal presented at once. I even know of a couple that dined in their suite on a formal evening in their Seabourn bathrobes. To each is own and whatever floats your boat, works on Seabourn.

 

I promise, your taste buds, palate and tummy will be very happy during and after a meal on The Yachts of Seabourn! Since I do not drink, I will defer your question about the wines to the Seabourn sailor wine connoisseurs who post here frequently.

[Missabby]

As PeachSea8ch said, the food is heaven; the best we have ever had on a cruise ship. I agree - the twice baked goat cheese souffle is out of this world and my favorite dessert is the creme brulee "on parade"! Yum!

 

Their bread sticks are to die for, too. More ways to transport butter to my stomach.

 

Duck, fillet mignon...everything done to perfection. And, after all that, wait for the Galley Luncheon!

[blackbird71]

and last but not least crème bruleé on parade consisting of 3 small ramekins with dark chocolate, milk chocolate and white chocolate crème bruleé. These are my favorites.

 

Since I do not drink, I will defer your question about the wines to the Seabourn sailor wine connoisseurs who post here frequently.

 

I wanta go now...I love crème bruleé :):)

 

IMHO the worst part of being a first time Seabourn Sailor is you do not know what you are missing, the more days you do, the more dishes you get to enjoy.

 

Blackbird is not a wino but I do like a glass of wine with my meal. Wine service on my Silversea's sampler cruise was very spotty but on my RSSC, it was very good. A white to start the meal, and then a red was offered with the main course. Refills as needed.

 

45 days and counting...