Just back --Legend Eastern Med review

[Chairsin]

The following is a tale of the good, the bad and the ugly. The good (actually, the great) was the two weeks we spent on the Legend cruising from Rome to Barcelona. Even though the weather was not perfect the food, service and scenery were wonderful. We met some fun fellow passengers ( including the Cass's who boarded when we did -- I am not sure if I have ever met two nicer, more down to earth, interesting people). And we were honored to be on Captain Bauer's last cruise aboard the Legend before he heads to the Odyssey next spring -- the crew held a big farewell party for him the night before he disembarked with us in Barcelona.

 

The bad, unfortunately, was that when we arrived in our suite on the ship our relief at seeing our bag that we shipped through Seabourn Valet quickly turned to dismay as we found that numerous items had been stolen out of our luggage.(And it turns out we were not alone, we found out two other Valet users had been the victims of theft as well.)It is disheartening to find that Saebourn's promise of control over our luggage at all times was not complete.It wil be interesting to see how they deal with our claim.

 

And the ugly was our second day in Barcelona when Sailor Boy's wallet was stolen. After wasting half of our last day in the police station ( with many other victims of similar larceny) we could not wait to get on the plane and fly home the next day. Unfortunately we sat IN THE AIRPLANE on the runway for over 4 hours with no food or drink (unless you count a pack of pretzels and water) before things started to get out of hand with some of our fellow passengers and they deplaned us to the departure lounge for another one a half hours before they cancelled the flight. I won't go into the gory details but it was poorly handled from beginning to end. Flying is really the worst part of traveling these days -- no matter what airline. How I would love to say "Beam me up Scotty" and be transported from her to Seabourn.

 

Anyway, tomorrow I shall continue this review of the good!

[LaPaloma]

Good Grief..Chairsin...How wonderful that you can say that you had a wonderful time. Given the mishaps..that speaks tons for your integrity! I also read your experience..with the "Experience"...It is embarrassing to be with malcontents isn't it? Add to that...you get home to financial chaos in the extreme. I imagine there was lots of talk about that in Europe.

 

Welcome back...you certainly sparked up the board. Lola

[SantaAna,CA]

I am so sorry that you had that experience with Seabourn valet. What is going on? Last year they misplaced my luggage when I had it shipped home...it took two weeks to get it. And your wallet stolen on top of it?

 

What a terrible experience. I hope this won't put you off Seabourn. By the way, if you ever need a luggage service, I've used both Luggage Express and The Luggage Club and never had one problem with either.

 

Jane

[Chairsin]

Lola,

As I am sure you and Don know there are travelers and tourists. Tourists want everything predictable and perfect ( and IMHO must have a pretty dull time and would be better off staying home)and travelers learn that it is often the unexpected that brings treasured travel memories. To that end, here is a true story. While we were sitting in the airport lounge waiting to hear the fate of our flight I was talking to a gentleman who was trying to get to New York for a Crystal cruise. I told him we had just gotten off two wondeful weeks on Seabourn. Just then a lovely woman sat down next to me and said, "Excuse me, I don't mean to be nosy, but I heard you say something about Seabourn. My husband and I have been thinking of going on it, what did you think?" Well, boy did she ask the wrong person -- for the next hour I extolled Seabourn's virtues." And it turned out we had much in common. As we were finally in one of many lines after we left the departure lounge and found out that we would be bused to a nearby hotel(eventually) she told me that she and her husband were going to hop in a taxi and head back to Barcelona, check back into their hotel and go out to their favorite tapas bar for cava and tapas and then to dinner at their favorite restaurant. I wished them a fun evening. She suggested that we come with them. I replied that I appreciated the offer but given that we had had to cancel our credit cards after the wallet was stolen that we would have to pass. They insisted that we come with them and that they would pay for everything and we could pay them back once we got home. Can you believe that? Offerring credit to someone who was a total stranger just a few hours earlier? I cannot tell you what a perfect evening we had -- we ate, drank, talked and laughed untll midnight. I know that we will be good friends for many years to come and will try to plan a Seabourn cruise together. Life gives you lemons -- make lemonade!

[CruisinMatt]

We met some fun fellow passengers ( including the Cass's who boarded when we did -- I am not sure if I have ever met two nicer, more down to earth, interesting people).

 

I think I've met this couple as well and I agree they are wonderful.

 

Glad you had a good time regardless of the mishaps! :)

[Chairsin]

Jane,

Thanks for the suggestions -- we went with Seabourn's because we wanted the bag sent directly to the ship and my understanding is that the others can only send it your hotel. Is that correct? In any event, the cruise itself was great and we put down our open booking deposit for the next one -- first of all we could not decide where to go next and second they were not offerring and good deals. I am in the camp that believes due to this financial mess they will be offering better deals soon.

 

Matt,

My guess is that since they have cruised over 2000 days with Seabourn chances are most of us will eventually meet them!

[LaPaloma]

What a terriffic story! Thanks for sharing..in this day and age..finding someone that special ..out of the blue is a reward!

[SantaAna,CA]

I think you're right Chairsin. The others I used delivered to my hotel. I usually stay someplace a few days before boarding. But I'm really considering not using Seabourn's valet again, after my experience and now especially after yours.

 

Glad you had such a great attitude about your problems though, that's the way to do it! And how nice that you met those lovely people.

 

Jane

[seapenarth]

The following is a tale of the good, the bad and the ugly. The good (actually, the great) was the two weeks we spent on the Legend cruising from Rome to Barcelona. Even though the weather was not perfect the food, service and scenery were wonderful. We met some fun fellow passengers ( including the Cass's who boarded when we did -- I am not sure if I have ever met two nicer, more down to earth, interesting people). And we were honored to be on Captain Bauer's last cruise aboard the Legend before he heads to the Odyssey next spring -- the crew held a big farewell party for him the night before he disembarked with us in Barcelona.

 

The bad, unfortunately, was that when we arrived in our suite on the ship our relief at seeing our bag that we shipped through Seabourn Valet quickly turned to dismay as we found that numerous items had been stolen out of our luggage.(And it turns out we were not alone, we found out two other Valet users had been the victims of theft as well.)It is disheartening to find that Saebourn's promise of control over our luggage at all times was not complete.It wil be interesting to see how they deal with our claim.

 

And the ugly was our second day in Barcelona when Sailor Boy's wallet was stolen. After wasting half of our last day in the police station ( with many other victims of similar larceny) we could not wait to get on the plane and fly home the next day. Unfortunately we sat IN THE AIRPLANE on the runway for over 4 hours with no food or drink (unless you count a pack of pretzels and water) before things started to get out of hand with some of our fellow passengers and they deplaned us to the departure lounge for another one a half hours before they cancelled the flight. I won't go into the gory details but it was poorly handled from beginning to end. Flying is really the worst part of traveling these days -- no matter what airline. How I would love to say "Beam me up Scotty" and be transported from her to Seabourn.

 

Anyway, tomorrow I shall continue this review of the good!

 

Your airport problem was awful. Which airline was it ? :o

[seapenarth]

The following is a tale of the good, the bad and the ugly. The good (actually, the great) was the two weeks we spent on the Legend cruising from Rome to Barcelona. Even though the weather was not perfect the food, service and scenery were wonderful. We met some fun fellow passengers ( including the Cass's who boarded when we did -- I am not sure if I have ever met two nicer, more down to earth, interesting people). And we were honored to be on Captain Bauer's last cruise aboard the Legend before he heads to the Odyssey next spring -- the crew held a big farewell party for him the night before he disembarked with us in Barcelona.

 

The bad, unfortunately, was that when we arrived in our suite on the ship our relief at seeing our bag that we shipped through Seabourn Valet quickly turned to dismay as we found that numerous items had been stolen out of our luggage.(And it turns out we were not alone, we found out two other Valet users had been the victims of theft as well.)It is disheartening to find that Saebourn's promise of control over our luggage at all times was not complete.It wil be interesting to see how they deal with our claim.

 

And the ugly was our second day in Barcelona when Sailor Boy's wallet was stolen. After wasting half of our last day in the police station ( with many other victims of similar larceny) we could not wait to get on the plane and fly home the next day. Unfortunately we sat IN THE AIRPLANE on the runway for over 4 hours with no food or drink (unless you count a pack of pretzels and water) before things started to get out of hand with some of our fellow passengers and they deplaned us to the departure lounge for another one a half hours before they cancelled the flight. I won't go into the gory details but it was poorly handled from beginning to end. Flying is really the worst part of traveling these days -- no matter what airline. How I would love to say "Beam me up Scotty" and be transported from her to Seabourn.

 

Anyway, tomorrow I shall continue this review of the good!

 

What did Seabourn say about their much vaunted Valet Service ???

[Margate Cruiser]

We have two bags being picked up by dhl for the Nov. 1st cruise on the Spirit. We are using Seabourn as the agent in charge. But we do our own tracking by copying the way bill numbers. We at least know when it arrives in Athens at Seabourn's agent at the port. We have done this before and we just feel better knowing where the bags are. We give them 5 days. We also never pack anything but clothes. Never any boxes or personal affects.

[CruisinMatt]

We at least know when it arrives in Athens at Seabourn's agent at the port. We have done this before and we just feel better knowing where the bags are.

 

Don't panic if it appears that it does not get to Athens before your cruise.

 

Last year we sent 2 cases to Athens via Seabourn's Valet service. I held on to the DHL tracking numbers. One tracked as getting to Athens very quickly, but the other one stopped at Amsterdam and was stuck there for several days. We ended up leaving 2 days before the cruise and just prayed the stuck case got there. Both were in our Suite when we boarded in Athens. ;)

[Chairsin]

Ok, so it took me a few "tomorrows" to get back to this. After a few days in Rome we arrived at the ship (via the train this time -- worked like a charm) to find it parked nose to nose with the Spirit. Five years ago they were also both in port together when we last cruised the Med but at very distant berths in the port. This time they actually cruised with us for three days -- they were on a charter.Anyway, with great anticiaption we climbed on board. There was that feeling of knowing something wonderful was about to happen. As we entered, there stood Marcel, our maitre 'd on the Spirit two years earlier. We hugged and when I told him how nice it would be to sail with a familiar face our first time on the Legend he told me that he was actually on the Spirit and had just popped in for a visit. Shucks!

 

As we entered the lounge to pose for our awful photos ( my picture could have been Osama Bin Laden for all you could tell) we had to wait a whole 30 seconds for our first, of what would be too many, glasses of champagne. We met a lovely couple from the U.K. on their first Seabourn cruise -- they had been on Silversea( by the end of 7 days they were trying to stay for another 7 but the ship was full.) After meeting our stewardess and being very grateful the shipped bag was in our suite( albeit sans certain items) it was time to head to the Sky bar and order a room service lunch and washed it down with more champagne. Then it was boat drill time where we met a couple from Sydney.We continued our conversation during the sailaway party and on to dinner later that evening. They were going to be on for a month -- lucky dogs.Dinner that night was great -- for moi a crisp

spring roll to start, a flavorful serving of lamb loin in a rich reduction with a delicate potoato galette followed by chocolate pot de creme -- one of my very favorite Seabourn desserts. Sailor Boy started with a chilled lemongrass lobster soup followed up with crabcakes in a puddle of creamed corn. Disappointed that his parade of creme brulee was missing from the menu he put in his standing order for the rest of the trip and made "do" with the pot de creme. We washed all of this down with a very pleasant Argentine Malbec. ( BTW, I do think the house wines have greatly improved.).The highlight of the dinner was seeing a familar face among the crew -- the lovely Cheyenne. With this long day behind us we only briefly stopped in at the lounge after dinner before turning in for the night.

 

Day 2 later...