kowhairob

5 hours ago, mbarker said:

On the Quest now. Requested diet Mt. Dew ahead of sailing but upon boarding were told it is not available.

Firstly talk to your Cabin Steward and if that doesn't go anywhere , ask for the beverage manager and see if they can swing something.  

On 1/19/2024 at 2:00 AM, nolatravelgirl said:

Seabourn is pretty amazing with sourcing items for guests. On my first Seabourn cruise, we were going out of Miami and didn't know about even requesting items so I stopped off at a grocery store and bought my favorite Diet Dr. Pepper so I could have one a day. I don't know if  they regularly stock it but it showed up in the bars around the ship and was on my future cruises and I know I didn't ever request it. I am sure I looked like "country come to town" but on that first cruise packing a case of DDP. They tagged it like luggage at the pier and it showed up in my room. 😄

We were on the Encore and my wife requested a non Alcoholic Gin called Seedlip , Sean Smidt the Bar Manager for the ship had made sure that every bar Including the Restaurant and our stateroom had this available . That is the Seabourn Difference.

On 3/17/2023 at 9:55 PM, SLSD said:

 

I understand that many do not like Ovation and Encore and prefer the smaller ships.  We've sailed both and prefer the larger ships.  Of course we seldom/never lounge by the pool which may make a difference.  

I prefer the larger ships due to the much larger gym and workout areas , The Beautiful Tk grill Bar and Restaurant and  never really noticing that there's 150 more passengers on board

A very well written and thought out blog, I've  enjoyed your musings on your journey and now look forward to getting back on Seabourn later this year. 

4 Of us from Queensland , 2 from New Zealand . Our first Princess Cruise in 12 years. The itinerary is something of interest to us .

Yes. Will be taking wine aboard in our carry on. What's the most you can take, happy to pay the $15 surcharge 

On 9/12/2019 at 3:10 PM, OzKiwiJJ said:

We knew the prices would be high so budgeted for them. But they aren't much different from Sydney restaurant prices. We're enjoying the opportunity to try wines that we don't see in Australia. So far we haven't had the same wine twice and all have been excellent.

Are you able to update Princess Australian Drinks prices on your upcoming cruise this March ?

We normally cruise on Celebrity and I'm shocked at the Drink prices here in Australia..

We are on Majestic Princess December 23 and since its sailing in Australian waters all prices at the bars and restaurants will be in Aussie Dollars . Has anyone got a current drinks and Restaurant menu with prices in Aussie Dollars ? 

We paid in full for a Caribbean Cruise in December . Its fully refundable and we saved nearly $2000 on the total cost. Well worth it in our opinion.

We are booked on the Sojourn November 29th and will be flying in from New Zealand, based on what my TA is saying is that International Travelers will be tested at the Pier in Miami. Is this still the case at this stage ?

We are booked November29th so will miss thanksgiving on Seabourn Sojourn  however we will be on the Celebrity Reflection  thanksgiving so that should be a big deal . 

On 3/30/2022 at 10:48 AM, Thecat123 said:

rkacruiser its not a matter of as you say the ships just sail , turns around and sails out of Milford Sound as there are waterfalls there of which some ships will pull into real close if the weather is good. We did spend several hours there just cruising around

Here is a photo we took from the Radiance of the Seas, 2500 passengers to larger than Seabourns ships a few years ago

I seem to remember we also did the same to another waterfall but this one was the best

 

Seabourn Encore ventures has Inflatables that go to the waterfall and around Milford Sound, Dusky is cruising only.  You'll also go to Stewart Island which is also pristine and absolutley beautiful .

37 minutes ago, Thecat123 said:

I wonder if now that we have a date for opening the boarders those shipping bans might change?
Also I wonder if there would be enough people in NZ and Aussie to make it worthwhile or would they need different countries to fill the ships which would be a problem?

We are looking at the 23 night Singapore to Sydney in November this year . we did a 16 day Auckland to Auckland cruise in February 2019 and loved every minute of it . Hopefully by November things would of changed for the better .

36 minutes ago, rols said:

This is exactly what I think and this was predicted a year ago when they started handing out 125% credit. They've just moved prices to cover the 'credit' in the near term although I still think they'll try to keep them higher than previously longer term too. I think all the current fares will 'sell' as there's a lot of people with credit they have to use plus a lot of pent-up demand to cruise. We're not expecting to even look at cruising for a year or two until supply and demand level out. 

What amazes me is that some cruises in Australia and New Zealand in 2020 which were AUD 6999 For 16 nights are now 8999 or even 9999. Taking us for a ride in my opinion .

We had a V2 on an Auckland to Auckland 16n Feb 2019 , no problems with the room or the balcony . We had booked a Gty category suite so we couldn't complain particularly as the price was significantly cheaper than even if we had booked a V2.

2 hours ago, Joc123 said:

What will happen when Sojourn reaches Sydney?

Will she be able to dock? No one can get off or on but I note, the cruise Sydney - Auckland is still advertised on their website. Also Auckland - San Fransisco, probably others but I stopped looking.

Time for some honesty from Seabourn, these cruises can not go ahead.

 

We were booked on the Sydney to Suva on Sojourn , definitely has been cancelled by Seabourn. Already had a phone call and email confirming how much we will get back as a FCC , We have also been given reimbursement , detailing  what they pay us in  $AUS for flights and Hotels we had to cancel . Overall we are pleased however as we probably wont see anything for at least 10 to 12 weeks I'll reserve judgement when the money is in the bank.  

13 minutes ago, Dusko said:

Please allow me to re-post something I wrote elsewhere on the Seabourn board and add a thought to try and bring life into perspective:

 

One of the most thought provoking pieces I ever read came from George Orwell's "Down and out in Paris and London". He describes being a night porter in a London hotel and bemoans getting left the same meal every night for days on end. The man cleaning the lobby floor pulls up his shirt sleeve to reveal the tattoo from a Nazi death camp. He then suggests that George learn the difference between a problem and an inconvenience. It's always something I've tried to keep in mind and pass on to our son.

 

We all have to take some responsibility for our actions. Of course we as consumers didn't anticipate a situation like this when we signed a contract for a cruise, hotel, flight etc. but then neither did the supplier. They are trying to stay in business to preserve not only the ability to be there when all this is over but also the jobs of their employees, their suppliers etc.. Speaking only for myself  if I lose the price of a cruise, an airfare or whatever that will not make me happy but it's the loss of a vacation, not my livelihood  and hopefully, in this crisis, not my life.

Absolutely spot on comment , at the end of the day the overriding factor is our long term health and well being . Here in New Zealand we have not closed the  borders but insist any New Arrivals self isolate for 14 days . A few new arrivals have not done so as they saw it as a  problem  , those people have been deported by NZ Authorities . Their so called problem really did escalate into one ! 

A fabulous report , very disappointed your servers aren't up to scratch . We were last on the Encore Feb 2019 and we found the better servers and would naturally gravitate towards them , as an example we had two servers Miguel and Diamoind who knew my drink orders and would ask me if i wanted  Green Tea ( Heineken) or Golden Tea ( Rusty Nail) . They worked in different bars and also the Theatre so getting what i wanted was never an issue . Similarly we tended to try and get into Frederics section in the MDR as he knew our quirks and was very intuitive , so much so my wife would let him order for her based on his recommendations .  Miguel and myself in the photo below .  

She had up until now very negligent.  Finally some positive leadership.  

3 minutes ago, tv24 said:

Thanks to all.  I will look into this tomorrow.  We are booked to depart on the Odyssey on March 28 from Bridgetown and have received advise from our doctors to not travel.  But we would be happy with a FCC.  So this could work for us.

Yes our Doctors made the same call as we were booked on the Sojourn April 29th and told us to cancel. 

New Zealand has announced that we now have a case of Coronavirus from a 60yo man who flew in from Iran . The Supermarkets were hit by panic shoppers  . We are due to be on the Sojourn April 29th Auckland to Suva so we will see if the authorities in New Caledonia and Fiji will allow the vessel to dock.  Interesting times . 

16 minutes ago, Cruise Beach said:

updated Sojourn itinerary changes on Seabourn website ... good for some, bad for others, but at  least decision made..., as below 

 

 

February 21, 2020

Due to the unpredictable changes we have seen the past few weeks in travel restrictions and port operations throughout Asia, Seabourn Cruise Line has replaced the Asia port calls on its World Cruise 2020 aboard Seabourn Sojourn with calls in Australia and New Zealand.

Specific changes to the turnaround ports on the affected Seabourn Sojourn voyages include:

Date:	Original Port:	Updated Port:
March 22, 2020	Singapore	Freemantle (Perth), Australia
April 3, 2020	Hong Kong	Melbourne, Australia
April 6, 2020	Manila, Philippines	Hobart (Tasmania), Australia
April 13, 2020	Benoa (Denpasar), Indonesia	Sydney, Australia
April 29, 2020	Sydney, Australia	Auckland, New Zealand

Port calls from March 11 – April 30 are also affected, with some destinations changed and others rescheduled to alternate dates.

Details of the revised itineraries are being communicated to guests and travel advisors. Guests who are booked on affected voyages will receive a future cruise credit. Both booked guests and travel advisors are being notified along with specific details related to their itinerary.
  
Guests who have questions should contact their travel advisor or the appropriate Seabourn Officein their market.

We were on the Sydney to Suva cruise now we leave from Auckland, here is the latest information from them 

Dear Valued Guest:

We look forward to welcoming you on board Seabourn Sojourn for our special 2020 World Cruise sailing and wish to advise you of changes to our scheduled itinerary.

As you know, Seabourn has been closely monitoring the very fluid and evolving situation with respect to the new coronavirus (COVID-19) that originated in mainland China. Our medical experts are being briefed regularly and coordinating closely with international health authorities to ensure we protect the health and well-being of our guests and crew, which is always our top priority.

The difficult decision to adjust our itinerary has been made based on the unpredictable changes we have seen recently in travel restrictions and port operations in Asia. While we expect things will stabilize, we endeavor to ensure our guests’ experience will live up to their expectations.  

We have therefore altered our March and April itineraries, and in early March we will proceed to Western Australia and follow an Australia and New Zealand itinerary. As a result, your voyage will now begin in Auckland, New Zealand rather than Sydney, Australia.  At this time there are no other changes to your voyage itinerary.

In recognition of this significant change to your voyage, when you sail you will receive a Future Cruise Credit of 25% of the cruise fare paid for the 1-day portion of your cruise that has been revised. The terms and conditions of this Future Cruise Credit are listed on the reverse side of this letter. When you sail you will also receive $250.00 USD as an onboard credit applied to your shipboard account. These credits can be used toward any shore excursion, as well as services in the spa and all onboard purchases.

For guests with pre-cruise hotel and transfer arrangements in Sydney, you will automatically receive a refund to your original form of payment and you do not need to contact Seabourn to obtain your refund.

Guests with Seabourn’s Flight Ease®

Guests who have purchased their air through Seabourn will have their embarkation flights rebooked to arrive in Auckland rather than Sydney at our expense. We will communicate your new homeward travel arrangements to you within the next two weeks.

Guests with Independent Air

Guests with independent travel arrangements should rebook their air to arrive at Auckland Airport (AKL) on Wednesday, April 29, no later than 2:30 PM. 

We understand some guests may prefer not to travel at this time. Should you choose to defer your travel and cancel your cruise you will receive a 100% Future Cruise Credit (excluding independent travel expenses) for the base cruise fare paid that can be used on a replacement cruise that sails within 12 months. The terms and conditions of this Future Cruise Credit are listed below. You will also receive a full refund of any Seabourn pre- or post-cruise hotel packages or transfers, prepaid shore excursions and amenities purchased through Seabourn, and taxes, fees, and port expenses back to the original form of payment. 

We understand these changes may cause you to incur other unexpected expenses, such as air change fees. Reimbursement of reasonable non-refundable expenses will be considered on a case-by-case basis. A Change Fee Reimbursement Form is available at http://*****/SBN_CHGFEE; please complete this form and submit it, along with any relevant receipts and documentation, for review by our corporate office. If you purchased SeabournShield® or independent vacation travel insurance, please submit your claim through your carrier before submitting a reimbursement request.

Should you have any questions, please contact your travel advisor or Seabourn at the appropriate office:

Seattle Office (USD/CAD Currency):
Contact us at 1 800 207 3551. We are available Monday – Friday 6:00am to 5:00pm PST

Rotterdam Office (EUR Currency):
Contact us at 00800 1872 1872. We are available Monday – Friday 9:00am to 6:00pm

Southampton Office (GBP Currency):
Contact us at 0344 338 8615. We are available Monday – Friday 9:00am to 6:00pm

Sydney Office (AUD Currency):
Contact us at 300 987 323. We are available Monday – Friday 8:30am to 7:00pm

We appreciate your understanding that this unprecedented situation is beyond our control and regret this disruption to your vacation plans.  Please know that we are working to provide the best possible destination experience for you.

Thank you for your attention to this important information and for choosing Seabourn. We are eager to welcome you on board and remain, as always, at your service.

Kind regards,

Seabourn

For Guests Who Sail:

Future Cruise Credit (FCC) Terms & Conditions

The value of this credit may be applied to the cruise fare only of a new reservation with Seabourn, and is combinable with any other applicable discount. While the credit is valid for one year from the date of this letter, please note that it needs only to be applied to the new booking by that time; the cruise does not need to depart within this timeframe. You may choose any available suite category, but the credit may not be transferred, refunded, or used as a deposit, nor may it be used for taxes, onboard expenses, or optional programs or services such as flights, shore excursions, pre- and post-cruise packages, or the SeabournShield program. This credit is attached to your Club number and will automatically be credited toward your cruise fare. We do suggest that you or your travel advisor verify this credit with our Reservations Agent at time of booking to confirm that the credit has been applied.

For Guests Who Choose to Cancel:

Future Cruise Credit (FCC) Terms & Conditions

The value of this credit may be applied to the cruise fare only of a new reservation with Seabourn, and is combinable with any other applicable discount. The credit is valid for a cruise departing within one year from the date of this letter. You may choose any available suite category, but the credit may not be transferred, refunded, or used as a deposit, nor may it be used for taxes, onboard expenses, or optional programs or services such as flights, shore excursions, pre- and post-cruise packages, or the SeabournShield program. This credit is attached to your Club number and will automatically be credited toward your cruise fare. We do suggest that you or your travel professional verify this credit with our Reservations agent at time of booking to confirm that the credit has been applied

We are booked on the Sojourn from Sydney April 29th so we are waiting to see what will happen over the next 80 days before it arrives in Sydney from its planned Ports of call in Hong Kong , The Philippines ,Thailand ,  Indonesia , Malaysia , Vietnam ,Cambodia and Singapore in April . My wife is not too happy but i think we will evaluate the situation closer to the time . 

Due to the heightened risk and the proximity to Iran , i personally wouldn't do anywhere near there also given your on an American Owned vessel the risk increases significantly . We were booked on the Odyssey in 2016 and  the highlight was Turkey however when the unrest happened Seabourn cancelled all Turkey ports  . This is a lot more riskier however its your call to make as you see fit . 

We dressed in a  Smart  Dark Jacket and Trousers and black shoes , a few wore suits but predominantly no ties but open long sleeved shirts . All very nice as most of the attire looked expensive and not at all scruffy as you would get on some other cruise lines .