johng75370

FWIW, only on a recent cruise did I stumble across that when you're onboard ithe Source app has a chat feature. It was handy, as you can search for people by name and message them - useful if cell phone texting doesn't work. Maybe it's well known to others but wanted to mention in case (like me) that feature got overlooked.

For those who have been onboard (or currently), any issue in having bottled water stocked in your cabin or available in restaurants? My TA requested it (Explora told her they have Perrier and Aqua Panna, but not S. Pelligrino or Evian), and it shows up in my booking as a request, yet I've read elsewhere they only serve what they bottle onboard (which if it's like other lines that do that is not to my taste). If I remember correctly, @vistaman had to bring it onboard. Any clarification appreciated!

Had the same experience: "Dear Mr seto kulbwgvfd," In fairness this came from a "testdomain@explorajourneys" email address, and was immediately preceded by a correctly addressed check in email (which worked just fine).

Other Thomas Keller tie-ins were the caviar source and the evening turndown service chocolate. Changing to other suppliers shouldn't be too hard, but will one or both of these go away or be diminished? Also, may have missed this but sounds like Odyssey is not being converted to Solis. Is that the case, and if so will TK continue to sail with Odyssey until it's handed over?

We also usually find the revenue wines to be a good deal. Before our recent Odyssey sailing downloaded the revenue list (and TK's list), and did some comparisons to what we might pay in a local (Northern California) wine store. (Apologies in advance if handwriting is hard to read). Overall the markups are reasonable, and with Seabourn Club discount or wine package can get very close to retail. The Chateau Smith white Bordeaux was the standout - $80 onboard, $139 local 🤔 On the included list they had a Raymond Chardonnay that typically is in the high teens retail, FWIW. Had not seen that before. Seabourn Odyssey Wine List Oct 2023.pdf

When on Odyssey last week I asked if the salmon for Sushi in the Club was fresh/local from Alaska - was told it was from Norway!

The Odyssey has been to hell and back again!

We introduced our kids to cruising in the 10-13 year old range (but never on lines with rollercoasters or racetracks), great experiences for all. They are now in their early 30’s, married, and happily accepted cruises as wedding gifts (one on Holland, one on Regent). Heading off next week on a cruise where one of them is joining in. Kudos to you @aururab for introducing them to a style of travel that sometimes is overlooked, and can lead to a lot of great family moments! If it was around when our kids were younger EJ would have been a great choice from what I’m hearing. Especially with the great pics @Stickman1990 posted.

Wow!!! Thanks for the news alert; I am very excited by this development. What are the hours?

And if you have room after your po-boy, check out the frozen Irish coffee at Erin Rose (their po-boys are also excellent): https://craftandcocktails.co/2020/03/17/frozen-irish-coffee/

Here’s a link to some background on the family‘s multiple restaurants; each restaurant has a family member involved in running it: https://www.frenchquarter.com/brennan-family-legacy/

I’ll plan to bring several cases of S. Pellegrino with me in December; helps pay for Anthology if I can sell at $10/bottle.

Slightly off-topic, but how was the (I’m assuming) non-Starlink performance on Odyssey?

Here’s a recent thread on the topic that might be helpful; different class of ship from Encore but they are very similar in design/construction:

Explora’s “Club Prism” would become “Club Prison”. For many reasons a decent number of people will not choose to put their money into a product directly owned by the Saudis.

@Critically Cruising, thank you for your posts; it helps to set (now lower but appropriate) expectations! I know there are dishes in various restaurants that offer caviar, but is there the option to order it on its own? Or a caviar menu for a fee?

And what about the service dog you’re planning to bring? 🙂

The “t” was missing from the start of the URL: https://thewordrobe.com/aquavits-two-michelin-starred-chef-emma-bengtsson-announces-partnership-with-explora-i/?

Last December we received that benefit from Seabourn when we booked air through them; had a day room at a nice airport hotel and car service for a late flight back from Miami to SFO. If it has, sorry to see that policy go away. Would expect Silversea handles it similarly if they provide the air.

Have they launched “Sushi at the Club” or the new room service menu on Sojourn? Hope you’re having a great voyage!

@vistaman thank you for your balanced report, especially with very good specific examples. The one I am concerned about is mineral water - do they offer known waters in the restaurants, ideally a choice of them? Do you think I should ask ahead for my mid-December “journey” that my cabin be stocked with S. Pelligrino? I’ve lowered my expectations already, but the mineral water issue will push it much further down.

Big don’t care at this point if you are sick or not; no checking or testing by Seabourn. I checked the Verifly app, and it says that Seabourn is no longer using Verifly.

The mysterious white area on Deck 4 is the service areas for The Restaurant (I believe). The Restaurant has a high ceiling and that’s why it also takes out part of deck 5. The verandah cabins are virtually identical between V1 and V4; personally have never had any issue staying in a V1. It really is just a matter of location on the ship; while I would love to be close to Seabourn Square I’d walk a bit further for the cost savings of a V1. I hope you enjoy your first SB voyage!

I’m still getting “Not Found” for our upcoming bookings, when I go to “Manage My Cruise”. The bookings show up, but are “not found” when it comes to managing them.

Typically 1 liter or 750ml; comes from the same stock the bars use.