PaulaJK

The Alvear is a fabulous hotel. You may need to look no farther.

Thank you for the ideas. Don’t believe that asking SB is viable since they had just advanced our check in from 1 pm to 1:40. A taxi to beach restaurant for our ‘ welcome onboard’ lunch sounds relaxing.

Sorry…rattled w check in time change….port is Miami..party of four

Over the decades we have sailed many lines and never has registering been as convoluted as on SS Source…….multiple emails, no ability to print ticket until 3 days ahead when you may be traveling, changing of boarding times, late boarding times ( friend has 3:40) which consumes first day, and those awful paper to-be-.assembled luggage tags. Feels more hassling than a luxury experience should ( or does on Regent and SS). Certainly far away from a welcome lunch. How do folks handle 12 noon hotel check out and the interval until 3:40? I don’t recall any cafes nearby dock area.

Although there have been some exceptions, my experience is that Seabourn closed their MDR for lunch several years ago. Recent reports from Regent and SS do not reflect shortages blamed on covid. Makes me wonder about SB’s explanations.

Unnecessarily..just get the act together…perfection not necessary y

i recognize the lemon story, in a fashion. On Sojourn ,a few months ago, if you had your bloody mary on deck 9, it was was made w tomato juice and garnished with celery. No horseradish available. At the bar on deck 8 they used a bloody mary mix and horseradish but had no celery. I find this annoying and unnecessary. There was a similar problem w. Beefeater gin…not in Club but in Observation Bar. The cruise was down the Med ports. Rome-BCN- Rome but no pinot noir.

I think that this is more likely a SB policy. ..and I don’t expect a positive response from onboard management. As I mentioned previously , SB Sojourn closed its MDR for lunch ( and most breakfasts) long before covid came into our world. If you loathe buffets, extra exposure to germs, and the limited offerings of the patio grill, you really need to consider whether SB is for you. The ‘extras’ often center on alcohol. At the same time, Sojourn is very well maintained and the crew is fabulous.

I totally agree with you. I find the Colonnade ambience too busy…the order by menu quite limited in choices. Meanwhile people are going dealing w the chafing dishes…and the center cold buffet varies minimally from day to day. A closed MDR moves Sojourn below luxury class,JMO.

Seabourn Sojourn closed their MDR for lunch years prior to covid…it was tolerated and thus, became norm.

My spouse will be celebrating his birthday while on board. do they do anything soecial?

I do not recall any chop house in the IC hotel, only Toro Toro which we did not enjoy. We have enjoyed Boulud on other visits and look forward to returning. Love Truluck but beware that it is very high end. The stone crab claws are delicious..

A decade ago we were SB sailors. That ended w the closure of the MDR for lunch. We were employed w grab n go lunches and very much enjoyed the graciousness of a quiet lunch. In late August 22 we returned to SB Sojourn ..lovely ship, excellent crew but the diningroom remains closed and we are not buffet lovers nor were they particularly interesting. This is in distinction to Regent which has an open Mdr, keeps one of its specialty restaurants open for lunch plus a buffet and burgers/ snacks on pool deck. SB seems to count on poolside splash parties w a variety of alcohol. The cruise director jumping fully clothed into the pool seems more suited to less ranked lines.

Sojourn, late August/ early September had hosted tables , more frequently entertainers/ staff than officers.

There are American outlets as well as European…also an USB port. The bathroom lacked ports/ disappointing as we travel w waterpic toothbrushes and could not plug them in. The bathroom does not lend irself to use by both simultaneously…which would be desired as the area designation as a makeup area is too small to have a label. Enjoy your cruise.

Nancy , that is extremely encouraging to learn and outside of my last four cruises. Have a great cruisr. Paula

Regent’s cuisine variety, preparation and presentations surpass SB by far..also the soecialty restaurants..let alone SB’s MDR mostly open only for dinner. This is just an opinion with a lot of factual basis. I don’t know whetherSB should be considered luxury in this dept.

Regent Navigator is an old ship which has her fans although once was enough for us. We have very much enjoyed Mariner and Explorer. Once onboard, the glitz becomes invisible. The MDR and variety of restaurants is very attractive. Two of the specialty restaurants rotate being open for lunch and the MDR always is. You are not limited to outdoor dining or drinking during the day. In this regard, I think that SB needs to catch up with its competition. i have very much enjoyed jkbacon’s informative posts and photos. The emphasis has been on the positive which makes the negative evaluations very relevant. Vegetarian chili is a non starter as the chef’s special. One can always order lightly.

These chefs’ specials are unworthy. Yes, they sound low end offerings and apparently reach across the line, rather than reflect running short of a product. Very disappointing to hear. we had sailed SB several years ago but abandoned ship because of disappointing cuisine coupled w closing the MDR for lunch. Since my husband and I were working and never had lunch out or together, we used to enjoy this experience. We are giving it a retry and hope to be offering very positive reports. i do agree that Regent has an extensive always available menu as well as a list of daily specials. Combined w a steak/ chop/ crab leg venue and French plus Asian restaurants, Regent is an attractive venue for indoor dining.

We are boarding Sojourn in Rome this coming Wednesday. How are you enjoying your cruise, high winds aside?

absolutely agree…and there time to explore the towns

There appears to be no relevance to testing asymptomatic people, even per the behind -the -times CDC. The science is important…no more 6 feet,etc. You might feel that it makes everyone safer, ( along w folks who think those airport questions keep us safer…..what terrorist is going to say I’m packing a bomb!) but it doesn’t. We are on a cruise which is 14 days, all ports. Many passengers will be off in many or all of them. Hopefully the crew gets some time ashore. I hope for good hygiene coupled with respect for others if you feel ill. Equally applicable to flu and norovirus. JMO

Suggest a tour of the Opera House as well. It was very interesting.

Does SB provide a bag ..cloth would be fine….to carry items to pool?

Since they only send info 2 weeks prior and I am trying to arrange transfer from Rome to port, does anyone have experience or a good guess as to boarding time? Thanks for the pharmacy testing idea which hotel has confirmed…relieved.