Covepointcruiser

On 4/23/2024 at 11:48 PM, Jim_Iain said:

 

How different was Cunard.   I hear some gripes but we enjoy dressing for dinner so should not be a big issue for us.   It is very close to the price of flying Business Class -   I booked it on a Christmas Sale for $8,000 in Queens Grill.      I am guessing the room is in-between a Sky Suite and a Celebrity. 

Your suite on Cunard (Q5-Q7) is only 5 sq ft smaller than a Celebrity Suite but the balcony is to 50 sq ft larger.    

On 4/24/2024 at 6:51 AM, hcat said:

You are really going to be cruise hopping!  We are  interested in the Cunard leg..Which ship will you be taking.?

 

We took a short cruise on QM2 up to Canada, some years ago,  and enjoyed it.  We had .great meals for dinner ( not in the Grills), and we loved the tavern for lunch.  The  once per cruise afternoon tea was a treat. We met very interesting  people on board...most from  US.

 

  The shows had top talent...and they had classical music on board..Ian will enjoy.  The planetarium and library were very nice and the downstairs club was quite lively..

 

Hope we can follow that leg here   

I am confused.   The QM2 had tea every afternoon in the Queens Room on all our trips including Canada.   Did you not go to that venue?

We take three large suitcases and two carry ons on the Victoria and had no problem storing them under the bed.   That Tami suitcase must be very large!

Never had a problem disembarking in Brooklyn.   Always used a porter who will get us thru any lines and to an acceptable taxi or limo.   Who wants to handle large baggage on the gangway and multiple ramps when Cunard will do it as part of your passage?

We had Earth and Ocean 4 times on our 14 day Greenland Venture cruise.   It’s good that it is indoors because we would not want to eat outdoors in the Arctic!

What happened to all the windows in the QM2 spa??   When we were on in Dec, there were about 10 lovely lounge chairs overlooking the promenade with great views in all weather.    You need to walk down the entry hallway past the tea and water service and turn right.  It’s a shame you missed the best part of the QM2’s spa.   Of course there is also the locker rooms, saunas, steam rooms, aroma showers, hot tub and thermal pool.

When you take an expedition ship on a repositioning cruise you won’t get the expedition experience.  The expedition ships were made for expedition cruising and don’t have all the venues available on the 4 larger ships.   I would be surprised if the repositioning sailings did not cost less than the $1K per person per day that you regularly pay on actual expedition cruises.

There is an “Infinity” pool on the back spa deck on Splendor but no hot tub.

Either way the pier in the city of Barcelona is closed to cruise ships.   It was still a walk into town especially if it is rainy or hot.   A shuttle is appreciated from either docking location.

Sailing into and out of New York is always an experience!

No scooters in aisles on Splendor.    You should be able to charge in your “suite” especially if you have an accessible suite.

We are on Splendor right now and we have caffeine free Diet Coke in our refrigerator.   We requested it before the cruise.

So sorry for your husband’s cancer and heart attack.    We are on the Splendor right now but will be leaving the ship in Barcelona.    Quite a few passengers are continuing on to Rome so hopefully you will get someone posting.

On 4/5/2024 at 8:37 AM, adoctor said:

The Earth and Ocean evening in the Colonnade on the Pursuit last year was probably the worst food I have ever experienced on Seabourn. As the ship was new I put it down to teething problems. A shame to hear its not improved overmuch. The food and service in the MDR however was consistently good.

On Quest later in the year so looking forward to trying Solis but as a great TK fan I am holding my breath.

 

We really enjoyed Earth and Ocean on the Venture.   It was perfect when we wanted something quick and light.  We were usually content with the smoked chicken salad and the baked Brie.    Hope they don’t ever plan to eliminate it on the Expedition ships.

Was this in Greenland?   In Greenland several long and arduous hikes were included as part of the landings.   You did not have to take the hikes but if you are looking for something strenuous they are available in Greenland.

We are on the Splendor right now.   It is freezing inside the ship so the only way to be comfortable at dinner is to wear a sweater or a sports coat.   The only sweaters left in the store are “small” or “xxlarge” so you will not find one to purchase on the ship.   Pack something warm to wear.

She is not that large.   The Elizabeth is 90,000 tons and carries 2000 passengers.    She is one of the smaller cruise ships, Vista class.    We docked next to the Quantum of the Seas, 250,000 tons and almost 7000 passengers.

Book your own hotel, especially one you would like to try.   The Marriott brands let you cancel up to 24 hrs. before your stay and I assume others also allow this.   If you like what Regent offers when they get around to it you can cancel the reservation you made. 

When you in Kona, since you are overnight, you might want to travel to the top of Mona Kea.   It is the tallest mountain on the earth and there are a bunch of observatories up there.   You can drive or take a tour to the top, unforgettable views especially at sunset.   We went with a guide and were allowed into an observatory.    

Be aware, you will have a much different group of passengers on a short cruise.   You will have more folks focused on having a great time in a short time.    Regular sailing have a more sedate group of passengers.

We only were required to wear the Seabourn boots when we had “wet landings”.    This was in Greenland.   There were several long hikes, one for 7+ hours in Nuuk.   Others were 2 or 3 hours.   The Antarctic may be different because of wildlife.   We were near  Musk Ox and saw one polar bear.   We always had a guide with a gun if it was needed for the polar bears.

When you are booked in a Regent hotel is breakfast included?   We will be at the Intercontinental in Miami.

On 3/18/2024 at 6:02 AM, Kimbasmum said:

We were recently on Ovation and bitterly disappointed with the state of the couch in our suite, which was rumpled and baggy, certainly could not have lived with it at home.  I imagine it had been over-wet.  The suite attendants could do nothing and two complaints to customer services did nothing to remedy the situation.  There was a team onboard converting TK during our second week.  We observed two members of the team looking around the furnishings in The Retreat and making notes,  Sadly our old bones could not tolerate the uncomfortable deck loungers.  We asked if there is any likelihood of these being changed, but a shake of the head was our answer.

So , I doubt whether there have been any changes since you were last aboard, apart from the Solis area.

We are probably older than you guys and we found the loungers in the Retreat very comfortable.   Loved the sofa and the dining room table.   The lounges had cushions, didn’t you like them?

The Edition is the most expensive hotel in Reykjavik and it is not in the most convenient location.   We were happy with the Apotek, the Borg and the Parliament Hotel.  All are conveniently located with good restaurants and shopping in walking distance.   They are a very short distance from the pier.

26 minutes ago, bigbenboys said:

My problem with Luminae on the E Class ships is that you are limited to Luminae menu and the Classic menu. Other class ships as in your case Eclipse you can order off Luminae and the MDR menu. This just gives us more choices.

We were on the Eclipse last Sept. We were in a CS and my MIL was in a non suite cabin. Luminae maitre d said to show up when we open for dinner and there would not be a problem have guests in Luminae.

Am I understanding you were allowed to have guests in Luminae for no extra charge??

We were always charged for guests so I will now send an email to the CEO and complain.