IanL

This message was was received yesterday for the 28th April Sailing:

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As a reminder, check-in for your Seabourn Encore voyage in Venice, Italy on Sunday, April 28, 2024 will take place at the Marittima Cruise Terminal. Please be advised that Pope Francis will be visiting Venice on this date and heavy traffic and congestion is expected in the area. Guests with a Seabourn pre-cruise airport transfer or hotel will be transferred directly to the pier. Guests with independent transfer arrangements should allow extra time in making their way to the pier and are welcome to arrive at any time between 12:30 PM and 3:00 PM.

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Hope this helps. 

https://www.worldports.org/carnival-warns-of-changes-to-schedules-because-of-red-sea-crisis/

reported yesterday

For anybody travelling before end 1st q. 2024 I am able to do a guest referral. Please supply by email the booking ID, the name  on the booking and you remail address. Please email to ianjlittler at btinternet dot com

Both good and bad news for me (Quest November) BUT therei s no way I will take up the kind offer to equity fund Seabourn for tens of thousands of dollars in exchange for the the same cabin and USD500,-. I am a loyal customer but not that loyal.

Has anybody had experience with cancellations and referral Credits? We were cancelled with less than 24 hours notice for the Odyssey out of Bridgetown in March, and before starting to investigate, would like to hear anybodies experiences? (We, ironically have one of the first Novemvember cruises booked with Referral Credit already granted.)

As an aside, perhaps Seabourn would use some of its (free) time to up its IT game. Within 24 hours of the cancellation of March 14th cruise, it informed me that one excursion had been refunded - I have three others that have not been notified (but in fact refunded) and yesterday myself and wife received 4 rather unnecessary emails informing us that we would not be dinning in Thomas Kellers. (I would have preferred not to have been reminded of the fact!) Such is life.

12 hours ago, NoVa Mimi said:

Oh Ian, so many of us were thinking of your group of passengers all looking forward to boarding. We felt terribly for you all to have arrived only to be told the cruise was not to be. How were you notified?

By Email, good job we carry (electronic) tablets with us. The really hard bit was going to sleep that night knowing the problems that we had to sort out the next morning.

5 hours ago, NoVa Mimi said:

We just returned from the Odyssey. Our cruise was cut short by one week. All passengers had to disembark in Barbados. Many of the crew are being sent  home as well. Not certain where the ship will go from Barbados but it will not be staying in the Caribbean to finish the last weeks of the season. It was handled very poorly onboard from a passenger stand point. Notified at 9:30 pm that we had to disembark the following morning.

That was about the same time I received my notice of cancellation while sitting in a hotel in Barbados, due to join the next day. I would add that the 150% FCC was certainly not a goer in those circumstances.

Have just been notified of cancellation on Odyssey out of bridgetown tomorrow not touching USA.

As to whether take Fast Track at Barbados, the answer for me is yes, yes and yes. If your flight is the last to land in a queue of 4 planes (usually Virgin, BA and two US) the line goes on for ever and has the possibility of spoiling the start to a holiday. I also query whether travelling Club gives automatic Fast Track - its my normal method of travel and I have never been offered it (on either BA or Virgin).

I have used TripAdvisors Viator before now and whilst expensive it was probably one of my better buys in tourism. Certain Hotels (e.g. Fairmont) also offer it as part of their room rate.

I'm on the March Oddy and will be using it.

I have one - if nobody else has replied, please let me know on my email with your email address and I will send you details.

ian

ianlittler@btinternet.com

17 hours ago, Jacqueline C said:

Hi, we are going on our first Seabourn cruise in January 2020, on Ovation from Singapore to Singapore. We are due to pay the balance on the 25th of November. Does anyone have a referral coupon to share please? Email is spcutting@gmail.com 

Thanks

Have sent you an email

ian

On 8/13/2019 at 4:24 PM, palladian said:

We will be arriving in Santiago on November 22 till our cruise departs on the 28th Not sure whether to spend the time in the city and day trip or go elsewhere any recommendations 

My TA has recommend Luciano K Hotel. This is an historic boutique hotel - was once the tallest building in Santiago. He has stayed there and whilst not 5* recommends it for its character.

10 hours ago, Couponhound said:

Hello,

I am a first time Seabourn cruiser departing on December 2 Ovation sailing.

I would love it If someone has a referral coupon to share, please contact me at catherineleckie@icloud.com

Thank You So Very Much,

Catherine

Catherine,

I have a spare and have sent you an email.

ian

St James are excellent and they are the local choice of my large UK TA who use them for all local arrangements. When we last disembarked Seabourn in Barbados, they were awaiting us in the luggage hall and had already located our cases. Out of the port in 10 minutes. Also used them many times for transfers. They are not cheap but they are reliable and if you have queries whilst on the Island will always respond.

Which ever hotel you choose, and most are 4 star or so in Barbados, you can fast track through Viator and I would recommend this as arrivals at the airport behind three other arrivals will be a nightmare. For one or two nights I could recommend Mango Bay, good beach, not expensive, friendly and I would say three star plus although boasting the usual 4 stars.

Fresh off Ovation yesterday. Disembarkation was 'whenever you wish up to 10am.

Now used

Ian

I have a coupon and gladly do the necessaries; please email me at ianlittler@btinternet.com

ian

Having only recently taken to cruising, I have been trying to find an ideal Cruise Line to use in the future and so after lurking in the background for a period decided to try Seabourn and now feel I should add something to the board which may (or not) help other lurkers in their search. Previously we had travelled with Celebrity in Aqua and Cunard in Queens Grill and enjoyed both but were attracted by the smaller ship concept. Having just completed a 23 night cruise from Barcelona to Lisbon and then the Transatlantic to Barbados on Odessey, here are some very random thoughts that may assist others who are still searching and lurking in the background.

Both embarkation and leaving the ship were totally 150% trouble free with no hassle whatsoever (Cunard, even in Queens Grill, was not short of a nightmare). The processes were seamless and stress-free. This was also true for stops en-route (unlike the larger Celebrity ships which were often problematic). Every passenger was bidden farewell by the Captain and other senior Officers; luggage retrieval easier than airport carrousels. On arrival before suites were ready, guests were each escorted to the Colonnade. It was rare to meet a member of restaurant staff who did not know your name – very much a club atmosphere.

Veranda Suites are well sized and my opinion better laid out than Cunard Penthouse suites altho the veranda itself was ‘compact’. Bathrooms were good and more than enough hanging space. Our fridge was (according to my wife) a not cold enough & and was replaced in 20 minutes flat by a brand new item. The suite was in good decorative condition. Aircon perfect.

The outstanding element (in my view) was the food and that I rate more highly than Cunard’s QG. Generally it was not only quite exciting but also well served. My partner has a few dislikes (rather than allergies) but after day one these were always accommodated except in food on Keller menus (but more of that later). To summarise here: Never a bad meal and usually exceptional service, the only exception being Breakfast where service was often hit and miss. Keller additions were frequent and generally well appreciated – just made choosing harder. Lunch here was often a good alternative to the hustle and bustle of the Colonnade. I say ‘hustle and bustle’ but there was always a seat and somebody to look after your needs. Here Breakfasts were good altho standard with brownie points for excellent fresh fruit selection. Lunches were busy (especially before warmer weather allowed may to migrate to the outside areas. Lunches equally good with a good variety. We did not eat there often in the evenings, but when we did we found food sometimes plated to far in advance of serving. Outside at the patio was the least exciting option at lunch but at night came into its own with Earth & Ocean – only just added to the ship. A true Bordieuan event for which the staff used all their skills to present a meal which exceeded the sum of its parts. It was regrettable that the weather did not allow for more opportunities, and by the end of the cruise it was necessary to turn up early to have a table.  

Only occasionally did we use the bars but they were equal to the service and quality  we had come to expect in other areas. The Spa service was good and the Serene Facilities excellent, never being crowded – we took a booking for the whole voyage which was excellent value especially in the poorer climes. Gym was OK but very limited. My wife found the Pilates classes good and fairly frequent. Laundry facilities were good and heavily utilised. Seabourn Square was much appreciated for its hub activities and while its library could never equal that on the Cunard ships it was well stocked with a wide selection of hardbacks. Another appreciated feature was the ability to connect with the on-board server for daily downloads of major newspapers – to me this seems to render the printing of daily news sheets or the newspapers that some were entitled to a huge waste of resource in material, production and delivery. 

Ships excursions were very average, their only redeeming feature being that the coaches were only ever filled to two thirds capacity. (One was so mediocre that there was a voluntary refund to the whole group of 20% after the event.)

We are not ‘sun loungers’ but noted that there was more than adequate provision and that service to them was good. Ad-hoc events such as the ‘block’ parties and pool caviar concerts were very succesful. The ‘evening with Tim Rice’ is good (for one visit).

Both 
So, is it the perfect small ship cruise partner? I for one will be using their facilities again.
 

Surprised so many, but on the two previous formal nights (departing Barcelona) I would'nt have put it above 25% and many without even a tie. (My surprise was a happy one - as we sit along side the Queen Vic and when we were here in March last on her the figure would have been around 85%).

Last night on the Oddessey I would say about 40% wore black tie (of various types) in the Restaurant - I was surprised but it may have been because it was thanksgiving.

In respect of the above posts, my documentation states Tai Tak which agrees with current port listings. However things may change as has the China stop. Recently advised not stopping in Xiamen (and been refunded excursion money) but Hainan. I had not applied for costly visas (as presailing documentation suggested I should do) altho some have and may have paid out a couple of hundred GBP for no reason as there appears to be the possibility that Hainan is visa exempt. Still have to follow up with TA/Seabourn bot unable at present as am on Oddessey in Canaries.

For what its worth: we are starting in Barcelona and our pack states 3 formal nights. Given that from Barcelona to Lisbon is around 14 days it would seem that 1 formal night for the last leg would be about right.

Has anybody any info on the visa requirements for the first stopover in mainland China? Are they dealt with on-board or are we going to have to go thru the expensive process of obtaining them before travelling? I'm UK based and my TA is still investigating but would appreciate heads-up from anyone with info.