Hlitner

The 2nd ship will launch later this year with 4 more to be built over the next 3-5 years. The product is different from any other cruise line and some will love it while others might long for the more traditional cruise experience. But we are enjoying being on a 65000 ton luxury ship with fewer than 340 passengers. A once in a lifetime kind of experience since the ship holds 930 when at capacity. Fun choosing from the 5 restaurants with no reservation issues due to the small number of cruisers. Hank

Some of us enjoy variety when it comes to cruise lines, itineraries, etc. We are currently cruising on our 17th cruise line (Explora Journeys), “O” will be our 18 th line and Silverseas #19. Our current favorite remains Seabourn although Explora 1 has the most amazing food we have ever experienced on any ship. Hank

The dirty secret about most cruise lines, and many restaurants, is that they use boxed bulk pasteurized egg mix for omelets and scrambled eggs. Real eggs are reserved for items that need to have a real yolk. The boxed stuff (often in milk carton-like containers) have a longer shelf life and are easier to store/ship than real eggs. I used to ask the HAL (and other lines) cooks to please use real eggs for my omelets. HAL cooks used to comply, but on our last HAL cruise (Mar - May) the cooks refused telling me they were not permitted to do it. Hank

We are currently on the new Explora 1 (Explora Journeys) which has truly gorgeous decor, throughout. We have our choice of 5 included restaurants with no add-ons. I mention this because the cruise world offers many options, depending on your budget. If you want “wow” it does exist. If you want excellent food (including unlimited lobster, caviar, prime beef, etc. it is all out there for the taking. Those that expect a 5* experience at budget prices will usually be very disappointed. It is the same on land. One issue in the cruise world is that some cruise lines who used to offer a premium product, have cut-back in order to control costs and repay huge amounts of debt. But there are other options (such as the new cruise line we are now cruising). Folks that stick to their old habits/favorites and whine have only themselves to blame. Hank

Good Morning readers, Today is the first of two sea days before our Tuesday arrival in Halifax. The nasty weather did change our itinerary (it took about 24 hours for guests to be notified of the change) where we spent yesterday in Gaspe and dropped PEI. Todays weather is nasty, but seas seem to only be a couple of meters and the ship handles that quite well. We are relaxing in very comfy loungers at the all weather pool, which is being kept comfortably warm. Last evening we decided to try dinner at the Emporium. This is a self service venue and not our style since we prefer sit down dining. However, the Emporium does have some nice dinner options. It is basically similar to the lunch lay out with some extra goodies. One can choose from lots of seafood items such as grilled lobster tails, grilled lobster ( a spiny lobster which is the same they use to make the excellent Thermidor served in Fil Rouge. They also had raw oysters, nice looking crab claws and several fish offerings such as sea bass, swordfish, and salmon. I spotted real Prime Rib (no bone) at the carvery station and had them cut me a very nice slice. I then asked for some horseradish, which caused problems. Two servers looked all over the galley and could not find any horseradish, so I thanked them and went to our table to eat. Another server soon came to the table and said one of the crew had gone down to Marble and Co ( 5 decks below) to get horseradish. We were very impressed that they went to all this trouble. While the food in the Emporium was great, the buffet format is not for everyone. However, there was a good crowd (over 50) using the venue. The main entertainment was the “Experience Manager” (cruise director) singing for about a 75 minute show. Tanya Roberts has tons of singing talent and we enjoyed every minute of her show which ranged from pop, Broadway, to Opera (she is a classically trained soprano). I will mention that Tanya (Canadian born and living in NYC) is terrific at her job and an absolute delight. Hank

Egads, no way we would remember which cruise, but it was more than 15 years ago. It only happened on 1 cruise and the charge was only a few dollars. But DW was angry and joked that it was discrimination against tea drinkers because coffee was free. Hank

We do enjoy sparking mineral water such as Pelligrino or Perrier. The ship made stuff is simply plain water charged with a shot CO2 and lacks the subtle flavor found in mineral water. We drink it because on this line it is our only option. We do not sit in our suite just to drink water :). We are social animals on cruises and are seldom in our suite except to sleep, shower and dress. Since we cruise on many different lines we simply adapt. On here it means no mineral water. One could argue that any high end line should have both Pelligrino and Perrier at all bars and in dining venues. Not a deal breaker, but just an annoying factor. We could add that to the list of missing items along with Harvey’s Bristol Cream and Rye Whiskey.

We have two carafes of plain water in our suite on a tray outside fridge. There is no sparking and the ship made (just co2 and plain water) would not have enough shelf life to store in a suite Hank

We have not been able to get any of the bottles water brands in the bars or restaurants.

A few years ago they used to charge for tea in the PG (before there was a Taramind) but not coffee. DW learned to bring tea bags (from the lido) and just ask for hot water (which was free). Hank

Hard to choose after 49 years of extensive cruising. But one of our favorites was a 62 Grand Med cruise on the Prinsendam. Only about 550 on that voyage that included two TA crossings. I still recall we had 23 sea days. Hank

We would echo Waltershipman’s comments about the entertainment. This has been a terrific surprise since EJ downplayed entertainment in their brochure. From day one. we have always enjoyed the performers and the Steinway artists have added another wonderful level. The bad news for future cruisers is the Steinway folks will not likely be regulars. The more time we spend around the ship the more we are impressed with the quality of the decor. From the various art works, lovely furniture, and even the light fixtures in the public rest rooms, the quality and design is the best we have seen on any ship. We do wonder if some of the fabrics and light colored carpets will stand up to the test of time and guest abuse, but that is an issue for future cruisers. Some design features are subtle and smart. We like the heated bathroom floors (which we can control via a thermostat) and the brilliant idea of having a vinyl strip on the top of the hanger bars (prevents hangers from shifting in rough seas) is well thought out. The bedding is top class and the bath towels are decent and big (about 6 foot). A lot to like about EJ. Hank

All we know is that our, twice confirmed reservation on the 7th, was cancelled without explanation. We did reschedule but are taking bets whether it will really happen. Our requests to see the menu have been always met with “we do not have a menu, but will send it to your suite…when available. Had dinner, last evening in Sakura, which is always excellent. With the ship at 1/3 capacity there has never been an issue just walking into any restaurant. There are still contractors, aboard who are constantly working on the decking. This has inconvenienced some passengers because large portions of the decks (including the all weather Conservatory) are often closed for maintenance. This is a beautiful ship and they will keep it in pristine condition no matter how inconvenient to the guests. Those of us planning to stay aboard on Oct 12, still have little info on what to expect. The best info has been found on CC. They are offering several NYC excursions on the morning of the 12th (such as a 250 Euro pp visit to the Steinway factory. The question, that remains unanswered, is an estimate of how long we must stay off the ship, during the morning of the 12th. With the EJ CEO coming aboard in Halifax, perhaps we will start to get some answers. Last evening we met some passengers who have elected to take the EJ offer to spend the 12th at a Manhattan hotel. They complained they have no confirmation, no information, and a call to the named hotel also got them no info or confirmation. This all seems to be part of the EJ practice of keeping guests in the dark until the last possible minute. Hank

The naming is actually on the 12th. Hank

Thanks for posting. There is no information provided onboard other than the standard “we don’t know” answer to most questions.

You miss the point. Keller designed the menu for a ship and also maintains control over the dedicated onboard chefs. Seabourn will gladly deal with dietary issues/requests in their other venues where they maintain complete control. There is a similar situation here on EJ where we cannot even get a menu for Anthology since it is mostly controlled by the Guest Chef who is a Michelin 2• chef. And unlike the TK grill which has no extra charge, it costs a couple $530 to go to Anthology with their mystery menu. Hank

Per my post from this morning, our Sunday visit to Charlottetown has been cancelled....but nobody has yet to officially inform the "guests." on this vessel. As is the norm, the paying customers are among the last to know. If you look at the port of Charlottetown's web site (or subscribe to their texts) it shows that our Sunday visit (along with the Norwegian Joy's) have been cancelled. This has been on their web site for some time. Hank

We have loved everything about Sakura.

While I am in a negative mood from lack of communication, I thought it might be fun to test my theory of inflexibility. They make good pizza in the Emporium, but the toppings have stabilized to the same o same o. Near the pizza station they have a sandwich station which has a bin of pepperoni. So, DW dared to ask the excellent pizza chef if he would make us a margarita with pepperoni? He looked shocked and said NO. Apparently that is not authorized by Geneva or the executive chef. A bit like programmed robots. Again comparing to Seabourn, such a request would quickly get a yes response. Hank

Agree with all you say. Go back to those venues a few times and you will get those exact same choices.

Let’s start another controversy. We have previously posted, several times, that a lack of communications between EJ and their “guests” is a major weak point. Today it has reached a new low. We have it on good authority that Prince Edward Island has been cancelled due to bad weather, Gaspe has tentatively been added tomorrow followed by 2 sea days. However, Guest non-Relations refuses to confirm anything and is more concerned that I have this knowledge (which is still supposed to be a secret). At some point (it will need to be later today) they will somehow need to officially tell all the Guests. On any other cruise line the Captain would have immediately told passengers about the cancelled port and perhaps added that there would be further info once everything was confirmed. Here, their style is to keep passengers in the dark for an unreasonable amount of time. This creates issues for those who have private plans in a cancelled port, but apparently that is not a concern to EJ. This all seems to go to an attitude that EJ is a resort hotel rather than a cruise line. Somebody said to me it is like they are trying too hard to be different. We could compare this to a recent Seabourn cruise where the Captain informed passengers that it was “likely” we would miss a port due to sea conditions. He tried to get into that port but it ultimately proved impossible. Most appreciated being kept informed and not being treated like children. Hank PS. This post is harsh but deserved

Going to try and get this thread on track. We finally met Waltershipman, this evening, and had time for an intellectual discussion about bagels :). But on this post I want to talk about this specific cruise (the 10 day from Quebec to NYC) and our entertainment. EJ has a resident group of musicians and singers are they are quite good. But this voyage is very special as it ends with the naming ceremony for the ship, and in many ways is kind of a christening of a new company. We have gotten to know some of the hosts (staff/crew) and do sense the building of some excitement. There is a gentleman aboard, from the Geneva home office, who is responsible for the corporate entertainment program. From him we learn some interesting history about EJ entertainment. They are a company that is striving to be very upscale and is also building 6 ships (known around here as vessels). What could be more natural than to put Steinway pianos on these ships. Those who know something about music and pianos know that Steinway is special (and a legend) in the piano world. So, when a representative from EJ went to Steinway and Sons, and put in an order for 6 of their best pianos (with player piano capability) it raised eyebrows. Steinway only produces about 2600 pianos a year and there can be a long waiting list for some models. No electric keyboards for EJ, just the best pianos money can buy. And so, a special relationship was born between EJ and Steinway. The payoff is on this cruise where Steinway sent 4 of their contracted pianists (these are world class pianists) to the "vessel" for this voyage. A 5th will be joining us in Halifax. These guys all work full time for Steinway, and travel the world representing the brand, doing concerts, and demos. Tonight, they had a 2 hour show in the Explora Lounge (attended by nearly half the passengers on the ship) and their skills were put on full display. It was one of those special shows that rarely happens on ships, and everyone knew it! They will continue to entertain throughout the cruise and be an integral part of the Oct 12 Naming Ceremony Day. To give you some idea of the quality, one of these gentlemen is the music director for Shirley Bassey. DW and I have been in this cruise game for a long time (50 years for me) and I do appreciate that this is turning into a special voyage. While some on this thread might think it is folly to be on an early cruise of a new cruise line, we now realize that it is a once in a lifetime opportunity for cruise lovers. Yes, things are far from perfect (this is a line that still needs to find the right combination of class, luxury, and the cruise experience). That being said, DW and I are having a great time, have met some wonderful folks (passengers, crew, and guest entertainers) and are thrilled to be a part of what seems to be a special voyage. The downside is that trying to evaluate/rate a product that is still evolving, is quite difficult. We have met folks who cruise on Seabourn, Regent, Silverseas, and some other luxury lines. Most tell us they are enjoying themselves. Whether that translates into future bookings is a question. By the way, tonight DW and I returned to the Med Yacht Club (our least favorite restaurant) for dinner. As soon as we were seated, a gentleman at the next table told me his Dover Sole was terrific (he is a Regent cruiser) so I ordered the sole. He was right. The dish (fileted tableside) was delicious and would hold its own against the amazing Dover Sole served in the Thomas Keller grills on Seabourn. I do think the big weakness in the onboard cuisine are the desserts. This is the area where constraints, imposed by the home office, are likely much of the problem. The same old "tarts" are boring and not even very good. It seems like each restaurant has 1 or 2 decent desserts, but that is not enough when folks will eat in each restaurant multiple times. The dessert problem is even more apparent at the Emporium lunches. Everyday it is two tarts (from a very short list of types) with a single cream puff thingee (which rotates flavors every 3 or 4 days) and some fruit. There is little imagination, and the lack of variety is a huge negative. We seldom see folks getting desserts at lunch, and assume most are as underwhelmed as moi. Perhaps my message to Geneva should be "let your people go" and do their thing without restraints. Hank

Have not seen any tails at lunch. Dinner is on our agenda, since it is the only dinner venue we have yet to sample (except for Anthology which is soon to come). Had the lobster thermidor in Fil Rouge which was sinfully rich. Hank

Lol. As one who was born in NYC and likely had my first bagel before my first steps, this is a very serious topic (as is good lox). But I do think Wiki has it correct when it describes a bagel as having a dense chewy texture. New Yorkers think that is where you get the best bagels which can only be properly made with NYC water. Most would agree that if you call a bagel “light” it is not even a real bagel. We could move on to a bialy discussion 🤪 We were recently in Montreal where the debate between Montreal vs NYC bagels will always cause an emotional response. Montreal makes their holes larger and adds some honey to the dough. They do give the NYC bagel good competition. Once knew some west coast folks who paid to have their bagels shipped from NYC (H and H bagels). Also knew a UAL pilot who was always bringing pastrami sandwiches back to LA (from NYC) for his neighbors. No pastrami on EJ, which is a darn shame. Hank

So now we are starting to get into the nitty gritty details and negative issues. Once the WOW factor wears off, issues like made to order delays in the Emporium do come front and center. EJ does not want to be compared to any other line but, Seabourn solved (years ago) the inherent made to order issues in their lido (Colonnade). They simply use a hybrid system of some buffet combined with sit down ordering and service. If you want Blueberry Pancakes, you simply tell a waiter who immediately inputs your order into a tablet. The nearby galley (an open galley) makes your order which is quickly delivered to your table. EJ needs to adopt something similar, but it will likely take years until they accept the faults in their system and seek a solution. Another issue here is the lack of decent port information. No port lectures, handouts of port info, or even information on port shuttles. You just have to discover this stuff on your own, often by walking off the ship and hoping for the best. This is fine for very independent folks but will not please many cruisers who expect more info. We are docked in Baie-Conway today. There was zero info, in the daily program, on how ti get into town (about 2km distant). We assume there is some kind of shuttle, but will not know until we are off the ship. I guess one could also go to one of the Guest Services desks, wait to see a ”host” and hope they have some answers. I think EJ sees themselves as a hotel, not a cruise ship. Those expecting a more traditional experience might be unhappy. Also consider folks that normally enjoy table sharing on cruise ships. There is no provision for that on EJ (although they do have some get togethers for singles). You cannot go into any dining venue and ask to share a table. They also do not have anything like the popular “hosted tables” found on Seabourn and some other lines. The Chefs Kitchen program (only a dozen participants) is one way to meet folks, but you will pay 150 Euros per class. And lastly a word about the bagels. They look good, but are simply soft bread in the shape of a bagel. They would not pass muster in either NYC or Montreal where a bagel must have a firm chewy texture. I have spent nearly 50 years looking for my first good bagel on a cruise ship, and that quest must now continue. Hank