sunshineocean13

I called Luggage Forward this afternoon. They said "no food, no alcohol, no aerosols, no shaving cream in cans, no lithium batteries, and no medications (even over the counter medicines). Liquids are okay, as long as they don't have "high alcohol content." The CVS in Miami will be convenient for some of those bigger things, like mouthwash.

Thanks to everyone for your great ideas. They helped me think through how we will handle it!

4 hours ago, Floridiana said:

Luggage forward did not accepts liquids, therefore I packed them in our check-in suitcase which worked well for the 82 days of our cruise.

That's interesting. I just looked at Luggage Forwards website, and it says you can pack anything that could be a checked bag on the airplane. I think I'll call them to check. That's the company Seabourn uses, so we'll have suitcases going with them anyway.

1 hour ago, jagsfan said:

Where are you meeting the ship?

If in the US, take a taxi from the airport and stop at a Walmart. 

If out of the US, I wouldn’t chance mailing it even to a hotel. Definitely not the ship. 

We were lucky several years ago when we crossed the Mississippi and realized we didn’t have a navigation disc for the western half of the US. Could have done without but didn’t want to.

I went eBay on my phone, ordered one and had it sent to our Vegas hotel. 

Checked in and asked for it, and they hadn’t a clue. 

Asked again the next day, and the third day  they called our room and said they found it in the kitchen. 

Might be even more difficult outside the US. 

We're  meeting the ship in Miami, flying in from Seattle, with two nights in a hotel before we board. I would do the Walmart route, but they don't carry  many of the items we need. It would definitely not be nice to arrive at the hotel and not have the package. Hmmmm.

Has anyone had luck with sending a box of toiletries (or anything!) ahead to either the ship or your pre-cruise hotel? The amount of liquid and lotions needed for two people for five months adds up, and I'm concerned about the added weight in our suitcases. Any advice for me?

My brochure for the 2020 World Cruise says, "Unlimited Laundry, Dry Cleaning and Pressing," if you book by May 31.
 

5 hours ago, Bennniee said:

Mine starts Jan 4.  Plenty of time to figure it all out.   I am holding off on booking excursions in some ports until I'm on board because I want to get a better feel for the type of excursions that I enjoy.  Also,  I'm holding off on booking excursions in ports that I've been to before as I will be more comfortable with booking privately.   Perhaps I'm mistaken but there seems to be less risk to book privately in Singapore than in Ghana for example. 

We haven't had problems booking some excursions when we're onboard. Yes, some will sell out, and we do try to book ahead any that are a must-do. Sometimes, though, we find we get a better idea of what they'll be like after hearing the port talk onboard, or talking to the Destinations coordinator.

Estate Planning Questionnaire February 2019.pdf

On 8/9/2019 at 6:03 PM, freddie said:

I will humbly ask all of those offended to forgive me and have even tossed out my Mariners cap as an act of atonement.

Please be so kind as to advise me whether the accuracy of my recollection has gone the way of my Mariners cap and should be tossed. 

Our Mariners aren't doing so well, so you'll be okay if you switch to a Seahawks cap.

12 hours ago, DiscerningD said:

Can one be 'overdressed'? I ask this because my DH brings his DJ/Tux, as he rarely gets to wear it these days, for formal nights but felt a bit odd one out on our SB Western Caribbean cruise last year. Admittedly a dark Tux is not very tropical! I get the impression that even formal nights are getting more casual. We quite like wearing something a bit smarter in the evening but don't want to look unnecessarily 'stuffy'. I would be interested in opinions as we are on an SB Caribbean cruise again in Jan. Thanks

I actually like admiring those who dress up on formal nights. So, go for it! You are right that, in general, it has gotten a bit more casual, but you'll usually find some very spiffy dressers in the MDR on formal nights. Enjoy, whatever mode of dress you choose.

Yes. I signed up for the email notification, so, hopefully, I'll get counted. Thanks again.

Thanks, MadMarine! That was more helpful than the information I'd found before. It looks like we can do it online. 

This post is aimed at US world cruise travelers. We will be on our world cruise from January 4, 2020 to May 28, 2020. I believe the 2020 census count occurs during that period, and we are concerned about not being able to be counted. Politics is dicey enough without being counted in our district to receive appropriate representation in our government. Does anyone know how we can register while we're out of the country?

You sound very organized, Heidi13! I'm impressed! I began working on our excursions a few months ago, for the January 4th 146 day cruise you'll be on, Bennniee. I read through all of the ship excursions for each port, a port or two per day, and mark those I think we might be interested in. I used the itinerary to create a chart, leaving space to pencil in possible excursions with their prices, because we were trying to get an idea of what we are likely to spend on excursions for the whole cruise. Research on ports is gradual, as it is overwhelming, and my husband tends to get more into the research and private excursion possibilities than I do. I also like to note the main language spoken at that port, and the currency, as well as noting if US$ are usually accepted. We've been very happy with our Seabourn ship excursions in the past, and tend to go with those if we are doing an excursion in a port. I know they are often more expensive, but I really like the convenience. So far we've only actually booked one of the excursions, but will gradually begin to book a few more, especially if they seem like a "must see." With that long of a cruise, we'll keep researching as part of our onboard entertainment, and book many as we go.

It's now on the Seabourn website.

I find the packing cubes let me pack more clothing in a smaller space, and their weight is negligible.

We are booked on the January 4, 2020 Seabourn World Cruise, so we will see you onboard, Bennniee! We love the warm, friendly atmosphere on Seabourn, both with staff and other passengers, and the exceptional level of service. We're looking forward to many ports we haven't yet visited, some return visits, and the multiple sea days. We are celebrating our 50th anniversary in 2020, and the world cruise seemed a perfect way to celebrate.

SLSD, Yes, and the Pacific Northwest and Seattle are even more casual. We're really upping our game when we go on Seabourn!

SLSD, you are spot on when you say people have different interpretations of elegant casual. There are many kinds of Hawaiian shirts, and for many of us on the west coast, a dressy Hawaiian shirt (think a bit more muted pattern, perhaps silk or a silk blend) is considered quite elegant and appropriate to wear for dressy occasions in warm weather.

Thank you, Chairsin! My mouth is watering already...

candylover, do you make your special food request by calling guest services, or do you need to talk to someone specific? I've been wondering about special requests for our next cruise. I want the escargot, too, but I need them to be gluten free! Whenever they are listed on the menu, they seem to be prepared ahead of time with gluten.

We booked a guarantee veranda suite on an Alaskan cruise on the Sojourn this past fall. We learned our suite number about 10 days before sailing, suite 831. Initially I was concerned it could be noisy due to its location next to the Pool bar and outdoor restaurant, but it was very quiet and a very convenient location. Mentally prepare for whatever you might consider to be the least desirable suite, and then be happy if you get a little better. Antarctica should be amazing, no matter which suite you end up in!

35 minutes ago, T^2 said:

36 minutes ago, T^2 said:

I just go to the Seabourn web site and work through the process as though I was booking a cruise.  I generally do this while sitting front of the tv going mind numb anyways.  It is a bit time consuming, but after a few times it gets to be quicker.  I select the different level of cabins (er, suites) and count how many are still showing as available.  As AnnieO pointed out, they may be available because "lots" of folks are playing suite roulette and not picking a suite until it gets assigned.

 

Thanks! I will try it.

Several of you have indicated you can see how many of each level of suites are still empty for a particular cruise. How are you seeing this? Are you able to see this on Seabourn's web site, or is it through a TA?

We were on a 24 night cruise on the Quest last year, in a Penthouse Spa cabin with a connecting door. The gentlemen next door requested that maintenance fix some shaking-vibrations in the door itself. They fixed it quickly, we were quiet, they were quiet, and so we had no problems. I'll admit I'm always a little nervous about the connecting doors, but in this case it worked well.

11 hours ago, captjohn said:

Great I think you will like it . It is not adjustable but it is strong and will last over a week per charge . You may have to refill the tank twice to get the job done ! I tease my wife that we need to install a garbage disposal in our bathroom sink 🙂

 

Oh, put a very very small amount of silicon lubrication on the area where the tubing attaches to the main unit, there is an " O" ring that gets a little sticky. FYI

Thanks for the hints!  I will work on installing the garbage disposal...

The battery powered water flosser looks interesting - I just ordered and will give it a try. Thanks, captjohn! And yes, the San Juans, Canadian Gulf Islands, and Desolation Sound are great cruising waters. We love it here.