MalibuCA

Thanks for all of the great tips. I will follow up on all of them!

Shelley

Thanks so much for your information. I suspected that boarding would begin at noon just as it has on all of our Crystal voyages. I can't wait to get on the Odyssey - time to go pack!

Thanks,

Shelley

We stayed there a week ago. We were supposed to fly Air France non-stop to LA from Paris, but when Air France went on strike and cancelled our flight, we made new arrangements to fly British Airways to London, where we spent the night before connecting the next day on Virgin Atlantic to LA. The Sofitel was perfect for the overnight stay. We were able to access the train easily into London, where we had a short visit to the V&A and dinner in the city. We could have taken the train back, but chose a taxi instead, which was also a very easy alternative. The hotel staff were very helpful with train directions. The breakfast buffet was fantastic - so many choices - and it wasn't even a Sunday brunch. The room was very clean and the bed was more than adequate. Would I do it again? Definitely, and I probably will because I'm never flying Air France again. The Sofitel in Terminal 5 goes way above your typical "airport" hotel. For your one night, you can't go wrong.

Shelley

My husband and I are newbies to Seabourn and very excited about our "maiden" voyage. We embark the ship in Singapore. Although new to Seabourn, we are very experienced Crystal cruisers, and we are very familiar with embarkation procedures there. I'm wondering whether Seabourn has a similar policy to Crystal. While Crystal suggests a time for boarding that is in the afternoon, many passengers embark by noon. The passengers are not able to go to their staterooms until the afternoon but they are welcomed on the ship for lunch much earlier in the day. Does embarkation work the same way on Seabourn? Our documents suggest we board at 2 p.m. Are we able to access the ship earlier? What is the earliest time that passengers begin embarking on Seabourn?

Thanks,

Shelley

Thanks so much for the clarification. We are really excited about taking our first Seabourn cruise, and I hope to meet many of you on board in November or in the future. Now, I'd better get into my closet and start pulling out the travel wardrobe!

Thanks,

Shelley

Now, I'm confused. The earlier postings to this thread lead me to think that only dressy slacks (not jean style or denim material) and dresses are appropriate. The more recent postings, however, suggest that colored jean-style pants (aka skinnies) are appropriate depending on our destination. We will be cruising Malaysia and Indonesia. What's the consensus? Are colored/print denim (NOT BLUE) fabric "skinnies" in a jean-style cut appropriate, or not? If not, that's not a problem for me - I will leave them home or use them for our Crystal cruises. If they are appropriate, then that simplifies my packing for all of my cruises. The last thing I want to do as a Seabourn "newbie" is get fellow passengers - who I would like to meet as friends - annoyed with my attire. I just want to do the "right" thing. What would you do?

Thanks,

Shelley

Thanks for your replies. The message came through loud and clear. I will definitely dress up every night!

Thanks,

Shelley

My husband and I are taking our first Seabourn cruise in November, and I'm trying to determine how casual "resort casual" really is on board the Odyssey in the evenings. What complicates my packing is that we are taking two B2B Crystal cruises immediately following our Seabourn cruise, and I need to pack clothes that will suitable for both ships. Recently, Crystal revised their evening dress code to allow dressy jeans on casual nights. I was planning to take pants that are made of denim, but they are definitely not blue jeans. They are either a print pattern or pretty color, but the pants are denim and in the style of jeans - front pockets, front zip, back pockets, etc. I wear the pants with a pretty tank top, belt, jacket and flats or heels. I called Seabourn to ask if these are appropriate, and I was told that definitely NO denim of any kind is acceptable after 6 p.m.. I'm addressing this question here because you are the people who sail Seabourn, and you are the best source to answer my question of what is really done on the ships. I'm not opposed to dressing up more - in fact, I usually dress up on cruises more than many - but I need to know so that I can pack appropriately for both Seabourn and Crystal. I just want to do the right thing. Do women wear "print" or "colored" denim pants on resort casual nights after 6 p.m.? Or should I plan to wear dresses and dressier slacks on Seabourn?

Thanks,

Shelley

Thank you for your frankness and advice. The ability to hear the guide is certainly of primary importance.

I have a question re the Torr Road. What is so special about the Torr Road? Why is it a "don't miss?"

Thanks,

Shelley

My husband and I will be cruising to Belfast, and we are considering three different private guides to show us the city of Belfast and to take us along the Antrim Coast to the Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge and Giants Causeway. The three private guides are: 1) Belfast Mural Tours, 2) Paddy Campbell's Belfast Black Cab Tours and 3) Belfast Millie Tours. Have you had experience with any of these guides? If yes, please share with me your experiences, and tell me which guide you recommend.

Thanks,

Shelley

Be very CAUTIOUS about using the patch. I used the patch when cruising across the Drake Passage to Antarctica on Crystal's Holiday Cruise last year. Fortunately, we did not have horrendous seas, but after reading so much about the Drake Passage being the roughest waters on the planet, I came armed with lots of patches. I've used the patch previously with no problems. This time, however, I developed a rash at the site of the patch behind my ear. I went to the ship's doctor for another reason, and while I was there, I asked him about the rash. He warned me never to wear the patch again. Let me emphasize that this is not an alarmist type of doctor - very conservative, sensible and calm. He explained that the reason Crystal does not distribute the patch to passengers is because of the potential side effects. The effects can (and have) caused the passenger to become "delirious and not know where he/she is." These are his words, not mine. He said that they have even had to put passengers off at the next port to go home because the effect is so bad. He mentioned that this happens more with elderly passengers, but he has seen it happen to passengers of all ages. I, for one, will never use the patch again. I'm strictly a ginger/band/Dramamine girl now. Of course you will do what you feel is best for you, but I just couldn't pass this thread by without sharing my negative experience with the patch. Have a great cruise!

We will be cruising on the Crystal Symphony, and we stop in Narvik from 8 am to 6 pm. I looked on Tripadvisor and found only four attractions - three that are museums and one that is for divers. We are not divers. Is there anything to do other than the three museums? Anything scenic? Is it a quaint town to just wander and get lost? I know that Crystal will offer shore excursions, but if you can identify the "don't miss" sites, it will certainly help me to select the best tour for us.

Thanks,

Shelley

Completely safe, and you will love it! We took two walking tours of this area, but not for safety. One was a "foodie" tour, which was both tasty and a lot of fun. The other was a "street art" tour, where we walked through all of the street art (which is outstanding!) with one of the street artists. Excellent! In fact, we enjoyed this area so much that we went back on our own again just one more time. It's just the best area to photograph. We are returning to London next July, and I guarantee you that we will be revisiting the East End. Hope that helps. Have fun!

Shelley

We will be in Reykjavik on the Crystal Symphony for two full days plus one morning prior to sail away. I've got our full days set with private tours - one to the Golden Circle + Glacier and Snowmobiles, the other to Eyjafjallajokull (around the volcano). My question concerns the morning prior to sailing away at noon. We want to be back on board the ship by 11 a.m., and we thought that the morning would be a good time to explore the city of Reykjavik. Questions:

1) Can our city exploration easily be done on our own, or is there enough historical and other information that merits our hiring our private guide for the morning to show us the city?

2) Is the ship docked (or anchored) right in the city, or do we need to travel by taxi to reach the sites in the city? If travel is necessary, how long of a taxi ride is it?

3) Can you recommend any "must see" sites within the city?

4) Is the city compact - limited to a few main streets where the sites are located - or is it spread out that will require transportation to get from site to site?

Thanks,

Shelley

How can you determine which statues in the city talk? Are they identified somehow? Does sound interesting!

Shelley

Hi, Sparkopotamus (BTW cute name!) -

I'm still working on it. Exploring an avenue with a private guide. If it pans out, I'll post back here and let you know.

Shelley

I think that our ship will be docked at Dunmore East. Is there a train station within walking distance (or a short taxi ride) to Dunmore East that will take us to Kilkenny?

Thanks,

Shelley

Thanks so much for your help. It's given me great insights!

Shelley

My husband and I are going to be in Waterford on the Crystal Symphony from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. We would like to visit Kilkenny for the day. One option is to rent a car and drive there, go to the Castle, wander the town, and do it all on our own. Another option, of course, is that the cruise ship may offer a shore excursion. While we take ship shore excursions when they are either fabulous itineraries or locations that are difficult to visit on our own or by private guide, the large group tours aren't our favorite choice. The last option is to take a private tour for the two of us or to hire a driver who can take us and bring us back to the ship. The problem with #3 is that I haven't been able to find a private guide or driver.

Please advise me if Kilkenny is a town that is easily done on our own. I know that it's very walkable and compact, but is there a need for a private guide to explain the history and culture? Are there taxis available at the cruise terminal that can take us to the car rental agency to pick up the car, and are there taxis available near the car rental agency to bring us back to the ship after returning the car?

Alternatively, can you recommend a private guide or driver?

I have seen some group tours offered that take cruise passengers from Waterford to Kilkenny and back to Waterford, where they are also taken to the Waterford Crystal factory. I'm wondering whether this is something we could do on our own. Can that be done easily if we pick up the car about 9 am and return to the ship (after returning the car) by 6 pm? My husband doesn't really care about the factory, and frankly, I could look at Waterford in my cupboard, but I still wonder whether the factory tour is worth doing. What do you think?

Thanks so much for your help!

Shelley

Thanks, TowncarT! This is very helpful. You may not be a tour guide, but you should consider changing professions! You definitely know your city. I will follow up on what you have here. Do you think it's necessary to have a private guide to really learn about Liverpool, or is it sufficient wandering and soaking up the atmosphere at the locations that you suggest?

Thanks,

Shelley

My husband and I will be cruising on the Symphony, and we will be in Liverpool on July 1, 2015. We are looking for a private guide, who can provide us with a tour that combines both Beatles history and Beatles sites with city highlights. While I love, love, love the Beatles, I'm certain that Liverpool has more to offer than strictly Beatles history. Similarly, I can't possibly visit Liverpool and not experience something Beatles. Can you recommend a private guide in Liverpool, who can provide us with the kind of tour we are seeking? I am posting this to the UK board, too, but I always find my greatest CC thinkers here on the Crystal Board.

Thank you for any help you can give me.

Shelley

Thanks so much for all of the helpful tips. I've read in reviews lots of warnings about seasickness on these tours. While I don't ordinarily suffer from seasickness, it has happened to me once, and it was pretty dreadful. No worries for my iron stomach husband. Did any of you have experiences of seasickness or see lots of people on the tour who did get sick?

Thanks,

Shelley

My husband and I will be on the Crystal Symphony in early May 2015, and we would like to take a day tour cruise to the Kenai Fjords National Park when we visit Seward. I am looking at two different tour operators - Kenai Fjords Tours and Major Marine Tours. The tours seem to offer similar sightseeing opportunities. Kenai Fjords takes a maximum of 150 while Major Marine taps out at 200. Major Marine guarantees reserved seating whereas Kenai Fjords is first come first served for seating. Major Marine has a National Park Ranger on the tour as compared to the Captain providing information on Kenai Fjords. Both companies are very highly rated on Tripadvisor and both are competitively priced.

Have you taken either of these tours? Can you recommend which company we should use? Is there anything in particular that you did not like about a tour? Please help me to decide between Kenai Fjords Tours and Major Marin Tours in Seward.

Thanks,

Shelley

Haha! That's okay, Keith. Crystal is usually where I post - especially if I don't find my answers on the board for the specific port. I appreciate your information. It will be a dream, I'm sure, to visit these small towns WITHOUT lots and lots of tourists. The seaplane trip is great, I know - we did it our first trip to Alaska, and then, took our daughters with us on the same tour the next time we visited Alaska. I never tire of that, and I hope that Crystal can offer it again. However, it has been challenging to find private companies to do that so early in the season because of the possible weather complications. I expect that if it's challenging for the private companies, then it will be challenging for Crystal, too. Although I've known Crystal to "move mountains" when faced with an "impossible" situation. What comes to mind (since you mentioned it) is Easter Sunday in Bordeaux earlier this year. We were in Bordeaux overnight - on BOTH Easter Sunday and Easter Monday (which is a national holiday in France as well). Somehow Crystal still managed to open up the "closed" chateaus for us for both gala dinners and tastings! I look forward to seeing what is ultimately offered in Alaska!

Thanks,

Shelley

Keith and others -

Hopefully you are still following this very old thread. Once again, Crystal is going to Dutch Harbor and Ketchikan - this time at the very start of May. This thread has helped tremendously to describe sites to see. Keith - What did you and Anne Marie end up doing in these ports? Has anyone done anything in these ports not already mentioned in the thread? We have been to Ketchikan twice before as well as Seward, but it was a while ago, and I would appreciate any suggestions you may have for sightseeing. We love doing the helicopters to the glaciers in Alaska, but it seems that all of the companies we contact do not begin their helicopter runs until later in the summer - due to weather conditions, I'm sure. We adore the wildlife - any suggestions for private companies or private tours that you can suggest would be very helpful. Also, any specific Crystal excursions that you enjoyed.

Thanks,

Shelley