NJBelle

Quick note to say we have boarded, unpacked and attended the muster drill. So far, so great. The Ovation looks beautiful - of course, the sister ship to the Encore (sailed on her last year). Everyone is super friendly, the food at lunch was dellsh (loved those fresh artichokes), and the suite is very spacious. The other passengers seem age-wise to what we are used to (we are not kids, but tend to be on the younger side). We did see one family with a toddler and met one family with a 16 - year old at the muster. Then we saw her with two other teenagers. Schools have let out a lot of places in the US, so we may see a fair number of kids. I like them (as long as they don’t screech) so am happy to see them.

Sail away is in 20 minutes. Nice weather so far!

,

Absolutely agree, wripro! Thanks for making this comment.

We have arrived safely in Lisbon. Actually got here yesterday morning and chose to have a quiet day relaxing and hydrating. Got a great night’s sleep and we are feeling quite good today. We are staying at the Lapa Palace, since we have been to Lisbon several times before and were happy to be off the beaten track. It is a lovely hotel and we were delighted to be able to spend time by the pool today. Yesterday was rainy and today was supposed to be as well. It was a nice surprise to have a warm and sometimes sunny day after all.

We did a walking food tour today. That is now our “go to” activity when we travel to a city we have been to before and don’t have any must-see sights to cover. We feel like we learn a lot about the city, country and the culture when we take these tours. Today was no exception.

Hope everyone coming to Lisbon for the cruise has arrived safely (or will shortly). Look forward to meeting everyone!

Hello All, my husband and I will be sailing on Ovation, starting on Saturday from Lisbon. Right now, we are in the airport lounge at Newark, awaiting our (slightly delayed) flight. We hope there’s no lost baggage since this is a non-stop, but we always like to go in a couple days early to adjust to the time, etc. So, we are not on the ship yet, so that is why it is “somewhat live”, and also, I don’t intend to do detailed posts each day (this is vacation, after all) but do know there is a lot of interest in the new ship. So I will do my best.

We are doing two cruises, back to back (Lisbon-Amsterdam and then Amsterdam - Copenhagen). I know others have posted who are doing one of those cruises and also there are some joining in Amsterdam and then doing two cruises back to back from there. So there are several permutations of these voyages (our Roll Calls are kind of jumbled), but I hope we can all join forces and contribute.

Right now, the forecast for the first few days of our cruise says that it will be rainy, but for us, we just enjoy being on the ship. We hope it will clear up, but then, if it doesn’t, that is more time for checking out the new ship and drinking champagne.

Yes, just to build on Wendy's response, it is not the same as SB, but still, on it's own, it is very special. We went about 12 years-ish ago, when it was under Regent, so don't know how it might have changed under different management. From what I have read, it seems like they have kept the same feel and also, it seems like the best way to experience Tahiti and surroundings if that is what you are looking for.

We are not those who look for hot (as in temperature) places, but for us, the pros of Tahiti outweigh the cons. The South Pacific area is just absolutely gorgeous. You cannot believe the waters. We went a few days early and stayed in Moorea and we sprang for an overwater bungalow. That is the best money that you might ever spend (we are talking in luxury travel dollars here). We fell in love with the area even before we boarded the ship, but the affair continued after boarding. They have a great staff, lots of activities, and in addition, water skiiing, kayaking, etc off the ship and it makes for a lovely experience. The reason it was #1 for our family is that it offered something for all of us.

Hi SLSD, I applaud you as well! You never want to have to talk about what you wished you had done together as a couple. My uncle (previously in pretty good health for a 77 year old) has been in the ICU for the last two months and it is clear that he and my aunt will never be able to take any more memorable trips (or really any vacations at all). It is sobering and makes me glad that my husband and I started traveling from the start of our 29 year marriage. Having just one child, we were able to take her with us until she went to college. Now she is the one working and looks after our house while we travel!

BTW, a cruise on Paul Gauguin around Tahiti and the Marquesas was the all-time family favorite vacation. The favorite for my husband and me was going on the NorthWest Passage this past summer. After that was a cruise that started in Istanbul and then went though the Suez Canal around the Arabian Peninsula to Dubai (so many great stops including Israel, Egypt and Jordan). Next would be New Zealand perhaps. If no one has mentioned the coast of Norway, let me give a shout out for that one. We have done that cruise (all the way to Svalbard) several times and never tire of it.

Our last big trip was to visit Peru and enjoy Machu Picchu and the Sacred Valley. That was a fabulous trip, coupled with a cruise that started in Lima and then ended up in Buenos Aires. If MP interests you and your husband at all, I would encourage you to move that one up on your list. It is getting more and more crowded (although with new rules to help with that; there may be more on the way which will lessen the overall experience) and takes a certain stamina to cover the ground.

Well, SLSD, you can do what I did. I wanted to go to Antarctica, but my husband just wasn't interested. So, finally I said, "do you mind if I go by myself?" He was fine with that and so I went with Abercrombie and Kent on Le Boreal (a Ponant ship); they had a very low single supplement, so it wasn't outrageously expensive. I had an absolute ball - loved it, loved it. That was 7 years ago and I haven't stopped talking about it so finally he has decided that maybe it wouldn't be so bad, after all. We are signed up to go this January on Silversea Cloud (they have outfitted one of their smaller ships as an expedition ship). Am very excited and I know he is going to have a great time.

Well, we have many cruises on Silversea, Crystal and Regent - and one last year on Seabourn Encore and a BtoB coming up this spring on Ovation. We like all of them. And sometimes we like one more than others. We do compare, especially if we get on a ship on another line and they don't have something that we especially loved on another line. Like we really love the promenade deck on Crystal. The other 3 really don't compare. But then Crystal doesn't put out waters as you are heading out to excursions - you have to remember to go to one of the bars or bring one from your room - like the other ones do. (Both of these are just examples; not meant to indicate all the specific differences among the lines.) We like some specialty restaurants better on some lines. And we like the layouts on some ships vs. other ones on the SAME line. Even on the same ship, one cruise will differ from the next (as we found out on a back to back a couple of years ago). All 4 lines have pros and cons, and even those are not all consistent. The staff, the chef, the ship itself, the line, the weather and the other passengers are ALL factors in whether we might rate a cruise higher than another one.

Bottom line, in our minds, every cruise is an entity into itself. We would never go on another Caribbean cruise on ANY line. That is just not our thing. (Yes, we will pass through the Caribbean on the way to the Panama Canal or somewhere in South America). We won't do the Mediterranean in the summer on ANY line. We won't do 7 day cruises on ANY line. So, we look at when we want to go and see if any of the 4 lines we cruise are going anywhere we think is interesting. If two are similar, then we compare prices (and sometimes it is surprisingly different!) but mostly it is itinerary and timing that dictate for us which line we choose.

This is good news. I would encourage people to download the PressReader app (before the cruise, since downloading apps can be too much while using the ship's internet) if you like to read a newspaper in the morning. We enjoyed PR while on a Crystal cruise this past fall and were disappointed when we were on a RSSC cruise in February and found it was not something they supported. So thrilled to know that we will have PR on our Seabourn cruise in May. We read NYT and Washington Post on our ipads and phones on a daily basis (not just on cruises), but sometimes when the internet is down on the ship, it is nice to find out what is going on via a good newspaper. On the Crystal cruise, we could get the Washington Post and the Chicago Tribune and several others (and not the NYT as said above). Also, the PR was used on Crystal to provide an electronic copy of the daily activities (in addition to the paper one) and also to have the restaurant menus available. Does Seabourn use it this way as well?

We are totally on Team Crew Welfare Fund and give to that on every cruise we take (on every cruise line). Also, we are sure to mention specific names of those who have gone above and beyond in the written reviews - both in the middle of the cruise and at the end (and we keep the list short - maybe 3-4, so that it actually meaningful). The only time we did tip an individual was our butler on the Spirit. We had sprung for a suite and there was an occasion to have a party. Our butler did a great job of handling all the food, drink (and clean-up - what a thrill to leave for dinner and come back to a sparkling suite!). So, I wrote him a nice thank-you note and put cash in the envelope as well.

Thanks again for all the input/reassurances. We have done one SB cruise before (last February) but didn't really have any SBC to worry about. This time around we have a LOT of SBC and so I want to make sure I spend it on the excursions (that I would have paid for anyway). I know I can spend it on the spa, wine, etc. but we don't usually spend much in those departments and I definitely don't care about spending it in the shops!

Well, that sounds great - thanks! Appreciate the follow-up. Too bad they don't have a consistent message. I like it much better when I do excursions on Silversea and Crystal and are not charged until on board. (Regent charges if you select excursions before the cruise, but allows you to cancel and rebook and get the charges credited (although they give you cash - which is kind of weird) and then charge the "new" booking to to SBC.) Clearly, each line can do what they choose - and they do!

Anyway, I am going to book the ones that we "must" have in advance and then if I have to pay a 10% cancellation charge on them (since the information above is almost 18 months after when I will be doing this, so maybe they have changed their policy) then it is a small price to pay to get what we don't want to miss.

Oh, now I am rereading the excerpt (and I still say that the wording could be better) and see that it is talking about the scenario I mentioned where you book in advance, then cancel and rebook. But your excerpt doesn't mention the 10% cancellation fee. Did they say anything about that?

This is a bit confusing to me. I just talked to Seabourn Excursions and she told me that there is no way that you can use shipboard credits in advance to buy excursions online. You can use SBC once on board, of course, but then there is the chance that what you want would already be sold out. I asked about purchasing ahead of time, then cancelling once on board to get my original money back, then using the SBC to repurchase. She said you can do that but there would be a 10% cancellation fee for doing that.

I even said that I had read on Cruise Critic that is was possible to purchase in advance with SBC and she swore to me that it was just not possible.

So, were you actually able to do this? And how exactly did you get the SBC credited to your account in advance? I read the words on the excerpt of the email that you cited, but it just didn't seem to go far enough to say how exactly it worked.

I have a sweet husband who goes out and gets me coffee each morning. Lo and behold, today the coffee machine was manned by none other than the Captain himself. He donned the plastic gloves and punched the buttons with the best of them, according to my husband. Anyway, Eric had a chance to chat and the Captain said we are “this close” to starting the lifting of precautions. They just want to be extra extra sure since people might backslide once they are lifted. He seems pretty convinced that it is the intense MP portion that does it - stress of high altitude, dehydration, recent travel to Peru and then passengers-to-be eating all kind of crazy stuff before they get on the ship. Clearly not everyone brings it onboard, but only takes a few since it is highly contagious.

I also wanted to acknowledge the Captain’s taking his turn at the coffee machine. I am sure the staff noticed it and appreciate his support.

Keep your fingers crossed for us!

Yesterday, I overheard the Captain talking to another passenger and he said that it is his hope that after our tours today, there may be some good news. No new cases were reported yesterday (as far as I know) so that would match with the 48 hours since the last one. He also added that it is kind of like the stock market - you think you know what is going to happen, but you don’t always get it right. We are due to sail from Punta Arenas at 5 pm today, so wish us good winds and good luck.

Yes, it is too serious to blow off the protocol as stupid. It has to be nipped in the bud. None of the people I am talking are wingeing about the protocol at all (the laundry folks were kind of chuckling about it, not complaining). It it’s not that intrusive, and we will be done soon.

On a very positive note, we have the Blue Moon down here right as I type. We are on the port side so see it in all it’s glory. Beautiful!!

As we prepare for sail away from Puerto Montt, CD Paul just said that current situation still status quo. He said it has to be 48 hours after last person is reported sick (and quarantined of course). He also mentioned that no crew were ill, just passengers.

Just an FYI, the passenger laundries remain closed, and some folks are getting a little antsy about their dirty clothes. They may have to break down and send them out! We get a free bag every week, but seems like there should be a discount at least when there are no passenger laundries available. They can’t do free (IMHO) since I guess everyone would send stuff and overwhelm the facilities. Oh well. Can’t speak about the casino even though I just walked through it. It is closed since we have just been in port. For what it is worth, I didn’t see any signs that it would be closed while in Code Red. As far as the library, it is a kind of open room so it is open, but there are signs on the DVDs and the games that they are not able to be checked out and their cabinets are locked.

Thank you, Got 2Cruise!

Appreciate the vote of confidence. When you have sketchy internet in southern South America, it takes some devotion to the facts to want to be sure that the report from “boots on the ground” is taken in hand.

Just an update - at the lunch time Captian’s report, CD Paul said that there are still a few passengers suffering from gastroenteritis. He used those words - have no numbers about what few means.

Hi all, lots of speculation here, so a few facts:

1. I am on the Mariner right now

2. The Passages clearly stated gastroenteritis. (I doubt they have the technical facilities to actually get a NV diagnosis, but seems likes they are going with precautions that cover it - and certainly other communicable diseases).

3. In a cheeky moment, I am the one who introduced Code Brown into this thread. It was an attempt to be amusing. I never stated that anyone official had called it that.

Now, opinion : I don’t think there is an environment of secretiveness onboard. They have been open about the Code Red and how to deal with any concern. As I said, they plainly stated gastroenteritis in Passages.

Even the Passasges tonight says “ Guests are reminded to be vigilant so as to avoid the spread of gastroenteritis on board”.

And it does seem odd that it is called Code Red. When I was a resident and fellow in Pediatrics, we called pediatric codes “Code Red”, and adult codes “Code Blue”. Maybe “Code Brown”for this? Anyway, seems to be Code Red for GI illness.

From what we have heard, this is GI related. They are asking anyone who feels ill, etc to go to the medical center. Visit is complimentary, no charge. They are clearly trying to contain. They are enforcing the quarantine with spouses of ill passengers (heard that through the grapevine).

Now, I totally agree with no hand-shaking. Even in church. Great way to spread a boatload of germs. (I am a physician but do like general terms...). So, was surprised when the Captain shook hands during the Block Party. Would guess that is something that will change in the future.

Again, I think everyone is supportive of the measures and there is not really a damper on things. Fingers crossed it will be contained soon!

i am not trying to be the Captain of the Bad News Bears, by posting this, but think this is news that people care about knowing. For myself, because I had read on CC prior that the cruises in South America after Peru often end up with a Code Red, then was not freaked out when it happened to us just now. In fact, at lunch today, during our excursion, I had to reassure new Regent travelers that this was not “normal”. Eric and I have down probably 40 cruises, with 10+ on Regent, and this is the first time we have experienced Code Red anywhere. The Captain and ship seem to be doing the right thing - making us use sanitizer, removing all S&P, condiments, menus (paper for now), no books or CDs, etc. - basically swabbing all the decks and everything in between. The buses had to be wiped down before we left on excursions today. All this is good in my mind. We are not really being inconvenienced as passengers. The crew is having to do all the extra work. Stay tuned! Best, Janice

So, a great first 24 hours onboard the beautiful Mariner. We were last on Regent a couple years ago (have done cruises on Silversea, Seabourn and Crystal in the meantime) and we think it has been about 10 years since we were last on Mariner (this is our third M cruise). Seems like there are lots of upgrades from last time, although I know more are coming in just a few weeks with the dry dock. Right now, the ship’s public areas look beautiful and it is only in the stateroom that I see scuffs and such. But overall, looks pretty great for a ship going into dry dock so soon!

Today I did my morning constitutional on the top deck. It was before 8:00 and I was the only one, really. Maybe people are tired since it was the first morning, or they came earlier, or this is just not a walking crowd. Anyway, I love it to see the ship waking up - the stewards getting the pool deck in shape, the bridge staff getting us tied up to dock, folks having breakfast, etc. I have to say that Regent rates pretty well regarding outdoor walks. Crystal has the fabulous full promenade deck, but it is on the 7th floor, I think, so you can’t observe the ship’s activities. Seabourn really doesn’t have a very good route (just above the pool and it is so short, you feel like you will turn to butter if you do it too many times). Silversea is a little better, but again, Regent is looking pretty good in the walking category!

Also, love the Coffee Connection. Really big now and love the fact that you can have service by the staff or just make your own anytime. Rivals Crystal’s Bistro now so this is very welcome.

We had a great excursion around Ballestas Island. Saw so many different kinds of birds and also sea lions, and, - wait for it - two different sets of Humboldt Penguins! Was very exciting to me and one of these days, I need to count up all the different kinds of penguins I have been fortunate to see. Eric is not as thrilled about wildlife but he was a good sport to come along, and I think he may have gotten a little kick out of the penguins as well.

Last night we had dinner with Wes and Ida and was great to get to know them in person after years of a media relationship. Look forward to the Block Party tonight and the Mix and Mingle tomorrow morning.

It is Sunday morning in Cusco and we are having a leisurely morning after 5 days on the go. We are in the lovely Belmond Palacio Nazarenas very near the city center. We are very impressed with the Belmond hotels so far. We have previously stayed in the Belmond Charleston Place but we have really had a chance to sample the product further on this trip, with this hotel, the Sanctuary in MP and the Hiram Bingham. (Although, I will take a moment to give a shout out to the Tambo del Inka in Urubamba- it was fabulous, although not a Belmond; it’s a Starwood). We arranged this pre-cruise tour with Kuoda Travels and we have been extremely happy with everything. They will do a bespoke trip and have lots of contacts and ways to enhance your trip with special treats along the way. Anyway, just wanted to mention them. Once we get to our hotel in Lima - the Belmond Milaflores Park, then we will be done with our touring with them. We feel very comfortable on our own in Lima, since we will mostly focus on food there (having been there before).

Oh, I heard from this guy who was at MP when we were (he was also here at this hotel) that his guide told him that it’s being said that in 5 years, they are going to not allow the access currently allowed at MP. Like you can view more from a distance but not just go everywhere like now. Maybe some of you can check this out on the internet, but if true, plan your trip now!!