commodoredave

I have been hoping to do a Japan intensive cruise for several years, and the Muse has several departing in April 2024. Any advice on whether this might be a good option, and if so, do you have a cabin recommendation? Thanks.

Ps - please let me know which other options you think are better as I am actively looking for an alternative. Thanks.

Fletcher, I agree with you. Why pay the extra money for an expedition ship when none of the expedition benefits will be included. I am currently booked on the Amazon cruise from Barbados but will likely cancel and choose another cruise line for this voyage. If one looks at the prices for non-expedition but luxury line ships on Amazon voyages, they are less expensive than the Pursuit. Why would anyone want to pay more for less?

Starting to plan our Amazon River cruise. Not taking the cruise air, and we are planning to fly home from Manaus via Sao Paulo as it works best for us. Question: If we have 4 days after the cruise ends in Manaus, what is the best division of that time between Manaus and Sao Paulo? Thanks.

For me, most of the true luxury lines (Silversea, Regent, Seabourn, etc.) are equally good and I do not give all of my business to just one. What makes the difference for me in choosing one over another is ship, itinerary and price. When one line has a good deal on an itinerary I want to experience, at a time I want to do it, and on a ship that I really like, I book it.

Did back to back on the Odyssey in February. We had 2 caviar in the surf at Carambola Beach. And the turn-over day in St. Maarten was seamless. No need to get off unless you want to. We went ashore to the beach for lunch. About 35% of our passengers continued on for the next leg.

Received an updated itinerary for this cruise from Seabourn yesterday and it now shows stops at Georgetown, Guyana and Paramaribo, Suriname. In addition, additional calls in Brazil and more information about them provided. Itin looking better than ever!

Just sent you an email.

Smart move with the switch to BA. One of our credit cards is linked to BA, the other to Air Canada. We've had a lot of success with BA to Europe, and AC south to the US and Caribbean.

Using air miles requires a strategy based on the airline, its alliance partners, and when seats become available. And some times a little flexibility on dates. There is actually a website that gives tips and advice on this. And to get business class, it also requires lots of air miles. We have lots of air miles thanks to doing lots of business travel before retiring, and because we put every expense we can through two credit cards - each linked to a different airline. Over the last 7 or 8 years we have not paid for a single business class ticket anywhere, and we travel a lot -- 8 flights this year. I estimate we have easily saved over $20,000 in airfares this year alone. Plus, I get to pick the airline, the route, the seat and usually the date of travel. Using airmiles is not for everyone, but for those who can figure out how to make it work, it's usually better than using the cruise line's air.

Or maybe "Have the Dogs Gone to Seabourn"?

Cocoa has good taste in clothes. I see a cruise in her future!

I like that itinerary as well. However, is it worth taking a chance at this point that the ship will be ready and the cruise will actually take place? I’d hate to have it canceled after booking air flights.

I checked the Seabourn website last week as part of their Black Friday Sail event, and they now have cruises for the Seabourn Pursuit starting October 10 with a 14-day Barbados to Manaus voyage. Will this be the ship's inaugural voyage? It's not being marketed as such.

Well, I haven't had an accident on a ship yet, but if I do have one you can bet I will make sure it is properly cleaned up, and I won't go into Seabourn Square after and plant my bare bottom (as lovely as it is) on a chair! 😀😁

You can continue to make excuses for the dog, but there is no excuse for the selfish dog owner who appears to have no consideration for anyone else on the cruise except herself. As any dog owner knows, their animal can be trained to behave properly in public, including staying on leash, not sitting on furniture, etc. And the issue with the dog having an accident is not that it happened, it's how the dog owner responded to it.

One of the reasons we chose Silversea for our trans-Atlantic cruise in March was the certainty of the MDR being open for breakfast and lunch during a cool weather cruise. However, we chose Seabourn for our Amazon cruise next fall as eating in the MDR on a warm-weather cruise is not an issue for us. Sometimes these little issues can be a factor for some in selecting a cruise line, and it's probably a good idea for cruise executives to be aware of it.

Received this message from Silversea today. Does this mean P2P will no longer be offered after November 30, or just that the special fares will expire on that date? RESERVE YOUR SUITE TODAY FARES INCREASE ON 1 DECEMBER 2022 Silversea’s Door-to-Door All-Inclusive fares are unmatched in cruising, featuring more quality services and amenities than any other line – including transfers directly from home. These limited-time fares will expire on 30 November 2022, so be sure to book a voyage to your dream destination today to secure the best fares and suite selection. Our Port-to-Port All-Inclusive fares are an ideal option for those who prefer to make their own pre- and post-cruise travel arrangements, offering an average savings of 30% on select itineraries. Book now as Port-to-Port fares expire on 30 November 2022.

The dog is not the problem - it's the owner who allows the dog to behave in an inappropriate manner. If SB had protocols for service dogs and enforced them, I doubt this forum would have gone on this long if at all.

The dog may be well behaved, but it sounds like the owner isn't. Letting the dog off leash. Letting the dog sit on furniture. What's next - dinner with the Captain in Thomas Keller!

The first time I see a ship's Captain with a service dog I'm getting off at the next port!

I would certainly give it a try.

According to this story in July from Travel Weekly, they are combing some staterooms to make larger ones. This should increase the number of larger cabins. https://www.travelweekly.com/Cruise-Travel/First-revelation-Crystal-ship-renovation

Based on my experience after sailing multiple times with Regent, Seabourn, Silversea and Crystal, is that Crystal was similar in quality to those 3 other luxury lines. In my opinion, the only drawback with Crystal was cabin size, which may be addressed with the ship renovations now taking place. I would love to see Crystal return as a genuine competitive threat to Regent, Seabourn and Silversea as competition brings out the best in everyone, and gives the consumer more choice.

No MDR for lunch on a trans-Atlantic would be a deal-breaker for me. In fact, we are leaning towards SS for a trans-Atlantic next year. However, we are leaning towards an Amazon cruise with Seabourn next year because MDR lunch means a lot less to us during a warm-weather cruise.