adoctor

The Earth and Ocean evening in the Colonnade on the Pursuit last year was probably the worst food I have ever experienced on Seabourn. As the ship was new I put it down to teething problems. A shame to hear its not improved overmuch. The food and service in the MDR however was consistently good. On Quest later in the year so looking forward to trying Solis but as a great TK fan I am holding my breath.

I find this a puzzling arrangements. A financial move to provide some certainty for future cash flows probably but from a customer perspective it makes little sense. It will irritate the loyalists and confuse potential customers and travel agents. Access to a relatively small(in global terms) Australian market does not stack up for me. The only thing that would make strategic sense for Carnival would be a "try it and see" deal with APT in order for them to acquire the whole of Seabourn. With the Japanese company who have acquired the Odyssey also rumored to be in the frame this could set up a higher value divestment for Carnival over the medium term.

On the maiden voyage of the Pursuit back in August (in the Mediterranean) tendering was undertaken by the normal style vessel despite it being billed as "by Zodiac". I think where the landing site is a dock or quayside this will be the likely method. If the landing is on a beach or estuary then wet weather clothing will be the dress code.

This is good news for your trip. The sail into the downtown port of Saigon is IMHO one of the best cruising experiences in the world. Be sure to set the early alarm to see Vietnam waking up, going to school ,working the fields and manufacturing everything you could imagine. The ship will be led into the port by a wonderfully aggressive pilot boat which clears the path for the ship around the tight turns on the Saigon River scattering other craft in its wake. I recall a conversation with one of Seabourn's captains who told me that the sail in was hugely exhilarating for the Bridge team if a little stressful! Don't miss it.

So lis is it? The replacement for TK. No real surprise that Keller's days were numbered but on reading the paragraph upon paragraph of "marketing speak" contained in the release from Seabourn I am now concerned. It's very light on detail about the new menu or menu's .At the very least I would have expected a sample menu. I recall a meal of the stock rich clam chowder and excellent brined Chicken being one of the finest experienced at sea. The sourcing of the meat and fish was also top draw. So with an open mind we will sample the new concept but in my view it has a steep hill to climb.

Some folk's DNA is hard wired to tip. (I am avoiding saying nationalities as I have no desire to see hostilities break out again!).You can advise, clearly state that no tip on board is required, suggest the crew fund, allow for exceptional circumstances," when in Rome" etc. but it will make little difference. My advice : I think I'll stop there!

Departed the Pursuit on Sunday.The initial high standards on board continued for the 8 days.Some final observations: 1 Shopping with the chef is alive and extremely well.An array of Corsica’s finest produce and fish was sourced at the market adjacent to the ship.Snapper served in the MDR.It seemed that Seabourn have realised how important the food is to their competitive offering having badly lost their way post covid. 2 Apart from the turn down chocolates a complete absence of T Keller,not even family style in the Colonade.An attempt to offer Earth and Ocean in the Colonade was a pretty dismal failure.Unusually all the evening action was focused on the MDR and with a full ship capacity was an issue.I was aware that on at least two evenings late diners were sent to the Colonade which was pretty empty. 3 It would appear that Seabourn is attempting to create a sub brand “Expedition”. I didn’t count the number of times The expression was used even though we were sailing on a non expedition itinerary and the impressive collection of Zodiacs remained firmly tethered on deck 9. It would also appear that they see this a way growing their revenues in the face of new market entrants like Explora. An on board quote for a future cruise made my bloodshot eyes water even though it was billed as a discounted itinerary. Memo to Seattle :is your brand big enough to segment in this way?.Are you confident the premium you are looking for is sustainable as competitors emerge? 4 In summary this was an outstanding cruise with a good itinerary, great food and a hard working and motivated crew..The captain ,HD and cruise directors were on top form.

Crispy cod pieces with chips of course!

Captain :Stig Betten CD’s :Eva Santiago and Ian Benjamin(they are married) HD : Stefan Drevlak All doing a fine job so far

Well here we are again on Seabourn Pursuit making its way at a leisurely pace from Valletta to Citivechia. After a couple of sub par trips post covid on Ovation and Odyssey and really hacked off by the cost saving culture that had infected the line we joined the sparkling new ship with some trepidation.Would the new smaller design work for us? Would the nickel and dimming still be there? How would a ship designed for the extremes work in the med in a stuffy August? I am delighted to report that after the first four days things are looking good.Here’s why: 1 The ship is an outstanding piece of design and is surprisingly elegant. 2 The staff are extremely proficient and motivated.I came on board expecting teething problems on its first voyage but apart from the odd exception the team on board have hit the ground running. 3 The food has improved significantly since last years endless menu recycling on Odyssey.Imagine the largest sword fish you have ever seen sitting on the Colonade counter with a French chef cooking freshly cut steaks to order.Today it was Grouper. Other tasty dishes have been prepared (Maltese sausages anyone?) but rest assured the favourites in the MDR ate still there.Yes it’s open for breakfast but not lunch so far. 4The challenge will be to maintain standards once the excitement of the new ship wears off but to me there seems to be a new attitude on board I only hope this is a new dawn led by the new CEO and not just a flash in the pan alongside that delicious swordfish!

He earned his Michelin Star at a restaurant called the Hamborough in Ventnor on the isle of Wight.It was excellent . If Seabourn and the Chef can source the right provisions its certainly a big step up from the regular MDR fare .

I am booked on the first cruise ex Valetta. All the details are as expected in my booking when I log on. I was told that it's sold out and the wait list is long and is now closed. I can only presume (and hope!) that this is the reason it has morphed into the ether on the web site. I will of course double check before parting with the final balance.

Jackets back. Good News . Meadows input perhaps. Perhaps we will now see the pools being heated again, the end of constant menu recycling and even a few goodies on the bed at turndown?

This is the most positive news to emerge from Seattle since the resumption. Meadows understands the Seabourn consumer and should provide a excellent counter balance to the bean counters now running the line.Smart move.

Sorry to hear of your experience Markham but not surprised. The three cruises that I have taken post resumption have been similar with cost savings evident across the ships and standards dropping.(Unheated pool, buses filled to capacity, food recycling, stock reductions etc etc) After the last trip on Odyssey December 22 I let rip in the post cruise questionnaire as you plan to do. Don't hold your breath however the only response I received from Seabourn was a deafening silence. I can only conclude they don' t give a damn what their regular and up to now loyal customers think.