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Apologies for my typo on CD'S name. Thank you Nancy (or was it Namcy!) Sorry couldn't resist. As requested some notes on the ports: New York: Not a great boarding experience(Why are New Yorkers rude?) but sail away past Statue of Liberty, Ellis island etc iconic. Captain sailed closer to the sights to enhance the experience. Provincetown. A replacement port for Newport.(apparently the Rhode Islanders didn't want cruises till after Labor Day. Landing by Tender .Attractive main street but very busy on the holiday weekend. Boston. Plenty to see and do. Port well served by Taxi's, Hop on off buses. Halifax . Great port and city. History, Museums (Ref Titanic) or trip out to Wine Country and Bay of Fundy. Overnight in good port location .Ship organized an evening trip for Lobster at Peggy's Cove . Late return to ship but seemed to be enjoyable for those who signed up. Charlottetown PEI is a great island. The city is walkable and interesting. We took a ship's bus trip to the home of Anne of Green Gables author Lucy Maud Montgomery. Enjoyable but very wet and busy.(Ref Norwegian Joy also in port). Followed by a brilliant Lobster lunch(whole lobster per person) in family restaurant + entertainment. Saguenay: Fjord still very green(Too early for leaf peepers).Dreadful experience with Norwegian Joy dominating. Also there Viking, Silver Seas and Princess. Many took a trip to the National park but everything rammed. An Ordeal. Quebec: Star of the show. Great docking location in the old town. Easy access to the funicular up to the Chateau .Great views .History, Restaurants, Museums and that "Je ne sais quoi" A good selection of ship's tours but very easy on your own. Stayed an extra night as scheduled stop at Trois Riviers cancelled(Piloting issue) .No hardship as plenty in Quebec. Shopping with the Chef in purpose built indoor market about 2 miles from the ship. Montreal: Good port location and very smooth disembarkation.

Have just returned from a really excellent cruise. A full ship but a good captain ,an outstanding Cruise Director and Great Chef. This was the best cruise since the shutdown. Enough of the adjectives here are a few issues/points: 1 This is a popular route .We seemed to have the knack of arriving in port at the same time as other ships. Viking was manageable but the horrendous Norwegian Joy was a nightmare. The port stop at Saguenay was an ordeal not a pleasure. Charlottetown also rammed . 2 Solis. A soli(s)d effort but not up to the consistent standards of Thomas Keller. A chicken dish for 2 was very ordinary but the fish stew was delightful. 3 Other Dinning: Excellent fare and the evening service in the Colonnade best ever. Service generally good but the continued refusal to open the dinning room for breakfast (except on sea days) was a big problem. When it is raining and the Patio grill and open deck are unavailable the Colonnade is unable to cope. It's not just about choice and preference its about the numbers. Listen Seabourn this is an issue for you to fix. 4The Chef. Sami is a great Chef and Seabourn long server. His Cooking demo was really interesting with plenty of tips and his Shopping with the Chef in Quebec a delight. I commented on the lack of fresh seafood on board as we were sailing through some of the richest fishing grounds. He would like to do more but is restricted by the requirements for any supplier to be certified. I suspect however this is more driven by corporate supply chain requirements. The whole lobster lunch on a ship's excursion on Prince Edward Island was top notch. 5 Cruise Director: Aimee Lang is great and works really hard. She has an outstanding voice and Trivia is always great fun. She did struggle with the Conversationalist she was sent by Seattle. We had three. All were speaking on the same topic. Space, the Stars, Black Holes, Alien beings(not the guests!) etc. .Great if this is your bag but dreadfully dull otherwise. In my book "worthy but dull" 6 Wines: I thought the pouring selection was pretty good. Oyster Bay Sauvignon Blanc, the wonderful Provence Rose(known as the one in the sexy bottle) ,and the Nine Hats Cabernet were all very quaffable. BUT Seabourn has a whole strategy called" Enhancing on board revenues" .They want to sell the so called fine wines and we were bombarded with invitations to Wine tastings, lunches etc all at extra cost as part of this program. Some Seattle wizard may think that downgrading the pouring selections will enhance on board revenue and save cost! Selling the Retreat is also part of this ill conceived strategy. The Seabourn concept of "all inclusive" should be sacrosanct and not eroded by these initiatives.( I wont start another debate but In my view needless tipping falls into the same erosion of concept category). 7 Summary. After a pretty poor cruise on Odyssey in 2023 we we thinking of trying other lines. This trip has restored our faith and we will return.

The unseasonable strong wind/rain blowing across Northern Europe and impacting the North Sea are the remnants of Hurricane Ernesto. All the way from North America. Thanks Guys!😉

If I am correct Seabourn appointed a new VP of Marketing at the end of last year. This probably explains a survey to help understand the Brand positioning and how to respond to increased competition from the likes of Explora Ritz,Scenic,Virgin. It was probably naive not to anticipate that "actions have consequences and a large survey amongst loyalist and frequent users, would cause alarm and be something of an own goal .It is probably machiavellian to suggest that one of Seabourn's new competitors commissioned the survey! These internet surveys are cheap way of reaching existing customers . The last attempt to change the way Seabourn operated(focusing on cost reduction) under Josh Leibowitz was a near disaster. The hurried return of Richard Meadows(someone who really understands the Brand was inspired ) but I sense his services are no longer being used. Seabourn would be mad to abandon leadership of the super premium segment which has taken a long time to build as the period post covid demonstrated

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.

I suspect that the sale of the Odyssey and Josh Leibowitz departure are connected. I really need to hear some positive news from Seabourn. Since the resumption its all been about service failings, cost cutting, and staff exits. This is no way to run a railroad let alone a luxury cruise line.

More bean counters than a Heinz factory! Anyone in Seattle thinking about their customers?

Yes the important stuff happens at sea, but the spate of Seattle emanating initiatives post resumption have tied the ships hands. A whole raft of so called cost savings including not heating the pool and reducing food and drink stock levels are certainly being noticed by regular sailors. If the outgoing President was responsible for these then its a good call, if on the other hand he was pushing back on HAL/Carnival pressure and has paid the price then I am sorry. We have abandoned Seabourn after three disappointing cruises post lockdown. We, like others, enjoy the ambience on board and may return if the new leadership starts to make a positive impact.

Seabourn Excursions have always been a significant contributor. Since the resumption they have been targeted to make a greater contribution. This has manifested itself in a number of ways; 1 Prices have increased. 2 Coaches are now filled up.(circa 85%) 3 Tours are cancelled if numbers are deemed to be too low.(Although this has always been the case the threshold has changed and the notice period to guests reduced.) I have not heard of a price increase once a booking has been made but in view of the above somehow I am not surprised!

On our Odyssey trip in New Zealand last December pool was unheated and too cold for me. On enquiry I was told this was another Seattle instigated cost saving. On the last trip pre shutdown to Antarctica the pool on Quest was heated and very refreshing. I'm afraid that these things are the new reality on Seabourn post resumption.

Once again cost savings that undermine the Brand ethos.Add this to to the now unheated pools,filled up excursion buses and the decline in dining standard across the ships and you have a pale shadow of the pre pandemic Seabourn.Such a shame.