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Thanks Lois, Mr banjo, Pf and others for your responses. This was exactly what I was looking for especially the temperature, we had some damp cool days in late Sept, but mostly it was sunny and comfortable in the stops that I was most concerned about, especially Quebec. I didn’t need to bring too many layers, but the threat of a hurricane even that far up north , seems to be greater in Sept. also I agree with others that taking a fall foliage cruise is too difficult to estimate exactly what you will experience especially with the different regions you visit, each one has different timing and you really can’t experience the beauty near the waters edge, usually the foliage is much further inland. However, I took this cruise because it was more convenient for my parents who were just not ready to fly overseas and wanted to see Bar harbor, Peggy’s cove, PEI (unfortunately missed due to storm) , and Quebec . So we did get to Quebec and it was lovely. I think going early October is probably the best option if we decide to go again, thanks again!

Hi Lois im so glad you are enjoying your cruise. Would you recommend taking this cruise later in October vs earlier? I thought our itinerary dating would have been better in last 2 weeks of September and although we had mild weather in NYC, Newport, Boston and Halifax, and Quebec, we unfortunately were derailed by hurricane Fiona and ended up missing a lot of ports. And the foliage was really only peaking in Quebec, it was beautiful when we flew out on October 2. although we were on the outer rings of the storm , the ride was not too bad. Was curious how the whisper sailed in these waters in late October. I may consider this trip again since we missed so much, but was curious how your timing was compared to mine in regards to foliage, weather/temperatures , and wave activity. thanks in advance for any feedback! Continue to enjoy! liz

Thanks Elaine . I hope you have a wonderful cruise and all goes well. Safe journeys!

It’s interesting in regards to the number of comments regarding D2D and noticeable decline in overall service in quality, especially since Covid. I have been satisfied with the SS product and the pricing , so far. We have taken 2 cruises since Covid, but both have been with the P2P pricing since we were traveling in the states and did not need the air and thought the risk was minimal that we would have to cancel and potentially lose a 15% deposit. Of course the P2P pricing was more economical than the D2D pricing without air, so it’s a choice and you have to weigh the risk. I used to be in the camp that always took the air credit and booked the BC on our own because we want to control the flights and preferred to do our own excursions, so having them included was not desirable. However, since Covid , there is no way I can find BC seats for any overseas itinerary that can come close to what SS offers. I have checked Oceania and Viking and as soon as you add BC air to their price w/o air, I would be paying more than the D2D w BC upgrade i could get from SS. So there is no comparison and now with Covid uncertainty, the last thing I want to do is purchase a non refundable BC air ticket and something happens with the cruise ( Covid restrictions or significant itinerary change, or other) and can’t take the cruise, I’m now stuck with a non refundable ticket, unsure of when I will next travel. Luckily I live near a gateway airport, so every cruise we had scheduled, but cancelled prior to the 30 day non refundable period, we not only had good flights scheduled using SS air, but did not have to worry about getting stuck with paying for them after we cancelled and moved our reservation to a new itinerary. so as much as people do not like the D2D offering there are some of us that do. I’m surprised we are the only ones that would pay more to book BC flights on their own. Possibly people are using points, so they do in fact save. also we have been on 2 of the older ships Shadow and Whisper b4 the refurb and I was very satisfied, I thought they were clean , comfortable and food was good, although sometimes service or food ( some served cold ) could have been better, but overall no real complaints. I would have to say I preferred the newer Muse to these older ships, so most likely will try to take the newer ships in the future. I would not mind going back to Viking and Oceania because overall they have much better interior design and public spaces and more restaurant offerings, but if I can’t get better pricing w BC upgrades, I will stick with SS. They still have a very good product and I’m satisfied with the service receive in their Florida office. Happy planning and safe travels. I hope everyone finds what the are looking for!

Actually ATA Gaspe was on the original schedule it was Sept Iles that was added in and made us miss both Saguenay and late arrival in Quebec. That is the one port I did not understand why we went there instead of Saguenay, which is closer to Quebec, and was part of the original itinerary. I heard that was much nicer than Sept Iles, so I was a little disappointed ( both Viking and Princess went to Saguenay and Viking got an extra day in Quebec I believe) I understood having to leave Boston , probably because dock space was already allocated for someone else, but heading to New Brunswick, just to turn around probably could have been avoided. I’m just grateful they didn’t head into rough seas. we only took the tours in Newport and Boston, they were fine. Did you go to the Perce rock for your Gaspe excursion? Is that the one you were referring too? I was supposed to go on that, but cancelled early on since was expecting busier days that never happened due to the storm. Thanks for sharing your experience

Also to add, if you are not satisfied with your meal, including something served cold, you can always send it back, they are very accommodating.

I was just on her 3 weeks ago and I personally did not notice a serious “tiredness” to the ship. The rooms were very nice and clean, the only area was the sliding door was showing its age, but worked fine. At first I was having issues with the food, then it improved except for the eggs at the buffet, it was hit or miss whether they would be hot, so I tended to order an omelette that was always hot. The buffet selection was sufficient for me, but I seem to remember more options on the newer Muse that I took last year. Also at dinners if I asked for a side of veggies, they tended to be cold. I didn’t complain, others may have. I also preferred the increased restaurant options like the Arts cafe and Indochine on the Muse versus the Whisper. However I really enjoyed the room service options on the whisper. We did have some service issues in La Terraza one night and the Main restaurant on another night, but after those hiccups all other nights were fine. The TV options were good enough for me, the gym had a nice space for me to do my individual workout and they had sufficient amount of free weights and other equipment and the machines looked to be in good shape. I thought the staff was very friendly and efficient. And although I don’t really have any complaints, I think I would prefer the newer ships due to the increased public areas/spaces and restaurant options, as well as slightly nicer room suite in regards to space and larger shower, but frankly the rooms are not much different from the Muse. will be trying the Dawn next year, so I’ll be able to compare. I think you will enjoy the whisper , I really had no complaints, I thought it sailed nicely and was overall comfortable and enjoyable. I would not bail, especially if the itinerary is what you are interested in. I don’t know when you are planning on sailing, but Lois will be sailing soon and she provides great feedback. I hope you enjoy 😊

I agree that having a good CC does make a difference. Mine did a great job for me recently and responded quickly to get a nonstop flight vs an undesirable connection. I have yet to utilize any of the flights that have been booked through SS, due to trip cancellations, but every flight they have selected for us so far have been good ones. We will see how this next one works out, but so far so good.

We just left Quebec yesterday and at the airport the foliage was stunning. Only a few days before we saw some color in certain spots but was not as vibrant as Oct 2. Most of our cruise from NYC to quebec (leaving Sept 19) saw very little color change, not until we got closer to Quebec was their more color and as stated yesterday at the airport looked to be peak colors.

I’m so sorry for the damage and power outages you and your fellow citizens had to experience in response to this powerful storm. I’m glad you were able to seek more comfortable accommodations, albeit after 5 days of no power . Good luck to all of you and hope the recovery efforts are expeditious. Take care.

Thanks Patricia - by the way how many days did you get in Quebec versus what was originally planned. Were you scheduled to go to Maine at all or was it mostly Canada? I had considered your cruise, but don’t recall it making the same stops as us and preferred the itinerary on SS, since ended in Quebec which is where we wanted to spend more time, but your cruise had 2 days planned in Boston (which would have liked and although we ended up getting 2.5 days in Boston , the 2nd full day was rainy and did not feel like venturing out to get the shuttle into town to find a cab to take us somewhere.

Thanks Patricia for sharing. We are on the SS whisper that was berthed next to you in Boston. We ended up staying in Boston another day and a half, (missed bar harbor) then spent Friday attempting to head to St. John NB , but turned around to seek shelter back in cape cod, but spent most of Saturday going back and forth off the coast of MA until we got the call that we could sail to Halifax. Spent Sunday afternoon in halifax with beautiful sunny skies, calm seas, but a shortened visit. Missed Sydney and PEI due to storm damage and power outages ( thoughts are with those residents) Was able to go to Gaspe yesterday and heading to Sept iles today in place of Saguenay ( not sure why) and unfortunately will arrive to Quebec late afternoon on Thursday, missing most of the day in Quebec City . Luckily for us we were staying in Quebec city a couple of days independently after we disembark on Friday. In the end I’m fine with the decisions SS made versus bouncing around looking for a Canadian port to take us , looks like you had similar adjustments to your itinerary , but got some extra time in Quebec which was an added bonus. Glad you are enjoying your cruise. Safe travels

Gwesq I’m sorry to hear about the storm heading towards your home, I hope it is spared any serious damage. Good luck

Gwesq- no I did not ask, I’m assuming since we are not going to Saguenay (which appears closer to Quebec City than this new stop at Sept Iles) and the CD just announcing reduced speeds required in the St Laurence (a protected waterway) we can’t make it in time for an ETA of 8 am on Thursday as originally scheduled. I believe you are staying on the Whisper for the next cruise from Quebec City to NYC? I’m sure you are disappointed since you will have your time in Quebec City cut short, since I don’t believe the Quebec to nyc stays an extra night in Quebec City, or does it ? I’m sorry if that is the case, I hope that at least you will be able to see more of the itinerary we missed on this one at least.

Lois- also please stay safe with Ian on its way to your state.

We just left Halifax a day after the storm, , it did not get hit by the storm enough to do any damage in the downtown area, it was nice and sunny, calm seas and everyone was out and about on the promenade.possible other areas of Halifax may have sustained some damage, but believe Sydney and PEI were hit much harder.

Hi Lois! Thanks and yes having an enjoyable cruise albeit mostly an ‘at sea’ itinerary. I didn’t care too much, since I was looking forward to a relaxing vacation with very few days of excursions and more time enjoying the ship. However, I wasn’t expecting so many to be missed, but I believe SS did the best they could to keep us safe and to limit the disruption to the itinerary. At this point I’m grateful we were able to make it to Canada and wish the best for those Canadians that were impacted due to these devastating storms. I believe Sydney and PEI being hit the worst, for our itinerary. We are currently in Gaspe, I believe you are on the reverse Canadian itinerary later in October , and hopefully you have a tour set up for this stop since there is not much to do in this town. I’m hoping that you can stop at PEI on your cruise and that island is able to recover soon. im not sure why we are missing Saguenay, and don’t know much about Sept Iles, but if it’s anything like Gaspe and it’s raining, we may stay on the ship. We are also not arriving into Quebec City until 4pm on Thursday, which pretty much wipes out any real time in Quebec City before we disembark on Friday, but luckily we are staying a couple of days before we head home. hope you have a great cruise with no interruptions, hurricanes, or major changes to your itinerary. liz

Thanks Ronrick. Seas are quite smooth heading to Halifax. We should arrive in another 5 hours. Will miss some stops, bar harbor, Sydney, PEI, saguenay, but added Sept lies, but as long as we were not tossed around the ocean, I’m fine with the decisions SS had to make. As long as we get to Quebec City , I’m good.

We never headed to Saint John NB ,we turned around to seek shelter in Cape Cod last night(see gwesq post of the map. We have been going back and forth yesterday and today until we received official notice we were heading to Halifax, but no particulars of when ETA ( other than in the afternoon). From what I can see on passageweather. Com the seas should clear up in NS by then. Also while watching BBC , they showed Halifax had been relatively spared from the destruction. A correspondent was there and did not appear damaged by the storm. As Gwesq stated, the seas are a little rough , but bearable.

Ok so latest we are heading out of Boston tomorrow at 1pm and heading to St. John New Brunswick ETA Sept 24th at 10 am , but only staying 4 hours. Then from there not sure where we go. Hopefully we will be docked since can’t imagine getting tenders for everyone to get to see any of St. John . More to come…

Thanks for the good wishes, I’m hoping SS makes the right decision and does not have us heading out into the storm that will be hitting Canada as we leave Boston tomorrow, if that is still the schedule. Still no announcement yet as to what’s in store for us .

Sorry to hear catlover of your experience. Our experience was time consuming as well. A couple of hours between 4 of of us. I did the first test to help my parents walk through the process. The challenge for us was using our cellphone, my screen width was too narrow , it did not allow me to view the entire screen , so we did not see the timer nor the message that I was disconnected. Also Both my DH and I heard proctor say someone would come back on in 15 min to read the results, we never heard her say that we had to scroll down to hit a button “I’m ready” so I got disconnected. When found the link to reconnect, they started the timer ALL over again, so another 15 min. I was annoyed because I thought if any further delays my test results would expire and would have to retake. However this time, I clearly saw the timer on the screen, so I think, initially , I was disconnected almost immediately and didn’t know it. When finally finished, I immediately contacted my parents to have them start testing to avoid any further delays. At same time, I added my DH to my account and he breezed through his test. My parents experience as mentioned above added more time, but in the end it worked out. Good luck to everyone else. Hope your experience goes more smoothly.

Well you were right Jazz, they barely checked. So full name does not seem to be an issue, in fact they gave us back the test results, thought they would keep that along with the passports. Oh well, no worries now on board, sailing away! thanks everyone!

Agree Herman, there is no issue with loading your full name , but the Emed. Form displays section for first and last name, not full name as on your ID. Good news is that we were able to contact emed help desk and they were able to send an amended certificate. So we should be good to board tomorrow.

Thanks Herman and Lois- I was told I did not need it, however, my mom accidentally completed her Emed but did not load her middle name and the proctor she had did not alert her that she was missing it when she showed her ID. The proctor my dad had did notice he was missing it and he had to edit his name in his Emed acct. Do you know if you need the full name on the test results? I don’t want her to have to go through another test again. the Emed account setup was not clear it just asks for first name . thanks if anyone can respond.