Isklaar

In the past Sojourn has departed from E and frequently from J.

4 hours ago, lincslady said:

 

 

Since I understand that some passengers did complain about the situation while on board, I hope they may post here with their opinions.

We have friends who were also on this cruise. They do have an account here at CC but have not contributed for several years.

Now that they're back home in France  I have asked them to post about their experience onboard with the dog but they are reluctant to do so because of the negative comments from some quarters. 

They have written to their TA, one frequently used by CC members, and direct to SB. I will try once again to persuade them to post when/if they receive a response.

Seabourn always late to announce future schedules. 

3 minutes ago, lincslady said:

Since what actually happens on different ships at different times, it does not seem as if there is much of policy other than letting the senior catering and hotel staff decide if they have sufficient staff available, and maybe various other considerations, on a particular cruise.  I agree it is not satisfactory, and should be consistent throughout the line.

 

I was going to add that some people  are going on about this like a dog with a bone, but maybe not a suitable comment at present.😉

Our friends who just left Sojourn said it seems to be exactly as you say. Very unfortunate that this situation has occurred on a TA, not forgetting the addition of the canine issues.

2 hours ago, markham said:

Your anonymity is telling.

 

As for mine, you might want to rethink. My TA has communicated with Seabourn on my behalf in terms of what my own known shipboard contacts have reported. The bottom line is that there were obvious lapses caused by shipboard staff and the owner. 
 

Seabourn need not go to the dogs with dog hair on public seating area chairs and dog excrement. Owners can rest the dog on a floor mat and exercise them around an excrement pad. Wouldn’t you do this at your own home?

 

Bear in mind the ship is also a home to a few hundred people and they might have different standards of behavior than certain pet owners.
 

Simple as that.

 

Happy and healthy sailing!

Our friends who were on Sojourn have written to their TA and direct to Seabourn.  

2 minutes ago, johng75370 said:

100% agree; didn't mean to suggest that this is acceptable - it is not if the dog isn't a proper service animal.  Otherwise we'd end up with meeting fellow passengers like this at formal night:

Now that is cute. The purple brings out the colour of his/her eyes! 

1 minute ago, Catlover54 said:

 

Since I'm a cat person, I don't know if poodles shed.  But I have to wonder how my black pants would look in back  if I were to unknowingly sit on that couch after the dog left!

I am a dog person who made the mistake of marrying someone who is hideously allergic to dogs (cats and horses too!). Apparently poodles are not allergenic (wrong word?) so I assume they do not shed much. 

2 minutes ago, Catlover54 said:

 

Yes, cute.

However, IF he is a service dog,  I do not see that sitting on a sofa meant for humans, (clearly away from his human),  instead of sitting on the floor, is required  for him to perform his "service", whatever it is.

 

Our friends on the ship have seen it twice in Seabourn Square and they said that both times the owner was seated at least a meter away from the dog.

2 minutes ago, johng75370 said:

Here is the picture you're referring to; nice looking dog:

Even nice looking dogs should not be permitted to sit on chairs in a public space. What owners choose to do in their own home is fine, but this is just a lack of respect for fellow guests.

4 minutes ago, skybluewaters said:

The issue of service animals has become heated in recent years.  This is largely due to the expansion of the use of animals from their original cause (helping the blind) to then helping others who have less obvious needs (diabetics, seizure disorders, etc.) to finally "emotional support" animals. 

 

I believe this discussion reached its somewhat hilarious peak (or nadir) when someone tried to bring an emotional-support peacock aboard a United Airlines flight.  Now, most restaurants, airlines and other venues make a clear distinction between "service animals" and "emotional support" animals (as does Seabourn). 

 

Btw, I'm not making any judgement here as I don't have a dog in this fight.

Oh my goodness!

29 minutes ago, SLSD said:

I think it would be great if someone onboard asked a SB representative (the Hotel Director) what the Seabourn official stance is on service dogs. Do they have to be officially certified dogs in their home country?   And,  are they always allowed onboard?  Are there limitations as to where they can go?  etc.  Also, is there a limit to how MANY service dogs can be on board at one time? And, what is that limit?  It would be good information to know.   I would guess that anyone who asks is going to get a vague answer.  I could be wrong about that--and I hope I am wrong.  

 

This article (scroll down to read) gives basic information about Seabourn and service dogs.  https://www.cruise.co.uk/bulletin/guide-dogs-cruise-ships/

 

We have friends on Sojourn right now who, along with two other couples, asked about this and they were directed to the SB website, section about accessibility. So yes, a rather vague answer. I'm not sure who they asked, it definitely wasn't the HD. They will be making further contact with SB when they are back at home.

It's been three long years, I'm forgetting too many details.

My favourite things in the ship during the holidays are the gingerbread houses and the little toy train on a track that is on deck 4 at the entrance to MDR.  I will look for some photographs to post here.

I haven't been onboard a ship since January 2020 when we disembarked Sojourn after the holiday cruise, so things may have changed but in the previous decade we had been onboard a Seabourn ship for the holidays nearly every year. 

TKG was never a different menu. NYE is a usually a 7 course gala dinner in MDR. In my experience Christmas Eve and Christmas Day dinner can vary depend on itinerary. A festive Christmas dinner is usually served, often it's one of the formal nights. 

The ship is decorated for the holidays, nothing too flamboyant, usually quite tasteful.

Christmas Eve there is often carol singing and after dinner a special Christmas show.

on Christmas Day after breakfast there have often been 'elves' running around the ship with gifts for the youngsters on board. Santa usually makes an appearance on the pooldeck with cocktails.

Friends onboard Sojourn confirm that the dog is being allowed to sit on chairs in the public areas.

This is very disappointing. I love dogs but even a service dog does not belong on a chair in a public space. It's not hygienic.  I know of no reason why any service dog would have to sit on a chair.

If there is a genuine reason why the dog requires a chair then the owner should have one of those small portable chairs for it. 

.

1 hour ago, galeforce9 said:

Thank you everyone that has replied.   I tend to agree with you but it could be my only chance. I have been to the pyramids and Egyptian Museum on a cruise excursion from Port Said before.  It was gruelling but unforgettable.   We had an armed escort for our convoy.  It was 1996.  Looking at the Seabourn itinerary, there wouldn’t be an overnight option available. 
 

 

What does the tour description say about the sites you will visit? I spent a week in Luxor and felt it wasn't enough time. If there is a choice of temples to visit at Luxor I would pick Karnak over Luxor, but perhaps they plan to take you to both. 
I agree with others, if this may be your only opportunity to visit Luxor don't miss it.

I'm watching a very interesting programme on BBC 4 right now, called Immortal Egypt. This is the third programme in the series, definitely I recommend watching this episode  on catch up. Lots of Luxor/Karnak in this one. 

The reason that we choose the Colonnade for breakfast and lunch most days is because at home we rarely have the opportunity to dine outdoors. So we take a table outside as we like to make the most of warm weather and sunshine on holiday.  

The closure of the MDR at lunch is not a new or recent thing. I have copies of the Herald from a cruise in 2014, MDR was closed every day. 

On 11/11/2022 at 10:50 PM, frantic36 said:

 

Hi Isklaar, we will be visiting Fort de France next March and wondered if you or your friends have been and enjoyed it?

 

.

Hi Julie, yes I've been to Fort de France a couple of times. The other port in Martinique that we visited with Seabourn is Trois Ilets.

The cruise port in FdF is close to the main sites in the town. We walked there and found the town itself to be very walkable as it's quite compact. If you like history and/or architecture there's an interesting library building and a church that you will see from the port, it dominates that part of town. There's a fort too (hence the name!).

During a different visit we did a tour to the botanical  gardens, Jardins de Balata. It  was very interesting for us northern European types but depending where you are in Australia it may not be so for you. It's a bit less than a 30 minute drive from the port.

I prefer Trois Ilets because it has a couple of delightful beaches and is a smaller town. It's across the bay from FdF and there is a ferry but other cruisers who used it described the experience at the pier as 'chaotic'. 

15 hours ago, Fletcher said:

If anyone's interested, Part One of my photos from this Sojourn trip are now up on my Flickr account, covering Barcelona to Corsica.  

https://www.flickr.com/photos/up70mm/albums/72177720302843050

 

Fabulous photos. So good that you actually made Gibraltar look half decent!

Cartagena is on my bucket list and your photos didn't disappoint. Thank you for sharing them.

Thanks for expanding, I wasn't clear whether you were looking for advice about cancellation possibilities or more itinerary focused.

Horse riding is definitely possible on the beach in Anguilla.

I expect that St Kitts will be Carambola Beach for Caviar in the Surf and BBQ.

St Kitts is on your list twice, is one port showing as Charlestown, Nevis? Nevis is a separate island.

Guadeloupe could be one of three ports. My favourite there is Ile des Saintes but Deshaies is nice too. If you watch the BBC programme Death in Paradise, it's filmed there.

Martinique, could be one of two ports, Fort de France or Trois Ilets.  

I haven't been to Grenada.

For me, dependent on the actual ports visited in the countries you listed, this is a lovely itinerary for cruisers who enjoy the less well known Caribbean islands and ports. It's great for beach and water lovers, plus the opportunity to see some  less commercial ports with a peek at the 'real' Caribbean. 
 

Edited to add..if Martinique port is Trois Ilets, our friends did horse riding there on a trail through the rain forest. It was in 2017 so may have changed now but if you're interested in that I can find out from them which company operated the trek. 

Could  you give a little more detail, what are the changes? Many posters here are very familiar with Caribbean ports and may be able to  make suggestions etc.

Alternatively, discuss with your TA if you may cancel without losing deposit, if the TA is UK/EU/EEA this may not be possible. When is final payment due?
Even if cancelling the cruise is possible, depending how you booked flights they may not be refundable.

39 minutes ago, MBP&O2/O said:

Regarding comments about how busy the Colonnade can be, are you actually 'assigned' a table  and taken to it ( a la Silversea) or is it a free-for-all?

Breakfast and lunch works like this - Find your table, sit down.Wait to be offered drinks and order anything from  the menu or the day's specials, then head to the buffet.

It does get busy, and I don't like crowds, but  I have to say that with hundreds of nights on SB, the vast majority of the time on full to capacity ships, I haven't generally found the Colonnade to be as awful as many other posters. It could  be because we eat breakfast and lunch fairly late, perhaps the 'rugby scrums' being described on this thread take place earlier. 

On one cruise , at breakfast one day the Colonnade was worse than a zoo.  We were docked, the weather was awful and as a result all excursions had been cancelled.  It seemed that everyone on board turned up during the same 10 minute period. A decision was made to accommodate some guests in TK Grill, right next door. Worked well.

In the evening, at least pre-Covid, you will be shown to a table either indoors or outdoors, according to the weather and your preference.

Excursions are not included on Seabourn. I for one would be happy if it stays that way!

1 hour ago, texanaust said:

Thank you for your reporting on the Encore. 

 

 

We spent three weeks onboard over the   I hope you didn't try to get more than one reservation at TK per week...We asked and were firmly told NO multiple times.  Even when we turned up at 6pm (with the restaurant empty until 6:30pm), the maitre'd was adamant they were full.  This was in stark contrast to Sojourn where if they were empty early on, you were welcome to dine.

 

Personally I don't think the casual buffet dining aspect is going to change much as I feel Seabourn is moving to more of a Windstar model-Slightly down market, more casual and more of a party atmosphere.  It will still be a good experience, but one needs to adjust their expectations accordingly.  With the music changes due next year, Seabourn should become even more lively!  But at a minimum, I hope they consider improving the lunch menu in the Colonnade for those of us who do not wish to have a burger or buffet.

I must have missed it, and am almost afraid to ask, but could someone tell me more about 'the music changes due nexrt year' ?
 

8 minutes ago, skybluewaters said:

Large bottles?  Is this something you can request or perhaps it's in the penthouses but not the standard veranda suites?  On our cruise there were only the small 1.7 oz (50ml) plastic containers of Molton Brown products.

It's not suite category dependent. The small bottles are being phased out across the fleet. It's taken more time than expected because of, you guessed it, Covid. The large bottles were initially introduced at the end of 2019 on Sojourn.