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Flamin_June

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  1. Likewise! Very much so. We both send you both our love and best wishes. Back home now, raining of course😏. All the tulips are up in full bloom, was a lovely surprise when we went out to the garden. Still trying to get over jet-lag. We hope the rest of your epic voyage will be as pleasant as the first 40 days. Wishing you smooth seas and a fair wind.
  2. Wednesday, 3rd May, 08.36, Atlanta. Journey’s end. We are in our Atlanta hotel, setting off for airport for the final leg at noon. Last morning on board and our room service breakfast arrived on time. We left the ship with warm goodbyes from the Captain and Robert the CD. The Seabourn organised airport transfer was great. Six of us, a very pleasant driver, an unhurried drive around the sights of Honolulu, with a few relaxed stops and then onto the Halekulani Hotel for a lovely lunch (order what you want), on a shady veranda terrace overlooking the beach. Food was great, t then onto the airport. All as comfortable and smooth as silk. We were lucky to find ourselves with a well-travelled Atlanta based couple who held our hands through both airports, and so here we are, fighting jet-lag once more. I will post again with some more critical reflections on the itinerary in the next few days. The highlight? Undoubtedly the entire crew, from top to bottom, who all worked so hard, with such dedication, to meet and often exceed our expectations, who treated us always with warmth and kindness, despite staff shortages and covid protocols, despite the restrictions and constraints and ‘policy’ power plays imposed on them by Seattle. As we drove around Honolulu we caught one last glimpse of Odyssey, gleaming white in the sunlight. She has served us well. It will be sad to see her leave the fleet. I wonder what will happen to the elephants?
  3. As mentioned earlier in this thread, Martin was F&B manager for the first two thirds of this voyage. He has now gone to Genoa to finalise work on Pursuit and will then take up the F&B managers post on Pursuit for her first three months. He is absolutely first class.
  4. Friday 28 Apr, 16.20, Lahaina We are at anchor, in warm warm sunshine, the tended green peaks of Maui rising across the bay topped with clouds. Have been packing most of the day, and we have not gone ashore. It’s a beautiful view and the ship is near deserted. We pack in relay, I do a couple of hours while A gets to choose any lounger she wants and have a swim alone in the pool, we meet for lunch on the patio, and then A goes to pack, while I do paperwork, write a letter to The Captain and HD commending staff whom we have found to be exceptional (it is a long list), drink beer in the shade at the Sky Bar and tap out a few more words here. We want to enjoy our final day without the chore of organising luggage hanging over us. Kona tomorrow, and then we disembark in Honolulu. We are leaving right away, sadly. You see, it will already be May, and the garden calls. There are bulbs to plant, seedlings to re-pot, plants to tend, birds to feed and the time to do all this is pressing. But the adventure does not end right away. We fly to Atlanta, where we will break the journey for a couple of days before heading on home, via Amsterdam and Manchester (don’t ask), where our daughter will collect and drive us home. As the flights are courtesy of Seabourn Flight Ease, this journal will continue. Any one who has managed to read this far can still look forward to the group bus transfer to a hotel for lunch and then the airport, the flight to Atlanta, two days of jet-lag at the Grand Hyatt, the flight to Manchester, and a drive through the Elan Valley. Our house/cat sitter writes: ‘the only real news is the unexpected discovery that Shakey [the cat] likes: leg of lamb, well cooked; roast beef, thinly sliced and medium; basra fish fillets, lightly steamed, and ice cream, well chilled, for afters. I am sure you will incorporate this into his cuisine’!
  5. Thursday 27th April, at sea, 15.34 ….. and so, a few hours ago we broke through into the big blue of a calm sapphire sea and cloudless sky with a gentle generous warming sun ….. and the final of the boat building competition. I can’t begin to describe the mighty flotilla that was assembled by the pool, incorporating every ingenuity that could be begged, borrowed or stolen. None sank as they crossed the pool fanned on by the fresh breeze and Olivia, our assistant CD transformed into a daughter of Neptune. A splendid time was had by all. Our last formal night tonight, the dreaded suitcase tags (neon green in our case) have arrived, packing has started. I don’t know what to do about all these shell bracelets and t-shirts. We will dress accordingly but go to the Colonnade tonight. All of the wait staff there, the chef, Nicholas, and Corne their MD have been charming, warmly welcoming, convivial. Hawaii awaits and soon journey’s end.
  6. Thursday 27th April, 10.10 am, day 5 at sea Woke at 6.00 to rise and peer through a thin sliver of light where the curtains meet. We have finally broken through the dull oppressive weather that has dogged these last few days. The sea calmer, a deep navy blue mediating the dark green grey, with a moderate swell. Dense banks of formless cloud, now shredded into tufts and clumps of cumulus in front of a pale bright blue sky; morning sunlight reflecting off the ocean in silver streaks and patches. The prospect of brighter weather and calmer seas ahead lifts the spirit.
  7. Wednesday 26th April, 16.30. Day 4 at sea. Still an unsettled sea, gentler than yesterday, with cool breeze and cloud filled sky. Both the pool caviar and deck party went ahead last night. We did our usual, vowing not to go then deciding to just catch a couple of numbers by Abi and the trio, and then being offered a cocktail or two, and then being invited to join a table and before we knew it the time was getting on for midnight and a bad head and sunglasses in the morning. We had the fillet steak from the classics menu in the MDR, with fries and a celery and apple salad on the side. We usually treat ourselves to one of these enormous steaks per cruise (trying to avoid eating too much beef). It was superb, as always, one of the things Seabourn consistently do so well. We asked to be seated in Ariel’s area. What we didn’t know was that he already had two tables of eight to look after and perhaps other guests who had asked to be seated there, plus relatively inexperienced wait staff assisting him, so he had his work cut out keeping them on track (one didn’t know what English mustard was). All handled adroitly and with panache, but we felt guilty to be unnecessarily adding to his workload. Next time we will let the MD and fate sit us where they will. Today it was the Galley lunch, which provided the perfect opportunity to go the the patio and easily get a table where we liked. A’s fitness instructor, Dusan, and our beloved stewardess Allesandra, are both down with COVID, and a few other regularly seen staff are not to be seen, however it seems to be circulating predominantly among crew and is not yet at levels requiring increased protocols. It seems the wretched thing is here to stay and suite quarantines and occasional mandatory mask wearing will just become another fact of cruising life that we all have to put up with, like heavy seas, or cancelled ports, shortages of berries, and invitations to hosted tables.
  8. I’ll beg to differ, with all respect. The barista on duty in the mornings is also on in the evening, while one who doubles up with him in the morning and goes through part of the afternoon is also waiting on tables in TKG in the evening. Times change. Also there are a number of staff in quarantine (again) and a few ottomans appearing outside cabin doors on various decks. Yes - there is little to really be unhappy about. A few nits to pick and some personal foibles left unfulfilled. I will pronounce on those when we return home (just glanced at the weather forecast for home and it is 5 C there at present which very firmly and swiftly puts things in perspective). Now there are a few more days at sea, the pleasures of Hawaii and some jet-lagged days in Atlanta to look forward to.
  9. Tuesday 25th April, 11.10, Pacific Ocean🌊 Our third day at sea and yet no sight of landfall. It is not exactly an angry sea, though verging on disgruntled, a cold, steel grey colour punctuated by shifting whitecaps. Large, solitary, dark coloured seabirds swoop alongside like flickering shadows at the edges of perception. Our first sea day was calmer, though humid, cloudy, befogged; tug o war, showers. Yesterday, as we approached and crossed the equator, brighter, but lost all internet for several hours; the Pollywog thing. Today decidedly choppy; caviar in the pool is scheduled, but I am uncertain that it will proceed as the pool will be sloshing. Deck party tonight, but if current conditions persist I suspect there will be too much rock n roll. As we enter the final days of our voyage it is hard not to be tainted by a creeping ennui. One does not exactly feel negative, but it is harder to remain positive and our recent days have been marred by new neighbours next door, who it seems are kicking cupboard doors open and smashing them closed at every opportunity, letting their suite doors slam shut at any exit and entrance, and don’t let me get started on the balcony door. We have spoken to guest services and stewardesses but nothing has been done. In the old days a tactfully written card would be sent, which usually resulted in respite. We have noticed that balcony doors are being slammed shut the length and breadth of deck five and deck six, with great thuds that actually can be felt in our suite to either side and above. Perhaps one should discuss the situation with them in person, but, if their treatment of doors and cupboards is anything to go by, they may have an aggressive approach to life and not take kindly when requested to modify behaviour. I wanted to take time to quietly and critically reflect on the last five and a half weeks, but in my present mood critical reflection could easily morph into a spuming vent. But let us talk about coffee. The baristas in the Square have one of the toughest jobs of all the service staff, notwithstanding the fact they they are a bit short staffed. Everybody wants coffee throughout the day, staring at 7.00 am or earlier. The coffee in the Colonnade at breakfast is … how can I put it….not great. So ‘everybody’ comes down after breakfast for a decent coffee. There are no tea and coffee making facilities in the suite, so ‘everybody’ goes to get tea and coffee for themselves and their spouses when they rise. And of course everyone wants their coffee this way and that, almond milk, oat milk, tall skinny one and a half shots, half full cream and half skimmed milk, and a couple of donuts oh and a shot of Khalua in that latte. And the coffee machine in TKG is not working properly so all the orders for Irish coffee come through to the square too. And these guys are churning out the coffee, one after another, and the line is six or seven long, and the takeaway mugs have run out because everyone is hoarding them in their suites and not bringing them back, and these guys are serving with a smile and remembering everyone’s name, and knocking out three, four orders at a time, and if they didn’t keep going the whole ship would fall apart. They are all heroes.
  10. On our current cruise many of the excursions sold out before we embarked, but there were many cancellations once on board and a significant number then had places available again (some of which sold out again in a few days). If you have your heart set on certain excursions follow Florisdekort’s advice.
  11. Packing Paxlovid, just in case is a good idea. Seabourn are charging $750 for an antiviral course if you test positive.
  12. I can’t tell you that as it might give away my secret identity 🦸‍♂️. However I can tell you that the host was a very junior member of staff, on their first contract, so I don’t think Ariel and Jose were upping their game because of the host. They were just at the top of their game.
  13. Saturday 22nd April, 16.50, Nuka Hiva. So here we are parked in the lovely fjord-like Taiohae Bay, rugged rock faces loom either side of us, swathed in grass and shrubs. We are close to the equator now, I guess it is always hot here. It is hot now and humid, thick clouds catch the ridge backed peaks which rise up from a narrow strip of sand that defines the bay. We are waiting to raise anchor and cast off, 2086 nautical miles to the next landfall. A steps out to the balcony and yells “A ray! There’s a ray!” A huge, well, jolly big, manta birostris is gliding alongside Odyssey, just below our balcony, just below the surface. It glides towards the aft and disappears beneath the water, then turns and glides back rising towards the surface, the tip of one wing flips out of the water, back past our balcony, then turns oh so gracefully and disappears once again into the darker depths. Now we sail away, a golden glow drops behind the dark brooding silhouette of Nuka Hiva, black and purple clouds rimmed with glowing orange. Last night we ate in the Restaurant at a hosted table. The food was fine, someone had the lamb chops, we had the chicken cassoulet en croute, there was flounder (plaice, would you believe), roblochon cheese, Sauternes and all sorts of other pleasures. But the reason I mention it was that the service at our table was just the best we have ever had. It was a $100 tip stuff. Superb. Unobtrusive, discrete, one was hardly aware, yet always there, attentive, everything on time, never a need to beckon. A table of eight, all in animated conversation, not easy to manage. Ariel and Jose take a bow. Many a jacket to report as well. Tonight it is Ad hoc ribs in the Colonnade, and rumour has it there will be an Indian Market night on Monday.
  14. It has nothing to do with social class. Mass market is shorthand for the kind of experience to be found on huge mega ships with thousands of passengers. I dont put people into categories based on social class. Bad manners, selfish behaviour, disregard for others feelings, an inflated opinion of one’s self importance, and self entitlement cut across all social classes. And that has nothing to do with mass market. I just record what I observe, and try to be amusing about it in a mildly satirical way..
  15. So…. While we have been having a spot of scenic sailing around and about the Marquesas, I have spent the last hour and a half writing several paragraphs in response to some of the earlier posts. Reading them over, my efforts look dull and long-winded , so to hell with it, I have deleted them. Here is what I think in a nutshell…..maybe that should be coconut shell. Nothing is the same as it was precovid. Yes there are some guests from the broader demographic, who bring their mass-market manners, or lack thereof with them, who are less gracious, less well behaved, less considerate of and respectful to other passengers and crew. Some crew are new, and gauche, or drawn from the mass market and need retraining. Corporate bean counters have imposed cuts, or restrictions, or profitability improvement plans, which have reigned in some of the luxuries and extravagances that many had got used to. It will never be exactly as it once was. But there are many on board who have the historical memory of where and what Seabourn once was and are doing all they can to keep it alive and see it restored. It will take time.
  16. It’s a no go for Hiva Oa sad to say as the island looks magnificent in an outer Hebredian sort of way. In the meantime an interesting discussion ensues overhead. I will try to join in later, after trivia, which is looming on what has effectively become a sea day. I have been reserving commenting too much on issues and problems partly because the itinerary is the focus here, and partly because it is often the case in the greater scheme of things that today’s major annoyance becomes yesterdays trivial irritation.
  17. Friday 21st April. 09.39, Hiva Oa Odyssey dropped anchor a few minutes ago. For the past couple of hours we have sailed towards and past the outer Marquesas. These are sterner, more rugged islands in profile, rocky surfaces more exposed, less inviting, like bastions in the emerald waters, where we must scour the coastline for any small cove or bay that might allow us footfall. There is a cooling breeze, although we are closer to the equator and there is a swell upon the sea, which is a darker colder deeper green. There was talk yesterday evening that the swell might be too strong to allow tender landings. We are here now slowly but perceptibly swaying, and we await the customary clearance procedures to be completed. It looks like the tenders will be going ahead, but it will be a choppy ride. Well no, in the last few moments the Captain has announced that the situation is being evaluated for safety. There will be another announcement in 30 minutes
  18. Thursday 20th April, 17.40. At sea And so, despite the shortages of acceptable attire, we bravely sailed on to the Tuamotus: scores of atolls spread across the Pacific, east of Tahiti. Lengthy strips of land, trees, palms and sandy islets. At first glimpse they appear as impossible illusions, a line of trees and vegetation growing out of the sea. Although hardly developed, both Fakarava and Rangiroa are not untouched by the demands of tourism, Rangiroa more so than Fakarava. There are snack shacks and tourist centres and little pearl shops; on Fakarava, rather agreeably to my mind, they were mostly closed or simply deserted and we had to follow our noses till we found a suitable spot to shelter from the intense sun and take a swim and snorkel in the tepid turquoise water. Rangiroa has more bustle or enterprise, French expats offering snorkelling and diving trips, a few more eateries and market stalls. We made our way down a beautifully shaded avenue of coconut trees to Les relais de Josephine, a small snack bar where one sits at tables on a platform looking out across the narrow pass of sea, swiftly flowing from the swell of the Pacific to the calm lagoon, at a small islet. It is not far from idyllic, about three centimetres I would guess. To top it all we tucked into a typical French Polynesian delicacy - a jambon et fromage sandwich as a late breakfast. Delicious. We also had another swim and snorkel and bought a shell bracelet for our granddaughter. Back to Odyssey by 15.00 we made for the patio and had a napa burger and fries each for lunch. Also delicious. All this deliciousness did not leave much room for our TKG booking, so we just had a few of the salads from the starters menu, washed down with some Bordeaux, and topped off with a couple of Irish coffees. Delicious again.
  19. This is an interesting discussion, a touch more nuanced and wide ranging than the run-of-the-mill dress code roundabouts. Thank you everyone for your thoughtful and interesting contributions. Although I will continue to report on any startling idiosyncrasies of dress that I come across on our voyage (and there is no personal judgement involved - we have found that the most dowdily and inappropriately dressed people can be utterly charming, while the smartly and expensively dressed can be boorish dullards), my last words for now on the matter are that on this leg there are many more old school Seabourn sailors, and dress, and manners, are in keeping with whatever that may imply.
  20. I can’t and don’t disagree with anything BasandSyb have said. I can remember wishing on our first couple of Seabourn cruises in the tropics, more than a decade ago, when a jacket was required in the evenings on every night apart from first and last, that elegant casual, jacket-less nights would be the norm on such hot weather sailings. This cruise I have only worn a jacket on formal nights or in the TKGrill, and even wore a short sleeved shirt to the Colonnade one night (I just wondered what it would be like - felt uncomfortable all evening},The sort of thing that gets to me is those people who look like they just can’t be bothered. It is mostly men. It’s things like coming down to the restaurant in a crumpled untucked short sleeved shirt that looks as if it has been worn all day. It just looks slovenly, and almost everyone else has made an effort to try and make it feel like an occasion. Then there was the time, not on this cruise I hasten to add, when an overweight gentleman arrogantly made his way into the observation bar for high tea wearing flip-flops, budgie-smugglers and a sleeveless vest. A stunned silence was broken only by the sound of one well-bred elderly lady sliding to the floor in a faint. As a fellow passenger said to me, Seabourn have let the genie out of the bottle and they will never get it back in.
  21. Yes, there was a good turn out for formal night last night. I would guesstimate about 80% of those dining in the Restaurant had made some sort of effort to dress for the occasion. If not tuxes and glittery gowns then jackets, many with ties or bow ties, and cocktail dresses. Many more than the previous formal night. Another pleasing thing to witness was the wait staff around the pool this afternoon, offering passengers ready made drinks, fruit punch, passion fruit margarita, and sangria; something that used to happen regularly, but not seen on our previous two precovid cruises.
  22. I’m sorry. I like to see people dressed with flare. I don’t know what is wrong with being refined or sophisticated. I myself am not comfortable with people who are rough or crude, but each to their own.
  23. On board Life continues more or less as before, perhaps more less and less more. The new arrivals bring a new energy, excited anticipation and a new vibe, new crew continue to settle in. There are now arts/crafts/ painting sessions on offer. New speakers promise a more varied program. There is a boat building competition, as if we were on a transatlantic. There are noticeably more passengers from the US, and many more fresh and eager faces at trivia. The menu repeats itself predictably, apart from surprise appearances by fresh tuna and swordfish. Never mind elegant jeans, there were a few pairs of inelegant jeans, untucked short sleeved shirts and crumpled slacks around in the MDR last night, but one hears that people have lost their luggage in the scramble to get on board, and so must not rush to judgement. The teenage boy who appeared to have only packed shorts has departed, as has the gentleman who came to breakfast in the Colonnade in bare feet, so we must be grateful for small mercies. Formal night tonight….
  24. Monday, 17th April, 16.00. At sea The last several days have been spent sailing, dropping anchor, or docking from one impossibly beautiful Pacific Island to another. After a while they begin to merge, tranquil, clear-watered bays and harbours with their backgrounds of rugged volcanic peaks and clefts, high calderas, fertile slopes, coconut palms, tumbling down to the lagoons, busy port townships and laid-back settlements around a few small piers. And always the sea, surf breaking on distant reefs, and the sky, one moment bright and blue, the next filled with rain-laden clouds that snag and surround the mountains, cling to sheer rock faces and settle on the topmost trees. Moorea has, so far, been A’s favourite We took a small boat around the bay, following a pod of spinner dolphins. I bought a t shirt, we had freshly squeezed pineapple juice, watching lithe local children climb a nearby tree to dive bomb into the water near the jetty. I liked Raiatea, bought lens-wipes in the supermarket, some shell bracelets and necklaces. We took a boat to the creek and up the river. Later, on a small motu, we watched frigate birds, eee ta ta (phonetic spelling), fly over the lagoon and land above us in the coconut palms. Huahine iti was all jungle vegetation and mangroves. Papeete is a busy port and airport, not unattractive for what it is, crammed with shops and market stalls selling pareos, pearls, postcards and flowers. The chef went shopping with a few well-informed passengers and bought fresh tuna, and swordfish, and marlin , and mangoes and passion fruits. Paul Gaugin was berthed next to us, and, alongside her, the somewhat tautologically named Majestic Princess, all waiting with us for passengers from delayed and rearranged flights. We took a catamaran along the coast. I bought another t shirt and shell bracelet. Bora Bora was however Boring Boring, for me at any rate. Visually stunning, as all the islands are (and we were blessed with a breathtaking sunset, gold, oranges, reds, blues, pinks, purples), the island is awash with hotels, everywhere one looks air conditioned thatched cottages on stilts sprout from the coastline, interspersed with beach shack eateries.
  25. I should add the Easter holidays crowd (c. 170) has departed, to be replaced by (c.170) a more refined, if not necessarily sophisticated, bunch. The atmosphere and ambience on board has certainly changed for the better, although many are jet- lagged, and at least one gentleman was observed complaining bitterly that there was still no Baileys on board. When told that the matter would be rectified by 10.00 am once the new supplies had been unpacked and processed he opined that it had better be or there would be trouble and Seabourn would never see his like again. Our sailaway from Papeete was put back by five hours as the ship waited for passengers on a delayed flight. We left at around 22.45. The departure was memorable as the receding lights of the dock and town twinkled and dwindled in the distance and Odyssey set off at a fair clip to make up for lost time.
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