auldlassie

Haha, Retired and Travel! Philipponnat in 2004. Lovely stuff! My first cruise was on Seabourn in 2011, so that's a bit before my time there. Reading this, I wish it wasn't! I currently buy this Philipponnat from the Champagne Company in the UK for £39 a bottle for their standard non vintage or slightly more for the rose. Utterly lovely in its white or rose versions and a beautiful, big and fulsome champagne to treasure. Way better than the usual main line houses.  I also currently have both the blanc de blancs and blanc de noirs vintage versions in the cellar at home.  Is a truly a favourite of mine.  Shame they decided to cut the price to less than half since then, with dross. Some savings are just not worth the degrade in customer experiences, in my opinion. I'd happily pay the extra in, for example, a normal Seabourn 14 day cruise cost) to drink this than the dross they now serve, as overall it would be a pittance.... and so much more fun! But that won't happen, so I just spring for a champagne that doesn't make my stomach ache. 

That's still more fun in the end. 🙄 Plus, it is a holiday cruise, not a wine tour!  Just a shame they compromised beyond the point of decent quality. 

I agree the quality of champagne and of caviar have detetoriated over the years, but it is the same across all these supposed luxury lines. Don't let these current champagne differences put you off. They are all dross , although the Pommery is the best of this bunch - but only just. 🙄  Who would base their overall cruise on what champagne is served from such a low grade list anyway? Just spring for better from the wine lists. Or drink something else.🙂

Avoid under the pool deck at all costs. Hugely noisy, even during the day time, and disturbing both early and late if you are a light sleeper.

Fletcher, surely your comment re views from rooms applies to almost every hotel anywhere? 

And no, I've never had a room and service there like any Sheraton I have stayed in.  Nor any Marriott (its current owner). Not even remotely. It feels entirely unique. We have had such wonderful service there, especially when once we needed help with tracing missing luggage and arranging clothing for a special event in a rush, even tailoring it to fit there and then, and finding a doctor for me when I once fell rather ill.  Long stories, but they were skilful, speedy and organised all we required. That made difficult situations much less of a problem for us, which was at the time, beyond mere financial cost. 

Speaking of the cost, obviously that is relative to anyone's personal budget. If anyone here doesn't think they'd want to spend that much, then don't. It's that simple. The Gritti has a variety of movie star signed photos in the interior and I can relate to the one from Rupert Everett on which he wrote something along the lines of "the cost is not what you might call value for money,  but it is worth every penny!" That's how it feels to me.  Yes it is expensive, but I have never felt at the end of my stay that I have overpaid.  In fact, I just always want to stay longer. 

Every time I am going to stay there I look forward to it greatly and it has never let me down. That is my absolutely honest experience over 30 odd years. It has always been lovely and often even better than that. Truly one of my most favourite places - on land - to be!

Here's a light-hearted word or two about the Gritti and Venice from Mr Everett himself a few years back - 

https://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/mar/29/keiran-onightley-off-season-queen-story-by-rupert-everett 

Gritti Palace for me, right on the Grand Canal and practically opposite the beautiful Santa Maria della Salute. Private water taxi dock at the hotel. Then step out into the fabulous heart of Venice and make the most of your day. Here's Salute looking magical, painted by someone close to my heart.

It certainly looks like the Vista exteriors we have seen from Oceania, but that's not to say it isn't fakebook.

On 1/1/2022 at 4:01 PM, spinnaker2 said:

The beauty of the Spirit cruise was Lauderdale to Lauderdale…

 Not for me it wasn't,  as I am in Scotland. This is actually an international forum after all. I hope you won't mind a wee reminder. 🙂

Hi, anyone on obard Rivera currently know the number of covid cases on board? Do they tell you on the ship?

Currently showing as yellow - https://www.cdc.gov/quarantine/cruise/cruise-ship-color-status.html 

If buying wines from the bin end list, watch out for a 20% Vat tax being added to the given prices on some European cruises. This was shown as an additional charge quite clearly on the main wine list for purchasing (it is not applicable for the included pours, of course)  but was not shown for the "bin end" discounted list, but was added to our account at the end of the cruise, despite not being printed/mentioned anywhere, as it legally should have been.  Perhaps they have now added this detail to the bin end list for proper clarity. I hope so. 

If your dinner attire has no pockets or cuffs and you or an accompanying partner don't have a small evening bag, how about just putting your mask on your wrist? So easy to do and keeps it personal to you, unlike on the tablecloth. 🙂

Sorry Tallante, I don't want to upset you and this is not personal, but as a day visitor to Cartagena (twice) and to Murcia, I was not impressed with either. Lots of Seabourn stops are very dull nowadays and smack of cost-cutting as the more expensive ports in more exciting places are set aside by faceless accountants. While I like the feeling of cameraderie and fun on board the ships, the ports chosen are often, clearly, a too-long tried and tested formula, convenient for Seabourn no doubt, but at serious risk of losing my interest.

Again, I'll repeat, this is not intended to be personal. I would include many of the port stops offered in my home country of Scotland, in the incredibly boring and tedious bracket also. 

Another vote for the Gritti Palace from me. There are lots of photos of visiting actors and famous peeps on the walls and one (Rupert Everett perhaps?) has written on it something along the lines of  "Eye wateringly expensive and worth every penny! ". Indeed it is sublime, with stunning views of the Salute across the Grand canal. Water taxi right at the hotel's own dock to wherever you need to go.  A very special and unforgettable hotel.

LOL, Makes me wonder how often or not this happens. I fully admit that I wouldn't always know except, like you, when it is somewhere you are familiar with you look and think "Eh, that's not right...." 🙂 

If a ship sails into port for a day (not a disembarkcation day, just a normal cruise visit) and some passengers get off to visit and some stay on board, how is that any different to the situation within the port/town from a disembarkcation day?  I cannot see how it makes a halfpennyworth of difference if some people stay on the ship. From past experience I know the paperwork can be done to allow it.

As for changes due to covid protocols, then seriously, if anything, the more who stay on, the better for the town re covid. 

I completely understand that it is a matter of whatever local regulations are in place at the time, but it often sounds frustratingly haphazard. 

I'm booked for 24days on Vista, all booked as one single cruise, although I can see it is also sold as smaller segments. It is a long way off yet and hopefully by then things will be more straightforward but

I'll do whatever I have to, of course, and I won't let it spoil my fun at being back on a cruise. 🙂 

I just got a copy of Oceania's 2023 Europe and North America brochure this morning. UK version with prices in £ sterling. I'm already booked on Vista inJuly/August 2023. Puzzled for a moment by the cover photograph of the brochure. Inside it says it is Portofino and waxes lyrical about it's beautiful harbour.  Only snag is that it is not Portofino at all. It is similar, but absolutely not Portofino. It is Vernazza - one of the Cinque Terre further down the Italian coast, albeit a flipped left to right photo. Hmm, if you are in charge of picking the cover photo for a brochure, you'd think a proper check of the photos and attributions would be in order, wouldn't you?  Anyone else spotted it too? Let's hope the captains know where they are going even if the "office" doesn't? 🙂 

Just fly in early and stay a few days beforehand at a lovely hotel - like the Coral Reef Club - and enjoy  every one of those few days of Barbadian gorgeousness ahead of your Seabourn cruise. Sorted! 

Laughing that someone here thinks Virgin Voyages are luxury cruising. Jings! 

Hi all, especially Aloha1

Hope you will find the a roll call has started now - 

myself and the Auldladdie look forward to seeing you on Vista.  Doesn't it look a lovely ship?

We live in Scotland and have had a long lockdown there, so we are sorely needing to get back on the water - and warm water at that. 🙂 We have land trips booked in 2022, but this is our first "toe-dip", after a long dry spell. It is still such a long time away, but it is exciting and satisfying to plan another cruise. Just can't come fast enough! 

I notice that if you hit the "see all updates button on that FCDO page it still comes up as 

1. 28 July 2021

   Updated guidance following the UK government's announcement that international cruise sailings can restart from England, in line with Public Health England guidance.

Reports in the media that this new guidance generated yesterday, e.g. the one in Travel Weekly and a website article on BBC, were similarly reporting the "sailings from England" line. I live in Scotland and need to be sure I can get insurance correctly, so clarity is vital. Whilst I agree with others here that the intention was to make international cruise travel for all UK passengers insurable again, this is so unclear I cannot help wonder if Mr Schapps, whose comments yesterday to the media were also unclear, could not seek an amendment to the wording here,  just in case idiots seem to be in charge.  Oh...wait....   🙂

I notice that if you hit the "see all updates button on that FCDO page it comes up as 

1. 28 July 2021

   Updated guidance following the UK government's announcement that international cruise sailings can restart from England, in line with Public Health England guidance.

I live in Scotland and need to be sure I can get insurance correctly, so clarity is vital. While I agree that I think the intention was to make international cruise travel for all UK passengers insurable again, this is so unclear I cannot help wonder if Mr Schapps, whose comments yesterday to the media were also unclear, could not seek an amendment to the wording here,  just in case idiots seem to be in charge.  Oh...wait....   🙂

Thanks Jane, I saw on the Silversea board that the new guidance was put up earlier today on the FCDO website, then removed again after a while, so it seems to be back up in an amended format now which is clearer, although lots of websites, like BBC,  still saying this applied to cruises "from the UK". Clearly there is a bit of confusion around Mr Schapps's quotes earlier today.

I feel it is a bit confusing to give advice saying you can now "cruise internationally FROM England". Only leaving from a UK port? Seems unclear to me.

From what I have read this is only for international cruises DEPARTING FROM THE UK. Not sure about returning back to the UK, but definitely departing from, so it is not a lot of good to me. 😞 

Thank you to Chengkp75 and Jim Avery for explaining lack of channel to sail around.  I note that Marghera port area is where the road and rail link into Venice comes from and that it lies geographically closer to Venice than the airport. Would it therefore be possible to use road, rail or even possibly watertaxi into Venice from Marghera port?  I would expect it can be managed. I know Marghera port is not pretty, but then neither is Venice airport, nor many of the other Mediterranean ports ships sail into, but that doesn't really deter tourists necessarily. Where there is a will there is a way and I doubt both the cruise tourists and Venice will want to lose the ability to visit. If we can dock at Civitavecchia for Rome and Livorno for Florence and Pisa, we can manage somewhere a bit more distant for Venice if it helps preserve this wonderful city, surely? 

Italy has banned the ships whose size is above the limits mentioned from sailing up the canal between Venice and Guidecca. I assume they will just sail around the outer side of Guidecca to the outlying Venice dockyard until the new mainland dock is completed.