pdx13

We are stopping in Rouen in early May as part of our Northern Europe Cruise. We plan to take the train from Rouen into Paris and would like to catch the highlights, perhaps the Eiffel tower at sunset if we can get reservations. We would like to visit the Louvre, Montmarte, Notre Dame, Arc d'Triumph, Sacre Couer, and possibly the Seine at night. I feel fairly confident that we can do these on our own, but would appreciate any assistance in planning our time.

Just switched our booking from V2 to OB veranda and saved $4K for our upcoming cruise on the Quest. Figured worst that can happen is that we will be downgraded to V1, but hope to snag at least V2 or perhaps higher. Had it not been for CC I wouldn't have known to watch for this option to come available, although our TA may have picked up on it. I really don't see a downside other than we may end up more forward than we had originally booked, and for $4K savings I can purchase plenty of seasickness meds.

Thank you, even though I was very much hoping it would have some California influence. ;)

I'm going to be visiting the Palo Alto area for business in early spring next year, it will be my first visit to Northern California. I'll definitely make some time to visit Napa. More for the wine than the burgers and the slaw! The French Laundry is on my must do list for the trip.

Make your reservation soon; it is a tough ticket. They are currently doing extensive remodel of their kitchen so they have built a temporary facility in cargo containers. Not sure what the expected completion date is, but I hear that the operation seems to be running smoothly.

Seabourn should publish the policy so that customers know what to expect. Discretionary closing of the MDR for breakfast/lunch is not good policy. It is just nice to know what to expect up front as a consistent practice.

Seems to me that it is a question of allocation of resources and how those resources can be directed towards optimizing the experience for the greatest number of passengers. If there is not sufficient demand to justify keeping the MDR open for breakfast and lunch every day, then I would imagine the management believes the resources necessary to accomplish this are better utilized in areas where there are more passengers so they can be provided an appropriate level of service. As another poster mentioned the companies have this down to a science, they know very precisely what the expected demand will be at any given time, and it probably just doesn't make sense to have the MDR open and staffed if only for a handful of passengers. Although we have yet to sail our first cruise on Seabourn it seems that there are plenty of options available, and if eating every breakfast and lunch in the MDR was a priority we probably wouldn't choose to sail with them. I do think they should make it clear that the MDR will not always be open for breakfast and lunch however.

We are doing a cruise of Northern Europe which departs late April. For us the weather is not as high a priority as the itinerary available and the fact that everything will be less crowded. So we will deal with the weather. I can think of worse places to be than on a beautiful ship with exquisite food and service at the end of a rainy port day. I can live with that.

It seems that not only do cruise lengths have a significant impact on the overall experience, but also that different Captains, Hotel Managers, Cruise Directors make a big difference on Seabourn. One would hope that a line of this caliber would provide a more consistent product, not so dependent upon differences in key personnel.

If only his "coffee and doughnuts" dessert would appear, that would be heaven.

The sad reality is that suicide, except in cases of intractable pain or terminal illness, if often a supremely selfish act with no regard for the impact it will have on the survivors who are left behind to deal with the emotional fallout.

Also, it is interesting that the majority of people who make unsuccessful attempts do not make subsequent attempts, either because they receive care or come to realize that there are more compelling reasons to live than to die.

I don't understand why a dress code is such a difficult concept for people to understand. I prefer to dress casually, but if I go to a restaurant that requires a coat and tie you can be assured I will respect the dress code, and I would guess I would be summarily turned away if I refused to comply. Seabourn simply needs to empower its employees to enforce the dress codes and refuse service to those who are unwilling to comply.

Crystal still serves fresh squeezed OJ. It is wonderful to be able to stop by the Lido in the morning after a visit to the fitness center and watch the oranges rotate through the machine, and there is no substitute for fresh OJ in my opinion. However, this is no "deal breaker" for sure. But like Mighty Leaf Tea that they serve, it is indicative of the small things that make a line "luxury."

I know this has been asked in other threads but I still can't definitively find a photo of the half metal railing on the balconies of cabins in V1 V2. Does anyone have any photos of one of those railings (photo taken inside the room) of Seabourn Quest V1 or v2? If you do have a photo, would you please post and tell me the room number. Do you know how high the metal railing is? Thanks!

We are booked on the Quest next April in a V2 and have similar concerns about the metal railing blocking the view, but really wanted to get as close to mid as possible and this is the only option within our budget. Much as I would like all glass I expect that the barrier should not be a significant issue. When sitting at the table we will still be able to see over the rail. Since we will be in Northern Europe the weather is likely to be crummy anyhow.

simply for the history of what happened there. I was born in 1946 and my father did serve during wwii. You clearly don't have the same calling that many of us do to honor the fallen.

 

I created a pilgrimage of some of the places my father had been (of sorts) when i went to europe. I've been to arnhem (a bridge too far), oosterbeek (holland), bastogne (belgium), maastricht (holland), luxembourg (belgium where patton is buried), remagen (where the first us forces crossed into germany), dachau (concentration camp), westerbork (holland concentration camp), anne frank house in amsterdam, nuremburg (germany), the arizona memorial (honolulu hawaii), & the wwii korean war and vietnam war memorials or arlington cemetery & tomb of the unknown soldier in washington dc. I had planned to visit the normandy beaches, but the weather didn't comply so i cancelled the rental car.

 

When you stand and see white crosses as far as the eye can see or look at the ovens in dachau or the hiding place of a young girl for 3 years or the oil still bubbling up from the arizona, you do feel the enormity of what happened in those places. They truly do honor those fallen heroes and will remain in my memory forever!

++++1

"Generously provided by first world staff who know and understand why and how things should be done."

Not sure what the implication is here, but we have received extraordinary service from non "first world" staff on many cruises. It has never been a consideration for us. Perhaps it is an important consideration for some.

I just checked with our TA about whether any OB cabins were available on cruise next May. She indicated that OB is currently waitlisted. Does this mean that Seabourn hasnt released any OB cabins as they are waiting to see what the demand will be for the cruise? The website does not show OB as an option at all at this point. I assume the chances for an OB option increase as the cruise date gets closer, but is it possible to get on a list in the event the option opens up?

I was born in 1943, in the middle of WWII. My father made tanks and did not serve. Most of his friends who served are long dead.

 

Why do so many cruisers want to visit the Normandy beaches and/or the military cemeteries? My war was Viet Nam and so was my brother's.

 

I look forward to visiting cultural sites like Bayeux and the Bayeux tapestry. When in Paris, I have visited more than just the Louvre but the obscure Picasso museum or the military museum at Invalides.

 

So, why visit Normandy beaches?

 

Glenn:cool:

You're joking, right? If you cannot understand/appreciate why Americans would want to pay respects to these heroes it is probably just as well you occupy yourself in other ways.

We are booked in a V2. I know there are mixed feelings out the obstruction on the bottom of the verandah. I love to lay in bed and watch the ocean, guess that isn't possible in this room so I will have to drag myself up to see over the metal portion of the rail.

Thank you for the very considered responses.

One of our cruise stops is Travemunde. We plan to take a train into Lubeck, but thinking about a boat trip back. Anyone done this? There seem to be a number of river cruise options out of Lubeck, some of which go to Travemunde.

Not certain about one way, though. Just thought I would check here before researched it further.

WE have two days in Paris which means we will have only about four hours to visit the Louvre which is hardly enough time to even see selected highlights. However, in order to maximize our experience I am hoping for some suggestions about absolute "not to be missed" exhibits, and mapping a route through the museum. Also considering whether a guided tour might make sense since we have so little time. Appreciate any recommendations.

We have a couple of day long tours on our upcoming cruise, and as we generally just snack for lunch I was wondering whether Seabourn will provide box lunches for passengers on request. We do not particularly want to take the time to stop at a restaurant while touring St. Petersburg, for instance.

pdx13-if you are looking for a referral voucher, we have one. You can email me at travelingduo@sbcglobal.net

Thanks, sending email now.

We always found plenty of things to do during sea days. DH loved the art classes, very high quality. I loved the fitness center. And there are always a lot of things going on around Seabourn Sq. However, I must say that in the area of enrichment program activities, Crystal has an edge over Seabourn. Maybe because the larger ship size supports more offerings?

I certainly don't expect that Quest, being a much smaller ship would have the level of activities that one would find on a larger ship like Crystal. And to be honest, I have never been bored while at sea. I am just hoping that I have enough diversions to keep me from eating all day long. I should just plan to spend more time in the fitness center. We chose this itinerary specifically because of the great balance of sea and port days. Being our first Seabourn cruise we did not want something so port intensive that we would be unab le to fully appreciate what I expect will be an extraordinary experience on board.

We are on the Quest for 21 days next April and have 8 sea days in Northern Europe. I doubt the weather will be condusive to sitting out by the pool so I am wondering whether the onboard activities will be ramped up for the days at sea. Our previous experience is on Crystal which has spectacular enrichment programs. In looking at the Seabourn Conversations, I am not terribly impressed with the current line up of speakers. Is it likely that more will be added prior to the cruise? While I have no problem sitting an reading all day, I am hopeful that Seabourn offers a greater range of activities/programs during sea days. I can only eat so much ice cream.

We are booked on the Quest Next April and are looking for someone to sponsor two of us. Our TA has offered to take care of the paperwork if we provide name, booking and/or club #. Thanks very much.