pdx13

We will be in Lisbon three days pre-cruise. Does anyone have experience with the Lisbon City Pass. We plan to DIY.

thnkas

100 shares. Confirmation has to be a broker statement or purchase statement dated within 3 months of the date you submit it. Yes, you can blackout any other info. Keep the date, your name and address and the line concerning CCL stock. You get $250 credit.

Thanks so much for providing this information. Just purchased my 100 shares and loooking forward to the OBC and hopefully decent return on investment.

Admittedly, we are not as experienced as many in the luxury class, but have sailed four times on Crystal. We never felt any pressure whatsoever to tip and we had extraordinary service. Are there some who probably get tables in nicer locations, additional perks, or more influence, most certainly. But if you have sailed a line 20-50 times, stay in premium suites, etc. you earn rewards, and among those is perhaps more attention. So long as I get good service, I could care less if someone gets a better seat in the dining room. What bothers me are those who flaunt their influence or whine to get what they want. Unfortunately those folks often get much more attention than they deserve. And I hate to see how they sometimes belittle the staff, treating them like servants. But that happens everywhere.

We purchased a hand-woven silk rug from a co-op in Kusadasi. We had a wonderful lunch and rather enjoyed the rug sales pitch. I am certain we paid top dollar for the rug, but we love it and have it hanging over our mantle. Everytime we look at it we are reminded of our magnificent cruise, so it has been worth it to us. And I did receive a call early this year from "Omar" claiming to represent the co-op. Don't know if he was legitimate, but he was fine when I told him we were not interested in purchasing another at this time. We had our rug mailed to us so they had all of our information. Did not surprise me to get a call, and I wasn't particularly offended by it.

With Oceana's recently announced early booking amenities, the consistently great food reviews, the arrival of the 684 passenger Sirena, I wonder if Oceana is not approaching the luxury category. We have sailed Crystal and have a trip booked on Seabourn, paying an even higher premium than we did for Crystal. We loved Crystal but wanted to try a smaller, more intimate ship, but with the highest possible standards for food/service. I would venture that Oceana is probably 2/3 of what Seabourn is costing, and still less than Crystal. Perhaps they are worth a more serious look.

Thank all of you for the advice. Sounds like the consensus is three days; fine by me.

We are disembarking in Stockholm in May 2016 and currently are planning to spend two days post cruise. I am wondering whether this will be sufficient for us to get a decent introduction to the city or should we spend three days?

Thanks for the info. It seems the Quest will be the first to have the new signature Thomas Keller restaurant in the spring of 2016.

We are sailing April 30 on Quest. Wonder if the restaurant will be up by then.

I am surprised that Seabourn pipes music on board. One of the things we love about Crystal is the absence of PA announcements and no music except live. The captain makes one announcement per day with updates, and aside from that there is nothing unless it is something urgent that passengers need to know. Seabourn should really get rid of the canned music as it doesn't fit with their image of a luxury line.

The less piped in music, PA announcements, etc. the better.

We are taking our first Seabourn cruise next April, after several on Crystal. On Crystal, in spite of grituities being included, it is not uncommon to tip the room stewardess, the person with whom we have the most contact. As such, we have always left our stewardess a tip in addition to leaving something for the crew welfare fund, because of the exceptional service. Is this practice frowned upon on Seabourn? We don't want to insult our stewardess if we receive outstanding service and do not leave a tip, but we also do not wish to violate company policy.

Of course Stockholm is not Barcelona, a city I love, but that does not mean that there is no party at all. In my mind there is much more going on in the area just south of Gamla Stan (The Old Town). It would also be much closer to the main tourist attractions in Stockholm

If you look at hotels in this area there is a Hilton at Slussen where I know many cruise passengers stay (of course I don’t know anything about staying there). There is a hotel nearby named Hotel Rival. Don’t know anything about the standard etc., but it is situated in a nice square where locals may be gathering to play boule in the evening, and it is close to restaurants and bars and a lively night life. The owner of this hotel is ABBA member Benny Andersson, if you remember ABBA.

Having said all this I have to confess that I may be partial since I happen to live in this area.

Well, living there gives you a whole lot more knowledge than I have! If we don't stay in that area we will definitely visit.

Thanks very much. That information is very helpful. I have no issue with travelling to visit the sites, I was just not certain whether we would be missing the "flavor" of the city by staying in the suburbs. I know that when we were in Barcelona we were very glad that we stayed in the heart of the city as there was always so much going on outside our hotel in the square, and it was great fun. Not sure I would expect Stockholm to be such a party city.

Thanks very much for the information.

We are thinking about splurging for this Ett Hem Hotel in Stockholm, post-cruise. Looks like a nice place to help the transition back to the real world. Has anyone stayed recently? Sounds extraordinary, but very $. Is the distance from city center a disadvantage?

Thanks for the information. This is prciosely what I was looking for.

Could you tell me which sites beyond CC have current passengers review?

Will never set foot on a RC ship or any ship that holds over 2500 folks.:eek:

Also want a variety of passengers, great service, great itineraries, long ports days or even overnights, less sea days.

 

I have been reading the members review of the "luxury" lines. Crystal, Oceania, going down the list. The reviews reveal what cruisers hold most dear on a cruise.

and they are not necessarily what I would focus upon.

If Crystal is moving down your list due to size, age of ships, dining rules, or itinerary I can understand it. However, based on our experience, albeit it has only been a total of six weeks and two cruises, the service is extraordinary. The food consistently met or exceeded our expectations as well, and we appreciate fine dining. I cannot compare it to the other luxury lines (we will be trying Seabourn soon), but we would be hard pressed to find better, more pleasant service.

I searched this board but could not find the answer to my question regarding spa access. I gather from what I have read that it is possible to pay for spa access for the duration of the cruise. What is the cost of this privilege and what exactly does it include?

thank you

We are cruising next April 30th on the Quest. What great news for the foodies among us. I have high hope that the restaurant will be open by then, and that it will live up to our expectations and his tremendous skill. Do you think they might change policy so we are able to make reservations on-line prior to boarding? One per week?..Wouldn't that be nice.

Actually we are cruising April 30, not late May as I had originally posted. Hope Thomas can work his magic by then.

I think there is probably a difference between people like myself who turn up on spec and dine in different venues as the mood suits on the day - the most delightful part of a SB cruise, and people who want to dine the main restaurant every evening at the same time.

 

I can accept that those guests with a "standing order" are allowed "their" table. If it makes them happy anything for a quiet life.

 

I can also accept that the dining room may be filled in a particular order to help the waiting staff go about their jobs. I imagine it also allows the different dining venues to balance out resources. If I don't know where I'm going to take dinner how can the staff? If the colonnade gets super busy then borrow staff from the restaurant and visa-versa. There are a finite number of staff.

 

Large, pre-arranged groups have to be worked around. I have never yet been refused a large table for a gathering of friends given a days notice.

 

Then there is the issue of table size. Some guests crave a table for two, I love company. Again there are a finite number of options available and they have to be managed. I have absolutely no doubt that SB regulars, particularly those of a generous disposition get a little special treatment every now and again when it comes to being seated. I haven't been invited to dine with the captain for example, but that's life. Ultimately it's his loss 'cause I'm a bundle of joy, wit and scintillating conversation :)

 

There will be times when the restaurant is full to bursting and all tables have to be used, other times when it is less busy, but even then a service station covering your choice of table might not be operational (because staff are deployed elsewhere).

 

Are there "bad" tables in the dining room? Maybe I'm just too easily pleased, either that or being the hansom devil I am I've always been located front & centre for the visual delight and titillation of other guests :)

 

One of those first world problems.

 

Henry :)

Bravo!!!!

Hard to imagine that the restaurants onboard Seabourn will match the fanatic approach to detail one experiences at French Laundry, but even his influence on the cuisine will be welcome. He is an extraordinary chef with a philosophy that values quality and passion. I just hope the restaurant on the Quest will be open when we cruise in late May 2016.

You will probably get many different responses as each of us has particular considerations which may be more important to us than to someone else. For example, some people prefer ships that are smaller while others may focus on cuisine, service, etc. We have sailed several times on Crystal, our first experience with a luxury line. We found each of the cruises to be extraordinary when it came to service, cuisine. enrichment programs. Howver, the rooms are smaller and the ships are larger than some other luxury lines and beginning to show their age although meticulously maintained. We are now booked with Seabourn, because we wanted to try a smaller, newer ship, and we found an extraordinary itinerary. I cancelled a booking we had made while on board Crystal, so we are paying a whole lot more money, but it is for an itinerary we couldnt find on Crystal. If Seabourn can match Crystal for service and cuisine we will be happy campers.

Though the OP has by now expressed the view that he is sorry he asked his original Q and may no longer be following this thread or care what it says, for anyone else still interested it is worth noting that a walker, though steadier on a ship, may not be an appropriate replacement for crutches in a post-op knee surgery setting if part of the therapeutic plan is to totally avoid weight-bearing activities for a while, so as to facilitate proper healing. It depends on what surgery was done and when. Many an orthopedist's good knee and foot surgical work has been fouled up by patients' prematurely putting weight on the newly operated extremity. Crutches, and a portable wheelchair, but not a walker, facilitate avoidance of weight-bearing, if that is needed. The default rule is it is best not to improvise or deviate from exactly what the surgeon recommends.

 

It is also best to bring along more pain meds than you think you will need, just in case the pain gets worse with the stress and swelling of travel, along with the prescription bottles and labels, as pain meds post-op are often controlled substances and narcotics-sniffing customs dogs may find them and you may have to explain their presence.

 

Further, depending on the wound's healing status, it may not be appropriate to go into a public pool or whirlpool with a surgical wound that is not fully healed and closed. Infection can occur, leading to septic arthritis or even osteomyelitis, not to mention potential water contamination can occur that may impact other vulnerable swimmers if the wound is carrying staph or other pathogens, even with chlorination in the water.

 

Finally, at the airport, do arrange for wheelchair transport and priority boarding but watch out who is wheeling you. In Chicago the guy pushing me at the huge O' hare airport was in a hurry to get me to the flight and was chatting with other guys as we zoomed along, so he did not see the unexpected bump in the path ahead. When he hit the bump abruptly, and the wheelchair lurched, I started sailing out of the chair, heading for another fall on my injured foot and other injuries. Mr Catlover, carrying bags, just barely caught me before I hit. After that he either wheeled me himself or watched the employees like a hawk to make sure they were careful.

Probably dont have to worry about the dogs. They are generally not trained to detect pharmaceutical controlled substances, except marijuana, cocaine, ampetamines. Not opiates though.

$1800 seems pretty lame given the perdiem cost of a typical Seabourn cruise, unless you got a screaming good deal. That doesnt come close to making up for the dyas on board you missed, not to mention the inconvenience. I imagine there should be some responsibility for the prudent traveler to arrive at least a day prior to departure, I would expect that the ship will leave at the time scheduled or later. Does the same policy apply to the ship stopping in ports? Can the port authorities arbitrarily change departure times? If so, how is anyone certain they will return from excursions prior to departure? I have never heard of a ship leaving early unless all passengers are on board. If you are late then shame on you, but one should be able to rely on published departure times.

A two-day Museum Pass is around $46. A guided Louvre tour is around $60. The Pass makes more sense if you know what you want to see in the Louvre and really don't want a tour. The masterpieces are in the Denon wing and a good plan will get you through those in 2-3 hours.

 

You should decide how you really want to spend your time in Paris and then make the decision. The Pass also includes the Orsay and many other places. That's something to take into consideration, along with things that aren't included such as walking tours, a Seine River cruise, the Opera, stores, etc. Have fun.

I suppose a tour is not necessary for the Louvre if we do our homework and have a plan for what we wish to see. Thanks for the advice; sounds like the museum pass is the way to go.