BasandSyb

No. But apparently Mac N Cheese used to qualify as fine dining (tongue firmly in cheek 😇) My husband can cook and we can source a better steak than we ever had in TKG and I can cook a better roast chicken - neither of which we ever seek out at restaurants nor on cruises. I’m sure the new menu will continue to reveal itself - fingers crossed. Lamb remains one of the better offerings on the ship. My husband is a two lamb chops and poached egg guy for breakfast and SB does them perfectly. We also love pork and game. Swordfish is a favourite - glad to see that, we enjoy it for lunch freshly grilled on other lines but rarely available on SB. At the end of the day, we will eat most things but are choosy in what we rate and aren’t swayed by celebrity chefs or hype.

We are the same. We can travel in 2s, 4s up to 12 of us on a particular itinerary - whoever sees something interesting and is available. It’s not necessarily SB of which we are all diamond members. You are correct Mauzac/Nops we have multiple tabs open - what is a better itinerary - date - dept/arrival port - price - inclusions. Where is easier to fly into for Australians and what can we package around it coming and going. Have thought for quite sometime that the SB website is not informative nor intuitive. We search elsewhere first and then compare. Other websites list the particular cruise, you can then try and find it on the SB website or at least provide a date and region to your TA. There are so many cruises I find elsewhere but the search engine on SB won’t bring it up. I need to do a broad regional search then a page trawl… and then find it’s a grand voyage or other ridiculous category and therefore not showing but in a different list. Very frustrating and geared toward pretty pictures than usefulness. Our starting point is usually VTG for a complete list of dates and B2Bs as we do long trips. SB if you are listening a survey of website users might be timely - a sample size of more than 300 - what device they use - how they search - and a focus on age related responses insightful. Can we put those cookies and file history to work with some useful suggestions? Why else are you collecting them? Nops - still waiting to hear which Edinburgh hotel next June! We are doing a further 3 days and don’t want to be in a tour group hotel, will book elsewhere soon as it will be high season and can’t wait any longer.

Agree with Sunprince. The point of an email is to communicate. This one did not show complete trip maps for many of the showcased cruises (on any device). Indicated sold out. The click here for dates and prices did not provide prices, merely an end date. The learn more didn’t drop down the full itinerary. For me that equals a useless email. Why would I then think to call Seabourn or my TA and waste their time further? Or refer to Facebook social pages for further information? If our marketing and comms people put out product like this they would have had to fix it within 24 hrs with apologies, not follow it up with further “offers” today with similar broken links, sold out indicators and little real info.

Every trip we have purchased since our first TKG experience has factored having one fewer dining outlet. We always find something to eat. Can’t please everyone. We would prefer a pan Asian style restaurant choice, but based on the Asian and Indian experiences in the Colonnade we would rather the Solis sample than the other done badly. The only good Indian meal we have had onboard was on special order by a Indian chef asked to prepare it for himself. Similarly the Asian nights are unfortunately “westernised” to cater for all and in doing so miss the mark. Looking forward to some additional choice on our next cruise.

Yes Nops we have been looking too. Perhaps you are right with booking system issues. The website is …politely, rubbish … potentially hand in hand with the booking system. Very puzzling and agree with Mauzac about the proverbial boy who cried wolf - less inclined to click on a email next time for us. I usually use other websites with a better layout and “at a glance” itinerary info anyway rather than the Seabourn site when planning a trip. They are smaller ships and given this the big worry is they are chartered and only had a few spare suites?? Have been caught with a charter previously and never again! There should be more transparency for booking those types of cruises. Good luck in scouting for a trip.

Yesterday as diamond members we received early access invitation advertising for certain regional 2025 sailings. Upon opening each of the regional links within 20 minutes of the email landing, they were all marked as sold out, not even a wait list offer/mention. Makes us question the purpose of the advertising. Trying to drive other sailings which will soon be emailed?

Thanks for posting the sample menu. Looks good. I would normally be concerned given it’s heavily Med and could start leaning to Italian, but I think there’s enough of Yottam O at the moment to keep it interesting and fresh. As already said the absolute proof will be on the table. Fingers crossed. Roll on changes to remove TK from the patio menu. 1 type of burger and hot dog is enough for any lunch menu given it can be made to order. The patio is such a lost opportunity.

It might be different in 2024, but we are doing Pursuit in Feb and were advised by Seabourn that there are 2 x flights down and back (return arr 3pm and 4pm “ish” haven’t got the paperwork with me) an hour apart. AEP (Jorge Newberry) being used in both directions. Our onward flight leaves at 6pm from EZE so will be staying an additional night. AEP suits the extra night. Advised luggage limit is 34kg across max 2 checked cases. I find it quite annoying there is so much different information when you supposedly get it from Seabourn direct. Will re-check ours. We still can’t get confirmed hotel information for June 24 after Seabourn now ends our itinerary in Edinburgh rather than Oslo. It’s not great for planning a longer stay! Seabourn can be very slow.

This comment only relates to Australian wines as we are more than familiar with their pricing 😇. We get the top tier loyalty discount and they are still well over the odds at restaurant prices, then factor in 64c = $1US. Occasionally we may stumble across a bargain but find they quickly run out whether due to other eagle-eyed diners or a realisation the price has been listed incorrectly. 😂

Have just spent a few weeks resort hopping in Thailand and the recent drink trends for cocktails/mocktails has seen some amazing experimenting and results - spices, chilli, cucumber, pepper, pimento, coconut, almond, lime - endless flavours and combos all delicious. We don’t like sweet and won’t have any syrups, soft drinks or diet anything. Every evening there was something new. Look forward to trying the new Seabourn offerings and putting the bar staff through their paces not to use premix (eerrk!)

Very good news, we have gained another dining venue. Have avoided TK for years. Got talked into it one night by people new to Seabourn on our last cruise. 8 waitstaff visited the table doing their song and dance routine - we then had to call someone over for water to be poured and it was another new face! I’m sure the other restaurant teams will appreciate a more equitable distribution of staff at night time. Agree pan-Asian would have been more of a variety offering. However, the sample menu sounds a vast improvement on Mac n Cheese!

That’s great. Looking forward to enjoying this innovation in a few months. It’s a great alternative. Can you comment on what it was like? When on Odyssey earlier this year sushi was prepared three or four times for deck activities and it was very disappointing. The rice was complete mulch each time - so not just a poor batch. I will eat anything and hate waste, but the texture had me leaving it on the plate. Hoping the quality control has improved.

Def take the Dyson. The hairdryers are hair fryers with/without diffusers. Even the recent replacements. Wish they would buy a decent product. Anything longer than a 7 day cruise and I look like Doc Brown’s sister.

Hobar we too have found lifelong friends on Seabourn - and we weren’t even looking! Longer cruises on small ships. We surprised cruise buddies on a Ft L - BA trip years ago. In doing so we met an Irish couple at check-in and had lunch with them in the Colonnade. They thought we were completely nuts ducking under the table when the others passed by - now we are all firm friends. Indeed we feel the same way about “coming home” on Seabourn.

Thanks for the suggestions will check them out. Kitchin had already made it to the list. It’s now confirmed as a must do.

Great post Hobar. We are doing Antarctica in Feb and Arctic in June. You have us so exited now. Will have to pack our swimmers. Walking on water may be my new party trick.

Yes, I can see it now. Seabourn has no advice as of yesterday of the Edinburgh hotel which isn’t terribly helpful. We are trying to decide how many extra nights to stay before changing our homeward air travel. Having to change hotels might be the tipping point - that and a Facebook site my husband recently linked to called Scotland Travel Tips - sheesh! It seems everyone in the US is currently travelling in Scotland or intends to in the next 12 months (thanks Outlander!). BTW the site is hilarious - so many crazy questions - the locals who take the time to answer have so much patience. My sarcastic nature would take over. “We are flying into Gatwick, how long will it take us and what is the cab fare to Edinburgh” We did several weeks in Scotland 20 years ago and will do 2 weeks prior to boarding Venture. Accommodation bookings are limited now for May 2024, so June in Edinburgh has the potential to be chaotic. You might have the correct plan Nops - grab the car and get out of Dodge.

Used it in March. No one checked it/ looked at it. Ground crews for check-in are local port authority staff. They want to see the documents - IF they check, so don’t forget your hard copies.

Thanks Nops. May see you “out and about” on Venture. We are enjoying a lovely spring day on the Gold Coast with a gentle ripple on the ocean. Appreciate the comment Woodrowst. We always organise our own air as we usually do more than just a cruise. Not sure I would in the future given some of the layover and routing horror stories I’ve heard. We also have airline preferences for our longhauls from Australia. Good to hear it seems to be a combo of the rubbish website and updates rather than any sinister. Am I the only one who uses other websites to search for cruises and only then navigate to the Seabourn site to check prices? Always looking for a longer cruise I need to see the pre and post cruises for possible extensions and also where the other ships are at the same time in case jumping to another is appealing. The Seabourn site is not terribly useful for this purpose (I’m try to be kind but get very frustrated). What I need is a chronological list and maps. Seabourn provides a map but when you drill down on the cruise it disappears. The “map view” becomes a tedious running commentary about “verdant hills”. A cruise calendar would also be useful. Years ago they were published in the brochures - perhaps they still are but I don’t want more paper in our lives! My control freak mind is obviously at odds with intuitive website design.

Now I’m starting to worry. We have bookends for our 4 month holiday - Pursuit in February and Venture in June. Hopefully it will be clear soon. Perhaps they are playing with a range of itinerary changes. I don’t want to alter the air travel again until things settle.

We received email notification this morning that our May/June 2024 Scotland/Norway/Svalbard cruise on Venture has had an "adjustment" and will now end in Edinburgh and not Oslo. A charter flight from Longyearbyen to Oslo will now be a flight to Edinburgh. "Adjustment" is a fabulous euphemism! While this is extremely frustrating in as far as we only altered our homeward flights 2 days ago and paid an additional $600 each for the privilege, now a further change will be required... the bigger puzzle is we simultaneously received an email about the current sale extension. Checking to see the current price for the Norway sailing, the website now shows a blank for the ship name on the cruise leg prior to ours and also the first half of our B2B. When searching on the normal Seabourn website (not using the email link), it won't show anything for Venture in 2024. Website glitch or should I start a conspiracy theory 🤔

After years of saying how much pfaff we thought TK was/is and having our dining options reduced on a cruise as we avoided its mediocrity, the direction of this thread is bringing much joy. Our preference has always been to showcase amazing crew. 2 votes for Asian/French fusion

Have you checked out the 28 day Japan circum-navigation March 2025 or the pre/post with a couple of stops in the Philippines etc. We haven’t noticed Seabourn doing such an extensive Japan run previously. Other lines have.

Not if you are using your phone vs iPad/laptop.

Totally agree with Covepointcruiser. We have included laundry but never use it. Easier to use appropriate care for your clothes rather than submit to a very busy laundry. Too many ruined items in the past - including linen shirts caught on rollers. Unfortunately most clothes these days have 5% elastane or spandex (even denim) and heat is a killer. Other than heartbreak for favoured items, if you continue on with your travels after the cruise it is expensive and time wasting - IF you can find suitable replacements. The laundry is an excellent facility.