Seabourn Legend - Feb 18 from St Thomas

Cruisers1975 · February 20, 2011

Well, we are back. Followers of Cruisers1975 recognize that one of us (him) is a premium travel agent, and the other (me) works for him full time. We are also married, and gay, we travel a lot, we love cruising, and we are travel snobs. There, I've given you the disclaimers. Now you can read our day by day blog or not, it's entirely up to you.

This is our first ever Seabourn. You can find our other reviews recently under Uniworld, Sea Dream, Azamara ... just look for Cruisers1975. But this is a new line for us.

As is traditional with our blog posts here, we take you back to lift off, which occurred four days before embarkation. In fact, you can skip the rest of this post entirely if you are only interested in the Legend itself.

Bon voyage,

February 14, 2011

4:00AM alarm and a 4:30 taxi for a 6:00AM flight to Toronto. Not an easy task, but did it. Declined the offer of an inexpensive upgrade to business class as it’s a non-stop, two-by-two seater, which in fact was all over before my second movie finished.

Picked up our rental car, and then Ursula from work, dropped her home and then checked into the Meadowvale Delta. Drinks at Anthony and Jan’s and then off to Gabrielle’s for dinner with the extended K-Klan.

Happy Valentine’s Day.

February 15, 2011

Even at 10:00 AM, we are reminded why we don’t live in Toronto. An hour later, we have crawled into downtown, for a lunch date with Tim & Rocky, and a few minutes schmoozing, mail collecting and computer remedies from the head office office. And then crawled back out of the City to the barren and frozen suburbs, for dinner with Richard & Rena at La Petite France in Etobicoke. Early to bed because it’s …

February 16, 2011

… 3:30AM alarm time again for another 6AM flight. This one to Miami on American Airlines, where the rudeness begins at the departure lounge, with a gate agent calling for the stand-bys: “Mr John Anderson, please come to the desk. Mrs Linda Ross, please come to the desk. Mr, er, Pa-ja-rox- oh I give up. You know who you are – I can’t pronounce it – come to the desk if you want to fly today.”

Surly Shirly the Stu continued the fine tradition of American Hospitality in the skies, but we arrived safely, which is, afterall, the point of travel, isn’t it. Thank heavens for Bose, as the kid in the seat behind me never shut up from boarding till baggage claim. It was at this moment I coined a new collective for children (as in a school of fish) – it’s an obnoxety of children.

After a short respite in the Admirals’ Club, also crawling with whining children, we proceeded to our connection gate, and heard the announcement that our plane would not be flying to St Thomas today. Back we headed to the Admirals’ Club to get better information, and protection, neither of which proved true. We were told they wouldn’t make any decision until 11:45 (it was 11:15), but there was no chance anything was going to be flying out any time soon. Mechanical problems. However, at 11:45 we noticed the flight board said our flight was boarding!

We raced out of the lounge, located at Gate 30, and asked an AA attendant what was the quickest way to Gate 20 – by train or walking? He replied, “You can only get there by train” so we ran up the escalators to the train station. As we waited and waited, we saw the sign change from “Next Train to Gates 12-20” change to “Out of Service.”

Panic.

Roger spied a woman in an AA uniform turn around and run back down the escalators. She must know something we don’t, so we turned and followed, and ran, the full kilometer to Gate 20 (it IS possible!), only to find the gate empty and closed – too late.

Had we been women, we could have pried the gate open with tears, but lacking that facility Rog tried sweet talk. The gates parted and we were ushered aboard to the last two seats on the aircraft.

And the next thing we knew, we were standing in a Budget line in St Thomas, luggage in hand, and ready to begin our adventure.

Arrival at the Ritz-Carlton was exactly as it should be, with a flurry of bellmen in the porte-cochère, a most courteous reception desk staff, and the immediate appearance of the Sales Manager to welcome us for our two-night stay, and to tell us she had upgraded us to the Club Level.

Got a jitney ride to our room – it’s a 30-acre property, you need a ride everywhere, and from there to the Club Lounge to find we had just missed the complimentary dinner service. But not the collection of children. Perhaps I should change my new collective from an obnoxety to an indulgence of children? I think either would do nicely for children who don’t.

Back to the room and ordered sandwiches and accompaniments, namely an accompanying $130 room service tab.

Exhausted from the day of early rising and airport sprints, we retired early.

February 17, 2011

A day of hotels. Rose early (thanks to the previous guest who left the room alarm clock set for 5:30AM), cleared the email, and stumbled downstairs for the complimentary breakfast. Oatmeal, scrambled eggs with salmon and a side of children.

Drove on the ferry to St John, the neighbouring resort island, to look at Caneel Bay Resort, Westin St John, and a fast drive-by of a few others. All second rate compared to the Ritz-Carlton. We also visited Trunk Bay, a National Park that reminds you that you ARE in the United States of America, with beautifully maintained roads (disproving the theory that they are a climatic and sociological impossibility in the Caribbean) and magnificent vistas … and hefty admission and parking charges.

The ferry ride was the most interesting of the day’s experiences – as you have to back onto it. Carries about 30 vehicles, packed very closely.

Back on St Thomas again, drove by a few more hotel-resorts, including Secret Harbour, Saphire Beach, Bolongo Bay. Still more than delighted with what we have.

Didn’t want to miss the free chow in the Club Lounge tonight, so scurried down before closing, filled a few rounds of champagne and wine, and then …

Rog and I were checking our iPhones, seated across the table from each other, when a Nosey Parker, sitting with his wife at the table besides us, leans over and inquires above the din of children, “Are you talking to each other by texts?”

We laughed, politely, at his impertinence, and one thing led to another. Soon it was a discussion of Travel Agents, and Mr Parker starts telling us about his incomparable agent that a colleague of his insisted he use once, and how This Person was so talented and blah, blah, blah … and I am sure you know the punch line already here.

Yep, same guy. My Roger. The Incomparable.

Of course we became fast friends and drinking buddies, and the night was sorta a blur from then on.

(next post from us will be Boarding the Legend)

WestCoaster321 · February 20, 2011

A great start. Looking forward to the next entry!

Please take pix of food, and ... okay... drinks. Have a wonderful time with just enough glitches to make this good reading.

Have a safe and wonderful trip. Wish I were on board with you. :D

Cruisers1975 · February 20, 2011

February 18, 2011 – Boarding the Legend

Skipped the breakfast, just made the coffee in the room, until all the cream floated to the top in little white flakes, and so I made another trek to the Club Lounge, happily devoid of children at this hour.

Called Seabourn to find the exact pier location, only to discover that I don’t read 24-hour times that well. Embarkation by 1500 does not mean 5:00PM.

Called the Sales Agent for our site inspection, but as it was raining and we were already pressed for time, we settled for a jitney to reunite us and our luggage with our valet-parked car and a quick departure. We had no idea where the Budget rental return was located, but the gods favoured us today with a location right at the pier.

As we drove by to reconnoiter the departure area some tough-looking dreadlocked fellows charged our car, grabbing at the door handles and insisting we open up. After a moment of fear we realized they were Seabourn agents, trying to help with our luggage, so we stopped and let them at it. Rog took the car back while I waited outside the fence.

Soon, however, Rog had the car returned and we were ready to register, which was a fairly seamless process. Our main luggage disappeared into the hold and we were escorted up the ramp, greeted with a tray of Rum Punches, and invited to register our faces on the waiting cameras in the main Lounge aboard, while nibbling sandwiches and sweet treats from the side tables.

Soon we were shown to our suite. All cabins are “suites” on Seabourn, but this really was the nicest entry-level cabin we’ve ever seen on the sea. It’s about a foot wider than normal, and longer (there are no central “inside” cabins, so there is only one hallway separating both oceanview sides). Ours has a French balcony; the category below ours is the same size, with a picture window.

We have a queen bed (very comfortable!), lots of pillows, desk and chair, entertainment centre with TV and Bose, mini bar stocked with whatever we wanted (I thought the complimentary bottles of spirits, choice of two, would be airline-sized, but no, they are full sized, 26 ouncers of dark rum and gin!). The living area is separated from the sleeping area by a curtain if you wish, and includes a three-seater sofa, two side chairs, a coffee table and two under-table stools. We could have a party here! In fact, they encourage that with a bottle of quality champagne already on ice and a tray of fruit.

There is the largest bathroom I’ve ever had on a ship, larger than our guest bath at home, and a walk-in closet. Walk-in closet! Imagine! Just about every surface has a mirror built in to the trim, instead of a cheap piece of art, and the bathroom floors and walls are marble.

Without a doubt the best, most comfortable standard category cabin we’ve ever enjoyed.

Soon after our arrival, Zita, our cabin attendant, arrives, bearing a tray of champagne in glasses, some salmon hors d’oeuvres, and a selection of full-sized “designer” bath soaps from which to chose, to supplement the Molton Brown amenities already in place. Rog selected Hermes. I picked a large green one. Meg, Ursula, now you know what gift your gettin’!

Zita deserves a comment or two. We’ve had a lot of cabin attendants, mostly always good, some not quite so, and a few that were really good, but there is something different about Zita. I suspected that she was a graduate of some hospitality university course and was just doing her two weeks of cabin attendancy before she gets her real job as Hotel Manager, but apparently, talking to other guests, this is indeed normal for Seabourn staff. They are exceptional. Zita is exceptional, even if that is normal by Seabourn standards.

But enough about our cabin. It’s time to find the real centre of this ship: the bar!

There are two, or maybe three, depending on how you count, so we started at the top, and immediately made friends with J&L, two rabid Republicans on board, who counseled us that even if we didn’t take their political views to heart, we should eat at the Veranda Café (Restaurant 2) instead of the regular dining room, when weather permitted. We took this apolitical suggestion, but found that returning guests all shared the same opinion and there were no tables left that evening. Then, just as we were about to leave the bar, J&L returned to let us know that they had been given a table for four, and invited us to join them.

A truly wonderful dining experience, with a menu entirely separate from the main dining room (much to J’s chagrin as he kept trying to coax a veal chop out of the Veranda kitchen).

floridaphilly · February 20, 2011

I am anxiously awaiting your day by day descriptions and hope you worked out all of the kinks with AA, St Thomas weather and transportation, etc. We embark on the 25th as you are leaving. Hopefully all of the children will be finished their spring breaks and be back in school where they belong. I am celebrating a "big" birthday with my sister and sister-in-law and we intend to have a fabulous time. We are many time repeat Seabourn Sailors so we know what to expect. Have a great cruise.

Cruisers1975 · February 20, 2011

Yes everyone except us seems to be many-many time repeaters. I can see why!

Here's the next day:

February 19, 2011, Marigot, St Martin.

Lazy day. I’d been ashore in Marigot before, just last year, and to me, there was no reason to return. We had planned on going to Anguilla for the day to visit some luxury hotel properties, but after a night of gently tossing and turning (not bad, just consistently noticeable), and all the running around from the day before – coupled with the surprise that we weren’t docked but only tendered, the prospect of tendering, taxiing, ferrying, taxiing, ferrying, taxiing and tendering seemed more taxing than relaxing, so we opted to make it a Day at Sea.

That is, until the lure of luxury shops ashore proved more than Roger could withstand, and off he tendered, returning a few hours later with a new pair of Vilebrequin swim trunks. At least it wasn’t another watch!

Meanwhile I started reading one of the books from the ship’s library, wrote a bit of blog, and somehow managed to fit in a nap sometime between breakfast, lunch, tea and dinner.

Following tea, we remained in the Lounge for the first round of ship’s Trivia, and of course whupped their butts with a score of 1500. This despite the fact that Roger still won’t accept that Dr No was released before Casino Royale.

As we had made a date for cocktails with another pair of fellows aboard, we decided to take advantage of our own gracious suite for entertaining, and invited them to join us and assist in downing the complimentary bottle of champagne that was here upon arrival. We called room service for a cheese tray for four (four mice, it turned out… next time I’ll tell them it’s for 12) and visited the library to select some appropriate gay anthem CDs. A crew officer in the library – helped me make my selections – and I told him we were having our own Friends of Dorothy meeting, since Seabourn didn’t schedule them. He assured me that he could do that if asked, and seems just a trifle disappointed he hadn’t been invited. Just sayin’.

Our new friends, D&O, are a Danish couple, one by birth, the other by recent marriage and immigration, the latter being a famous American biographer and theologian (69), his partner an artist and school administrator (53). There … did I give you enough clues to Wikipedia it to find out just who we are rubbing shoulders with? We moved en suite from our suite to Veranda Café for dinner, and tonight’s offering was an 11-course tasting menu, the likes of which I’ve never seen on a ship before.

Then an after dinner visit to the Club Lounge bar, opposite a very happenin’ casino, and we shared a few final champagne nightcaps there with our dinner companions from last night, J&L. J was already up $1000 at the tables and another wildly celebrating female was up $5000. Seabourn shills?

Tomorrow we’ll talk some more about the demographics and some early impressions of the differences we find between Sea Dream and Seabourn.

wripro · February 20, 2011

Great posts. Please keep them coming.

"Wandering Wino's&quo · February 20, 2011

:cool:My DH and myself will be aboard the Legend for the March 4th cruise so I am so enjoying your wonderfully entertaining blog. Your writing style shows you are someone that is full of joy and enjoys life and all it's adventures. I find myself looking forward each day to reading more about your experiences during your first Seabourn cruise.

Thanks for putting a smile on my face.

Shirley

iramack · February 20, 2011

Obnoxiously pretentious Queen with writing talent and a pen (laptop)...............I LOVE it!! It's true that "It takes one to know one" lol :)

Keep it up, I am fascinated by where all this is going !!!

Steve

DCCruiselover · February 20, 2011

i read your previous blogs on Seadream and Uniworld which I found hilariously funny. You should just remember where you put Rog's belt and all will be ok (in a shoe!). We were on the Legend for 14 days over Christmas and New Year). An absolutely fabulous time. Not one complaint or remark. In the bar Sarah, Marcus and Roland were making sure our glasses were never empty and they had our favorite beverages in stock at all times! In the dining room there are too many wonderful crew members to mention, but Kiras, Androv, Andrew and Justin were just a few who made us feel like royalty. We ate at the Veranda for dinner many nights because why eat inside when the weather was so delightful.

Are you going to Prikley Pear island? If so, go on the first tender and leave on the last. It is magical! You've never seen an entire staff go out of their way to try to make everybody happy! We had a ball!

I look forward to your next blog! Have a wonderful time!

Cruisers1975 · February 21, 2011

Obnoxiously pretentious queen? I beg your pardon! How offensive can you get!! I am not a queen!

As for Prickly Pear Island - yes, it's coming up and we are looking forward to it. So happy you had a great time. So are we!! This is IT for us, I think. Althoug you might think our comparison below is harsh -- you have to know that we had a really rough time on Sea Dream last time, and this is really smoooooth. Lovin' it!

Okay, back to the regularly advertised programming:

February 20, Jost van Dyke

Today was a tendering to Jost van Dyke, but to the Foxy’s Bar, not the Soggy Dollar Bar, beach, and there was no barbecue or even dedicated beach area for Seabourn as there had been last spring with Sea Dream.

So that is an intro to discuss the differences in these two small-ship (yacht-style) luxury lines. Each will have their advantages, and their devotees, but let’s review what appeals to us about each:

But before I do, I have to admit a prejudice. We were just whupped by the Oblivious Team at Ship’s Trivia tonight, and I’m not a happy cruiser about now. And it’s all my fault for failing to count the blanks in a set of dominoes.

As for the size, Seabourn Legend at 200-odd passengers is exactly double Sea Dream’s twin ships at 100 or so. For us, overall, I think, we prefer Sea Dream. It is a more convivial, house party atmosphere. But, it’s still early days.

I had wondered what the break would be. I know, having hosted and attended house parties of 100 or so guests, that one feels comfortable, even slightly obligated, to speak to everyone at some point in the evening. Conversely, attending a reception for 1000 guests, one tends to cling to one’s own group, or seek out only specific individuals in the hall. It’s the same on ships: 100 or so, we all speak to each other, but at 200 or so, it seems we tend to stick to ourselves.

Let’s look at the Staterooms. Here, Seabourn blows Sea Dream out of the water. Sea Dream is nice, but it needs updating. Seabourn’s standard suites are the first we’ve seen at sea the honestly feel like a luxury hotel room in every way. The oversized bathroom, with full sized bathtub and marble surrounds and floors; the walk-in closet with bright lighting; the extra width of the room – you can entertain 10 guests in your room with ample seating (8 defined chairs/sofa/ottoman seats and two on the bed); and the finest finishes and ample lighting all contribute to a very comfortable home. Even better than Crystal. And Silversea, we await our April initiation.

One deficiency: Only one 110-V plug in the room. If you operate a second computer, you’ll want to bring an adapter.

Neither the Sea Dream twins or the Legend have balconies (except for the Legend’s high-end suites), but at least on the Legend we do have a French Balcony, which means we can stand outside, just not sit down for breakfast.

Amenities. Seabourn’s tiny Molton Brown bathroom amenities are reminiscent of a small hotel, with cheap little bottles, not a good impression. This was emphasized by the compensatory offering of a single designer soap to supplement the Molton Brown already in the room. Sea Dream has ever flowing luscious Bulgari in generous bottles and bars.

Gym – Seabourn is better equipped, bigger, for twice the passengers. Otherwise, the same.

Spa – haven’t tried it.

Internet – Splendid on Seabourn, but then it was all right on our first Sea Dream I experience. Maybe the disastrous Internet was an anomaly on SDII. Seabourn charges USD 249 for a full week’s unlimited use package, per computer. Big ticket for some, but we need it, and appreciate it. Less expensive daily packages are available for less intensive users.

Service on Seabourn is spectacular. Completely, totally, sincerely attentive to your every need in dining and bar areas. While room service is slow to respond and slower to deliver, and dining room table meal delivery is also slow, the major issue is the depth of service does not reach the quiet areas of the ship. Service at tables approaches (but doesn’t quite reach) intrusive, it is so attentive. For example, last night’s 11-course dinner required at least 11 interruptions to our conversation – great if you’re dining alone, but less appreciated when you are with friends. But I’ve never had breakfast without at least a dozen offers to fill my coffee. Here’s a suggestion: just fill it. When I stop drinking it, stop asking.

The sunning and swimming area service needs addressing. On Sea Dream it’s an integrated area; the house-party atmosphere and the service levels transition seamlessly from one to the other. On Seabourn Legend, it’s disjointed, isolated, and uncomfortable. I sat for two hours in the only seating area by the tiny pool on the Legend today and was never acknowledged by staff, nor were the two empty glasses there when I arrived moved or replenished. In fact, in that two hours, the only person to even use the pool was Roger for a brief and lonely moment. (Perhaps no one else stays to enjoy this quiet spot because the entire wall behind me vibrated with every passage through the door to the café, and the subsequent slam.)

Furthermore, other than this isolated pair of sofas by the pool, the sunbed equipment is not at all comfortable and looks like they are from a 2-star hotel in the Caribbean. No amount of fluffy towels will bring them up to the quality and comfort of Sea Dream’s beautiful sunbeds, or Azamara’s teak.

And speaking of the WHAM that happens whenever a door closes, you may remember that I was upset on Sea Dream that the magnet that holds the stateroom door open was so strong that it took an Herculean effort to close it? Well, they have appropriately strong magnets on the main door and closet door here. But the bathroom door is wont to WHAM in the night, and through the day for that matter, unless it is cleanly closed. If your neighbor leaves their cabin, and doesn’t completely close their bathroom door, it’s a WHAM every time the boat rocks gently. No solution in mind, except that I do get tired of the WHAMming, as much as I get tired of the CLACKing whenever someone accesses their overhead storage compartment on an airplane. I think these things should be re-engineered to be silent. Really. I do. Okay, so I’m old and a curmudgeon. Live with it.

The Marina (drop down gate at sea level), while fun and equipped with a lot of sports equipment, has a wire cage swimming area. This may be reassuring for some, but takes away the true experience of jumping off the back of a ship with 30,000 feet of water below you. Doesn’t matter to me in the least (you know I don't like water, or sun, or the Caribbean for that matter), but Rog just likes to swim with the sharks, I guess. He likes the thrill of the unpredictable, maybe that’s why he’s so contented with me.

I want to address the general feeling of disorientation as well, perhaps caused by the elegant “grand” staircases that mess with your sense of direction as you spiral around them and are never quite sure where you are facing when you land. Furthermore, this is the first ship I’ve noticed where cabin numbers don’t relate to deck numbers. We are cabin 317 (one of the best positions on the ship, by the way), but it’s on Deck 6. It took me two days to get that in my head. The “main reception” area is but an opening in the wall on the landing of Deck 5 (I think it’s 5, never sure) and has no sense of presence. In fact this landing has no Grand Foyer feeling that most ships celebrate at this point. Even littler Sea Dream has a grander “meeting place” feel about this area, with sofas, magazines, and a bowl of apples.

Apples brings us to food, but before that comes the champagne. The house champagne is Nicholas February 20, Jost van Dyke

Today was a tendering to Jost van Dyke, but to the Foxy’s Bar, not the Soggy Dollar Bar, beach, and there was no barbecue or even dedicated beach area for Seabourn as there had been last spring with Sea Dream.

So that is an intro to discuss the differences in these two small-ship (yacht-style) luxury lines. Each will have their advantages, and their devotees, but let’s review what appeals to us about each:

But before I do, I have to admit a prejudice. We were just whupped by the Oblivious Team at Ship’s Trivia tonight, and I’m not a happy cruiser about now. And it’s all my fault for failing to count the blanks in a set of dominoes.

As for the size, Seabourn Legend at 200-odd passengers is exactly double Sea Dream’s twin ships at 100 or so. For us, overall, I think, we prefer Sea Dream. It is a more convivial, house party atmosphere. But, it’s still early days.

I had wondered what the break would be. I know, having hosted and attended house parties of 100 or so guests, that one feels comfortable, even slightly obligated, to speak to everyone at some point in the evening. Conversely, attending a reception for 1000 guests, one tends to cling to one’s own group, or seek out only specific individuals in the hall. It’s the same on ships: 100 or so, we all speak to each other, but at 200 or so, it seems we tend to stick to ourselves.

Let’s look at the Staterooms. Here, Seabourn blows Sea Dream out of the water. Sea Dream is nice, but it needs updating. Seabourn’s standard suites are the first I’ve seen at sea the honestly feel like a luxury hotel room in every way. The oversized bathroom, with full sized bathtub and marble surrounds and floors; the walk-in closet with bright lighting; the extra width of the room – you can entertain 10 guests in your room with ample seating (8 defined chairs/sofa/ottoman seats and two on the bed); and the finest finishes and ample lighting all contribute to a very comfortable home. Even better than Crystal. And Silversea, we await our April initiation.

One deficiency: Only one 110-V plug in the room. If you operate a second computer, you’ll want to bring an adapter.

Neither the Sea Dream twins or the Legend have balconies (except for the Legend’s high-end suites), but at least on the Legend we do have a French Balcony, which means we can stand outside, just not sit down for breakfast.

Amenities. Seabourn’s tiny Molton Brown bathroom amenities are reminiscent of a small hotel, with cheap little bottles, not a good impression. This was emphasized by the compensatory offering of a single designer soap to supplement the Molton Brown already in the room. Sea Dream has ever flowing luscious Bulgari in generous bottles and bars.

Gym – Seabourn is better equipped, bigger, for twice the passengers. Otherwise, the same.

Spa – haven’t tried it.

Internet – Splendid on Seabourn, but then it was all right on our first Sea Dream I experience. Maybe the disastrous Internet was an anomaly on SDII. Seabourn charges USD 249 for a full week’s unlimited use package, per computer. Big ticket for some, but we need it, and appreciate it. Less expensive daily packages are available for less intensive users.

Service on Seabourn is spectacular. Completely, totally, sincerely attentive to your every need in dining and bar areas. While room service is slow to respond and slower to deliver, and dining room table meal delivery is also slow, the major issue is the depth of service does not reach the quiet areas of the ship. Service at tables approaches (but doesn’t quite reach) intrusive, it is so attentive. For example, last night’s 11-course dinner required at least 11 interruptions to our conversation – great if you’re dining alone, but less appreciated when you are with friends. But I’ve never had breakfast without at least a dozen offers to fill my coffee. Here’s a suggestion: just fill it. When I stop drinking it, stop asking.

The sunning and swimming area service needs addressing. On Sea Dream it’s an integrated area; the house-party atmosphere and the service levels transition seamlessly from one to the other. On Seabourn Legend, it’s disjointed, isolated, and uncomfortable. I sat for two hours in the only seating area by the tiny pool on the Legend today and was never acknowledged by staff, nor were the two empty glasses there when I arrived moved or replenished. In fact, in that two hours, the only person to even use the pool was Roger for a brief and lonely moment. (Perhaps no one else stays to enjoy this quiet spot because the entire wall behind me vibrated with every passage through the door to the café, and the subsequent slam.)

Furthermore, other than this isolated pair of sofas by the pool, the sunbed equipment is not at all comfortable and looks like they are from a 2-star hotel in the Caribbean. No amount of fluffy towels will bring them up to the quality and comfort of Sea Dream’s beautiful sunbeds, or Azamara’s teak.

And speaking of the WHAM that happens whenever a door closes, you may remember that I was upset on Sea Dream that the magnet that holds the stateroom door open was so strong that it took an Herculean effort to close it? Well, they have approprately strengthened magnets on the main door and closet door here. But the bathroom door is wont to WHAM in the night, and through the day for that matter, unless it is cleanly closed. If your neighbor leaves their cabin, and doesn’t completely close their bathroom door, it’s a WHAM every time the boat rocks gently. No solution in mind, except that I do get tired of the WHAMming, as much as I get tired of the CLACKing whenever someone accesses their overhead storage compartment on an airplane. I think these things should be re-engineered to be silent. Really. I do. Okay, so I’m old and a curmudgeon. Live with it.

The Marina (drop down gate at sea level), while fun and equipped with a lot of sports equipment, has a wire cage swimming area. This may be reassuring for some, but takes away the true experience of jumping off the back of a ship with 30,000 feet of water below you. Doesn’t matter to me in the least, but Rog just likes to swim with the sharks, I guess. He likes the thrill of the unpredictable, maybe that’s why he’s so contented with me.

I want to address the general feeling of disorientation as well, perhaps caused by elegant “grand” staircases that mess with your sense of direction as you spiral around them and are never quite sure where you are facing when you land. Furthermore, this first ship I’ve noticed where cabin numbers don’t relate to deck numbers. We are cabin 317 (one of the best positions on the ship, by the way), but it’s on Deck 6. It took me two days to get that in my head. The “main reception” area is but an opening in the wall on the landing of Deck 5 (I think it’s 5, never sure) and has no sense of presence. In fact this landing has no Grand Foyer feeling that most ships have at this point. Even little Sea Dream has a grander “meeting place” feel about this area, with sofas, magazines, and a bowl of apples.