Intrigued to see how we find the Mediterranean onboard Sojourn

[Able Seaman H]

We've done a few cruises around the med and they are Ok but with 4,000 plus other guests it can get a bit hectic. We've also done a lot of the places before and the size of the Royal Caribbean ships limits where you can call into.

 

In the October half term school holiday there is a sneaky little 2 week cruise out of Monte Carlo which visits several places we've not been to before ending up in Athens. It also takes in several destinations we might consider visiting on our own boat in the future. A toe dip in the water as it were !

 

The icing on the cake is an overnight stop in Malta. I love overnight ports, no pressure and you can take in a bit of night time culture.

 

I suspect we will find it very different to the previous South African and Panama cruises.

 

We also have another trip planned around Asia at Christmas. Very nice air miles flights meant it was rude not to :)

 

Henry :)

[Mr Luxury]

Let's face it Henry,you're hooked.

 

The OB price is attractive and the ports I have done before and can recommend them.you also get the Ephesus free trip which is a private evening concert with drinks and canapés.

 

Nothing not to like with this Henry.

 

Hope you are all well.

Edited June 8, 2015 by Mr Luxury

[Able Seaman H]

Cruising is quite formulaic. You know exactly what's going to happen even before you step on board. That could be seen as a bad thing but it's also a good thing. I think we are all creatures of habit to some extent. If you're going to invest your time you want to know it's going to work.

 

For us SB offers just that right blend of luxury, service and humanity. The unknown element are the other guests but so far we've hit lucky. Some great characters. There are the odd people who leave you speechless but welcome to the world :)

 

We are probably slightly unusual in that we juxtapose cruising with quite independent travel and recreational activities.

 

I hadn't realised there would be an evening trip in Ephesus. I now see why the departure is 23.00hrs.

 

Keeping very well thanks. Been on the boat for a while. Gale force F9 at the start of the week, flat calm and roasting sunshine later on. Had a magical night at anchor in Newtown Creek, Isle of Wight, one of my favourite places on the planet.

 

Are you contemplating the Christmas / New Year Singapore - Hong Kong trip?

 

Henry :)

[secoma4]

Just been on the Med on Sojourn (again), including Malta, which is great. We were docked below the Old Town so make sure you either take the elevator to the top and walk the Main Street at night or, if you are energetic, it's a nice steep walk! Gozo is also worth traveling around. Either taxi from the port or the waiting hop-on hop-off bus.

[cwisleman]

Any chance you and Sharon can do Christmas on the Sojourn and send Emily to join us on the Odyssey?

Cliff

[Able Seaman H]

Any chance you and Sharon can do Christmas on the Sojourn and send Emily to join us on the Odyssey?

Cliff

 

I'm not sure that would go down too well. It would save me the internet package though :)

 

I've been told now that she's started the course work for her first significant set of exams internet access is "essential". Can you get a social media filter :)

 

Enjoy FL - LA. Presumably you are staying onboard beyond (and possibly before) the holiday period?

 

We will raise a glass to you. Interested to see Asia from a cruise ship. We travel to Thailand quite a lot and it's a great time of the year from a weather perspective, not as extreme as April when we were last there.

 

You won't get cold around the Equator! I remember our Segway tour of Cartagena was scorching.

 

Henry :)

[Mr Luxury]

Don't think we will be doing Sing to HK the flights are dearer than the cruise!

 

Not sure if this region is good from a ship view,I would think that it must be done on a land trip.

 

I am also finding it hard to get enthused about itineraries as with only three ships in the fleet we have done it all before.

 

The October Med is good value and nice ports,you should do this

Edited June 9, 2015 by Mr Luxury

[Able Seaman H]

For us flights were the catalyst. Less than £400 each for 3 LHR - HKG upper class return flights with Virgin air miles. Finally we got to use some!!!

 

I totally hear what you say about doing Asia by land and you aren't wrong. We've done it a lot. Had 4 days in Bangkok in April so no need to rush up there, instead we will find something to do closer to Laem Chabang. The overnight stop in Ho Chi Minh City will be interesting.

 

A few sea days to unwind. Of course we were spoilt on the South Africa cruise, how can anywhere live up to Maputo or the wonderful Richards Bay coal terminal :)

 

Fairly easy and inexpensive to arrange independent trips in Asia. The weather and scenery should be wonderful that time of year, not too overbearing.

 

Both have been booked now. Really looking forward to the Med in October. Fingers crossed the weather plays ball.

 

Henry :)

[Nigella]

The quote function isn't working for me.

 

Maputo was the highlight of the Christmas cruise :D

Just before we were due to sail Capt Elliot came on the PA and said 'actually the port is closed due to the wind'. At that point I thought we'd be stuck there until next Christmas!

Little Sojourn, she was going like the clappers to get us out from that dock, and I gave a loud cheer as we departed.

 

That said, the view at Richards Bay was just stunning. Never to be seen again. We hope.

[Nigella]

And to get back on topic.

We'll be on Sojourn in the Med in September, first time in that area for us on SB although we know most of the ports very well from a land perspective.

[Mr Luxury]

Thank you for bringing back memories of the streets of Maputo awash with sewage.

I don't know about the rest of you guys but I thought that the South Africa cruise was another example of a country best seen from a land based trip and that is why I will not be going on the Sing to HK holiday cruise.

 

The Med is a perfect place to get around on a ship.

[Nigella]

Thank you for bringing back memories of the streets of Maputo awash with sewage.

I don't know about the rest of you guys but I thought that the South Africa cruise was another example of a country best seen from a land based trip and that is why I will not be going on the Sing to HK holiday cruise.

 

The Med is a perfect place to get around on a ship.

 

Definitely agree that SA is a country best seen from land, thankfully everything on the ship was wonderful, otherwise it could have been a terrible holiday. Especially as my husband was working (more likely living it up) in bloody China at the time!

[frantic36]

I am sorry you all didn't enjoy parts of South Africa........I know the weather wasn't too great in some ports so no lazing around the pool:).

 

Just a different perspective so people aren't scared off from doing South Africa :p.

 

My DH and I really enjoyed these same ports on the cruise following, but we had great weather in South Africa. We organised private excursions and got out of the port area and into the countryside. We met some wonderful people and heard their stories.

 

In Richard's Bay we were lucky enough to have an overnight so we did an overnight at Thanda Game reserve. We got to see lots of animals including two Cheetahs. We were also lucky enough to see a herd of ~ 20 elephants playing in a waterhole. If I was clever I could post our video which included watching two young ones playing with each other just like our children in the pool. We also saw two rhinos in the hiding in the background under a tree. When the male elephant walked past and saw them he stood staring them down for a while with his front legs crossed. You could almost see the rhinos cowering. Then he just wandered off as he had made his point :).

 

In Maputo we also had a private guide he took us to see the Iron House designed by Eiffel for the governor of the time but it was never lived in because it was too hot. We drove around the city and the outer limits and were amazed at how pretty some of the streets were lined with flame trees and lovely old houses. Yes there is poverty and beggars but we also saw beauty.

 

We also went to Parques de Conquistadores which is a large park area with many wonderful craft and art work from local artists. You do need some local money or South African Rand for here. We didn't meet anyone else from Seabourn here but we did meet quite a few from Oceania who also enjoyed the artists work. I have recently hung up the lovely Batik style art I purchased there and had framed here. It is Batik style because they use wax to get the different colour layers but it is actually a scene of village life with human figures as well.

 

This is just my perspective. YMMV.

 

Julie

 

 

By the way Henry we did Hong Kong to Singapore as our first Seabourn cruise in 2010 and that is when we got hooked. There is definitely some parts that are better seen on a land trip but we got to have some wonderful experiences. Kayaking in Halong Bay. Going to the Railway market south of Bangkok and having a lunch on a stilt house off shore in the fishing village, this was on the same tour. Things may have changed in five years but any questions feel free to ask.

Edited June 9, 2015 by frantic36

[Able Seaman H]

We enjoyed the South Afrian cruise. The week prior to boarding we drove 1,200kms or so around the Cape Town area out to Oudtshoorn.

 

In Port Elizabeth we hired a car which we parked right next to the ship and drove out to the Addo Elephant park. We had been driving round the park for a long time and had seen everything but elephants. Towards the end of the day we came across a massive herd, some of which were by a watering hole just yards away from us.

 

The fact is was the holiday period mean some places were heaving, in particular Durban. Maputo was somewhere I didn't feel comfortable having the girls wandering around and a few of the places we docked were industrial to say the least.

 

A few days in the Zebula game reserve allowed us to meet up with animals not seen during the rest of our trip and took the pressure off earing into our cruise with an over night stay away from the ship.

 

We had a great time.

 

The videos:

 

FOli5iSMdEE

 

PZp3UKFLOJQ

 

Henry :)

[frantic36]

Thank you Henry for the lovely memories. :)

 

I know your family did some great exploring. I can understand walking around Maputo alone being confronting. We were lucky having a lovely young man George who was in his final (4th) year of accountancy of University. He helped us to enjoy our time there.

 

We haven't done a Christmas cruise yet, our first one will be the pre-inaugaral cruise on Encore. Your video has certainly helped make us look forward to it even more.

 

Julie

[SKP946]

Thank-you Henry for the wonderful video's, it was great to at last "meet" Emily of the eloquent prose. :)

This time last year we were on the Sojourn in the Med doing 3x10 day back to back from Athens to Monte Carlo to Barcelona then back to Athens. 27 ports in 30 days, it was a most enjoyable cruise, we didn't go to Malta unfortunately, maybe another time.

Enjoy the Med and also Asia at Christmas.

Steven

[Emperor Norton]

We've done a few cruises around the med and they are Ok but with 4,000 plus other guests it can get a bit hectic. We've also done a lot of the places before and the size of the Royal Caribbean ships limits where you can call into.

 

In the October half term school holiday there is a sneaky little 2 week cruise out of Monte Carlo which visits several places we've not been to before ending up in Athens. It also takes in several destinations we might consider visiting on our own boat in the future. A toe dip in the water as it were !

 

The icing on the cake is an overnight stop in Malta. I love overnight ports, no pressure and you can take in a bit of night time culture.

 

I suspect we will find it very different to the previous South African and Panama cruises.

 

We also have another trip planned around Asia at Christmas. Very nice air miles flights meant it was rude not to :)

 

Henry :)

 

The one thing I'd be concerned with is that as in say the Caribbean while you might be touring in a quaint little port from a small SB ship that port becomes a lot less quaint when half a dozen 4k+ ocean going locust farms decide to stop and disembark their swarms.