Seabourn Sojourn 5229A Rome-Rome June 26-July 10-Live

[texanaust]

 

Day 10-La Ciotat, France

 

Apparently our port was changed at the last minute. The Captain mentioned the reason on the tannoy, but it was unintelligible from where we were standing. La Ciotat seems like a nice place, but we’re staying onboard today, trying to zig when everybody else zags. 

 

The cruise has changed dramatically from the first week. Last night we had a terrible dinner at the Restaurant. The staff literally could not cope and it took an hour to receive our first course of caviar (and this was with us arriving when the restaurant opened). No bread was ever offered and we had to flag the sommelier down to get some wine. We did not attend the Restaurant the night before, but according to the Asst. Maitre’d it was ‘Armageddon’ at 8:30pm and our waiter confirmed that it was similar to the Spartan movie ‘300.’ I do not know what the problem is, but it appears Covid is partly responsible along with a very green crew that cannot handle a full ship. Maybe Josh and his entourage are taking up staff too, who knows. It certainly was not 6-star service and hopefully this is not the new normal when the ship is full. 

 

Tonight is the Premiere of the new Tim Rice show which we hope to attend assuming we can get seats. We plan to give the Restaurant a miss as it is formal night (normally our favorite night). If they cannot cope currently, I can only imagine how bad it will be tonight. We will try to squeeze into TK again or go somewhere else.

 

[Smokeybloke2]

1 hour ago, texanaust said:

 

Day 10-La Ciotat, France

 

Apparently our port was changed at the last minute. The Captain mentioned the reason on the tannoy, but it was unintelligible from where we were standing. La Ciotat seems like a nice place, but we’re staying onboard today, trying to zig when everybody else zags. 

 

The cruise has changed dramatically from the first week. Last night we had a terrible dinner at the Restaurant. The staff literally could not cope and it took an hour to receive our first course of caviar (and this was with us arriving when the restaurant opened). No bread was ever offered and we had to flag the sommelier down to get some wine. We did not attend the Restaurant the night before, but according to the Asst. Maitre’d it was ‘Armageddon’ at 8:30pm and our waiter confirmed that it was similar to the Spartan movie ‘300.’ I do not know what the problem is, but it appears Covid is partly responsible along with a very green crew that cannot handle a full ship. Maybe Josh and his entourage are taking up staff too, who knows. It certainly was not 6-star service and hopefully this is not the new normal when the ship is full. 

 

Tonight is the Premiere of the new Tim Rice show which we hope to attend assuming we can get seats. We plan to give the Restaurant a miss as it is formal night (normally our favorite night). If they cannot cope currently, I can only imagine how bad it will be tonight. We will try to squeeze into TK again or go somewhere else.

 

 

[Saffron05]

I am also on board right now (Tues 5 July).   I think your experience on a ship that was half full is very different to ours now that the ship is full.  We are Diamond members so have vast experience of how 6 star service SHOULD BE.  We too were in The Restaurant last night and it was kept waiting 40 minutes before they even took our order.  I could go on …. I went out of my way to find the Maitre D and complained.  Poor man must be suicidal right now 😊😊

The Club is not fully staffed and we resorted to asking one of the officers for a drink!  On the plus side, the food is still very good and so are the suite attendants.

Like you, I hope this is not the new normal because Regent and Silverseas appeal right now.

[Smokeybloke2]

Unfortunately I agree with texanaust.   Our party of four experienced exactly the same poor service in the MDR yesterday evening.   The word ‘shambles’ is a polite description and one only hopes that the verbal feedback provided is taken by management seriously.   The Sojourn staff are very friendly but some servers may lack experience whilst under pressure.   I gather there is a senior executive currently on board - please do what you can to lift service standards!

[travel4b]

How does service go from excellent to disastrous overnight?  Are they suddenly short-staffed?  Are a lot of the re-launch veteran crew members that have been on since Athens on 6/6 still there? 

[texanaust]

18 minutes ago, travel4b said:

How does service go from excellent to disastrous overnight?  Are they suddenly short-staffed?  Are a lot of the re-launch veteran crew members that have been on since Athens on 6/6 still there? 

The relaunch crew are still here.  The difference is that the ship’s passenger complement doubled overnight (embarked in Barcelona).
 

According to management there are a few crew (not many) missing due to visa delays, no (or very little) Covid onboard, but some crew are not up to speed yet.  The FB director said that was not an excuse and that the passengers deserved better for the price we have all paid.  So the management are definitely aware that they have a problem, and have implemented a plan to deal with it.  

[Mr Luxury]

4 hours ago, Saffron05 said:

 😊😊

 

Like you, I hope this is not the new normal because Regent and Silverseas appeal right now.

I think the Titanic appeals right now

[marazul]

6 hours ago, texanaust said:

The relaunch crew are still here.  The difference is that the ship’s passenger complement doubled overnight (embarked in Barcelona).
 

According to management there are a few crew (not many) missing due to visa delays, no (or very little) Covid onboard, but some crew are not up to speed yet.  The FB director said that was not an excuse and that the passengers deserved better for the price we have all paid.  So the management are definitely aware that they have a problem, and have implemented a plan to deal with it.  

The same thing happened on Ovation last month when the passengers doubled the second week. 

 

I do hope Josh is on board!

[cruiseej]

2 hours ago, marazul said:

I do hope Josh is on board!

 

And that he might be serving you dinner tonight in the Restaurant to help out! 😉

[MJN1]

17 hours ago, Mr Luxury said:

I think the Titanic appeals right now

Or maybe the Norwegian Sun?

 

[kjbacon]

Thank you very much for these great pictures and helpful information. We are a couple weeks away from our first SB experience. The pictures of the patio grill menu were especially helpful, thx so much! It looks so appealing and we love to dine al fresco. What time is breakfast served?

[saminina]

From 5 AM

[Saffron05]

On 7/5/2022 at 2:36 PM, Saffron05 said:

I am also on board right now (Tues 5 July).   I think your experience on a ship that was half full is very different to ours now that the ship is full.  We are Diamond members so have vast experience of how 6 star service SHOULD BE.  We too were in The Restaurant last night and it was kept waiting 40 minutes before they even took our order.  I could go on …. I went out of my way to find the Maitre D and complained.  Poor man must be suicidal right now 😊😊

The Club is not fully staffed and we resorted to asking one of the officers for a drink!  On the plus side, the food is still very good and so are the suite attendants.

Like you, I hope this is not the new normal because Regent and Silverseas appeal right now.

No complaints about last night’s Lobster and Chateaubriand dinner or the berries at breakfast!

 

[travel4b]

2 hours ago, saminina said:

From 5 AM

Maybe from room service but the outdoor patio doesn’t open until 8am (Colonnade usually at 7:30.). 

[texanaust]

Day 11-Monte Carlo, Monaco

 

Well, what a day and hot too! After walking over 13km, we managed to see all the main attractions from the Roseraie Princess Grace gardens across to the Japanese Gardens. However, after all that, we couldn’t find the entrance to the casino! Oh well, we’re not big gamblers. Now I think I mentioned in a previous post the yachts I saw in Majorca…well they pale in comparison to what is on offer here in Monte Carlo. If you own a 100 footer in Monaco, then you’re poor. Some of the bigger ones rival Sojourn in size and there are many here today of that caliber. 

 

Sojourn in fact had to reverse into the harbor this morning and only just squeezed in. It was quite a tricky maneuver that needed all the bow and stern thrusters that the ship has to avoid the huge mega yacht parked right next to us. Unsurprisingly, almost everyone including a lot of the crew managed some time ashore at this port. 

 

I am happy to report that we did go to the Restaurant again last night and the food and service were much improved. I hope everyone else onboard had the same experience. It was all hands on deck and everyone was working including the Hotel Director, FB Director, Bar Manager-literally everyone except the CEO. We also went to the new Tim Rice show-Circle of my Life. It was good, but honestly I think I’m over all these songs. Seabourn had singers doing ‘Don’t Cry for me Argentina’ on our first cruise back in late 2001, not to mention other lines doing this song incessantly ever since. Tonight will be another Let’s Dance party on the outdoor decks which should be enjoyable for everyone considering our departure is not until 11pm.

(Last photo was taken in the dining room.  Several dolphins joined us for dinner.)

 

 

 

[Mr Luxury]

Love the vegan dishes and the poseidon adventure photos 😉

[Bruce4fun]

1 hour ago, texanaust said:

Day 11-Monte Carlo, Monaco

 

Well, what a day and hot too! After walking over 13km, we managed to see all the main attractions from the Roseraie Princess Grace gardens across to the Japanese Gardens. However, after all that, we couldn’t find the entrance to the casino! Oh well, we’re not big gamblers. Now I think I mentioned in a previous post the yachts I saw in Majorca…well they pale in comparison to what is on offer here in Monte Carlo. If you own a 100 footer in Monaco, then you’re poor. Some of the bigger ones rival Sojourn in size and there are many here today of that caliber. 

 

Sojourn in fact had to reverse into the harbor this morning and only just squeezed in. It was quite a tricky maneuver that needed all the bow and stern thrusters that the ship has to avoid the huge mega yacht parked right next to us. Unsurprisingly, almost everyone including a lot of the crew managed some time ashore at this port. 

 

I am happy to report that we did go to the Restaurant again last night and the food and service were much improved. I hope everyone else onboard had the same experience. It was all hands on deck and everyone was working including the Hotel Director, FB Director, Bar Manager-literally everyone except the CEO. We also went to the new Tim Rice show-Circle of my Life. It was good, but honestly I think I’m over all these songs. Seabourn had singers doing ‘Don’t Cry for me Argentina’ on our first cruise back in late 2001, not to mention other lines doing this song incessantly ever since. Tonight will be another Let’s Dance party on the outdoor decks which should be enjoyable for everyone considering our departure is not until 11pm.

(Last photo was taken in the dining room.  Several dolphins joined us for dinner.)

 

 

 

I wish they would ban "Memories" and "Don't cry for me Argentina" forever. Enough already. 

Nice reports and photos!

 

[texanaust]

48 minutes ago, Mr Luxury said:

Love the vegan dishes and the poseidon adventure photos 😉

Yes, if CC didn’t force me to use an iPhone (and I wasn’t using a dodgy Italian SIM card), we wouldn’t have the extra 4-5 photos.  Oh well, and yes we are definitely vegan.😂

[Isklaar]

texanaust, do you know if Kristoff is maitre d' in the Colonnade? 

[texanaust]

 

 

Day 12- Saint Tropez, France

 

If you are looking for the lifestyles of the rich and famous, then look no further. Sojourn arrived at 8am and joined flotilla of gleaming mega-yachts unable to get a berth in the small harbour. I went ashore early to avoid the crowds and was pleasantly surprised to stroll through a pastel coloured village just waking up for the day. The crystal clear waters of the Med beckoned me and I took a refreshing swim, not far from all the expensive boutiques and sidewalk cafes. The narrow streets were very photogenic and my holiday snap (above) almost felt like it came out of a french fashion magazine. After a lovely morning, I decided to return to the ship avoiding the worst of the crowds and heat.

 

Last night we had another of the Let’s Dance party on deck. I wish that I had brought my camera as Monte Carlo at night made for an amazing backdrop to the dancing and music. For the first time ever, Seabourn played some seriously modern music! Van Halen, Lady Gaga, and Keisha were among the songs sung!!!! They even did Despacito for the Spanish/LatAm crowd! Wow, they are finally moving the music into the 21st century! According to CD-Matt, they had planned to modernize the music for this event and even Josh was part of the process in selecting the songs. Matt said it was the future and I concur! Everyone out on deck seemed to enjoy the music, so well done to Seabourn for stepping it up a notch!

 

We did not have a marina day today and I can see why. There are boats all over the place going in every direction imaginable-no way would the safety officer approve! But, according to the HD, on the last day in Portovenere, they will be doing water sports weather permitting. Tonight is another caviar sail away followed by a violin virtuoso at 9:45pm. 
 

 

 

 

 

 

[highplanesdrifters]

Thanks again! Loving the reports and pics.

[Catlover54]

Am enjoying your blog and especially the photos.

The girl in the mini-skirt could just as easily be from the late 60's.

[Mr Luxury]

9 minutes ago, Catlover54 said:

Am enjoying your blog and especially the photos.

The girl in the mini-skirt could just as easily be from the late 60's.

Or a local school 😉

[cruiseej]

6 hours ago, texanaust said:

For the first time ever, Seabourn played some seriously modern music!

 

@texanaust We've found that both the trio and the band, when they play in the Club, will often take requests, and can play a wide range of music. It obviously depends on the specific musicians aboard, but we've found them receptive to requests, especially if it's not crowded after the evening show. If Van Halen qualifies as "seriously modern", then you'll likely find they can play some combination of Springsteen, Billy Joel, Elton John, CCR, Sting, Mellencamp, Madonna, Jackson Brown, James Taylor, Fleetwood Mac, Clapton, Lady A, and even really modern stuff like Billie Eilish, Taylor Swift, Ed Sheeran, and more. And they'll be happier playing requests or newer stuff, too. 😉

[texanaust]

1 hour ago, cruiseej said:

Van Halen qualifies as "seriously modern"

Ok, I admit Van Halen is no longer seriously modern, but I’ve been trying to get SB to play this stuff for 21 years.  It was at least somewhat modern back in 2001!😉

 

In regards to the Trio…On the Sojourn, they cannot play anything modern.  If it is modern (like a U2 song the other night),  then they tone it down so much it becomes elevator music.

Edited July 7, 2022 by texanaust
..