Venture - Svalbard, Greenland, Iceland - Aug 7-21 As live as we can be!

[jsea]

The onboard future cruise consultant on Venture told us that Pursuit itineraries would be released mid-September (I believe the 15th) and she would be launched in October of 2023 (I could be off on that launch date but to the best of my recollection that’s what the consultant said).

[highplanesdrifters]

24 minutes ago, jsea said:

The onboard future cruise consultant on Venture told us that Pursuit itineraries would be released mid-September (I believe the 15th) and she would be launched in October of 2023 (I could be off on that launch date but to the best of my recollection that’s what the consultant said).

We got the same info.....with a wink.  

I suspect after the constant supply/chain Covid construction delays with Venture Seabourn are being cautious about any official announcement or firm cruise commitments.

 

We believe that Robin West and a bevy of big wigs will be on the next leg with a media promotion contingent.

 

Not aware of any impending financial doom. For in depth analysis, Terry runs a great thread about curise company Financials over on the Silversea boards.

[highplanesdrifters]

@jsea

And anyone else on this trip.

I've been a bit of a Cheerleader for the Venture. Wondering how others felt about the trip.  Care to chime in?

 

[rallydave]

There is a possibility I will be cruising solo on Venture and did not see in the Herald as Social hostes listed or holding get togethers for singles.  Appreciate any information on that as on all the other hips the singles do have get togethers and usually a cocktail hour before those interested having dinner together.

 

Thanks,

 

 

 

[highplanesdrifters]

Reykjavik 

It's that time.☹️

 

Going to give Blue Lagoon Retreat a try.

 

 

[highplanesdrifters]

8 minutes ago, rallydave said:

There is a possibility I will be cruising solo on Venture and did not see in the Herald as Social hostes listed or holding get togethers for singles.  Appreciate any information on that as on all the other hips the singles do have get togethers and usually a cocktail hour before those interested having dinner together.

 

Thanks,

 

 

 

You can always request a singles get together. And they are now allowing hosted tables. We mingled with a few singles, always fun.

[Folkfan13]

Oops, another question.    We went to order our free parkas and are on the edge of a size.    The website has you measuring your chest.    When we put on the jacket, we will probably have a base layer, and a mid-layer.     Does the jacket account for this?   How roomy was the parka?

[highplanesdrifters]

8 hours ago, Folkfan13 said:

Oops, another question.    We went to order our free parkas and are on the edge of a size.    The website has you measuring your chest.    When we put on the jacket, we will probably have a base layer, and a mid-layer.     Does the jacket account for this?   How roomy was the parka?

No worries, ask away. I've  been the question asker so many times and have always found CCers so helpful.

 

Parkas are roomy. And there is a parka exchange in case it doesn't fit to your liking.

[Missabby]

So one quick question. Are the kayak and zodiacs paid excursions on the Venture? They were on the Quest down in the Antarctic but the Quest is not an expedition ship. Thanks. 

[rallydave]

Zodiacs on our last quest Antarctic cruise were included and in venture they are included as well. In both venture and quest jatacs are extra cost. 

[Hlitner]

28 minutes ago, Missabby said:

So one quick question. Are the kayak and zodiacs paid excursions on the Venture? They were on the Quest down in the Antarctic but the Quest is not an expedition ship. Thanks. 

I looked at our upcoming Antarctic cruise (on the Venture) and Zodiacs are included.  However, if you want to take out a Kayak you will pay $199.00 per person ($179.10 if you qualify for a 10% discount) for a 2 hour slot.  As we previously posted, a single submarine ride (which is said to last about 40 min) will set you back $999.00 per person and is not eligible for the 10% discount.

 

Hank

[PACruiser5]

Thanks for all your excellent reporting! We are onboard now, boarded Aug 21 along with a contingent of Seabourn top brass including the big boss Josh Leibovitz. So far really enjoying the ship and the overall experience! 

[highplanesdrifters]

10 hours ago, PACruiser5 said:

Thanks for all your excellent reporting! We are onboard now, boarded Aug 21 along with a contingent of Seabourn top brass including the big boss Josh Leibovitz. So far really enjoying the ship and the overall experience! 

Can't wait to read about your trip.

We are chilling at the Blue Lagoon Retreat and will try and do a recap.

 

Fair winds!

[galeforce9]

9 hours ago, highplanesdrifters said:

Can't wait to read about your trip.

We are chilling at the Blue Lagoon Retreat and will try and do a recap.

 

Fair winds!

How are you finding that?  I looked at staying there too

[highplanesdrifters]

1 hour ago, galeforce9 said:

How are you finding that?  I looked at staying there too

We are in heaven! Perfect end to a power packed trip. Hiking through the lava fields capped off by a long soak and Champagne.  Ahhh.  Sleept 11 hours.  Make sure you book The Retreat. Far away from the maddening crowds. Pricy but worth it. Quiet, sleek, and a bit dark.

Tips:  We got a Lava view.suite second story, ask for North view in case there are Auroras. There is a viewing terrace also. Do not forgot your complimentary drink. You order through a window from the pool. We got Giant glasses of Heidesick!  Explore all the nooks and crannies towards the back for ledges to hang out on. We didnt try the complimentary SPA ritual and opted for a bob around and second glass of bubbles. We never ate at Lava! A bit busy with the BUS people. Moss was closed (Monday/Tuesday) when we were here. But, The Spa restaurant was delish. Breakfast buffet also has an order menu. Sometimes you need to ask. Complimentary coffee, wine, and drinks in the room.

[highplanesdrifters]

Room view

 

Stunning Architecture, reminds me of Àmangiri...without all the concrete.😄

 

 

 

Hiking in Lava Fields 

 

 

 

 

 

[galeforce9]

10 hours ago, highplanesdrifters said:

We are in heaven! Perfect end to a power packed trip. Hiking through the lava fields capped off by a long soak and Champagne.  Ahhh.  Sleept 11 hours.  Make sure you book The Retreat. Far away from the maddening crowds. Pricy but worth it. Quiet, sleek, and a bit dark.

Tips:  We got a Lava view.suite second story, ask for North view in case there are Auroras. There is a viewing terrace also. Do not forgot your complimentary drink. You order through a window from the pool. We got Giant glasses of Heidesick!  Explore all the nooks and crannies towards the back for ledges to hang out on. We didnt try the complimentary SPA ritual and opted for a bob around and second glass of bubbles. We never ate at Lava! A bit busy with the BUS people. Moss was closed (Monday/Tuesday) when we were here. But, The Spa restaurant was delish. Breakfast buffet also has an order menu. Sometimes you need to ask. Complimentary coffee, wine, and drinks in the room.

Yes it was the Retreat we had booked as part of another trip to Iceland but Covid got in the way! Also dinner at Moss, which looked good. The refund was very swift, on the plus side. 

[highplanesdrifters]

2 hours ago, galeforce9 said:

Yes it was the Retreat we had booked as part of another trip to Iceland but Covid got in the way! Also dinner at Moss, which looked good. The refund was very swift, on the plus side. 

Hopefully you'll make it back!  Dang Covid.

 

Moss was closed when we were there. Next time.😉

[Crescent0]

Incredible post and photos! Thank you so much for sharing. Do they still offer this trip? I couldn't find it on their site. 

[highplanesdrifters]

4 hours ago, Crescent0 said:

Incredible post and photos! Thank you so much for sharing. Do they still offer this trip? I couldn't find it on their site. 

I didn't see the trip either. I remember hearing something about Venture not doing Svalbard because of difficulty getting permits and more restrictions in the area. Nothing verified or firsthand. Shame to miss the pack ice and polar bears, but for me the trip to Scoresbysund was a major highlight. Take a look at the trip which includes Scoresbysund, King Oscar, and Skoldungen.  You will be blown away.

[Crescent0]

Many thanks. I will take a look.

[highplanesdrifters]

Let the recap begin

FOOD and BEVERAGE 

MDR

4 Aft

Dinner

Lovely design and elegant feel. I did not think the ceilings were too low.

We thought the food was standard Seabourn fare. Always tasty and well presented. Nothing terribly exciting. Chef did an Indian night for our table of 6 which was really yummy. Lamb, chicken, beef curries along with rice, naan, papodoms, chutney, and riata. Quite delicious and we were all thrilled. We asked if another Indian night would be possible with more veges. They had just lifted table hosting restrictions and also asked if we could invite 2 of the expedition staff who love Indian food. No problem.  Well, perhaps we asked to much. Second time Chef phoned it in.  We missed the TK nights where food seemed to be ramped up a bit. Service was always good with a few minor slow spots.  Wines on offer also quite good.

Breakfast - Excellent. My kryptonite is Eggs Benedict and they delivered. Their Sewdish pancakes also spot on.  They have a small buffet area with fruit, pastries etc. Nice option.

Shout out to Igor and Alex, great jobs.

 

Colonnade

5 Aft

The one and only EDDIE is there.

Seems like a larger buffet area, but not enough indoor seating for polar trips. Often too tight at lunch. 

Dinner

The TK nights were replaced with Earth and Ocean offerings. These were often quite good. I still missed the TK fried chicken,  Ribs, and Seafood boil. Very disappointed. Other nights often had a theme, Chinese, Thai, Indian, etc. Which were pretty good once you got some sambal to help.

Lunch

Again, classic Seabourn fare. Usual burger, hot dog, and featured entree to order, all good. Large Buffet.  Salad bar quite good. Pizza was extremely disappointing, stab in my heart as it is my other kryptonite. Lunch also had a theme and the offerings were varried and pretty good. Lots of vege options. Soup was the highlight, and the best food on the ship. Wished it was a dinner option. Service was also good with a few minor misses at peak time.

Breakfast- sorry, no report, it was either room service or MDR for us.

 

Room Service

Usually a light breakfast every day. Always fast and excellent. Thanks you Igor for your speedy service.

 

The Patio

5 Aft

It seems to be an extension of The Colonade. Not sure how it will play out in warmer climates. There were two iceberg parties out there that were stunning and fabulous. More under cover area, smart. 

 

Seabourn Square

6 Aft

Everything you know and love is there, including Grandma cake. Nice outdoor seating.

 

The Pantry

6 Bow

A really nice addition in the Bow lounge on 6. Coffee, tea, non alcoholic drinks, consomme, goulash, and varried lite bites. The lite bites were often wraps, little sandwiches, and salads.  Very tasty.  Perfect for those days you want to skip a big lunch or if the wildlife viewing is too good to leave. 

 

Sushi at the Club

9 Aft

We liked this concept. A very nice lighter dinner option which opened at 6pm. We thought the sushi was good, fresh, and well presented. Service also very good. More saki options would be nice. Some folks would meet for drinks and apps here. It was quiet at the beginning of the trip but word spread rapidly.  Seating is a bit tight, and it has the only uncomfortable chairs on the ship. Not good for large groups. 

 

The Sky Bar

9 Aft

Great Hidey Hole potential

 

The Constellation Lounge

9 Bow

They really did a great job on design. Seems like more room than sister ships. Large wrap around windows and deck with direct access to the entire top deck. Great access for running all around when watching wild life. 

Tea - just lovely. 

Drinks - Now we're talking. Excellent service and cocktails. Shout out to Leroy and Alesandro. Apps -  tapas was not really tapas but still fine offerings.

 

Expedition  Lounge

4 Mid ship

Beautiful lounge space with bar and fireplaces next to the Discovery Center. Nice place to grab a drink before briefings or lectures. Martin is often at the helm delivering perfect libations. 

 

Discovery Center

4 Mid ship 

Very comfortable seating with a drinks ledge or table for drinks. Wait staff often available before lectures and briefings to bring you a refreshing beverage. 

 

Notes

One of our friends has celiac. As in the past, Seabourn has done a great job for her. This trip, little touches like GF cookies at an onshore offering, always GF breadsticks, and GF scones at tea. Staff always working hard to make sure her dishes were GF. 

Well done Seabourn!

 

The food was always good to very good with an occasional excellent.  In the last year we were on Silversea Muse and found the food very disappointing.  SIlversea Cloud delivered the best cruise food we have ever had, thanks Chef Pia. Seabourn Venture did a fine job but there is room for improvement. Cruise ship food is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you're going to get. But it's still chocolate and some else is cooking it and doing the dishes.  😁

 

 

 

[SLSD]

5 hours ago, highplanesdrifters said:

 

 

The food was always good to very good with an occasional excellent.  In the last year we were on Silversea Muse and found the food very disappointing.  SIlversea Cloud delivered the best cruise food we have ever had, thanks Chef Pia. Seabourn Venture did a fine job but there is room for improvement. Cruise ship food is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you're going to get. But it's still chocolate and some else is cooking it and doing the dishes.  😁

 

 

 

Thank you for this recap---very informative and fair.  

[rkacruiser]

5 hours ago, highplanesdrifters said:

Cruise ship food is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you're going to get. But it's still chocolate and some else is cooking it and doing the dishes.  😁

 

Isn't that the truth!  Thanks for an excellent review of the dining and for your efforts in making the postings.  It is appreciated!  

[highplanesdrifters]

Pre and Post Cruise

OSLO

First timers and just loved the city. Very walkable with lots if interesting museums and great restaurants. Good Hop on bus. Get the Oslo Pass.

 

Grand Hotel - 4* in the beginning, but quickly slipped to 1*. Raucous roof top band till 3:30am every night starting on Thursday. Drunks in hallway and lots of street noise. On my NA list. Interesting that we also had the same problem with Grand Hotel in Stockholm. Positives- Breakfast, room and staff were awesome.

 

FOOD

Lofoton - Fabulous Fish on the warf.

Grand Cafe, historic Cafe in the hotel. Conveniently delicious!

Uchi - Great Asian find.

 

REYKJAVIK 

 A bit of a fun foodie town, YAY!  Very walkable with some interesting attractions.  Getting slightly more like some Alaska towns catering to the giant cruise ships in terms of Disney type attractions. There are still plenty of tacky tourist shops. On a positive note we did feel that there were less and replaced with higher end stores since our last visit in 2019. Reykjavik has a long was to go before it reaches theme park status.  We finally did the Phallological Museum. Well....even though it was a very scientific presentation it creeped me out. Our friends did spend a bit more time and enjoyed it.

 

Center Hotel Arnarhvoll

Great location, views and delightful rooftop bar. Sadly rooms were closet tiny and tired. Tough transition from Seabourn. Doable for one night. We prefer Pearl Apartments, but they were booked a year in advance. The day after we left at least 2 ships coming into port with 2,000 and 4,000 passengers.  Our driver told us they expect a 30 % increase each year. Oh my.

 

Food

Great Asain options. 

Kara Thai is a fave but it was closed.on Sunday.

Ramen Momo, yummy - next to Pearl. Lots of these litte hole in the wall places. Don't be afraid.

Vietnam Reataurant- New to us and lucky find. Extensive menu. 

Grillmarken- High end famous place. Our second time doing the tasting and wine paring. Really delicious and fab wines. Just way too much food. By course 4 I was over the limit. 😀

 

Grazie Trattoria

Heavenly Pizza!!! Chared puffy yeasty crust. Quality toppings. Yes please. Seabourn take note!

 

The Retreat at Blue Lagoon

Grindavik, Iceland

Twenty minutes from Reykjavik, and twenty minutes from KEF.

This place is Heaven on Earth. See my earlier post. We will return to Iceland just to hang out here.