“the Big One”! World Cruise on Sojourn

[florisdekort]

We won’t be landing, it was marketed as “cruising only”, although I understand they’ve now invited locals to come on board Sojourn. 
 

[shark b8]

 Our guide said that a substantial number of the horses and cattle on the island are wild - we frequently had to slow down when we’d come upon several, as they were in no particular hurry to vacate the roadway.

 

[shark b8]

 

 

[shark b8]

[SLSD]

48 minutes ago, shark b8 said:

These are fabulous photo.   I remember reading some months ago that there was an unfortunate fire on Easter Island and some of the statues were burned and terribly degraded.  Did your guides talk about this?  Did you see the burned statues?

[skybluewaters]

7 hours ago, highplanesdrifters said:

Very jealous!

 

That's what social media is all about!

[shark b8]

7 hours ago, SLSD said:

 I remember reading some months ago that there was an unfortunate fire on Easter Island and some of the statues were burned and terribly degraded.  Did your guides talk about this? 

 

Our guide the first of the two days mentioned it, and I intended to pursue it further, get more details, but….somehow I didn’t follow up.  We didn’t see anything that had obvious signs of recent degradation i don’t think, and I don’t know if they successfully restored many of them somehow.  Not much of an answer I’m afraid - sorry I can’t provide more detail.

[SLSD]

28 minutes ago, shark b8 said:

 

Our guide the first of the two days mentioned it, and I intended to pursue it further, get more details, but….somehow I didn’t follow up.  We didn’t see anything that had obvious signs of recent degradation i don’t think, and I don’t know if they successfully restored many of them somehow.  Not much of an answer I’m afraid - sorry I can’t provide more detail.

Evidently, the fire was in  October of 2022 and some of the statues were singed.  While some knew who started the fire, no one wanted to testify for cultural reasons.  Perhaps your guide didn't really want to talk about it either.  

 

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/arts/easter-island-rebounds-after-wildfire-singes-iconic-statues#:~:text=The fire covered 254 hectares,a complaint against fellow Rapanui.

 

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/fire-does-irreversible-damage-to-sacred-easter-island-statues-180980922/

 

 

Edited January 30, 2023 by SLSD

[shark b8]

2 hours ago, SLSD said:

Evidently, the fire was in  October of 2022 and some of the statues were singed.  While some knew who started the fire, no one wanted to testify for cultural reasons.  Perhaps your guide didn't really want to talk about it either.  

 

Huh. Interesting, now I wish I had done a little more due diligence.

[shark b8]

So, last weekend the NFL playoff games were on a “Special Events” channel on in-suite TV.  The same for today was advertised on the Herald, as recently as this morning.  But when I hurried back from lunch, I only got “not available” on TV.  The Herald also said it would be broadcast on the communal TV in the Card Room (which I’m pretty sure is the only public room on any Seabourn ship that I’ve never visited).  When the Tv option didnt work, I wandered down to the card room:

 

[shark b8]

And so now, I sense a Disturbance In The Force.  Rumblings of a mutiny are everywhere.  Which is pretty ironic, for a ship approaching Pitcairn Island.    😱

[BasandSyb]

For complete sales transparency and to minimise emotions on board when weather doesn’t cooperate - surely it’s time cruise companies had different coloured dots on their itinerary maps to indicate ports known to be more unlikely for landing eg Norfolk Is, Pitcairn, Falklands etc. they would have the stats. If passengers knew upfront 3 in 10 landings were made at Norfolk they could adjust their hopes. It would also indicate that some of the itineraries at various times of year are … optimistic? 
 

Thoroughly enjoying your postings sharkb8.

Edited January 31, 2023 by BasandSyb

[saminina]

Landing at Pitcairn was never advertised.   The ship anchors and the residents come onto the ship to sell their goods.   I believe it might be listed as cruising Pitcairn Island.

 

Shark.....any success ordering Caymus off the premium wine list?

[shark b8]

3 hours ago, saminina said:

Shark.....any success ordering Caymus off the premium wine list?

 

Hmmmm.  Was I supposed to do this, and report on it?

[BasandSyb]

It was a general comment about landing likelihood. Not all advertised port itineraries carry the same likelihood of landing. It would help manage expectations.

[saminina]

4 hours ago, shark b8 said:

 

Hmmmm.  Was I supposed to do this, and report on it?

I'm enjoying your writings and pics too much to impose.   I'm just curious what kind of response they are giving when someone asks about availability. 

[shark b8]

Just looked at the “Premium Wine” list on the app, I see no Caymus offerings.  Sorry if I’m being dense, I get the feeling there’s a sort of small inside joke thing going on here, that I’m just not getting.   🤦‍♂️

 

We enjoy the wine onboard but very rarely stray from just the normal (non-premium) offerings - we like the Louis Latour chardonnay and the Cardwell Hill pinot noir, for example.  There was also a nice Malbec a while back, but I’m blanking on the label. For every cruise first night sailaway (and last night farewell) I always order a bottle of Veuve Clicquot to the room, as that’s very much a fave, but the exception rather than the rule.  It’s not like there’s a general champagne shortage on Seabourn……🍾😍

[shark b8]

Q:  What is wrong with this picture?

 

A:  False.    

 

[saminina]

Thanks for checking.  No inside joke.   Caymus was on the list up until you boarded.   A wine they have not had for months and always   "a couple people bought what we had on first day of this segment."

[imcpa]

Q:  What is wrong with this picture?

 

The speaker (if that is what it is) drowns out the sound of the water! 

 

 

 

 

 

[Mr Luxury]

14 hours ago, shark b8 said:

Q:  What is wrong with this picture?

 

A:  False.    

 

There are no shell spoons for the caviar

[shark b8]

No worries, spoons were there, just not visible in pic.  And I keep the speaker volume very low, so as to not annoy neighbors, and also so as to not compete with the bow wake.  Btw, we’re considerably further forward than usual for this one, we’re usually midship on deck 5, 6 or 7.  This was solely a financial decision, as we saved a bunch of $$ by being near the “line” between forward and midship suites.  And, as it turned out, a small added benefit I hadn’t thought of - the sound of the water from the bow is, of course, somewhat louder when further forward.  And we like to use the table to prop the veranda door open days and evenings, to let in the sound & air.

[highplanesdrifters]

On 1/31/2023 at 6:15 PM, shark b8 said:

Q:  What is wrong with this picture?

 

Nothing.

 

Except maybe I'm not about to enjoy it.

[Cornet]

Hi Shark,

The champagne in your picture is Montaudon and not the requested Veuve Clicquot.

Be thankful that you didn’t get the dreaded Nicholas Feuillatte!🥂🍾

 

Really enjoy your postings.

[shark b8]

Yeah, I remember the Nicholas Whatever-it-was had a strange, slightly metallic taste.   To me anyway.  

 

Today we’re sailing Pitcairn as previously mentioned.  Some of the islanders set up shop in the MDR, selling handicrafts & souvenirs.  Last night we got a notice in our mail clip that anyone who wanted to do so, could have Guest Services pull their passports, and they’d be stamped.  Surely one of the rarer stamps, but haven’t actually seen it yet.  So now, strangely, we landed on Easter Island but couldn’t get a stamp, and we didn’t land on Pitcairn, but got one.