New to cruising and to Seabourn - some basic questions

[arcadia78]

Hello everyone, I have booked my first cruise ever and it will be on the Seabourn Encore. I have done some research and I think this will be a good fit: I'm looking for luxury but don't enjoy a stiff environment, I'm not interested in shopping malls or venues such as go karts or climbing walls, and good food is an absolute priority.

I have been browsing this board and I still have some open questions - although I'm probably overthinking this :):

- When and how will I find out about my embarkation time and place? I´m leaving from Dubrovnik at 5 pm. How soon will I be able to get on board?
- How usual is it to leave the boat on your own and explore for a couple of hours instead of booking an excursion? I would like to mix both options.
- I'm a bit nervous abot sailing solo, but I have read that Seabourn takes good care of solo travelers and people on board are usually friendly. Will it be weird to have lunch on my own at the pool deck?

- Does Seabourn provide a tote bag for the beach/pool?

- What is your advice regarding sea sickness? Should I bring pills or are other remedies better (wristbands)? As far as I know (shorter boat journeys), I don't tend to get seasick.
- How does service for example a the Seaboure square or Observation lounge work? Is it a mix of sit down service and going over to the counter/bar? This differs from country to country in Europe where I live, so not sure about this.

Thank you all! So looking forward to my voyage.

[Techno123]

Seabourn Odyssey was our first cruise ship and we have never been tempted to try the large/mass market ships so excellent first choice 😜

 

On Med/Adriatic cruises we rarely used Seabourn excursions as you generally either dock in or tender to the town or village so it is easy to explore on your own - in fact hubby used to take his mountain bike out in the morning and I would hike the local area then we would go out together in the afternoon. The only issue if you go further afield is being late back to the ship - they don't wait if it isn't a tour organised by them.

 

Seabourn Square you go to the counter to place your order or use the app - almost everywhere else someone will come to take your order or there are fridges with a selection of cold drinks at the less well frequented parts of the ship.

 

I suffer from seasickness - try to find something that works for you that you can bring onboard. I use Stugeron (Cinnarizine 15mg) twice a day plus the acupressure bands if the Captain says it's going to be rocky and for our last 4 cruises all has been good 🤞🏻They do have stuff onboard you can use including scopolamine patches and an injection from the medical centre if things get really bad 🤢

[dalliowner]

As it is your first Seaborn Cruise, dont forget to use sticky to obtain A referral  and get $250 on board spend. When are you sailing ?

[frantic36]

@Techno123 covered things well.

 

I will say on our recent Sojourn sailing LA to Sydney we had some rolling seas. A regular Seabourn cruiser usually didn't suffer seasickness but a a few days this time she did. Someone suggested the sea bands and she was amazed how much they helped. 

 

I am sure they don't work for everyone but I was impressed.

[Vineyard View]

Also ginger can be a good option to calm your stomach, alternating with something salty. I also always pack Bonine (meclizine) - it works really well for me…..along with keeping my eyes on the horizon! We have not encountered very rough seas in the area you are sailing, but never say never!

We rarely take ship excursions. We love to just explore on our own!  Rarely do we use a ship excursion, unless what we want to really see is a distance away. In that case we hire a private guide, grab a taxi in port, or go onto our roll call and either organize a small group or join one that someone is organizing for a small group tour. Yes, the ship will not wait for you, but reputable tour guides companies are aware of that, and are not going to risk their reputation.  For some people, that is out of their comfort zone and ship excursions work better.

we used the Seabourn app every morning to order coffee from Seabourn Square. It was ready and waiting for us to bring back to our cabin. They have both the opportunity to sit down over a desk to go over questions or receive assistance, as well as counter assistance. We received a tote bag for towels, etc.  
After sailing on a number of cruise lines, Seabourn is our favorite. We took our first cruise with them last year and had a fantastic experience.  I think that you made a great choice. 
 

[seabourn_noob]

You're overthinking it, but only slightly!  

No... it is not weird at all to take lunch alone on the pool deck.  Or breakfast in the Colonnade.  

It is definitely not weird to leave the ship for a few hours and do some personal exploring... but getting back to the ship on time is on you. 

Seabourn will send you an embarkation time.  People take these (in my limited experience) as suggestions more than commands.  Seabourn is just trying to spread out check-ins, but the actual embarkation practice is pretty quick.  

Welcome!

[johng75370]

1 hour ago, Vineyard View said:

Also ginger can be a good option to calm your stomach, alternating with something salty.

At the host/hostess stands at the front of the Colonnade and The Restaurant (maybe other venues also) they have a bowl of candied ginger - even without seasickness it’s a nice post-meal treat.  

[purpleally]

10 hours ago, Techno123 said:

Seabourn Odyssey was our first cruise ship and we have never been tempted to try the large/mass market ships so excellent first choice 😜

 

Seabourn Square you go to the counter to place your order or use the app - almost everywhere else someone will come to take your order or there are fridges with a selection of cold drinks at the less well frequented parts of the ship

I cannot think of anywhere on Seabourn that has fridges with a selection of cold drinks (except in your suite). There is a cooler at the pool on the back of deck 5 by the pool.  What am I missing?

[Techno123]

1 minute ago, purpleally said:

I cannot think of anywhere on Seabourn that has fridges with a selection of cold drinks (except in your suite). There is a cooler at the pool on the back of deck 5 by the pool.  What am I missing?

Certainly on the Odyssey they were on the aft sun bathing deck and I think there was one on the Ovation by the table tennis table and by the whirlpool on Deck 5. Most everywhere else has a bar fairly close 😁

[stan01]

31 minutes ago, purpleally said:

I cannot think of anywhere on Seabourn that has fridges with a selection of cold drinks (except in your suite). There is a cooler at the pool on the back of deck 5 by the pool.  What am I missing?

 

On Quest there's a small fridge with sodas and water by the forward top deck sun beds (above Observation Bar).

[arcadia78]

Thank you everyone! What a friendly community this is. Just a couple of comments on the topics you have raised:

-Excursions: I think I will do a Seabourn excursion first and then see how it goes. If leaving on my own or with someone else from the ship, I will definitely make sure I return like 2 hours before leaving time - I hate last minute rushes and stress anyway.

- I will take some seasickness pills and maybe a wristband with me. I love ginger so I might take some ginger tea as well.

- I have booked directly with Seabourn and received an OBC. So I guess the referral doesn't really work for me?

[2SailingNomads]

My wife has her sea bands (battery powered after one of the former Hotel Directors told her about them) and has recently discovered stugeron which she prefers over meclizine which makes her drowsy.  

[Hlitner]

1 hour ago, 2SailingNomads said:

My wife has her sea bands (battery powered after one of the former Hotel Directors told her about them) and has recently discovered stugeron which she prefers over meclizine which makes her drowsy.  

Interesting post about Stugeron (Cinnarizine).  Not a drug we would use (the side effects can be quite nasty) but makes sense for some folks.

 

Hank

[toseaornottosea]

We used Stugeron 15 for our Antarctic cruise on the Venture in 2023.  Tried it at home to make sure we had no bad ill effects.  Had no problems.  On both our crossings we had the "Drake Quake."  12 to13 meter seas.  We never got ill and felt the Stugeron was great.

[sfvoyage]

Another vote for stugeron (generic:  cinnarizine), which works well without side effects for me.  Not available in the US.  I buy them in Asia or Europe.

[2SailingNomads]

We know quite a few people now who use sturgeon and none have told us about nor apparently suffered the "nasty side effects" care to elaborate and enlighten us Hank?

[Vineyard View]

I’ve not heard of Stugeron before, so good to know. Bonine here in the US is across the counter, no doctor script, and has always been my go to. Is Stugeron easily available in Europe? 

[Charleyben]

Stugeron is ready available in all pharmacies in the UK and I would think Europe as well.

[Vineyard View]

Thank you Charleyben. I appreciate knowing this for future reference. 

[2SailingNomads]

My wife got some in Funchal.  Also available in Canada.

[BeNice ToEveryone]

We use an essential oil blend called “MotionEaze” which we simply dab behind our ears. It works almost instantly, can be re-applied as needed, and smells quite nice. It comes in a tiny glass bottle which easily fits in a pocket! It’s readily available at Walmart here in the US. 

 

Happy Sailing!

[Vineyard View]

4 hours ago, BeNice ToEveryone said:

We use an essential oil blend called “MotionEaze” which we simply dab behind our ears. It works almost instantly, can be re-applied as needed, and smells quite nice. It comes in a tiny glass bottle which easily fits in a pocket! It’s readily available at Walmart here in the US. 

 

Happy Sailing!

That is a new one for me. I will make note of it. Thank you!