Pride: Lisbon-Rome Easter 2007 President's cruise

[SandyK1968]

I'm completely new to this site, but not to Seabourn and have just returned from Rome from the post TA crossing cruise; I see a few names/recognise a few possible fellow travellers on the various threads from London-Boston in Autumn 2006 also on the Pride. I

It was another great Pride experience, far too short, but with an exciting array of passengers, some of whom stayed up til the wee small hours with us in the Club every night. Who says that it's only the young ones who can party?:D

The news from the cruise is not good for Svetlana; those of you who have seen Svetlana in action will be sad to hear that she is no more. Officially.:(

Such a shame as she was great entertainment.

We have yet to book our next Seabourn trip, which always makes me feel homesick for the ship. Nice to know that there's a place out there where I can see what other Seabourn fans are doing and gain vicarious pleasure from their experiences.

[JaneBP]

Can you shed some light on what made the Cruise the "President's Cruise'? Were there special activities that she sponsored/hosted/chaired? What made it different?

 

Thanks! Several of us have been wondering.

[redhead05]

My elderly FIL was also on this cruise but I haven't had a chance to get any details as he has a bit of a 'bug'---lots of coughing. He seems quite worn out, but I was hoping it was from too much fun!!

 

I've been anxious for details, but with his memory:rolleyes: , usually all I get is that he had a good time! Do you have time for a mini-review?? Thanks so much!!

 

Randy

[CruisinMatt]

Hi Sandy - I am looking forwar to hearing the details of this cruise as well. I was originally booked on it! :)

[SandyK1968]

Hello and thanks for making me welcome.

 

The President of the Company was travelling on the Pride in celebration of 20 years of Seabourn; there was a special "extra" experience (another cocktail in another place!) and a few nice mementos of the experience but other than that, the cruise was much as usual.

 

Friends we made aboard ate with the President and said that she was fun, but I have to say that as President of the Company one might have expected her to socialise with the Company's "clients" a wee bit more.

 

Other than that the cruise was as many before... a few of the destinations were a disappointment for some of the guests. I heard a few complain about Gibraltar, one or two about Valencia, someone was mugged in Marseille but no one had a bad word to say about Portovenere.

 

As for us, we barely left the ship. Living in Europe, it is easy for us to go back to visit these European stops for a weekend; for me, the joy is being aboard, enjoying my fellow travellers and the crew who were as gracious and attentive as ever. We only had two gripes, shared I think, with some others who has just come off the TA crossing as we got on; breakfast service in the dining room was S.....L....O.....W. So slow that it took 1.5 hours to arrive on Easter Sunday. Other than breakfast , as always, the whole experience left us wanting more.

 

Good to see Felipe and Aurelie promoted in the dining room; shame to have lost Toby and now Ryan...and Svetlana. To know her is to love her.

 

More later!:D

[JaneBP]

>"...and Svetlana. To know her is to love her."

 

Do you mean that her 'alter ego' is no longer with Seabourn?

 

Jane (loved Valencia and the wonderful market)

[Martita B.]

Thank you for posting a review of The President's Lisbon to Rome's Sailing~~~sounds like a fun and successful voyage!

As Pam and I became good friends after the untimely and sad death of Deborah, (we miss her so much) I have truly enjoyed her friendship. We were together during New Year's on the Pride, along with her husband, Ray. Both are most personable and tons of fun! This Dec./Jan. was their vacation~~after a few long months of hard work, they certainly deserved a week of R.& R. Seabourn pleasure!

I am so happy we have a new President that truly cares about each one of us and of our wants and needs~~~she related to me, "I am there for all of you....."

Congratulations Seabourn! Long may our mighty flag wave!

Martita B.

[redhead05]

Thanks for taking the time to share some of your experience. Would love to hear more....especially about 'grumblings' regarding ports? (that always amazes me) and a mugging? I certainly hope nobody was injured---but how frightening!

 

Looking forward to anything more you can offer! Thanks!

 

Randy

[JaneBP]

>".... but I have to say that as President of the Company one might have expected her to socialise with the Company's "clients" a wee bit more. "

 

I might agree. Doesn't sound as if it would be worth taking that cruise over some others. I would think meeting her and talking would be a priority; not just another cocktail party.

[SandyK1968]

Firstly, let me say that I am sure that the President and her husband are lovely people; friends of ours who dined with them enjoyed their company very much. It may be that the President thinks that it would be intrusive to introduce herself to guests on a ship of this kind; I can appreciate that , but my personal view remains that , on a cruise marketed as the "president's cruise", one might have expected more interaction. I say this because this was not a vacation for her, but work.

 

I should add that I have a personal reason for making these comments; I had an accident on the first day of the cruise, which left me with a blindingly visible injury. Now, I do not blame Seabourn for the injury, ( though there were grey areas) but one might have thought that the President would have wanted to ensure that it was not the responsibility of the company. A kind word would have been nice! I must add that the crew were amazingly considerate. :D

 

I know that this site is intended to be a place where positive views and experiences are exchanged, and I remain Seabourn's biggest fan, but like all good relationships, they can benefit from constructive criticism!

 

Jane, you are correct that it is Svetlana the alter ego who has jumped overboard. The question is, did she jump, or was she pushed?! I understand that she was thought to be unsuitable for Seabourn guests...I would be interested to hear whether any guests agree...personally, I do not.

 

All criticism aside, the cruise was memorable for many good reasons and I look forward to my next trip.

[xplrcrzn]

FWIW, on RSSC's & Crystal's President's Cruises (or similar title) the CEO's actually do mix with the pax and often hold "Town Meetings" to answer questions and receive feedback. If this was the Seabourn President's personal R&R, as Martita, her good friend, argues, then it should not have been billed as a "President's Cruise."

[JaneBP]

>"... on a cruise marketed as the "president's cruise", one might have expected more interaction. I say this because this was not a vacation for her, but work. "

 

I agree with you. I would have been really annoyed to have opted for this cruise and not had time to meet and talk with the President.

 

I sailed twice with Svetlana, both times in position as Cruise Specialist and helping out with the CD's ( Liars' Club and Trivia). I found her engaging and clever. I cannot imagine what might not be suitable. If 'they' are talking unsuitable, then they should start looking at some of the guests.

[Martita B.]

xplrcrzn,

The Pride Lisbon-Rome cruise WAS billed as The President's Cruise~~(this, as you know, was orginally Deborah's cruise)

I remember receiving something in the mail before Christmas as to the April 1st President's Cruise, but as I needed to fly home after the Crossing I didn't keep it.

Happy Sailing,:p

Martita B.

[Iamboatman]

I find the comments regarding the "President's Cruise" most interesting.

 

I do not think there are more than a handful of people that actually take a cruise because the President is aboard. Of that handful I bet there aren't but a few that want "their" vacation regularly interfered with by the President jeopardizing what is the normal Seabourn experience; not to mention those that didn't really care that Pam was on board.

 

Normal protocol is, therefore, that the guests, if they so desire, are to approach; not wait to be approached. From what I understand Pam was around and visible, and I know she is very approachable, so I don't think it was a matter of availably, but rather that if you weren't invited to dine with her that you simply walk up and say hello.

 

Also, I also cannot image someone coming up to you and saying, "What a ghastly injury. Are you OK?" when it might well be that not commenting is more polite.

 

Town hall meetings? Huh? If you have a product in transition or in trouble, or you have 3 to 10 times the number of guests on board, maybe that would make sense, but it ain't the way Seabourn has ever done things:eek: - so why expect it now??.

 

I just cruised on a President's Cruise on Cunard. The events consisted of a talk on the new Queen Victoria (promo, nothing more) and a cocktail party with 300 of my closest friends where Carol Marlow spoke. She was lovely, and we chatted for the appropriate 30 seconds, and that was it.

 

BTW, complaining about Gibraltar as a Seabourn fault!? Do you know how many people WANT to go to that place...it is, supposedly, so British and it has the infamous Rock and Barbary Apes. I've been there far too many times and for far too long. I HATE the place, but to complain of it being Seabourn's fault it was a bad port for a couple of people? :confused: As for Valencia, it is an interesting city and home of the America's Cup Races. It would be a nice port for me. I guess the complaints of 2 are more worthy of note. What was so bad about the ports that warrants the negative comment???

 

All in all, I see it as a tempest in a teapot. Possibly walking up to each person and giving them 5 minutes of "face time" would have placated all...or might have placated some and offended others.

[lord of the seas]

Eric,I agree with your post.I always stay away from cruises that have the "Boss" on board,they never really show what the real product is because the crew/staff are on edge and watching what they are doing to an extent that makes them tense,as we all know the staff are wonderful and work well when they are relaxed and natural,this is also the reason for me not to take an inaugural voyage and find a new ship performs well when it has bedded in after six months.

JB

[Seabourn-nail]

[quote=Iamboatman

 

with 300 of my closest friends

 

 

You are a very lucky man Iamboatman, to have 300 "closest friends"! I wish I had 3, but maybe your "close" is different than mine.

I once met Deborah, our former president on a cruise and I just talked to her like I do to "normal" people, it is just a job!

[lord of the seas]

Marja,

Eric probably meant Three Hundred of his closest Clients!!

[Iamboatman]

I don't have 300 friends:( . I was, alas, just part of a large impersonal cocktail party. At least the drinks were free.:o

[xplrcrzn]

If it matters so little, then why bill it as a "President's Cruise?" Maybe "Tempest in a Teapot Cruise" would have been more appropriate.

[weewee]

They always are!:p

I don't have 300 friends:( . I was, alas, just part of a large impersonal cocktail party. At least the drinks were free.:o

 

 

[Iamboatman]

If it matters so little, then why bill it as a "President's Cruise?" Maybe "Tempest in a Teapot Cruise" would have been more appropriate.

 

Maybe the expectation of whomever it is (and obviously from these posts everyone has different expectations) was or wasn't met. Dinner with the president would seem to be a plus. A chat with the president would seem fine.

 

I am well and truly baffled that some seem to think having the President onboard equates to each guest having royal treatment above and beyond...by the President. It would be one thing if a particular event was publicized and then didn't happen, but when nothing is publicized and it happens...:confused: :confused:

 

What is it exactly that the cruise - not as to a particular individual - did not provide?

[GrannyLorr]

well who is Svetlana? :confused:

[blackbird71]

I know RSSC plans their "President" cruises over a year in advance. If that is your thing go for it.

 

And shame on Pam for not mixing at a President cocktail party. Other than that I would expect her to enjoy her trip and me, mine. LOL BB would probably be in bed anyway. One day I will make the Captain cocktail or Club events. ;)

 

Myself I love Gibraltar and the apes. :)

[johnnycruise]

What activities did Mrs. Conover participate in?

 

I don't agree that "Town Hall" meetings are only held for "ailing" companies or individuals. I have attended such meetings in Atlanta held by a former President and a current U.S. Representative. I don't think they are necessarily a "last resort" apparatus - more of an opportunity to reach out.

 

I would hope on a "President's Cruise" the president would hold a mid-morning lecture-type meeting, similar to one of the invited guest speakers. Only those who are interested (or who actually booked the cruise wishing to meet the president) would attend. Most of those mid-morning affairs attract less than 50 people. A "what's to come" presentation (we're building two great new ships with balconies blah blah blah) followed by a more general Q & A would meet people's expectations better than a cocktail party (hello, you look swell - love the diamond earrings, the caviar's good ... gurgle, gurgle, gurgle).

 

I enjoy reading the new posters' opinions and then drawing my own conclusions. While the frequent poster's rebuttal had some points I hope it does not discourage future postings by the OP. While Seabourn is excellent, in my opinion, it should never rest on its laurels. After all, CC only gave the Legend 4 1/2 stars, not 5.

 

johnny

[PeaSea8ch]

Hi Granny,

"Svetlana" is the alter ego of Assistant Cruise Director Simon Davey. I enjoyed her performances and she even came to help out at Trivia one day!