SD I -July 14, Venice to Athens

[Jim Avery]

And as I am reading your mouth watering account of dinner on SD, I am eating an Italian sub from Publix.

[knotheadusc]

Originally Posted by Jim Avery

And as I am reading your mouth watering account of dinner on SD, I am eating an Italian sub from Publix.

Lucky you. I miss Publix. They don't exist in North Carolina.

FT, sounds like the food was divine!

[frequent traveler]

Restaurant and Bar Services-

Restaurant

We are creatures of habit. If “our” table is available we tend to sit in the same place each morning and for lunch. We sat in the same area for dinner every night. As a result the waiters came to know our preferences very quickly. 2nd breakfast my sparkling water and cappuccino started appearing before I could sit down (I don’t know how they do it, but if I stopped along the way to talk to someone, it truly arrived with me at the table). I made a game of trying to carry my plate from the buffet to the table (we tried to eat on Deck 6, around the TOY Bar somewhere) without someone taking it from me – and in 11 breakfasts (I skipped a few) and 8 or so lunches (off the ship and can’t count boarding and disembarking) I made it one time and that was only because a 3 yr old almost took 2 waiters with full plates out by dashing between them on the stairs.

Service was almost always with a smile, even when overwhelmed and here’s where I get to the “tale of two vacations”. In our dinner section the first week, we had a waiter and a backwait (helped with water/bread/delivery and take away of plates). Xander (the head bartender poured wine but also did a little bit of everything). The maître d also worked very hard in our section most of every night of week 1. Everything went smoothly even though we were very bad and usually had 3 courses plus dessert (thank goodness we were walking a lot!). The next week we had the same amount of or even more people some nights in the section and a different waiter (very good, but not as experienced) but until I complained, no maître d or additional support. We also had a couple of 6 or 7 tops in the section. And even after I said something, after the first night the maître d was around when the captain was in our section but not on other nights. Take away 25% of the service and that’s a big difference. We cut back to 2 courses (should have been doing anyway) and left cocktail hour a few minutes early to avoid the rush. Is this enough to take away a star in a rating – no, but when you have had a week of perfection, you really notice the difference.

Our “normal” breakfast & lunch waiter Nikola is from Croatia and he was excellent. I really noticed the difference when I had someone else. I went to lunch by myself very late one day and sat at a different table. I had picked up a ready made salad at the buffet but only had a few bites and put it aside. When the waiter took away the plate he asked “what was wrong” and I said the salad was very good, it just had too much dressing. He looked like he wanted to say something and then took the plate away. Nikola would have brought another salad with the dressing on the side. He just read my mind. He’s only on his 2nd contract with SD- I hope he stays longer.

In summary – the restaurant services are excellent. Our “dedicated” servers and support team would all individually get 9 or 10s. Staffing decisions were not as good during week 2 and that shows up in both weeks 1 and 2 in

Bar Services
I’ll state up front – this trip I never once made it to the TOY Bar or the Piano Bar during my 2 weeks. I know its sad, but work and other issues kept me from late nights (the good news –no hangover). So this review is biased towards bar service at meals and poolside (again very little the 2nd week, due to children on board) and on the Bali beds.

My standard for comparison is Zoltan the head bartender on SD II, where I never had an empty glass, rarely went to the bar to place an order when on the Bali bed if I wanted something different, got “squirted” with water both poolside and upstairs at least once every day and usually every hour on really hot days and had my sunglasses cleaned almost every day. On this trip, no squirts and glasses cleaned one time.

Beverage service was good. At dinner, my wine glass was absolutely never empty and rarely close to half empty. I really appreciated Xander’s willingness to find a substitute wine when I didn’t like the house wine at dinner. What I had difficulty with and this is not an individual bartender issue but a management issue is Prosecco being circulated at times when you thought champagne would be served (such as the first “Caviar and Champagne” service or Bellinis made with Prosecco) I also wonder if staffing is why there was very little glass cleaning service (only time was when I was in the shade on Deck 4 – never on the Bali beds). However the “critical” needs were almost always met – prompt beverage service and decks were never dirty with empty glasses needing removal.

Almost every afternoon around 5 pm there was a signature cocktail service at the ToyBar. In Venice, it was a Lemoncello Sail Away Party, Bellinis ( made with Prosecco and not champagne, a number went unfinished) in Rab and Dubrovnik, White Sangria Sail Away in Split, Greek cocktails while going through the Corinth Canal, Kir Royale Sail Away from Patmos, and Sundowners the remaining nights. My only suggestion would be to not always use Sundowners as the fallback drink, but the concept is fun and a way to get you out of your cabin. Service for the Corinth Canal party was rough at the beginning, caused by location and timing. Just about all the guests were crammed into the front half of deck 6 and everyone arrived right at entrance to the Canal. I was at the back of the yacht – that view was amazing- on Deck 4 and went up to get my own drink. I only had one of the Greek cocktails, ouzo with an unnamed ingredient (Gideon and Sylvio would not give away the recipe) but I didn’t want to miss any of the canal so I didn’t go back for more. However, just think almost 90 people crammed at TOY and where the large Bali bed normally is and wanting drinks with that small bar.

Summary – Basic Bar Service was good. That’s it. Nothing spectacular but no complaints.

[mimito4]

FT, in a word, YUM. Thanks for such detailed reporting. I hang on your every word.

Z--great pics. Loved, loved, loved seeing them. As a mom and grandmother, I also appreciated you blocking the kids' faces. The right thing to do. I am always amazed at how people post pics constantly of strangers, let alone kids, without their permission.

I prefer Sweet Bay subs over Publix when in FL, Jim. I might be a step above. . .I'm in the middle of eating a Thai pasta salad from Fresh Market. Regardless, neither of us are close to what FT has been describing.

[Jim Avery]

It has been raining here for a month! Bored. Need a Frequent Traveler update.

[zqvol]

Originally Posted by Jim Avery

It has been raining here for a month! Bored. Need a Frequent Traveler update.

Too busy planning some land vacations to write.

[Jim Avery]

Originally Posted by zqvol

Too busy planning some land vacations to write.

That's no excuse. Don't you have to finish one vacation before starting the next????

[frequent traveler]

ON BOARD RECREATION (DVDs, watersports, golf simulator, Tea Forte Party, etc).

I’ve often said that on a crossing, there is never enough time to get everything done while on board SDand I am certainly never bored while on SD. Give me a kindle or my I pad and a Bali bed and I can idle away hours. Typically, I’m just watching the sea. I never take advantage of the other entertainment offerings.

Day 1 after boarding in Venice, it began with after dinner options – DVD Concert after dinner, Andrea Bocelli in the Main Salon. Or pianist Alex in the Piano Bar and Sheila in the Casino, and Bartenders Thomas and Xander at the TOY Bar. Piano Bar and Toy are standard and won't be discussed again.

Day 2 in Opatjia starts with Yoga at 8, then a new daily offering – a Complimentary Treatment in the Sauna & Steam room, this one called “De-stressing.” Swimming off the Marine Platform at 11 and 4:20 and non Motorized water sports (kayaks, sailboats, paddle boards, etc but no jet skis due to local regulations) from 2 to 4. After dinner, no concert but it was Salsa & Samba evening at TOY.

Day 3 in Rab. After yoga at 8, “Motivating” in the Sauna & Steam room, you could swim at 11 and again at 4:20 (see the pattern) and take advantage of the Motorized Water Sports. The evening’s special event was Live Contemporary Classics in the Main Salon, Featuring Gillette & Rojhon (2 talented crew members) with Guitarist Rey & Pianist Alex. Casino opened again.

Day 4 in Sibenik and then sailing to Split featured “Relaxing” in the Sauna & Steam Room (like you can do anything else) and a “Girl’s Time” in the Main Salon while we were sailing (me, I was on deck). For $30, you could have “Happy Hands & Happy Feet” and take your favorite color home with you. And learn how to get your hair braided like Princess Leia for $10 (I don’t think anyone actually paid for this offer- does anyone over the age of 5 still want to look like Princess Leia except on Halloween?). Colorful nail paintings tips and tricks were free. Black Jack lessons were also offered during this time. And a “Longest Drive Competition” was held in the Golf Simulator. The evening’s entertainment was a poolside DVD – The Adventures of Tin Tin”

Day 5 in Split- “Energy Giving” in the Sauna & Steamroom (was the heat even turned on? I always leave feeling like a limp noodle) with entertainment after the Degustation Dinner being a concert by Rutzie, a very talented SD cabin attendant. Then you could give your money to the casino manager again. Though it appears a number of people walked away with winnings.

Day 6 in Kotor, now you could “Regenerate” in the Sauna & Steamroom (by the way, this week we had some very dedicated guests who made yoga every morning). The evenings activity was supposed to be the 80’s Disco Night by the pool, but I believe weather postponed to the next night (memories are starting to fade!)

Day 7 – Dubrovnik, I wonder how many guests tried the “Slimming” in the Sauna & Steamroom). The Dream Show Case was held in the Main Salon while we were sailing along with the “Closest to the Pin” Competition in the Golf Simulator. Non Motorized Water Sports and swimming off the sports marina were also permitted.

Week 2 only varied in the dates watersports were permitted and the movies (guests can request, which can be good or very bad . . .) This week Mamma Mia , Captain Corelli’s Mandolin, and Troy were shown.

And the main salon was often used during the day and sometimes at night for the “Wii interactive gaming console. ” Unfortunately it was not mandatory and the children could not be confined behind locked doors.

I can’t opine on the variety of the DVD’s or the functionality of the golf simulator or Wii bowling on SD. I was quite happy watching the dolphins and enjoying the beautiful sunsets. Sailing into Kotor and through the Corinth Canal was my “onboard recreation”

Summary – I’m quite happy in this category. My only suggestion would be to note at the beginning of the week what days motorized and non motorized sports would be permitted. That way guests could know in advance when they would be permitted to jet ski and kayak etc. And I know its hopeless, but would just love to have slot machines back on board.

the next installment will "Shoreside Activities" . . .

[frequent traveler]

Originally Posted by Jim Avery

That's no excuse. Don't you have to finish one vacation before starting the next????

nope.. .i am always working one or two vacations ahead . . . at the rate I'm going I may never finish this review! The next items -9. Shoreside Activities (Land Adventures, Crew Shoreside Casuals, Tours, etc) and 10. Ports of Call will take awhile

[Jim Avery]

Originally Posted by frequent traveler

nope.. .i am always working one or two vacations ahead . . . at the rate I'm going I may never finish this review! The next items -9. Shoreside Activities (Land Adventures, Crew Shoreside Casuals, Tours, etc) and 10. Ports of Call will take awhile

I guess you will just have to tell us all about it in Hawaii.

[frequent traveler]

Land Adventures, Crew Shoreside Casuals, Tours, etc

I’ll try to not repeat information from our daily postings here, but SD does its best to give Guests options in each port. Sometimes those options are limited due to the small size of the port and the fact that no other or very few ships stop there. To me that can be a great benefit, but it also means you should do your homework on the ports and decide what is important to you as a “must see”.

One of the “pluses” for SD are the shoreside crew casuals. Often on this trip they were biking adventures, I think due to the interest of the activities leaders, Daniel and Cat. On other islands they were hiking excursions.

Here’s the listing

Opatija – “Active” bike ride to Rijeka, for “advanced level bikers with an average distance of 18 miles and a maximum elevation of 18 miles”

Rab –Active bike ride – “medium profile” and 14 miles long.

Sibenik – active bike ride to Krka National Park (this is where we rode the bus about 15 minutes to the waterfalls and river for swimming). From the daily program description – “The hills are steep and recommended for active guests. The total distance is 28km/17.3 miles with max Elevation of 201m/695 ft.”

Kotor – Chef’s Walk to the Market and coffee. Okay, I will repeat myself here. This was one of the highlights of our trip and one of the best excursions we have ever had in any port on any line, including Alaska on another luxury line. This was the first time Chef Sudesh had every done this in Kotor and Daniella, the Head of Housekeeping and Chef Singh also participated. It was sooo hot but it didn’t matter. Captain went along on a bicycle and with a only 6 guests in total, you got to interact with everyone and taste everything. If you really liked something, it showed up on the cocktail menu that night. I will do this every chance I get (sorry Chef if this causes overcrowding but I heard the ones on the French Riveria or Italian cruises often have 40 guests participating )

In the morning there was also a bike ride in Kotor, Around the Fjords – and of course for “advanced riders. Approximately 30 km.” I do know this was one port where a number of recreational bikers were able to have leisurely rides around the port to a nice beach.
In the afternoon there was a hike to Castel St. John – guests were advised that the hike “is steep, around 900 steps and advised for active guests”

These were all the crew led activities during week 1. We had enough “active” bikers that on at least one of the islands we had both a morning and afternoon bike ride.

In week 2, there were fewer activities, I don't know if it was due to the islands or the passenger mix (more than 15% were under 15)

Hydra – Hike to Profitis Ilias Monastery, approximately 2 hrs.

Santorini – “Active” hike to Fira – approximately 2 hrs up the donkey trail and then an ice cream with the crew participating (recommended that guests should be fit)

Because SD has such a limited pool of passengers to draw from and most tours have minimums there are risks that tours will not be offered – such was the case in Santorini where we were competing with 4 or 5 larger ships.When we could not fill minimums by noon the day in advance the agent closed the openings to use for the other ships. However in just about every port you can do everything SD offers on your own if you arrange in advance.

SD has a number of return guests, and a number who have sailed multiple times. So SD is always trying to find new ports. This keeps it interesting but has its detriments Such was the case with a couple on our voyage. For example in Croatia, stopping in Sibenik and overnighting in Split is rarely done. If I remember correctly, this was only the 2nd time this season. And we had an inexperienced Activities Director and Concierge staff on board. An example is our stop in Split. When we asked how late the Diocletan’s palace stayed open, we got the wrong answer so we didn't go on shore that evening. When a delay held up sailing for several hours the delay wasn’t announced so we lost time that we could have used exploring. What was described as a speed boat to Hvar was nothing more than a zodiac with seats. Better descriptions were warranted. There’s a speedy ferry that would have allowed an alternate trip. When a 95 year old woman is in your group on a zodiac, you know your excursion isn’t going to be quite as active as you thought by the description. In Croatia, the current activities staff have not been on most of the tours, so they don’t have first hand experience of what the tours require or the capabilities of tour operators. On both voyages, there was only one port, Kusadasi (Ephesus) where a local destination concierge was available in the morning. And she was only knowledgeable in “shopping” – not other information. I contrast this with SD in the Caribbean ports where a local port agent is on board in almost every large port for a while and who can advise where the best beach, snorkeling, local restaurants, etc. Luckily Nikola, our Croatian waiter gave us some good advice during the first half of our voyage.

Summary: SD offers a wide variety of land activities. However on this voyage, SD lacked experienced staff who can provide information about the ports and assist guests on how to make the most of each port. SD should arrange for local concierges to be on board to provide information in ports where staff are not familiar with the tours and locales. The SD activities staff should go on the tours also, even if it means giving up a bike ride occasionally. However, the 2nd week had to be challenging – I was on a tour where as we returned to a port, a guest handed a shopping bag to Cat, the asst activities director, (after she had disappeared from group and causing search at museum) and asked him to take back to ship for her as she wanted to continue shopping. This same guest also said in Santorini that since the tenders were late in starting (by 20 minutes – due to late clearance by port, nothing SD did) she would not be on the last tender by the required time of 5:30 and sure enough the tender had to wait until 6 for her. Back on topic, the activities staff all are very nice and willing to please. They just need more experience and SD needs to provide more support.

Item 7. Concierge/Reception.

Just realized I skipped this one. We had a change in personnel at the concierge desk at the end of week 1. Our head concierge moved to SD 2 and the Boutique manager also changed. All the women both weeks were very personable and worked very hard to respond to every request. Our toilet issues in the cabin were responded to and fixed immediately. Air conditioning took 3 complaints before a cabin move, but that wasn’t a concierge issue.

One was so new she did not know how to process a donation to the crew fund so I made at a different time. When I bruised my knee on an excursion and asked for ice for me knee at the desk, the concierge on duty called several times to check and see if I needed a doctor. Maps of the ports were out in the morning but none of the concierges seemed particularly knowledgeable about the ports except for Dubrovnik. In fact at several of the ports, the concierges were excited because it was their first stop. Every one has to have a first stop somewhere , it just means that they don’t have a “favorite” or a personal recommendation. That’s fine with us in most ports because we do our own research, but we heard some disappointment from people who were used to SD recommendations in Italy and/or the Caribbean. Just like the Activities Staff, perhaps more training or a printed list of recommendations?

They were always smiling and willing to help. With a little more experience they will all be top notch.

coming soon Ports of Call and Spa Services

[abenaki]

On SD 2 in Croatia in May, one of my only complaints was that the AD seemed only interested in the daily bicycle ride(s) that he organized and basically didn't give a damn about the 95 passengers who were not cycling. He knew virtually nothing about the ports and in any case was gone off with the first tender to scout a cycle trail and then on his bicycle for the rest of the day. Very dissapointing. If cycling is such an important part of SD now, perhaps they need to have a real AD to work with the 90% of passengers who are not cycling, as well as a cycle tour leader.

When it happened consistently day after day, makes you wonder if there are any guidlines or if the staff just do as they please.

[frequent traveler]

Originally Posted by abenaki

On SD 2 in Croatia in May, one of my only complaints was that the AD seemed only interested in the daily bicycle ride(s) that he organized and basically didn't give a damn about the 95 passengers who were not cycling. He knew virtually nothing about the ports and in any case was gone off with the first tender to scout a cycle trail and then on his bicycle for the rest of the day. Very dissapointing. If cycling is such an important part of SD now, perhaps they need to have a real AD to work with the 90% of passengers who are not cycling, as well as a cycle tour leader.

When it happened consistently day after day, makes you wonder if there are any guidlines or if the staff just do as they please.

We really really miss James Cabello. So glad he's moved higher up in SD, but there does need to be some standards.

[mimito4]

T (from another T), we MUST travel together sometime. I'm thinking we are twins by other mothers.

[frequent traveler]

Originally Posted by mimito4

T (from another T), we MUST travel together sometime. I'm thinking we are twins by other mothers.

I bet we would have fun. You know how to reach me. And I made ZQ VOL promise not to tell, but I'll spill the beans anyway, I'm setting foot on a mass market line for the first time in a decade . . . I figure after spending boocoos of money on SD and getting children, we'll spend a lot less, get a big suite with dedicated concierge, butler, private dining, full room service, balcony and ADULTS ONLY pool. yes, service and food won't be the same, but I will give a try one time.

FT

[DisneyJen]

Originally Posted by frequent traveler

I bet we would have fun. You know how to reach me. And I made ZQ VOL promise not to tell, but I'll spill the beans anyway, I'm setting foot on a mass market line for the first time in a decade . . . I figure after spending boocoos of money on SD and getting children, we'll spend a lot less, get a big suite with dedicated concierge, butler, private dining, full room service, balcony and ADULTS ONLY pool. yes, service and food won't be the same, but I will give a try one time.

FT

WHAT

I am shocked!! Details ... I need details!!

[Jim Avery]

Me too. FT on a mass market ship?? Hey, we had a great time on Queen Victoria. Not a single kid issue. Hey, FT. Just got a special offer from Seabourn. Istanbul to Athens, 7 days, $1,999 GTY! Also, Lisbon to SXM, Transatlantic, $1,999 GTY! That's good.

[frequent traveler]

Originally Posted by Jim Avery

Me too. FT on a mass market ship?? Hey, we had a great time on Queen Victoria. Not a single kid issue. Hey, FT. Just got a special offer from Seabourn. Istanbul to Athens, 7 days, $1,999 GTY! Also, Lisbon to SXM, Transatlantic, $1,999 GTY! That's good.

Jim
You are not supposed to use my thread to discuss prices on other lines. I am not going to mention brand xyz here. I still have to finish this review though from lack of comments probably only 6 people are reading and I have most of those email addresses!

I love SD and it will always be my preference but after week 2 I will no longer pay the SD premium during holiday periods and risk snorkels in the hot tub when we can take the grown children and still have fun on another line.

[Zimmy]

[quote=frequent traveler;34919241]Jim
I still have to finish this review though from lack of comments probably only 6 people are reading and I have most of those email addresses!

I QUOTE]

FT, your review is amazing and I can hardly wait between installments. Even with notes, I don't know how you remember the level of detail you do. In addition to telling us what actually happened, your insights into why things are happening are compelling. I would venture a guess that you have a large number of followers as compared to commenters.

You have inspired me to take notes on our next SD cruise in October so that I can post a reasonable review, but I can't even hope to come close to what you are doing. (Posting on board is not even an option - I don't have a clue.)

I, for one, hope that you do continue.

[knotheadusc]

Count me among one of your avid followers, FT!