First timer about to set sail on Quest

G'day!

After an epic 30+ hour trip from Melbourne we arrived in wonderful, wet Copenhagen prior to embarking on the Quest for 2 weeks cruising Norway and the fjords. I don't do blogs but will post a few thoughts and impressions here (the good AND the bad) on our first Seabourn cruise. We are leaving the hotel soon - the Admiral, great location, mostly ruined by the huge construction site blocking the "waterfront view". Luckily it's the weekend: I dread to think about the noise and dust levels otherwise.

We are still in a Gty suite so have no idea where we will be on the ship although the paperwork says it's a V3 suite which I assume means somewhere on deck 6? I still don't understand why we can't be told until we actually arrive at the dock bearing in mind we paid the full price several months ago. I know it's not unique to Seabourn but it makes me wonder what goes on behind the scenes to decide who gets which room.

Let's go!

Oh and a quick heads up to anyone travelling via the UK. There are new airport security regulations that all electronic devices - phones, iPads, laptops, etc - MUST have enough charge to be able to be switched on or they will be confiscated or you won't and allowed to fly. UK airport security screening is some of the most strict and painstaking anyway so this new rule can only make things more tedious. Expect even longer queues and delays in transit. You have been warned.

G'day!

After an epic 30+ hour trip from Melbourne we arrived in wonderful, wet Copenhagen prior to embarking on the Quest for 2 weeks cruising Norway and the fjords. I don't do blogs but will post a few thoughts and impressions here (the good AND the bad) on our first Seabourn cruise. We are leaving the hotel soon - the Admiral, great location, mostly ruined by the huge construction site blocking the "waterfront view". Luckily it's the weekend: I dread to think about the noise and dust levels otherwise.

 

We are still in a Gty suite so have no idea where we will be on the ship although the paperwork says it's a V3 suite which I assume means somewhere on deck 6? I still don't understand why we can't be told until we actually arrive at the dock bearing in mind we paid the full price several months ago. I know it's not unique to Seabourn but it makes me wonder what goes on behind the scenes to decide who gets which room.

 

Let's go!

 

Oh and a quick heads up to anyone travelling via the UK. There are new airport security regulations that all electronic devices - phones, iPads, laptops, etc - MUST have enough charge to be able to be switched on or they will be confiscated or you won't and allowed to fly. UK airport security screening is some of the most strict and painstaking anyway so this new rule can only make things more tedious. Expect even longer queues and delays in transit. You have been warned.

G,day to you,

We will be on our first Seabourn cruise n the 4th October so will wait with baited breath for your impressions!!!

Also very glad we are not travelling via the UK.

Hope you have a great cruise.

Grumpy Wombat........love the name :)........I do hope you have a wonderful journey.

Thank you for the warning about Heathrow. We will be leaving from London to go to Stockholm in a few weeks to join our Legend cruise. We will now make sure we allow plenty of time for security.

As per Mr Luxury's comment/question on the Bergen thread could you please let us know what weather is like and clothing required? I was planning on layers anyway but the information will help with my final packing.

Julie

Grumpy Wombat, you will love the Quest. We are seasoned Silversea cruisers, but decided to try Seabourn for a change. The Quest is just beautiful. Elegant, comfortable and very welcoming. We loved it. Am sure you will too.

Grumpy Wombat,

G'day! - if you are like most of us, your first Seabourn cruise won't be your last. Hope you enjoy your time on-board, we'll be joining the Quest shortly ourselves.

Hi Grumpy,

Have a great time. We took our first Seabourn cruise, also out of Copenhagen, this time last year and were hooked from the first day. About to head off on our third voyage in a few weeks. Thanks for the tip re Heathrow. We are flying back into the UK for a few days before heading home to Perth after the Dover/montreal Quest cruise and would have hated to have forfeited our beloved iPads for the sake of a charge!

Look forward to your reviews.

D.

TSA Cracks Down on Uncharged Electronic Devices

It's not only in the UK

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/07/06/tsa-electronics-check-airport-security_n_5561878.html

Day 1 : Sea Day Copenhagen-Flam

Calm seas, light winds and mild temps. We couldn't ask for much more except maybe a bit of sunshine.

So far we are very impressed with the Seabourn experience. The ship is immaculate although we are still exploring and finding our way around. The room is great, easily as good if not better than Regent and streets ahead of Crystal in terms of size and amenities. There is plenty to do around the ship but we are trying not to over schedule. We are here for two weeks so plenty of time to check everything out.

We had dinner in Restaurant 2 which was beautifully prepared and presented as a kind of tasting menu. OK as a one off but maybe a little pretentious? Excellent wines on offer and sommeliers who just quietly get on with it.

Internet will be patchy on this trip because of the mountains but that's fine. Seabourn still charge for Internet - $10 for 1 hour, $20 for 2 hours etc - which isn't excessive at all but it does make me wonder why they bother when it seems no expense is spared on other things. Internet is more or less a necessity these days after all and other lines manage to provide it for free.

Smoking - groan. Actually we haven't seen anyone puffing away anywhere!

Supplemental : We have just watched a helicopter medivac which was carried out with efficient and professional skill by a Norwegian air/sea rescue Sea King helicopter. Obviously the rumour mill will now go into overdrive about the who/what/why/how/when as the crew are always very discrete in these situations. I had a pretty good view of the proceedings and, sadly, I think the patient was deceased although I hope I'm wrong. Now back on course for Flam where we are due to drop anchor early tomorrow morning. Meanwhile our thoughts and prayers to all those involved.

Grumpy Wombat,

We did this trip last July on the Sojourn. You are in for a wonderful trip. We took the train in Flam and it was just beautiful. The crew does a wonderful job and we can't wait to be back.

We also have observed medics from the ship. Hope all is well. Enjoy your trip!!

So glad you're enjoying your trip, Grumpy Wombat. Just as a mater of record most other cruise lines do not provide internet access for free. In fact, SB is one of the least expensive lines when it comes to internet charges. And once you accumulate days said you get certain amounts of time for free as well. Still, I agree in this day and age all lines hold provide access for free. But then so should all luxury hotels and many of those charge $25 or $30 a day.

Glad your trip is off to a good start. We are on the next sailing. Still awaiting suite assignment. How did yours go?

Did you get an upgrade after all?

Steve

I hate Seabourn, especially the Quest

I had the misfortune of spending two great weeks aboard it a few months ago, and now I'm spoiled and it will be difficult to sail on anything else.

My savings / investment account is especially disturbed by this, as will my nephews when I pass away. ( Hopefully not before spending another 30 years sailing as much as possible on Seabourn's newer ships.....)

We have sailed Crystal, Regent which were great and Cunard which wasn't but this isn't going to be one long comparison thread because everyone has their favourites for their own reasons and one persons perfect cruise is another's cruise from hell. Each to his own.

I think Seabourn is closest to Regent in terms of room size (big) and general ambiance although the Quest is newer and therefore feels that much more deluxe. The bed is the most comfortable we've ever slept in, even better than at home! Food and service is faultless.

Internet prices are very reasonable it's true and paying it isn't a deal breaker. Signal is patchy when you're up a fjord which is good because it forces you to step away from the Internet and realise the sky doesn't fall in!

Well, wouldn't you know my upwind next door neighbours are balcony smokers! I stepped out onto a serene Norwegian dawn and some bracing mountain air and got a face full of Marlborough instead so was forced back inside. I haven't seen anyone smoking in the designated public areas yet and neither am I looking for them because, again, the issue isn't a deal breaker for us but while smoking is legal I'm not sure what Seabourn can do to keep everyone happy.

This really is a lovely ship and experience. Oh and yes, we did get our Gty room as booked but I'm not telling you where because I don't want to receive irate notes on the door from smokers or anyone else I might upset. There are a LOT of Aussies on board so I think my cover is pretty safe.

OK, back to spending the kids' inheritance.

Or as it's commonly referred to....skiing!!!!

G'day wombat

good to get a review from someone who lives on the worlds smallest continent (or largest island) depending on how you look at it:)

I look forward to your review. My wife and I are just about to cancel a NCL cruise due to their new policy against anti-social behaviour (smoking):( and are interested in what you found made Seabourn stand out. Any tips on extra charges etc would be appreciated

Enjoy the cruise

G'day Wombat, and thanks for the commentary. It's fun to read.

There are plenty of Aussies on board! I plan to write a more detailed review and post it in the Reviews section in due course but meanwhile I will give random thoughts and impressions here and answer any specific questions if I can.

Today (Friday) we are in the pretty town of Leknes. Like many small ports of call it's main appeal is the natural beauty of the surroundings rather than a long list of impressive tourist spots so the excursion list is somewhat limited. It's a perennial challenge for all cruise lines to offer something interesting or new in these small places. We prefer to just go ashore for a wander and see what happens.

To answer auseobbo's question about extra charges - well basically there aren't any apart from excursions (a bit pricey IMO), shop/boutique purchases, spa treatments (very reasonable IMO) and maybe some really top shelf premium alcohol. Everything else is included in the fare and not having to sign endless dockets for "extras" and then having to check the bill at the end of the cruise really does make a huge difference to the overall enjoyment and ambiance of the whole experience. Nothing ruins a lovely meal more than worrying about how much that extra glass of wine or post dinner liqueur will cost.