Gourmet Gal

Definitely closer to departure date. Keep checking.

https://thepointsguy.com/news/four-seasons-yachts/?utm_source=TPG Daily Newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=5204651&utm_usr=b0a6e03bae28cd96e655242e18bb9e25cb2b06d2fc43579548c3a8332b89829a&utm_msg=90815996f32e4a7b8620e080f6a4081c&utm_date=2022-09-30 Can. Not. Wait.

Agree that service is outstanding, food is inconsistent between the various venues but we’ve enjoyed Silver Note and La Dame the most, La Terrazza the least. The pizza place was downright terrible…a mushroom pizza with canned mushrooms, yuck. Room service food has not been great and we were not allowed to just order any dish from any restaurant, only a few options from Atlantide. The most problematic has been the house wines, especially the whites…almost undrinkable so I don’t even bother since I’m the only white wine drinker in my group - it won’t do to order a better bottle. I just stick with Champagne. Even the Prosecco n La Terrazza is awful. The ship is beautiful but I just wish the gym were bigger as it has been packed every time I’ve been.

You no longer need to be vaccinated to sail on SS. If you are not then you must present a negative, verified test result upon embarkation taken within 48 hours. On The Moon there are no longer daily temp. checks. It would probably be difficult for SS to require a specific vaccine because not all countries have the same vaccines available and if you are vaccinated against the latest variant it doesn’t necessarily mean you will not get Covid, only that you will probably not need hospitalization. Even the best vaccines seem to give the public a false sense of security. Right now, on The Moon masking is only required in Venetian lounge and on busses but it is not well enforced. There is a large charter group onboard and many of them seem quite entitled and the least likely to comply. According to the last update I heard there were only 6 pax cases and 4 crew cases that have tested positive. There seems to be more and more coughing so I suspect there may be more cases plus asymptomatic cases. So no matter how vaccinated or tested there is still risk involved and one needs to gauge their risk tolerance before traveling anywhere.

The Moulin Rouge is a dump,,past it’s prime and touristy….don’t waste time there. I guess you could get a little more out of the area with a good tour guide but it’s not really necessary if you just read some history. To me, it;s just not a highlight of Paris.

Yes, one can be lucky.

I wouldn’t spend more than a day in Monmartre and definitely would not stay there. A show at Moulin Rouge is sure to be disappointing…a total tourist trap. Consider spending time in the Marais, drill down to the smaller museums, take the Metro wherever you need to go, take a cooking class. Top of Tour Eiffel is not worth the wait. Slow down and enjoy the cafe culture. Go to the Aligre market. Stay at The Peninsula.

There are no longer any daily temperature checks. Not understanding the reluctance of folks to believe that any un-masked indoor dining, drinking, attending shows, etc… in a crowded public place is risky. I would consider all the restaurants on Moon crowded when there are 500 pax and most are unmasked. Salt Bar and the busses are not the only problem. Unmasked people are the problem. I’m hearing more and more coughing on this cruise.after 5 full days.

On Moon right now. There are approx. 500 pax on board. It was announced today there are 4 pax and 3 crew with Covid right now. Knowing what we know about these latest, highly contagious variants I would contend there are plenty of high risk areas on this ship, not just the Salt Bar. The gym which has been full every time I’ve been and is very small and cramped is certainly a main contender. Every restaurant and bar is high risk as well because there are very few masks if any worn by passengers and tables are not socially distanced at all. The elevators are busy and passengers pile in. Of course the busses and Venetian lounge are not safe. So far, so good for DH and me and we are masked most of the time but when traveling this year it’s always with the feeling of waiting for the other shoe to drop.

Yes, I am on board.

If it was a Med cruise each being 7 days or less then that more relaxed dress recommendation is the norm. I’m not understanding why it is not the fleet-wide norm. I like the formal optional recommendation.

Where were they cruising?

As I said, most ships. They may or may not be converting them all.

One thing I really like with Tauck is the lower passenger count than on other ships of similar size, no more than 98 pax. The smallest cabins on most ships are 225 sf. Their tour groups also tend to be small, usually only 8-10. In addition to a cruise director there are 3 tour directors plus local guides at each stop.

I love the story Paul McCartney tells of winning an essay contest at age 10 and the reward was meeting The Queen not long after her ascension in the early 50’s. He must have had a way with words even way back then! And to think he went on to be knighted by her so many years later.

It will be interesting to see if onboard Covid cases increase due to the majority of passengers coming aboard without testing. The vaccines must not be protecting all that well from getting infected.

I’ll be in London next Monday. Don’t think I’ll brave the queue at Westminster Hall but may pay my respects along the procession route after the funeral.

Okay, so outside of special favors and one-off performances, my point is between SS and Seabourn there really should be a more favorable comparison of the entertainment quality. Seems SS is really lagging.

Viking is not in the same category as Scenic, Uniworld or Tauck. I’ve not sailed on Scenic but can recommend Uniworld or Tauck. Scenic has had some negative reviews lately. As mentioned Uniworld has a rather old world decor while Tauck is modern and very comfortable with very well-designed cabins. Food, beverage and inclusiveness seems to be fairly equal on the two lines as well as service. But Tauck really excels in the quality of their tours and the little surprise extras sprinkled throughout the cruise. Tauck is truly all-inclusive and Uniworld used to be but I did just read on another thread they now expect you to tip the tour guides. Tauck will also gift you with a hotel night if you book within a certain time frame. And finally, study the itineraries of each line and the excursions offered. There are similarities and there can be some big differences.

I’ve cruise Uniworld and Tauck and do not recall any tips being excluded on either line so that is indeed a change at Uniworld. Most other aspects between the two lines are pretty much the same except the quality of the tours is much better with Tauck, the ship decor is infinitely better on Tauck with much better designed cabins and bathrooms and more comfortable furnishings in the lounge. Tauck is also well-known for their little extra surprises along the way. I don’t know about upgrades because we usually book suites but I had heard Uniworld was going to begin offering a chance to bid on an upgrade. I thought it was to be extended to all pax not just Heritage members but most riverboats’ seem to sell-out the suites very quickly so I don’t know what kind of appealing upgrade would even be available.

Why not Sarah Brightman? With the similar pricing and same target demographic as Seabourn I don’t think it’s unreasonable to expect more parity in the caliber of the entertainment.

My first SS cruise was on Whisper. It did not handle heavy seas well at all and my husband was so seasick despite our low mid-ship cabin. Go with the newer ship. You’ll have more dining options, the ship is larger and will hopefully handle rough seas better.

So true. Doesn’t everyone?

Yes, you are correct…still there are caveats.

I was referring to the signage idea that someone suggested.