M&PGermany

5 hours ago, Lois R said:

Hi, I don't remember getting a "branded tote bag".  Maybe the higher end suites get one? I have no clue. I am just a regular cruiser in a regular balcony. I cannot recall receiving this tote bag you are referring to.

NO TOTE BAG??? How will we survive?

Oh I know, I'll just bring one of the 728 Seabourn tote bags that I have at home.

Or the ones from EUROPA2. 

Or the ones from Oceania.

Or I could go and buy a new one.

Yeah, I'll just buy a new one.

😉

1 minute ago, cruiseej said:

 

As a longtime Seabourn customer, all the more reason to write to let them know their policies (or lack thereof) and communication (or lack thereof) have led to you booking your next cruise on Silversea, for the first time, instead of Seabourn.

Yes, this will be our first Silversea. But to be honest - I am not wasting my time giving them feedback they haven't asked for. If they think their way to go about it is the right one - so be it. I'll certainly miss the wonderful onboard staff, some of which I consider friends and exchange emails with. It's not as if I haven't heard their opinion about company hq and company policies.

I'm disappointed - but not surprised.

No more Seabourn events except for Caviar in the surf.

Marina day (usually 1 per cruise) depends on sea conditions - a lot of times it was cancelled.

Should not be a selling point any more due to lack of actual opportunities.

Seabourn's social media:

TERRIBLE! The same videos over and over again. Totally boring. They just started with a mini video about the restart. Who does their PR/marketing?

Silversea's social media: 

Not too much more exciting. But more interaction with people. Responding to questions. Quite a lot of videos on YT and excellent website.

Hapag Lloyd's social media:

GREAT! They're posting ALL the time. Interesting videos, photos, newsletters, blogs and vlogs. Immediate response from social media team if you have a question. Facebook, Twitter, YT... They're everywhere. Plus: Excellent website.

No need to write to Seabourn about it.

Just booked Silversea Moon because of transparent and consequent health procedures.

1 hour ago, Covepointcruiser said:

SLSD should book a cruise with later departures even if on another line.  The Seabourn cruises this summer have earlier departures and it’s been that way since we booked in April.

What I would say is that Seabourn should come up with a more exciting scheduling, more options regarding excursions and so on...

Terrible space.

Wouldn't dream of spending any money for that. They should PAY people to come there. Absolutely no breeze at all. We kept feeling sorry for the people who bothered to spend their day there. Every (!) other place on the beautiful ships is more exciting.

If it were exclusive for PH suites and up, okay... but the current concept is a joke and anyone who pays for this should have their mental status checked.

3 hours ago, markham said:

PS- and back to the topic at hand, Seabourn apparently will have some “holistic” approach to what to me is a black/white issue: 100% vaccinated or not. This is, for us, a deal breaker. In contrast, Silversea is clear: 100% vaccinated is a requirement for sailing.

 

In any case, and as events roll out, I hope that Seabourn clarifies and revises its policies, whatever they may be, or I would expect a slew of reservation cancellations in the next couple of months.

 

Happy and healthy sailing!

It's the revenue that counts. Disappointing but not totally unexpected.

I called Silversea's German office yesterday. They confirmed: Only vaccinated people will be allowed to travel:

1x Johnson&Johnson

2x all other vaccines.

Also quite important:

The German/Austrian (et al) version of "1 vaccine after corona infection" (which in Germany is considered fully vaccinated) will NOT be accepted on Silversea.

Does anyone know if Silversea or Seabourn have reduced capacity? Hapag-Lloyd have a max. occ. of 60%...

10 hours ago, marazul said:

I may have to look at Hapag Lloyd. Especially if they require everyone to be vaccinated. 

 

 

 

I don't work for Hapag and I think they are overpriced (with basically no alcoholic drinks included) BUT the experience is unlike any other. Great schedules, excellent (if not the best) ships and service. Especially love their fitness coaches, yoga teachers, golf instructors and biking guides plus highly experienced lecturers and expedition leaders. Would recommend it to anyone willing to spend a small fortune.

They just launched their 3rd expedition ship HANSEATIC SPIRIT a few hours ago... haven't tried any of their new ones, but they look great!

12 minutes ago, brittany12 said:

a lot has to do with the local  port charges each ship has to pay at the various stops. Anchoring off shore or at the few docks where they exist, location. Arrival time, how long in port, etc.  If the ship can even be allowed there with so many others.These decisions are made many months in advance and probably cannot be changed. Money again intervenes in cruise line decisions and SB's. But yes --- an appeal to SB to get more modern in what it offers and how its all done. So many good ideas here waiting to be acted upon.

Agreed. But money shouldn't be a problem considering what LUXURY cruise line Seabourn currently charge for the Greece itineraries.

Yes, I'm not arguing against early tours. I'm promoting MORE choices. More creativity.

Well, those who want to go back to the boat for dinner may do so - even if the departure is late in the evening.

Those who don't want to go back for dinner (or maybe have an early dinner on the ship and then go back outside for a walk through the pretty towns), however, don't have a choice if the departure is early.

Horrible, dreadful, tiring... are words that spring to my mind when I think about Seabourn's website. 

Terrible functions, hard to navigate through. 

If you would like to compare it to other cruise lines in the luxury segment, please do:

https://www.hl-cruises.de/  for Hapag-Lloyd Cruises

http://silversea.com. for Silversea

https://www.rssc.com for REGENT

All of them a universe away from Seabourn's idea of a user-friendly website.

Any comments?

Hi markham,

I wish you a great cruise (!!!) in spite of the truly bad bad bad Seabourn website. Please tell Handré and Ross about it. They need to write to HQ. It has to be the worst of all Luxury cruise lines. Did you check out HAPAG-LLOYD's website. It's a winner! So many information, so easy to use and understand.

BUT, this thread is about Seabourn departure times from ports!

(I shall open a new thread about the website...)

Any more Seabourn travelers out there who would fancy an evening stroll through Mykonos (or any other lovely place in the Med) instead of being back on the ship 5.30p LATEST?

Hello from hot Germany folks,

I was just comparing the Seabourn Greece itinerary with the one on Silversea's new Moon.😡

When will Seabourn learn that evening life in the Med region doesn't start at 5 or 6pm which is when Ovation is to leave port on most of the days. For Heaven's sake, who is planning their departure times? Silver Moon doesn't leave the Greek ports before 11pm on any single day. That gives us time to FULLY enjoy the day outside and maybe even have dinner at the destination. It's hot during the day but it's interesting and nice in ports when the sun sets. I don't want to be back on the ship by 4:30 or 5:30 in the afternoon. If they want to attract a younger clientele why not TRY to include later departures or 😱overnights?

Well it'll be our first Silversea this year, I guess. 

Any thoughts on that?

22 hours ago, markham said:

Will Seabourn also accept one Az followed by a single Pfizer? That is the pertinent question since there are many people, in Germany, Denmark, Norway and Iceland who have received precisely these vaccines.

 

 

 

Thank you, markham. 

@cruiseej: Mixing vaccines is (as of now) neither approved by WHO nor the CDC, in spite of the fact that numerous countries are recommending and applying this scheme. 
Today Charité (Univ of Berlin) published first findings of a study about it: Same (if not better) results than the regular scheme, however not yet officially accepted. 

....And the key point of this thread is the question what Seabourn considers "FULLY" vaccinated.

As there is no official statement yet, if anyone has any new pieces of information - please let me know!

Thank you

I wonder how airlines cope with it…

25 minutes ago, Hlitner said:

We are booked for late July and SB has yet to fully clarify its policy.

Wow, this sounds pretty late to me. 

This has become an interesting discussion and obviously we are all as much in the dark as the Seabourn people themselve. 
I still think that SB will follow CDC guidelines because this is where the company is based. 
Also, we had some chats with ship’s doctors some time ago and were told all Seabourn medical operation is overseen by HAL Seattle. And don‘t forget: As markahm pointed out above there is a lot of legal/insurance stuff involved. 

Interesting, too, I just read that NCL crew members who got their vaccine in their home countries and who received non-CDC-approved vaccines WON‘T be able to work.

Also they were told NOT to get another shot just to have the „correct“ vaccine, because of a possible overreaction of the immune system. They were told to wait for official certification of other vaccines by CDC/WHO. 
 

Needless to say I certainly won‘t be taking a 3rd shot just to be able to cruise. Not a big fan of cytokine storms. 
 

The point of my initial statement was to call for an official definition by Seabourn. 
That I am still waiting for. Before that I would think twice about booking a cruise. I would not want to be left back at the pier on embarkation day. 

4 minutes ago, markham said:

Fair point, and now we will have to wait for whatever CDC and others such as the insurance industry recommend/dictate and whatever Seabourn implements.

 

By any chance does this splitting of vaccine doses apply to you or someone you know with a cruise in July? Seabourn would have to announce its policy soon for these passengers.

 

Happy and healthy sailing!

Yes, it does... I started with AZ and like millions of other people will now receive Biontech/Pfizer. That's what the German health authorities decided (for under 60 year olds) and we don't get a choice. That's why I'm asking. Of course, I won't be booking any SB cruise soon unless they reply.

2 minutes ago, markham said:

Seabourn makes its own rules. Why not ask them? And then let us know what you learn.

 

Happy and healthy sailing!

Hi markham,

they don't really make their own rules, otherwise they would have started sailing again months ago.

Also, from what I've learned so far, they stick to CDC recommendations. 

I have indeed contacted SB about it but have not yet received an answer which makes me think that even they don't know how to deal with it yet.

Best regards, M&P

Dear CC members,

an important and interesting question has come up now regarding the acceptance of vaccinations of European citizens. As published by Seabourn only passengers who are "fully vaccinated" will be allowed to sail. The U.S. CDC defines a full vaccination as having received either 2 shots of the SAME vaccine (Biontech/Pfizer and Moderna) or 1 shot of Johnson&Johnson.

In Europe millions of citizens have received 1 shot of AstraZeneca (which itself has not yet been certified by the CDC) and will now receive another shot of a DIFFERENT vaccine (Biontech/Pfizer or Moderna) out of precaution due to risk in the age group  of those under 60. This heterologous vaccination scheme is recommended by numerous European states (e.g. Germany, France, Spain, Denmark, etc.) and as such certified by those states to represent a full vaccination. 

BUT it is not yet recommended by the WHO or the CDC.

What is Seabourn's definition of a FULL vaccination? 

Will passengers who received this vaccination scheme be allowed to sail?

As of now, I have not received any response to my question regarding this problem by Seabourn.

Any ideas?

M&P Germany

On 9/17/2020 at 4:14 PM, markham said:

M&PGermany,

 

Thank you for brightening up a cloudy period in our lives! And well done for taking this cruise to restore up your spirits and uplift ours. Your comments about your positive experiences on Europa2 inspire us to see beyond the morass we find around us. So many negative thoughts, crazy notions, politicization of what scientists know is science and we know as common sense are enough to depress anyone.

 

Your recollections of examples of Seabourn “magic” have occured to all of us along the way. Wonderful examples. Seems like so long ago that we could experience them in the glow of that personal warmth and hospitality as delivered by Seabourn’s wonderful crew! Let that sun shine again!

 

As for us specifically, we are going to practice social distancing, keep our hands clean, avoid enclosed under-ventilated places as best we can, and wear masks around others to protect them from us, and we hope and expect they will do the same thing. And despite the craziness and harm done by certain politicians, we hope the scientists, industry and others of good intent will guide us towards the administration of a viable vaccine in the next several months. We have booked a Mediterranean Seabourn Ovation cruise for July, 2021 and we are hoping for the best: a reunion of many of our crew and passenger friends. It has been waaaayyyyyy too long already.

 

Happy and healthy sailing!

Dear markham,

thank you for your wonderful reply. Good to know I am not alone with my feelings. 
 

All the best!