markham

We have to get some perspective first. The Block Party idea bubbled up and outta the Seabourn Signature Events campaign a few years ago. You were invited by the CD to meet and greet your suite neighbors at 18:00 on an early cruise day “come as you are”. The idea is that the CD with the captain and HD in tow would hand out drinks and process through all decks. And you were supposed to enjoy it. No kidding. On one fine cruise Mel appeared in bathrobe, face cream, shower cap and “howdy doody hey neyber” and “I’m Mel, I like cats” and other badges, ya know, to break the ice. And follow the officers about. It’s taking the meet and greet etc idea to another level, much to everyone’s delight- except maybe the CD who was responsible for the sorry mess. And a couple of terribly embarrassed captains. I know, I know… FYI, Howdy Doody was a freckle faced ginger haired puppet who starred in a 1950s-60s American TV program for children. For some, I guess, their signature moment, but when the memories surface, and for this demographic, well, events follow. So Mel was sorta inevitable. Happy and healthy sailing!

The means of reaching any port or landing from Venture is via zodiacs. If there is a pier you would wear regular shoes but if a wet landing a pair of boots. You step right off the ship’s side door on deck 3 and into the waiting 8-12 person plus driver zodiac, and use the sailor’s grip on both arms for support with the crew. Happy and healthy sailing!

Mr L, There won’t be any tuxes as per the “elegant casual” code for this entire cruise. And more depressing is there will be no Block Party which means Mel will have to stay to himself despite longing for those old “Seabourn Moments”. Remember those? On second thought, don’t. The sea route to eastern Greenland is very smooth, surprisingly so. That said the ice near land is too much to make certain landings possible so the captain is reserving a couple of days there and towards southern Greenland so make suitable plans. Fine with me. Back to your plans for your cruise’s social engagement calendar, you will hear about our Club reception scheduled for 11 June in due course. And no, you won’t be competing in any make-your-own hat parade contest. Happy and healthy sailing!

Texanaust, you may be right but then there are other factors in play: These new expo ships with their large expo staff represent new costs/opportunities and so they need to cost much more. There will be some price shakeouts eg right now the Silver Endeavour is a good 45% more than a comparable cabin here. I guess the classic ships, being older and therefore more tired, will be sold off sooner rather than later. They cannot command as much as you could argue the newer and more advanced wave of eg Silversea ships eg Muse, Moon and Dawn, and also the spectacular new Nova and Ray. You have to check them outline and while at it look at the 2 new Regent ships- glitzy but those bells and whistles cost. Maybe we will all decide to spend more or cruise less but get more value during the days we are at sea. Which leads me to think that in time Seabourn will build those types of ships and when the opportunity arises “do an Odyssey” starting with Quest and Sojourn. It takes a good 5 years to conceive and deliver a new ship vision and we all know Seabourn cannot just stand still. My hope is they do a better job than they did in 2016 replicating Odyssey into the more crowded and facilities-pinched Encore next time - a top deck track, deck sports areas, much larger pool, MDR and Grand Salon than can hold more passengers, more deck space per passenger, and no silly VVIP “retreat”. And who needs TK Grill anymore when you have your own brand? How ‘bout spending the money at home? So let’s see what happens. Happy and healthy sailing!

Texanaust, you may be right but then there are other factors in play: These new expo ships with their large expo staff represent new costs/opportunities and so they need to cost much more. There will be some price shakeouts eg right now the Silver Endeavour is a good 45% more than a comparable cabin here. I guess the classic ships, being older and therefore more tired, will be sold off sooner rather than later. They cannot command as much as you could argue the newer and more advanced wave of eg Silversea ships eg Muse, Moon and Dawn, and also the spectacular new Nova and Ray. You have to check them outline and while at it look at the 2 new Regent ships- glitzy but those bells and whistles cost. Maybe we will all decide to spend more or cruise less but get more value during the days we are at sea. Which leads me to think that in time Seabourn will build those types of ships and when the opportunity arises “do an Odyssey” starting with Quest and Sojourn. It takes a good 5 years to conceive and deliver a new ship vision and we all know Seabourn cannot just stand still. My hope is they do a better job than they did in 2016 replicating Odyssey into the more crowded and facilities-pinched Encore next time - a top deck track, deck sports areas, much larger pool, MDR and Grand Salon than can hold more passengers, more deck space per passenger, and no silly VVIP “retreat”. And who needs TK Grill anymore when you have your own brand? How ‘bout spending the money at home? So let’s see what happens. Happy and healthy sailing!

Yes. Happy and healthy sailing!

So far I tremendously impressed by all aspects of Venture and will probably continue to be in that mode as we spend more time experiencing the decks, interior spaces and levels of service. Our benchmark will be, as usual, what we had expected to find here and the 5 classic Seabourn ships. The exterior deck spaces are vast! The outdoor seating behind the Colonnade (leading to the small pool and 2 jacuzzis) is slightly smaller than the classics, but recall that this is a 270 capacity ship vs 450 or 600. There is a large lounger area behind the gym which is new. And on the top deck around the 24 large zodiacs there’s vast open flat space (reminiscent of QM2) that affords long straightaways for walking unencumbered. (You will recall how poorly the Encore class ships especially delivers on that score). Then there is the front of ship space on deck 6 forward of the Bow Lounge. All for which help ensure this ship is happily suited for warm weather cruising. Venture also affords lots of space as we have experienced at the Colonnade’s indoor and outdoor seating and MDR seating. The seating at the Constellation Bar, the Club and surrounding tables are well-spaced. Not only does this make for the more comfortable and quieter environments I covet, it underlines the quality and thoughtfulness of design and appreciation of what luxury (to me, at least) really means. There is no comparison with the other Seabourn ships. Related to the point above is the clever addition of a bar with seating in the area leading to the Discovery Center where tonight we meet and greet Capt Golobev. Remember how you hard to work to get a drink at the Grand Salon or refill unless you were lucky or brought your own? That is over with this bar, the fourth we have located on Venture. Very smart. About the food, we see far deeper menus and more quality choices and ingredients than we encountered on our recent poorly-provisioned Quest Grand Voyage. So far everyone is impressed although some of the few we have spoken to do not have much to say about Seabourn generally. I suppose that suggests that many are “expedition” and not “cruise” people. The crew, many of whom we know, are well trained, motivated, and seem proud to work in these surroundings. Makes sense. Related to this, the Colonnade lunch offering includes 2 pizzas and 2 paninis, items that were at the Patio on the larger ships. The decor and layout, combined with easy access to outdoor seating, means I won’t miss the old pool areas’ dining option. And so far I don’t know about the E&O menus being delivered at the Colonnade. About TK Grill, well, I won’t miss it. For us the menus and concept are stale, and I won’t miss the manoeuvring palaver to get in and get back in there during a cruise. I am sure those budget spends can be deployed more productively in Venture’s outlets. There is art, lots of it, for a happy change. And there is a passenger laundry containing 4 washer and 4 dryers. And no Retreat nonsense, presumably because the idea is more mass market embarrassing and/or these passengers have no one and nothing to retreat from. That is it for our first 28 hours on board this beautiful ship. If you have a few particular questions I will see what I can do. Happy and healthy sailing!

I just checked with Guest Services. Smoking is allowed on deck 9 Sky Bar. I am trying to ascertain which side of the deck that might be. Happy and healthy sailing!

Patience is a virtue Old Fruit. For now and for our purposes this ship is magnifient and smart. Happy and healthy sailing!

Mr L, The fact of the matter is that Carlos has less mileage on his clock than you have which means more miles to spare on his upgrade journey than your clock might show. So it makes sense to give him all the available upgrade-related attention and then spare whatever’s left for the old fruit. OK? Happy and healthy sailing!

Saminia, Endeavour is in the new harbour today. What hotel is a one hundred yard walk away from it? Venture is in the new harbor tomorrow and we will join. We hope we enjoy it for our 15 day cruise. I am interested to hear how you position Endeavour relative to its price per day. It appears to be at least 45% more than a similarly-sized Venture cabin. Happy and healthy sailing!

Shout out! Carlos, our waiter for most of the recent Grand Voyage working in the MDR is a star performer on Quest. Some personality, one with plenty of recommendations. Our dinners were so enjoyable. I wish he were taking his enthusiasm into a F&B mgr role. Who knows? Maybe in the fullness of time Seabourn can promote from within such resourceful people and then to retain these top performers once properly trained. And then maybe he could make whatever changes are within his remit to improve those lunchtime Colonnade buffets- all provided Seattle ramps up the quality of its provisioning and upgrade those menus. Happy and healthy sailing!

Remember - for those who really know both lines and the free laundry routine: seabourn returns it next day or 2 days after it’s passed across. SS is same day. Big difference in capability and service. Happy and healthy sailing!

Seabourn Square is a coffee lounge, conversation lounge, and lounge with customer service staff to answer questions and deal with all sorts of issues. Silversea has a coffee and snack bar for informal chatting and small plates of food to accompany your beverage. It’s called Arts Cafe. Arguably Silversea simply does not need Seabourn Square style clerks since all cabins have butlers (and always have had them) who can do what these clerks do eg manage restaurant and tours reservations, help with internet access and laundry issues, setup in suite parties etc but in a one on one “assigned”, tine effective for getting results in a discrete way. This is what you would experience in the best of hotels. Suits me very well. We have always been happy with the Silversea arrangement. That said, I look forward to seeing what, if anything, changes at Silversea with Nova’s launch this summer. Happy and healthy sailing!

Not sure one Spirit cruise is modern day definitive since some of your observations are incorrect or misleading. Eg Silversea offers complimentary caviar. The La Terrazza breakfast and lunch do change daily. They do charge for 2/8 restaurants on our favorite ships Muse, Moon and Dawn but that is still more choice in cuisines than any Seabourn ship. And we have had non-staff entertainers. I can also point to the pools and top deck track on these 3 ships and what shows on publicity re the Nova and Ray due out this summer and fall. Seabourn’s 5 classic ships were designed with small pools; the Silversea ships have pools roughly 50% larger. They have circular top deck long tracks that Seabourn just doesn’t; the U shaped shorter walks on deck 5 don’t rate. Seabourn simply must design and deliver more modern and clever ships to compete with these 5 and the 2 new Regent ships. Best then to check the websites as a starter on profiling and then see for yourselves by trying this new generation of 5 Silversea (and 2 Regent) ships. Happy and healthy sailing!

SLSD, Thanks for asking. Our next cruise is the special-purpose Venture! We think newly ships such as Venture are the way to go, and we hope we will love it since we have another Venture cruise in July, 2024, a choice which was itinerary-driven. We got religion after a few cruises on Silverseas’ Moon, Muse and Dawn, all with superior designs vs the 5 Seabourn cruise ships. So we have 2 Dawn cruises this year! In Feb., 2024 we will be on Sojourn for part of the WC, and we are counting on the extremely impressive, smart, personable, sincere, and resourceful new president, Natalya Leahy, to make a huge difference in the coming months. (No use for anyone, especially me, to cry over whatever happened to Seabourn standards in late 2023 to result in the mess we found recently. It is time to move forward.) So it’s on to Venture for us in a week! Happy and healthy sailing!

I spend time in Germanic countries that pride themselves on catering the authentic dish. Seabourn had cut corners and showed me it knows nothing about the real thing. But I do and that is why I sent it back and reordered for a special meal. It is obvious to me that the chef was under orders to make do less - without saying as much to me when he apologised for this failure. Should Quest passengers have any doubts they might as well corral the F&B Mgr or MDR Restaurant Manager and establish what goes into what they want as special orders, formally request it or a derivation thereof, and see what happens. Too bad we have experienced this ourselves, and also learned that some foods eg calves liver were to be offered once only in 78 days due to what I would term poor provisioning. IMO it was executed better and smarter in years past, and we go back 20 years with our annual Seabourn cruises. Best of luck! And I hasten to add that I will be more than delighted when the catering gets improved and I hear from multiple sources on the “when, how, and what”. Happy and healthy sailing!

Imagine the same menus on the recent South America Grand Voyage, but with poorer provisioning starting with Miami for 78 days and little to show for plugging the gaps, and you have our disappointing cruise. As I mentioned in my posts at the time, all 3 lunch outlets have baseline menus that are the same on the day eg chili con carne, black bean soup and hake for “Mexican” so there is no escaping the repetitive program unless you order for the next day in the MDR a special meal. We often did so after we learned the ropes. I could go on about the ludicrous themes dressing up cheap, boring, limited and unhealthy Colonnade lunches that show how tedious this definition/claim to “luxury” was then. But I did so on this forum at the time for the record. The Comfort Food and the Filipino Food buffets were among the saddest followed by other hodge podge low cost themed rotations. Just like state school meals but at Seabourn prices. BTW, these are imposed on all the ships simultaneously. Ah, for the olden days when the quality of the current Galley Lunch, albeit with less choice, WAS the standard daily in the Colonnade. Where we never saw crab legs much less sushi, for example, on our cruise. All that said, chefs Trevor and then Christophe did well with their MDR dinners, IMO, given the provisioning. Many meals were very good, but then there are the outliers. I remember the weiner schnitzels that were so thin we sent it back, received apologies, and then ordered it custom cut thicker for the next day’s dinner. Sad, and so time for a big shakeup. Happy and healthy sailing!

$5.00 as a tip? It won’t buy you a coffee in the US. Better be a short distance/time wheelchair push. This is 2023. Happy and healthy sailing!

If you look at the Danish meteorological ice charts of that part of the world you will see ice in June and it will stay that way until July. This is straightforward and it is surprising to me that Seabourn expected to go there and deploy zodiacs etc this early in the year. Happy and healthy sailing!

Rothko1, I am not too concerned about a crew member shaking me down when I chose to leave the ship without my passport in South Africa. My goal is to keep it safe some purser’s dictates that US/UK government authorities chose not to specify when they advised against carrying passports ashore in South Africa. About collecting passports of course I would return it to Seabourn Square. No one would sensibly interfere or argue with that action. For me that is all there is to it. Happy and healthy sailing!

I prefer to eat meals at a table either in a restaurant or poolside with waiter staff who serve and clean up or in my cabin on occasion with the butler in charge of coordinating service. Not sure why anyone would want to eat near in/near a jacuzzi with the wind blowing around or at a low cocktail table in a lounge. Isn't that like street food? On a luxury ship I think that would get old real fast. Happy and healthy sailing!

Yes, passports may have been handed out. But the question for all of us going forward is: did anyone prevent you from returning to the ship and leaving your passport in your cabin safe? My thinking is that the handout procedure will be rethought going forward. And until it does I would seek to protect my passport by leaving it behind, in line with advice given by US and UK State/Foreign Office Authorities. Happy and healthy sailing!

Butlers are great. They get things done fast. And you get their undivided attention. But if you like queuing at Seabourn Square while others ahead of you chat with the one or 2 staff on dutyabout their life experiences/last cruise/cat sitter without a care for the queue that's building up, or try to get their iPads linked to the Source, or squabble about tour refunds etc - all while they are typing away about your query and then get around to dealing with the simple ones - - you know the picture - so you get frustrated and return at a "quieter time" when more staff may be available, then Seabourn Square is ok. Is this luxury? Depends on you and how you view it. Happy and healthy sailing!

Are you saying you booked through a specialist cruise UK TA and when it came to recovering in your favor a Seabourn price reduction they did not assist, the implication being you believe you could have done better by booking and negotiating for this directly? I have never understood why anyone would book directly with any cruise line. The line would have a conflict of interest if they decide for whatever reason to ignore you. A TA worth their salt would never do that. Plus there are many other reasons why TAs earn your business with other benefits you typically get from them. Happy and healthy sailing!