Friendship Bay

Don't wait too long, Catlover. We travelled a bit after Sydney-Singapore on Encore in March, and when I got home I could no longer access the survey. Although they don't tell you there is a date limit expiry, there is! Now I will just have to provide my feedback here on CC....

Although, insult to injury since there is as yet no guest laundry, Encore managed to lose ours on our Sydney to SIngapore cruise. I started to get a bit antsy after three days, although I knew it couldn't have disappeared off the ship. It materialized on day 4, but that's really not acceptable especially as you don't have an alternative and we pack light. There was no explanation or apology, but at least we weren't charged for it. So that's one way to get low-cost laundry.

IMaybe we wouldn't make such a big deal about this if Seabourn didn't. Like many things on the new Encore, it is a commodity product with a luxury label stuck on. Maybe hoping we won't notice. I wouldn't go so far as to call ahead to get my preferred brands stocked, but I was glad that for our recent Sydney-Singapore I had packed a travel kit of Bumble & Bumble, and some Appelles product picked up on our travels through Australia.

We just finished Sydney to Singapore in a connecting suite (726). No light issues, and we very rarely heard the neighbours--I mean a couple of times, at low (ignorable) volume in 26 days. And there were two different sets over the 2 segments, so its not just that the first ones were especially quiet. Occasionally I would hear the toilet flush, but then realized that was when the room was being serviced and the steward had propped the door open. And generally, people were fairly well-behaved on the verandahs, but that is where we noticed the sound a lot more -- scraping furniture and conversations at "outdoor voice" pitch. That's not attributable to suites adjoining!

The library is managed by Elliott Bay Bookstore in Seattle, one of our favorites! It was a fine selection--because we were on for two segments (Sydney - Bali - Singapore) we got two cracks at the inventory. A good mix of contemporary and classic fiction, and some timely non-fiction as well.

There is space for guest "take one/leave one" but it is awkward to access, on a couple of the lower shelves. You have to be desperate and undignified and haul up a chair or squat on the floor. That stock is variable, as you might expect, but we found some good traders.

Kindle loading pre-cruise is always an option, of course, but we really appreciated the good selection of real books.

I am assuming the Encore will follow this model, but I thought I better check my assumption...

This is more important to us than the laundry! The libraries on the triplets were small but very satisfactory. We will be on our first O-class ship in March. What availability and selection can we anticipate? I can load up my tablet, but I prefer an old-fashioned book and the surprises that lurk on IRL shelves.

Intercontinental is ok, but nothing special.

We live a couple of hours from Montreal and are there regularly for business and fun. The Nelligan is a great recommendation for old town ambience. Our current preference for a more uptown feel is the Sofitel, well-located right across from the Ritz and a bit lighter. Go to Ferriera Cafe for the best fish outside of Portugal!

...and this advice would be consistent with our experience, even without the extra security of the Zodiac!

We did this in the summer of 2014, when Seabourn was still running one of the small ships up north of the Cape to the ice pack. Our day in Gerianger was spectacular; a hike in the morning and kayaking in the afternoon. We have kayaked a few times, but are by no means experts or even terribly experienced. The kayaking was not strenuous, you don`t go too far, and the pace is set by the slowest in the group. So you only go as far as they do, and you can turn around at any time really. You are always within sight of the group. It is a great way to see the fjord from an "up close" perspective.

We had great weather, and the water inside the fjords is protected. You don't get out into the chop. Obviously, the conditions will dictate your experience, but I would not hesitate to recommend it to anyone who is reasonably comfortable on the water.

I do believe he was the purser on our just finished Hong Kong to Singapore on the Pride.