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MightyQuinn

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  • Location
    Pacific Northwest
  • Favorite Cruise Line(s)
    Seabourn and Crystal

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  1. It would be wonderful to have Heike on board. Back in the day, we sailed with her on Azamara and she ran a tight and happy ship! I'm sure she would aim to provide the usual sea day activities on Explora but I wonder whether there would be enrichment lecturers or so-called luminaries on board. We decided to go straight to the source and called the Explora Experience Centre. An Ambassador said that most journeys do have luminaries on board but they can't guarantee 100% that any would be on the Hawaii voyage. If there are, their names would not be released until 60 days before sailing. So I guess that's something.
  2. We're considering the Explora 18-day Hawaii cruise next spring which has a whopping 10 sea days. There are 5 consecutive sea days going to Hawaii from Vancouver and another 5 consecutive sea days on the return. We've sailed this route before on another luxury line and there were enough shipboard activities that we never felt bored or restless. We certainly don't need continuous programming but we'd like something more than lounging by the pool. I appreciate the recent reviews by @uktogand @kool kruiserwhich suggest that enrichment and entertainment are still a work in progress. I'd welcome any other comments or speculation (!!) about how Explora would handle a sea day intensive cruise. Thanks!
  3. Hi @markandjieI'm curious how Venture feels with 240 pax. Our Greenland trip this past summer had just 118 pax and we thought that was ideal. No issues with seating in any lounge or in getting a coveted window table in the Restaurant, even at peak times. No line-ups in the Colonnade or SB Square. No problem grabbing an unobstructed seat for recap in the Discovery Centre. Double the pax seems like there could be various pressure points. What has been your experience? Thanks for your reports!
  4. Really. Good. News. We welcome a change from TKG and have high hopes for Solis, under the direction of such proven culinary talent as Chefs Egger and Salein. But nothing will replace R2 as our favorite dining space on SB.
  5. You picked a great date @Hobar with or without a time machine! We actually were on Venture in Greenland on Aug 5, 2023 and shortly after midnight, got a wake-up call announcing the Northern Lights. We're now looking at a couple of different 14-day sailings in mid-late August 2024.
  6. Good for you @Hobar. I hope you have a blast. We loved our Greenland trip so much that we're actually considering a repeat voyage next summer with a slightly different itinerary. This time we'd include the much acclaimed Scoresby!
  7. We booked a last-minute Venture cruise to Iceland & Greenland this past summer. It was within a month of sailing, so we did no research and went with no expectations. This was very atypical for us, as we are usually armed with endless research and must-see lists before heading out. We had been to Iceland before and had already experienced its outstanding natural wonders and vibrant urban life. Icelanders are a hardy sort and certainly know how to party hard! Despite its somewhat remote location, Iceland still has a very western feel. Greenland, on the other hand, feels more remote and exotic. It is a vast landmass with elements of Norway (fjords), Chile (glaciers) and Antarctica (icebergs). The culture is predominantly Inuit which lends a unique feel even in small urban centres. While we really liked Iceland, we loved Greenland. Our positive impression was no doubt influenced by the weather. We had brilliant sunshine almost every day. The expedition team told us that Greenland weather is usually unpredictable and not nearly as good as we had. I'm sure we would have come away with a different impression if it had been dreary and cold. In addition to breathtaking scenery, we saw lots of wildlife including humpbacks, orcas, fin whales, bearded seals, musk ox. We also had the good fortune to see the Northern Lights which was a real treat. This impromptu cruise turned out to be one of our best ever, with Greenland tipping the scales. It has become one of our favorite places on the planet.
  8. We've been to Antarctica and South Georgia, as well as parts of the Arctic in Canada, Greenland and Norway. The obvious difference is the Arctic is inhabited, mostly by northern Indigenous peoples, whether Inuit, Mikmaq, Sami or others. There are opportunities to explore aboriginal villages and to experience a much different culture. Antarctica has virtually no people, except those who staff the various research stations. It has an other-worldly feel unlike any other place we've been. It is nature on steroids. Both have stunning wide-open spaces, spectacular scenery and unique wildlife. Both leave you grateful to have traveled there and we'd happily return to either.
  9. I was surprised to see several men in tuxes on special nites in the Restaurant on our recent Venture cruise in Greenland. I haven't seen fancy gowns on SB in years but there was a young woman who wore floor-length gowns. Her partner wasn't similarly attired but she looked great!
  10. We were recently on Venture in Greenland. We received an upgrade offer from V3 to Panorama Veranda which was very tempting. I tried to find reviews, but since this is a new category for SB, there wasn't much. I found some pics of the suite and a few mentions here on CC, as well as some comments from influencers on other sites. You found the same but it's not enough to go on. So we decided to wait until we were on board and ask to see the suite before accepting the offer. Shortly after boarding, we arranged to see the suite. It is truly stunning upon entry, with floor to ceiling wrap-around windows. The bed faces the ocean and the whole effect is very bright and inviting. However, the room is long and narrow so it felt cramped and not as well laid out as the more traditional SB veranda suite. The walk-in closet seemed narrower than usual. There is no separate writing desk so stuff you would usually do or keep there would need to be done on the main glass table. The balcony is slightly smaller than usual and can be seen from the window in the bathroom. On balance, we decided not to accept the upgrade and were very happy with our decision. As an aside, our V3 (deck 6) was around the corner from the Panorama Veranda suites, which jut out in the corridor kinda like the Wintergarten Suites. I can assure you there is absolutely no noise from the elevators or the nearby stairwell.
  11. You should have no problem navigating Canada Place or waiting in long lines during embarkation, even if several monster ships are also in port. Just follow the signs for Seabourn or mention to any onsite CP staff that you are sailing with Seabourn and they literally will trip over each other trying to help you. You'll also get a magic card (ours was yellow) to slip into your passport/travel docs. Once a CP staffer sees the magic card, you are whisked away to a priority line for quick access to US Immigration and Customs. Once inside, there are separate lines for Canadian/American or International passport holders to reach APC terminals. Pick your line, scan your passport and get a printed ticket to give to the Immigration officer at the door. Then proceed to the Seabourn check-in area and wait to board the ship. All went very smoothly for us up to this point but we got stuck in the Seabourn waiting area for almost an hour since the Canadian Coast Guard decided to do an unannounced inspection of Odyssey before any new guests could board. Set that aside and embarkation was a breeze!
  12. The link to order the Alaska jackets was in an email from Seabourn titled: Your Voyage Is Just Days Away. It wasn't obvious that it included info about the jackets! Once you click the order link on the email, it's already populated with your voyage number and sailing date. You then select the size jacket from a drop down menu. The jackets are unisex but there's a sizing chart on the order form.
  13. Thanks Nancy. I'm not surprised the info from SB was wrong! My DH said the person answering the phone didn't know who would be the CD, so she placed him on hold for quite a long time and came back with Peter Robinson. DH got the impression she wasn't too confident with her answer. I'll be in touch later today.
  14. @nancygp Hi Nancy, do you know when Matt starts? We're on an early sailing to Alaska and SB told us the CD would be Peter Robinson. I've not heard of either of them so I guess it won't really matter!
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