kirtihk

Cheses were not just good. Some of them I've never tried. The best one was (I forgot its name) looking like a ice-cream in a sphere cheese shape - it was melting in your mouth. At first, I saw a French women put couple pounds of it on her plate after she finished her lunch and ate it within 10 min and smiled through the entire process. Then I took it and realized why. It was great (I took more after the first try, because I was warned that that cheese was available just during that lunch). Black caviar event was also great. PS. In March this year we were on our first Seabourn cruise where caviar is available through entire ship for 24 hours at any place (you may just seat at the pool, request it, and they make a full serve of it with all proper accompanied settings to you like a king right on spot).

Perhaps, I may catch one and deliver it to the ship for you - he-he!!!

I did it a few times with relatives visiting us within last 32 years (since I moved to US from USSR). We live 20 min drive from the Falls.

Yes. The first time I heard about it was a couple years ago when I talked to the US Ponant head manager (I was discussing directly with her many aspects of my second Ponant cruise when it was booked and cancelled, and booked, and rescheduled, and so on 5 times with totally different itineraries!!!). She told me at that time that Ponant is in progress of buying Paul Gauguin.

Ponant gave us 75% refund for our Shmandemic cruise - 12-day March 8-20 on Le Soleal, Eastern Island to Tahiti that became cruise to nowhere and lasted extra 4 days until March 25. That refund made us the next 13-day cruise free (from Nice to Istanbul). On the first cruise food and Belgian Chef (actually, we became friends during long days and night cruising through South Pacific without any stops) were unbelievable! Cheses were exceptional! Fresh local fish (like moon fish) was stunning! Every lunch was actually like a cooking demonstration at the pool side. Beef tartar, fish, foie gras, and more - all prepared in front of you.

It’s so funny: one needs live far away from a wonder to really appreciate its beauty!

On many itineraries they have no single supplement.

We've been on 2 Ponant cruises: the first was Shmandemic cruise (March 8-24, 2020, Le Soleal "sistership" class - 264 guests max (there were 175), from Eastern Island to Tahiti); and the second was June 26 - July 10, Le Bougainville "explorer" class - 184 guests max (there were 130), from Nice to Istanbul (France, Italy including Sicily, Greek Islands). Due to 2020-2022 world madness, it's very hard to judge Ponant (as any cruise line), since so many cuts occurred on all of cruise lines including any luxury one (Regent, Seabourn, and alike). I don't want to go over negative aspects; therefore, overall, if I imagine pre-2020 Ponant cruising combined with our 2 cruises' experience after subtracting all post-2020 damages, I will say that Ponant is exceptional in many aspects (including French influence) and not comparable with Celebrity (we had 8 Celebrity cruises since 2004 including 2 of them in December 2021 and February - March 2022).

Not exactly: 3 segments of 10 total (that we booked) priced individually cost more if totaling and divided by a total number of days - $110 more per day vs my price. By the way, this 2016 world cruise is sold out as of 3 days ago.

Basically, if a person doesn't eat dinner at a buffet, I would treat the price of such a cruise as a price during booking + (a price of specialty restaurant x a number of nights). For example, 10-night cruise is $2,000 per person with tax, and an average specialty restaurant is $50; then the total price is $2,500. Then I would think whether I want to book this cruise for that price. No problems, no issues.

I booked a Silversea cruise with an exceptional itinerary recently for $330 per night.

Correct (from my experience on their December 20, 2022 cruise).

That’s nothing. What about charging for each door opening to your cabin? Doors and lock system cost, too, you know. Or, perhaps, each visit to a public washroom? Shall I continue?.. Life is life… Voyage, Voyage!!!

A rhetorical statement: basically, and unfortunately, the term "entitled" is simply purposely has been misused lately (within last few years) similar to "dismissed", "falsely", "baselessly", and a number of other words. Does it sound familiar? Voyage, Voyage!!!

Each of us on this planet is "a member of the younger generation" at some point, and the same is true to become "a member of the older generation". Real loyalty is a virtue; "screw you" mentality, from the other hand, is a weakness. Voyage, Voyage!

Yes, on both. They are really good! Seabourn was better for us: Regent Splendor we had (a new) is for 746 people, and Seaborn Venture (an also new ship) was an expedition ship with 264 people. Food was better on Seabourn. Regent is the best for space (square footage per person in open areas) among all cruise lines we've been on.

I know, I know, it was simply an ironical (with a slightly sarcastic flavor I must admit) rhetorical comment.

Why? I thought I left KGB behind (especially, in relation to so innocent business as the cruise industry) when I left USSR in February 1991. Voyage, Voyage!

Apparently, not for all…

Not at all! It was lovely time for many many reasons! My comment was neither a complaint nor criticism, and not a protest in any form, just an observation. I prefer a little more formal than shorts at night; however, for those who like it, let it be, it's not an offence to anyone. As a matter of fact, we just put on hold 3 leg-quote of 2026 world cruise on Dawn.

On our last Regent, Ponant, and Seabourn cruises some people were in shorts during evening hours every day.

I lived through rationing myself (no, I'm not over 80 years old; it happened in 1990-1991), and I agree with this statement. I can add an expression (a translation to English) - "the salvation of a drowning man is the work of the drowning man himself". Voyage, Voyage!!!

What about a free fare cruise and then paying for everything (cabin, any food/drink by item, pool/hot tub/sauna/lounge or any other facility by hour, show, band, any party, and a such) on the ship? Then everyone would be happy, because a person would pay (and utilize) for ONLY what they actually need (like in a Liberty Mutual advertisement) and want to use. So, if one is fine with sleeping near pool (on a Caribbean cruise, for example, they would pay for a number of sleeping hours in that area instead of "wasting" money on a cabin). My comment is ironical (if not sarcastic) just to show how ridiculously this topic might grow; so, I hope no one will take it seriously.

Typically, when the word "improvement" is used in relation to public such as in Celebrity advertisements, it's intended to be for a customer purpose. The reality, however, (as we know) is a different story.

Now we are talking. These people do not live on borrowed life, that’s for sure.