commodoredave

Of course you are correct, and that we will have far more fun on the ship than preparing for it. However, for us, the anticipation of a great vacation is almost worth as much as taking it. In this case, Seabourn has robbed us of that pleasure.

My experience with the Seabourn Expedition cruise people to date has been disappointing to the point where I have to say the expedition offering is not quite ready for prime time. Our story begins a year ago when we booked an expedition cruise on the soon-to-be launched Seabourn Pursuit for October of this year. At the time, we had been on 7 regular Seabourn cruises, and decided to give their new Expedition cruises a try. The launch date for the Pursuit kept getting pushed back to the point we thought our cruise would be cancelled. Troubling and worrying, but we stuck with and six months later the launch date was finally confirmed and we could relax. Next, we started to get emails from Seabourn every 2 to 3 weeks telling us that we could submit our passenger information and preferences for our cruise on the “Seabourn Venture.” I wrote to our TA and Seabourn several times telling them we were on the Pursuit and not the Venture, but the emails telling us we were on the Venture continued to come. Next, we were advised by Seabourn for several months that we could now book our shore excursions, but there were no excursions on the Seabourn website to book. A few months later, pre and post cruise excursions were listed, but nothing else. The emails telling us that we could book our shore excursions continued weekly, and eventually one excursion was added for one of the ports. Several more weeks of prompting to book excursions brought one more port with excursion choices. The drip-feeding continued for months, but we now have 4 ports with excursion options with several still missing. Then the confusion started about what the health requirements were for the cruise. Two weeks ago Seabourn sent out different and more detailed information about the requirement for a Yellow Fever vaccine or doctor’s certificate for a counter-indication. If one was off-side with these requirements, not much time to prepare. Then, yesterday, Seabourn sent out health information that advised a Covid-19 booster received within 270 days of departure was required to board the ship. My DW and I both had Covid in May, so skipped the booster we would have normally had shortly after that. Now, apparently, we were off-side with that requirement. However, an email sent to our TA a day later who checked with Seabourn determined that the Covid advisory was sent in error and is not required on our cruise. Now we could cancel the appointment we had made at the last minute to get a booster. To ensure we fully realized that management of Seabourn Expeditions was not quite ready for prime time, we received an email today telling us that our boarding time was at 2:00 pm, 20 minutes after the boarding time provided to the couple we booked with and are travelling with. Oh yes, we are gold members in a Panorama Veranda Suite, while our friend are first-time Seabourn cruisers in a V2 Suite. Apparently, the more time and money one spends with Seabourn, the less value they place on you. We told our TA about this, and she immediately called Seabourn and had them change our boarding time to be the same as our friends with no status and in a lower category cabin. Is a complaint from a TA really necessary for Seabourn to do the right thing? Fortunately, there are plenty of other cruise options out there clamoring for our business. So, after sailing on a SilverSea expedition cruise, and participating in a Ponant webinar with our travel agency yesterday, you may understand why this will likely be our last Expedition cruise with Seabourn. If you have had any negative experinces with Seabourn Expeditions, feel free to weigh in with your comments.

Yippie!!

Good question. There may be a difference below Manaus as the river is much wider, making it more difficult for bugs to reach the ship. Another factor might be seasonal - the wet season runs from December to June, and may have more bugs than the dry season.

Have you tried the Galapagos? Lots of hiking, getting close up to wild life, snorkeling, kayaking, etc. We had a great time.

I agree with you. But some folks may be messier and dirtier than us! 😆

Got the same message. However, for people who cannot have a Yellow Fever vaccine, it also says: "If you have a medical contraindication to the vaccine, you must bring an original, signed and dated vaccine exemption certificate issued by a licensed medical doctor. Please note photocopies are not acceptable." So if you can't have a Yellow Fever Vaccine, it's important you bring the correct documentation.

When our cruise finishes in Manaus in late October, we will be flying to Sao Paulo for 3 days and would appreciate some advice for local tours, restaurants and hotels. We are foodies, and love good quality restaurants, but not the Michelin star ones that are snooty and require a mortgage. Local food, family run, and interesting menus are what we are looking for. In terms of tours, we prefer local guides rather than commerical operations. We enjoy seeing beautiful old buildings, history and culture. With respect to hotels, we tend to the luxury side, but prefer boutique and smaller chains as opposed to big American chains. Someone recommended the Hotel Portobay as a great hotel in a very safe and nice area. Please provide any advice you think might be helpful. Thanks.

You could be right. I’ve only done one other expedition cruise (Galapagos) and while everything was always available it was a much smaller ship (100 people).

All the days for zodiac excursions on the Amazon are noted, while the excursions for ports like Devil's Island are missing. Seabourn just added the excursion choice for Port of Spain, Trinidad last Friday. Still a couple of others missing. All excurions listed so far have been a choice of free or upgraded for a fee. It's a small ship, so I'm guessing there will always be room on a particular excursion no matter how late it is posted.

We are getting close to our Expedition cruise aboard the Pursuit in the Amazon, so we are now getting into some nitty gritty issues like appropriate footwear. In particular, I would appreciate any suggestions on the most appropriate shoes to wear for trips ashore on the Zodiac, and walking onshore during an excusion. Should I bring boat shoes, rubber water shoes, tennis shoes, etc.? Thanks.

Well, my wife deserves the credit. She said to me, "What do you think would be cheaper? Upgrading to a Panorama Suite or a divorce?!"

I just checked next April and they are indeed calling it a Panorama Penthouse Suite and charging accordingly. Perhaps they can get more for it by designating it as a penthouse rather than Verandah. Which means my decision to try at a steep discount now is better than missing out next year when it is priced beyond my means.

Good to know -- I won't pack any pods as the saucer ones are not available for consumer use. They will likely have enough decaf. And I enjoy going to Seabourn Square for speciality coffees. Thanks.

As they say, a happy wife is a happy life!! We are used to different Nespresso pods. We spend winters in Barbados in 2 different villas - one uses the Virtuo pods which are very difficult to buy locally. The other uses Original pods which are readily available locally except for decaf. So each year we bring both!

It doesn't happen often, but yes they have run out of decaf. On our last Seabourn cruise -- 3 back to back voyages from Barbados to St. Maarten in 2022 -- they ran out the last few days. So now we bring a few extra decaf pods just in case.

Thanks for the answers and good advice. My wife drinks decaf coffee and we usually bring a few pods with us in case the local supply runs out. Does the Nespresso machine use the small, original pods? Thanks.

A couple of questions as follows: 1. The deck plan indicates the balcony for a Panorama is smaller than a Verandah cabin, but the description of a Panorama shows it has more square feet of space. Which is correct? 2. Does the Panorama have the Nespresso coffee maker? Many thanks.

I've never had the option of a free excursion on disembarkation day, perhaps because I have never taken the SS air package which likely includes transfers. Regardless, I do think it is an option that passengers should pay extra for if they want it; otherwise people who may not want to avail themselves of it will be subsidizing it.

Okay, DW has ordered me to book the Panorama! Thank you, Mr. Luxury (I think!). I just hope that when I take my bath in front of the external window that I don’t frighten any wild life (never mind crew and fellow passengers)! Questions to follow in due course.

I'm in a V2 suite and the price to upgrade to Panorama for a 14 night cruise is US$2,099 per person for a total of $4,198, which given the original price for these suites is a good deal. In contrast, an upgrade to a VS is US$1,399 pp, and US$899 for an upgrade to V3 or V4. I don't see the value in paying that much more for the same suite in a different location.

Thank you both for your comments. I’m still undecided but leaning towards accepting the upgrade on the premise that we may never get the option of trying it again at a big discount.

I agree. I guess you know things are not going well for a cruise line when the thing they do best is give refunds! 😁 But it does sound like things at shoreside management are beginning to improve. That's a good sign.

I had some of the same concerns, but then I read two ship reviews from Conde Nast Traveler and Cruise Critic as per below. So, for those who have been in the Panorama Suite, do the benefits described below offset some of the potential negatives such as noise from the elevators, etc.? “I stayed in a Panorama Veranda Suite, which I highly recommend. Such accommodations are worth the extra fee above standard suites and less expensive than other higher-end accommodations, such as Penthouse and Owners Suites. Expect a staggering floor-to-ceiling ocean view everywhere - from the bed, spacious living area, and even in the expansive bathroom. Imagine soaking in the tub and viewing penguins diving off ice floes. Floors are wood-like tile and can be heated throughout the suite, not just in the bathroom. Brew coffee from a high-end Nespresso machine, although, of course, you can order a pot or specialty cup of joe.” https://www.cntraveler.com/ships/seabourn/seabourn-venture “But the best rooms onboard are not those in highest category. For the money, the Panorama Veranda suites -- a category that is brand new to Seabourn -- is our favorite cabin that we’ve ever seen on an expedition ship, and well worth an upgrade. The star of these suites are full floor-to-ceiling windows that pop out from the ship, allowing wide-ranging views from not only the seating area, but your bed. These cabins are also the only ones that have a bathtub that abuts a full outside window, and they are the only ones with heated tile floors, as opposed to carpeting.” https://www.cruisecritic.com/cruise/seabourn/seabourn-venture

100% agree!! I mean, who needs a formal night in the Amazon? And the penguins should be the only ones wearing Tuxedos in the Antarctic!