secoma4

The credit will show in your travel documents that Seabourn send. Depending on which country you are from the visa requirements may have changed. They have recently for Australians who can now get an online Visa at short notice - similar to the U.S. Visa we need to get. If you are going to the Taj Mahal the only way to do that is to stay overnight at Amarvilas (an Oberoi hotel where each room has a view of the Taj Mahal) and do a morning and evening viewing. We drove from New Delhi to Agra (with guide and driver) and the trip is a wonderful experience.

It is correct. Been there!

As others have advised, vibration is not an issue. If the seas are calm the location of your suite makes no difference. Even in bigger seas, with the benefit of stabilisers, the benefit of mid ships can be marginal. We will be on the same cruise. - midship, which is our usual preference.

Booking tours in advance is usually not necessary. If you do you have to pay at the time of booking and can't use OBC. I agree with the suggestion re an Ephesus tour and the Apartments. Seabourn sometimes include an evening event at Ephesus for all pax but this is not a tour of the site and does not provide an opportunity for that.

We have found that the stick holder credit comes in addition to any other entitlements.

The day trip from Geiranger is well worth doing.

Tothesunset makes a good point in that the Seabourn coffee served in the dining venues is dreadful. It is, as suggested, American style brewed coffee. BUT there is a very important exception - that is the coffee served in Seabourn Square. There the cappuccinos, lattes, flat whites etc are made to order with freshly ground coffee. It's not enough to make us change, but I no longer order coffee with meals.

Re the pax mix on Seabourn, it will depend on the itinerary. The further you get from the US the less Americans and more Brits, Australians and Europeans. We have always found a pretty good mix with the age group tending to be dominated by 60s to early 70s with a good smattering of pax on either side of this range. The longer the cruise itinerary the older the age bracket seems to be the way it works.

Can't help with a comment re the pricing.

It's not the one I would choose. But depends on which ship. Oddysey has had a few comments about noise from the deck above, but doesn't seem to arise on the subsequent builds. Because all the suites are essentially the same, the deck location is really one of personal preference.

Finally the non-smoking, (generally) silent majority are having their say.

Apart from the balcony issue, the point SKP946 makes about the Observation Lounge is even more pertinent. This is an area of the ship we have found we have often been unable to use because of the one or 2 smokers polluting the whole area. It is another feature that Seabourn cannot offer without the qualification about the likely affects from smoking.

I think it may be that they are the last leg of the crossing from UK/Europe to Canada. As there is only one ship that does this, there are generally only 1 or 3 short cruises from Canada to NY which cover this region. They tend to be well patronized anyway.

Keith1010 is spot on. We have a right to enjoy our verandah free of smoke. Apart from the health issues, what smokers seems to have trouble grasping is that for many the smell of cigarettes (not to mention pipes and cigars) is repulsive. Unless Seabourn wish to offer the suites on the basis that their enjoyment may be affected by smokers, then smoking on verandahs cannot be allowed to continue.

Wrong Board?

I think you will find Visa or MasterCard is the most used form of credit/ debit card these days. There is also the convenient option of a multi-currency debit card which allows you to load the currencies you anticipate needing. These can be used on a card or cash withdrawal basis as you travel in the relevant currency. They also have a default provision so that if you run out of the local currency on your card, the transaction will use funds held in another currency. Costs associated with these vary, but there are some good, flexible options around. Cards are usually issued in pairs so a couple will have one (different) card each which accesses the same account.

Unlikely unless prior arrangements made. ATMs are so readily available these days that carrying large amounts of cash is not necessary. You do not use cash for any onboard transactions (eg excursions, spa, shop) and payment at the end of the cruise for these items is against your credit card which is provided on boarding. Credit/debit cards are the easiest way to avoid carrying cash.

Maiden for the Quest was a great event. My recollection is that there were few teething issues. They had 2 short "pre-maidens" before the ship got to Barcelona during which they sorted a lot of small things out. They then had 2 clear days in Barcelona before boarding. The pre-maidens seemed like good value. You just didn't get the celebrations etc, or your name on the plaque - but you did get a well-priced cruise and a unique experience.

I don't think you will find many Asian residents in the Seabourn pax mix for any cruise.

I am jealous! Enjoy the diversity! This is very different than my experience on Seabourn. Maybe next time?

Tv24. If you are looking for a more diverse pax mix I suggest you pick an itinerary that, firstly, doesn't start or end in US or Canada, or includes the Caribbean. Asia (Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia etc), Australia, NZ, India, China, Japan and Korea are all different destinations which will attract a broader mix.

Our experience is that the mix to which you refer is typical for Seabourn in Asia. Seems that some Americans find the distance and cultural variation a bit challenging. The proportions tend to reflect more Americans in Europe etc, but still with a healthy mix of other nationalities. It is the diversity of passengers (by country or origin) that we find a real plus on Seabourn.

The passport "issue" is something Seabourn clearly puts back on the passenger. Apart from needing to nominate a passport when you book there is no requirement for you to have a visa for any particular country. The issue will be that the passenger who doesn't have a visa, if required, will not be allowed off the ship if they arrive in a country where they need one. This has happened, in our experience, with passengers, guest speakers and crew. There is no pre-vetting involved.

You pay your money and, assuming the booking is accepted, arrive to board the ship with a valid passport.

Wouldn't the criteria be ability to provide cleared funds by sailing date. Beyond that it's up to you to get to the port of embarkation in time with whatever passport you have.

Had one per month for Oct and Nov. booked for next year. Seems the marketing department has some issues.

The 640 number came from the site I first saw the information on. Due to CC rules I can't however name the site.

The last number I heard was 604. I think the 640 was approx 212x 3 which is what was needed to cover the loss of the smaller ships.

I don't see anything that cites either 604 or 640 in the article. The suggestion of a late 2016 launch will prove interesting for those who have pre-registered (as we have) but would find that timing not as attractive as the anticipated mid 2016 launch. It would also cause location issues with the ship coming out of Italy in winter and having to reposition to a region with a suitable climate for cruising for the inaugural voyage.

Based on current demand and pricing that makes commercial sense. With the one new ship Seabourn has only matched its previous capacity.