Techno123

If these guests specifically asked the hotel director for guidance and this was provided then fair enough but if this has been sent to all passengers then I am afraid it is the thin end of the wedge and absolutely not appropriate on a tips included cruise! Update - I have read the thread on the other site and they are mainly horrified. The recipient who posted the letter had not asked the question and it appears all guests received it. Poor show.

We had the issue on Seabourn a few years back. The elderly, hard of hearing couple had left the TV on and fallen asleep. At 3am, my hammering on the door did not raise them so I trundled off to Seabourn square who kept ringing til they picked up and turned it off 😜

For a small country there is an awful lot to see. Like @Harters we try to holiday in the UK when we can and not even scratching the surface. The more I travel, the more I appreciate my home (although got to say, Norway is a close run thing 😜)

Croeso @Harters We camped (well in a motorhome when we had one - it got crushed by a falling tree but that's another story) very near Porthmadog a couple of years ago. Got the train to Pwllheli and walked the coastal path back - gorgeous. Have you been to Portmeirion (I am not a number if you are a child of the 60s 😜) - well worth a visit if not. Caernarfon has the castle and easy access to Anglesey so also a good option. Decisions, decisions 😁

Do staff still serve from the buffet - if so that at least removes some of the horror of other guests with unwashed hands using all the serving utensils then leaving the handles in the food 😱

Bore da pawb only a few of you have mentioned God's own country - Cymru (Wales) It's the land of mountains and castles (over 600) beaches and song. With just over 3 million people, it's never crowded. It has its own language (please don't ask a Welsh person or a Scot come to that if they are English😜😂) If you dock at Holyhead which is on Ynys Mon (Anglesey) you would need to take an excursion so would only see a fraction of just my tiny corner of Wales so I definitely recommend a land tour. How long for the UK - well I've lived here all my life and I'm still exploring. Hwyl fawr

@LAexNY Have you never heard that phrase used? My mother used it regularly when I wanted to do something she couldn't talk me out of 😜 On the 3 cruise lines I mentioned, the tips are included in the cost of the fare therefore there is no requirement to tip again but people still choose to do so (even in places where tipping is not the culture). The debates about this are endless hence the 'if you must' however, raising a member of staff's profile with their manager can have far reaching, long term benefits.

@AtlantaCruiser72 the little bottles of L'Occitane Lavande are lovely and I agree, bubbles are much longer lasting than chucking some shower gel in the bath 😁

Certainly on the Odyssey they were on the aft sun bathing deck and I think there was one on the Ovation by the table tennis table and by the whirlpool on Deck 5. Most everywhere else has a bar fairly close 😁

Now I know - thank you. In the UK we can't have a socket within 3 metres of the bath or shower (it's all zone related) and our bathrooms aren't known as the smallest room in the house for nothing 😜 a plumber said The electrical codes for bathrooms in most countries are based upon the principle, “If you act normally and don't do anything too stupid, you'll be safe.” In the UK the code is based upon the principle, “Even if you are a complete idiot and do all sorts of stupid stuff*, you'll be safe.” 😂

Hairdryers really shouldn't be plugged in in the bathroom unless they are wired in (and there is a decent circuit breaker) wet hands and electricity don't go 😂 I know the rules aren't the same in the US and I really don't understand why 🤔

Seabourn Odyssey was our first cruise ship and we have never been tempted to try the large/mass market ships so excellent first choice 😜 On Med/Adriatic cruises we rarely used Seabourn excursions as you generally either dock in or tender to the town or village so it is easy to explore on your own - in fact hubby used to take his mountain bike out in the morning and I would hike the local area then we would go out together in the afternoon. The only issue if you go further afield is being late back to the ship - they don't wait if it isn't a tour organised by them. Seabourn Square you go to the counter to place your order or use the app - almost everywhere else someone will come to take your order or there are fridges with a selection of cold drinks at the less well frequented parts of the ship. I suffer from seasickness - try to find something that works for you that you can bring onboard. I use Stugeron (Cinnarizine 15mg) twice a day plus the acupressure bands if the Captain says it's going to be rocky and for our last 4 cruises all has been good 🤞🏻They do have stuff onboard you can use including scopolamine patches and an injection from the medical centre if things get really bad 🤢

Having done a 14 night Tokyo to Bangkok cruise on the Regent Explorer in a S1 suite in November 2023 we paid £10,743 for 2 including an overnight in Tokyo, LHR to Haneda and Bangkok to Manchester flights. Not business class as that is only offered as an upgrade in the UK so our cruise and flights were less than just your Sky suite alone and also the Aqua class if you figure in the excursion costs on celebrity (and 2 more days of joy 😜) like everything in cruising life it depends when you book, what country you live in and what deals are available 😜

We are yet to sail with Silversea but do have 2 cruises in the pipeline. If it's anything like Regent and Seabourn, mentioning individual staff by name either on questionnaires or directly to their managers regarding excellent service can mean that they are seriously considered when a promotion becomes available. Tip (if you must) but also let management know just how delighted you are. Sadly that doesn't work with the back room staff as we don't know who they are so that is where a donation to the crew fund can come in 😁

We took one shuttle into Naha (Okinawa) - dropped us and picked up in the central shopping district (same stop) - there was a timetable, first come first served and the Japanese people organising it were very efficient. Fine for some retail therapy. Everything else we took a Regent excusrsion.

@ho-hum I'm afraid I am the fairer of the partnership - Mr Techno is like our late Queen - he doesn't carry money 😜😂 In the end it is the money of the individual and how they choose to spend it is up to them. I love your idea of sending thank you notes and I am sure it is much appreciated. We certainly always make sure we engage cheerfully and politely with every crew person we meet - sadly, that isn't the case for everyone it is just the 'pre-tipping' that gets up my left nostril 😂 I hope you thoroughly enjoy your cruise.

Like many UK nationals I feel very 'uncomfortable' with the type of tipping that is the 'norm' in the US. On land, I tip when service has been very good to excellent -always after the service is provided and nothing if the service isn't up to scratch - even in the US 😜. On a recent trip to Madrid the food at lunchtime was awful - the waiter took my barely touched plate away - he didn't check why I hadn't eaten it or if he could get me something else - to me that is poor service - so when he told me the tip wasn't included in the price I told him that's good because I'm not planning on leaving one 😜 On an all inclusive like R, S and SS I leave something for the staff fund if the overall experience has been positive. I don't tip in countries where it isn't the done thing (looking at you Australia and Japan) and I know several Aussies who get so hacked off with people from the US insisting on tipping as it's changing the accepted culture. I work in our health care system - if we accepted money for providing a better service to one patient than another we would be sacked I therefore absolutely do not agree with the concept of bribing staff to provide you with better service than others - it also makes me a bit queasy seeing people 'smarming' over those people because they have flashed cash at them 🤢

I think this links to anywhere you are in the world and they ask - "are you American" and you say "no - I'm from (UK in our case) and they sigh and don't bother to put their hand out 😜😜

That shower looks significantly larger than the one we had on the Seabourn Ovation and similar to the one on the Regent Explorer so I am happy with that 😁

Not ebike or even SAGA related but ...... Hubby took his own mountain bike on a Med/Aegean cruise (when Seabourn allowed you to do this). After navigating on the 'wrong' side of the road throughout Croatia, mainland Greece and the islands we docked in Cyprus. It was only after he nearly crashed into a bus on a roundabout he remembered that the Cypriots drive on the 'right' side of the road (ie the left 😂😂)

@skybluewaters Will these do😜😜

When we did our Norwegian fjords cruise last summer I booked 2 expedition team excursions and the rest we did ourselves at a fraction of Seabourn's cost - on several we passed the Seabourn groups and one or two were far better than anything Seabourn had on offer. It just means you need to do your own research (oh and make sure you are back on time 😜) Are you going to book through a travel agent? They (or you) could contact Seabourn to ask the price and also check that the excursions you want to do are still available as popular ones do sell out.

I agree with linslady, the serving team will provide everything your heart desires (well if they have it onboard) to your table in the Colonnade. I do believe the restaurant does open for breakfast and lunch on some days but I have never used that facility (apart from the galley lunch which is a buffet) as I prefer to sit outside if weather pleasant or inside by the window if not.

Another way to try is go to the relevant day in the app - it gives you the option to book Soa, restaurant or excursions for that day. That worked for us last year 😁

If the ship docks at the main cruise terminal it is a very enjoyable stroll up las Ramblas (one of the best things to do 😁) There's a fabulous indoor market La Boqueria on the left. Public buses also run up and down taking you into the centre of the city