Odyssey live from Barbados

Thanks for the updates. The Boss and I are doing the same trip on the 31st, need some R&R. Good to hear the Captain is Geir, haven't seen him in a few years, he is great!! If you don't know he takes great pictures, his website is captain-ga.com. We were on one trip with him and he captured not one, but two green flashes, amazing. I actually found a picture he took of the Boss and I in Roatan 2005, younger and thinner. Cant wait to be Bourne again on the 31st.... Cheers

We are really enjoying this thread as we did the same cruise Feb 3rd to 17th. We loved this cruise in spite of the change in itinerary. We found the staff really tried to care for us and seemed happy to do so. We had a superb young waiter in the dining room, Daniel Mitevski. We had a whole group of"new friends" who felt the same way and we tended to ask for his section in the dining room. If any of you are presently on this ship and see him, please tell him Mark and Lisa so appreciated his exceptional service. We told corporate Seabourn the same.

On a side note, we were warned about the long lines at the airport when arriving in Barbados. We had heard reports of 2 hours in line to get thru immigration. We came a day early and booked Viator Fast Track Arrival Service. This was not cheap at $59 per person. That being said, we were met prior to immigration and walked by the lines of people. We were assisted thru immigration and to a taxi. We were at the Hilton 1/2 hour from landing. A great splurge.

Day 7

Charlotteville, Tobago

After a fairly rocky sailing we have arrived in Tobago, the Captain has already warned that we may not stay here due to adverse weather conditions.

Last evening the Seabourn dancers laid on a show on the pool deck, they are very entertaining quite a few guests were dancing around the pool deck.

Almost a week has passed and apart from a few small hiccups the week has been very good, all the crew have been very pleasant, the CD in particular deserves a special mention, he has gone out of his way on a number of occasions to please guests.

Stop press: We actually arrived in Scarborough notCharlotteville it looks like the Captain was right.

This evening we have opted for in suite dining, we have given 24 hour notice. We both like Indian cuisine hot and spicy food, we have ordered a meat dish; we are assured we won’t be disappointed!

In other news, we have head that one couple have booked three weeks on board but are leaving after one week? If true that’s a real shame, maybe the cruise has not met their expectations?

Also last evening we attended the boutique, as planned the whisky was on hand to tempt the gentlemen to buy, it never worked, and I sat there with a silly grin on my face while Mrs. Fudge looked at what is on offer.Apparently they re- stock on Saturday in Barbados, Mrs. Fudge will be there when the doors open she is already sharpening her elbows!

Mark and Lisa, sorry Daniel left the ship the day we embarked. He is back in May we are told.

Had a really nice Italian lunch but further problems with the Keller grill, Mr. Fudge is not happy at present but we will get there in the end.

Seabourn hosted a deck activity today and Mr. Fudge won a travel bag, Mrs. Fudge won a baseball cap, next week there will be a hosted event every day, we need to get out more I think!

Oyster Bay is always our favourite for lunch. It never seems to run out, and you can drink a great deal without feeling tiddly! Or maybe that is just that we are used to drinking lots of wine.

It ran out on day 3 of our 10 day cruise on Odyssey, last autumn. We were very disappointed as it’s one of my favourites, as my wine cellar (garage!) will testify.

Oh dear, Tim. We were on Odyssey last autumn - probably the cruise before yours!:o

Fudge, thanks for all the information. It sounds as if the weather is not entirely wonderful, which is a shame.

I tend to visit the boutique only when I have credit to spend, and usually find some jewellery (not the real stuff) which is different from what you see in the UK, or a 'designer' handbag.

Hi,

The weather is fine during the day when we are docked, its the travelling between Islands that the rocky bit, my tomato face will tell you we do have hot days. ;p

It ran out on day 3 of our 10 day cruise on Odyssey, last autumn. We were very disappointed as it’s one of my favourites, as my wine cellar (garage!) will testify.

We’d be sad too. It’s our “house white” at home and we buy a case at a time so that it’s always chilled for a nice porch sip.

Can anyone please explain how to post an image on here? I can see the icon but it says "Please enter the URL of your image?

Not being a techno, no idea? Normally it asks where do you want to find the image? Doh, hopeless at this stuff.

Day 8

Back to Barbados

Well here we are back to where we started our cruise, one week gone already. The ship welcomes new guests; we sail at 11pm so plenty of time to look around Barbados.

It’s all hands on deck on change over day; the crew is very busy washing the pool deck and generally sprucing up the main pool deck area.

Last evening the ship organized a Senior Officers party at 6pm, I’m quite sure most of you reading this know the drill but for those who don’t the crew line the deck, the Seabourn singers perform and there are nibbles all around the deck side.

It looks like another rocky crossing, our in suite dining should be fun! We have met some lovely people this week some of whom leave tomorrow, they sound like they have enjoyed their time on board as we certainly have. It was the usual quick breakfast and a wait the announcements to jump ship, we said our goodbyes and plan a day in Bridgetown.

The in suite dining went to plan; it arrived on time, two different types of Curry accompanied by a bottle of Red and White wine. To finish off the evening we watched an in house movie while Mr. Fudge sipped his Cognac, overall a very pleasant evening for a change and yes it was a very rocky crossing, Mrs. Fudge hunkered down in bed, she is not a good sailor.

This evening we experience our first Thomas Keller Grill,looking forward to that.

We booked an excursion for next Tuesday in Antigua, a trip to a forest which includes a zip line in the tree tops experience, a first for both of us, a maximum waist line of 52” maybe I should have done it last week!!

We decided to spend a half day in Bridgetown.

After leaving the cruise terminal you have a couple of options.

You can walk into Bridgetown, a 15 minute stroll; keep the sea on your right. You can take a minibus/shuttle (shared) for 2 US dollars each, the ride is less than 3 minutes, or a private cab for about 10 US dollars.

Once in town it’s fairly safe, just the usual hassle from the local taxi/tour operators, plenty of nice shops for the ladies to explore.We were recommended a bar called Ryannes, it’s on the main street, it’s on the first floor, great internet very fast and 3 beers for 10 US dollars.

Back to the ship for a leisurely lunch, will let you know how the grill went.

Correction, 6 beers for 11:p US dollars, even better!! :p

Thanks for the updates. We begin on the day you leave. Looking so very forward to this vacation. It's been a nutty few weeks here.

Everyone seems to mention the rough seas around Barbados (we experienced this as well). Does anyone know if this is this pretty much par for the course or are there other times of year when the going is less rough?

Captain Geir-Arne told us, on the previous 14 day sailing, that the seas were very unusual for the time of year. A colleague of his in Antigua said he had not encountered such conditions fior many, many years.

Our second week was smoother than the first, so maybe will form the same pattern this time.

Enjoying your postings Mr/Mrs Fudge.

Day 9

Les Trois IletsMartinique

This town has a population of around 8000, this will be our first visit here if weather permits, and we have a tender operation today.

In answer to a question on cruise critic, apparently the sail to and from Barbados are the bumpiest crossings, the sail to Martinique last evening was not too bad, obviously you expect some motion, if Mrs. Fudge snored through it it can’t have been that bad (lol)

This morning we awoke to a delivery of fresh coffee and English muffins to our suite, very nice they were too. We are giving breakfast a miss this morning, the eggs Benedict and champagne can wait for another day!

Thomas Keller Grill

We experienced our first ever visit to the grill. The ambiance is very nice, a relaxed atmosphere, nice greeting from the staff sat a ta table for two. We both opted for the crab cake to start; it was very pleasant, lots of crab meat. We were also given side orders of vegetables and bread/sticks.

For a main course I had a steak Diane, it was a decent portion, very tasty indeed, it came with a mushroom sauce which was delicious.Mrs. Fudge opted for the Dover sole which was de boned at the table by the chef;she enjoyed her meal very much. Initially you are given the wine list but we opted to stay with the wine options included in the cruise, we were pre warned by other guests that the staff may try a “hard sell” of the more expensive wines.

Overall a pleasant experience, we have one more booking the day before we disembark which we are looking forward to. During the evening a few guests did arrive hoping for a table, they were all politely turned away,albeit when we left at 8.50 pm there were a few empty seats.

One tip: If you choose to leave the ship think about bringing Euros and small denominations of US dollars, yesterday we were given change in local currency which is OK if you are returning to that location, the bar had no dollars. Also, if you rely on calling home, SKYPE is virtually nonexistent on board, we have tried many times without success, however, there are plenty of WI fi bars on shore.

Quite windy today but the Captain has decided to stay with the tender in operation but it is very choppy again for those wishing to go ashore, I think Mrs. Fudge has opted to stay on board today and catch some sun rays, oh dear, that means more eating and drinking!!

The food today in the Colonnade was seafood, a very nice selection, the restaurant was very busy but the service was still very good.

Golfers:

There is a golf course here but it was too late to find out the details. Being a golfer (hacker) there are golf courses in Barbados, we have a free day on Saturday however, if I play at Sandy Lane golf club it’s only 2000 Euros AND you have to be introduced, Mrs. Fudge would throw me overboard if I even contemplated that for sure!

Only 6 hours to the opening of the Boutique, Mrs. Fudge is on the countdown.

Well we did get off the ship, a rocky 15 minute ride but once there is was very nice. A lovely free sandy beach, take your towel, water,sun cream, hat and camera and have a relaxing couple of hours on the beach.Walk down the beach and there are lots, and I mean lots of restaurants and bars and a few boutiques. I did find out the golf was only 20 euros for nine holes,why didn’t I go?????

Tonight is another formal night, time to don the posh frocks and tux. I have not worn a posh frock for a long time!

Day 10

St Kitts & Nevis

At the risk of repeating myself, we have met some very interesting people on this cruise. The other evening we asked to share company in the MDR, we were shown to a table where one other couple was already seated. After introducing ourselves I noticed the gentleman was wearing a sling, thinking he had a misfortune, I was about to ask when he produced from the sling a toy dog. I was then given a business card; it was a web site for the dog?

Cut a long story short the dog remained on the table staring at both of us all evening, since that evening the man and his dog go every where on board, quite a few guests have commented, he must love that dog.

The formal evening was very good as usual, most people conforming to the dress code, the menu was not to our liking but as ever there are choices from the classic menu so a steak went down very well.

Today is a fun day for those who want to participate, one of Seabourn’s signature events Caviar in the surf & beach BBQ on Carambola beach, this is our second beach BBQ but not on this beach.

We must be close to ending our cruise, we have already received our immigration papers to complete, and Mrs. Fudge is still trying to whittle down our on board credit, I have seen a lovely jacket but at 230 US dollars that would blow quite a hole in the budget.

The weather remains very hot the sea is calm today, last night’s voyage to St Kitts was the smoothest so far on this cruise, may thatlast until Saturday.

The best day ever!

Today was the highlight of the cruise so far, a fabulous day on the beach with the Seabourn crew making it very special indeed. Everything we have read about this day lived up to its expectations.

After arriving on the beach we were greeted by a welcomingrum punch or a soft drink, the rum punch went down very well thank you. Theweather was glorious but windy; the sea was warm and very inviting.

We ate a beautiful steak and lobster lunch washed down with champagne and White wine. A special treat was the pelicans diving into the sea in the middle of the guests, fantastic!

I did snorkel Mrs. Fudge swam, the caviar in the surf was just a hoot, the crew seemed to enjoy it as much as the guests. The beach is exclusive to Seabourn guests, the steel band played all day everyone seemed to enjoy our day on the beach.

Overall a big thank you to the crew as ever, if you are coming on this cruise it really is a MUST DO, you would regret not doing so.

This evening is Thai in the Colonnade just up our street so to speak.

Hi Fudge, I have been enjoying your posts from the Odyssey. I am sitting on my veranda, about 700 feet up the mountain in Nevis with a great view of the Odyssey sailing out of St Kitts. It’s a beautiful, little hazy, calm early evening. The sunset last night was beautiful and it looks like we will have another great one tonight. Enjoy the ship and the sunset!

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Btw, it’s the Star Flyer sailing ship directly in front of you. It has its full sails out tonight.

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Day 11

Antigua

Well here we are on another beautiful Island and another lovely sunny day. St. Johns is the capital city and the largest city of Antigua and Barbuda, located in the West Indies with a population of 22,193; I love the exact figures they give.

We are dining in the Colonnade this evening, reservations required as its a Thomas Keller family style butter fried chicken, by all accounts it sounds really nice. We remembered to book this week, we had our wrists slapped last time we forgot to book, naughty Fudge!

We are going on a tour today, a trip to the Antiguan rain forest which includes a zip line in the tree tops; this will be a first for both of us, the tour last approx. three and a half hours, maximum weight limit 235 pounds I just squeeze in!!

Exhilarating!!

The only way to describe the zip line experience, after a 30 minute taxi ride seven guests arrived at the rain forest. It is as you would expect a very well organized and professional set up. After a safety briefing and equipment checks you are led to the first zip wire. There are 13 wires in total all varying in length,some short some quite long.

This is not for the faint hearted; anyone of a nervous disposition should not consider this trip. There are steep steps to climb between zips, and standing on the platform and just letting go is just not normal however, once you get the hang of it its fun.

Back to the colonnade for lunch then a walk off the ship to look at the Island.

After lunch we took a walk around the port area, it was a very pleasant afternoon indeed, there were quite a few shop, bars, and a lovely local market selling souvenir’s and local produce. It was very safe the locals were very friendly and very polite.

One small issue we have with Seabourn: Last evening at 5.50pm we received a telephone call from guest services, they were inviting us to join the on board comedian to eat in the MDR. For one thing we had made plans to eat elsewhere, secondly, we do not like being 6/7/8 th on the list to sit with the crew. After I put the receiver down the telephone rang in the next suite!!!

One small issue we have with Seabourn: Last evening at 5.50pm we received a telephone call from guest services, they were inviting us to join the on board comedian to eat in the MDR. For one thing we had made plans to eat elsewhere, secondly, we do not like being 6/7/8 th on the list to sit with the crew. After I put the receiver down the telephone rang in the next suite!!!

Agreed! Seabourn know our preference is not to dine on staff hosted tables and the only time we are hassled is with these last minute calls. Usually when you are in the middle of getting ready. The only time we would really consider it is with a senior officer hosted table. We’re far too low down the pecking order for that!

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Thanks for taking us on a trip before our trip next week.

Can you tell me if there are binoculars in all suites? And can you share a few of your favorite menu items. Did you participate in any off the back of the boat activities?

Fudge. We will be joining for the Atlantic crossing next month. First time on Odyssey. We’ve only ever travelled on the old Seabourn Legend and recently Azamara. Do you have copies of MDR menus or “daily planners”? Love your blog!!!

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One small issue we have with Seabourn: Last evening at 5.50pm we received a telephone call from guest services, they were inviting us to join the on board comedian to eat in the MDR. For one thing we had made plans to eat elsewhere, secondly, we do not like being 6/7/8 th on the list to sit with the crew. After I put the receiver down the telephone rang in the next suite!!!

Agreed! Seabourn know our preference is not to dine on staff hosted tables and the only time we are hassled is with these last minute calls. Usually when you are in the middle of getting ready. The only time we would really consider it is with a senior officer hosted table. We’re far too low down the pecking order for that!

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I think if you have made your preference clear that you aren't interested in hosted tables, you really should not be getting calls to dine on one last minute.

Because there are cruisers like me and my husband... on our last 19 day cruise, we probably had at least 9 calls like this and attended 6 last minute hosted tables where they were short of guests because people had said No. We're obviously a default option because they know we normally say yes! We don't mind because I like meeting the staff and sitting with other cruisers who we probably haven't met yet, but that's just us! We did turn down the Waste Management Officer for a table at The Grill :D

Waste Management Officer is a very important post, just think what would happen if the ship didn't have one!!! In the UK he would be known as the Bin Man or perhaps the Bin Man's boss. J

Crew should not be hosting tables in the TK Grill.

It’s hard enough for guests to get a table there.

Hosted tables should remain in the MDR.

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Can we please get back to live from the odyssey

As my dear father would say

"If you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all"