Jump to content

Two pursers... two styles... both excellent!


knotheadusc

Recommended Posts

I recently returned from 10 nights on Hebridean Princess. I've written about my experiences both here and on Epinions.com. I had a wonderful time on both of my five night cruises and in the course of doing a back to back cruise, got the opportunity to compare and contrast two different guides and pursers.

 

On our first cruise, we had Andrea as our guide, who was youngish and always quick with an anecdote or a joke. She was very easy to talk to and took excellent care of us. I was kind of attached to her and sorry to hear she wouldn't be around for our next cruise.

 

But then we got Hugh, who was an older Scottish gent, energetic and full of personality. He wasn't as quick with stories or jokes, but he was equally delightful and knowledgeable. It was a pleasure to meet him.

 

I did notice quite a difference between the two pursers on our two cruises. On our first cruise, we had Charles, who was stern and somewhat serious, albeit with a twinkle in his eye. I remember the first night, he gave us a briefing and was sure to remind us of the importance of not flushing anything but human waste and toilet paper down the toilets and the importance of using the hand sanitizers. It wasn't the most pleasant topic to address on a cruise, but I appreciated the fact that he did and in such a serious yet humorous way. He drove home how important it was not to spread viruses... and very humorously explained why a virus being spread would be such a disaster!

 

On the second cruise, we enjoyed the delightful Dave, who if I recall correctly, was not that stern about telling cruisers about avoiding germs or blocking up the toilets. However, he was always warm, gracious, and kind. And I took special notice when he asked by which name I preferred to be addressed. It's fine to call me Mrs. so and so... that's perfectly acceptable. But anyone who asks which name I prefer will be requested to call me by my nickname. So I appreciated that he didn't presume to call me by my first given name, but also asked which name I preferred. Being called Mrs. so and so makes me feel a bit old, but I prefer it to being called by the formal first name my mother gave me. Given my druthers, though, I would prefer to be called what my friends call me. I appreciated that he gave me that choice. And I appreciated his genuine kindness.

 

If you ever get the chance to do a back to back Hebridean cruise, I highly recommend it. Different staff members make a difference in how things are run. In our case, both cruises were outstanding, but it was interesting to meet so many people who make Hebridean Island Cruises so excellent.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 4 weeks later...

Glad to hear you enjoyed your Hebridean cruises as much as we did. Our purser was David and is definitely the warmest, kindest guy you will ever meet. He went out of his way every day to make our cruise special.

 

How was the weather on your two cruises?

 

Simon

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi Simon,

 

The weather on our first cruise was a bit rainy at first. There was one day we couldn't get off the boat, mainly because one of the ferries had berthed at the dock we needed and wouldn't be moving. It wasn't a total loss, though. We had a bridge tour, engine room tour (led by the Engineer who looks a lot like Sean Connery), and a whisky tasting. The weather wasn't that cold. Most days, we just needed a jacket. I was glad I had brought scarves, but they weren't an absolute necessity.

 

We had better weather the second cruise and, truth be told, I enjoyed that one a bit more because I preferred the itinerary. If you ever have a chance to hike Sanda Island, I highly recommend doing it. That was probably the most enchanting stop on either cruise.

 

I sincerely liked both Charles and David, though I agree that David is probably one of the most sincerely kind and attentive people I've ever met on a cruise. He is fantastic. The whole Hebridean experience really blew us away, even as I heard a couple of old timers saying that service had slipped a little. Wow... I can't even imagine that! As much as I adore SeaDream, I think I was more impressed with Hebridean and actually liked the whole experience better, probably because of the passenger mix. That... and I just like Scotland better than the Caribbean.

 

We are planning to be on SeaDream in May and will experience Italy and Greece on a SeaDream vessel. I'm sure we will have an excellent time, but my husband is already talking about sailing on Hebridean again someday... if we're ever able to afford it again!:D

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm so pleased that you enjoyed the Hebridean experience so much. We cruise quite extensively with Seabourn, plus have cruised with SeaDream and Silverseas, but personally I also think you get a better experience on Hebridean. I totally agree with you about the passenger mix, I have never met so many lovely people.

 

As soon as DW gets over her current health problems, we'll be booking up another cruise to replace the Seabourn one we should have been joining on Sunday. My vote is for another experience on the Hebridean Princess. As for the expense - well her illness has taught us that you only live once, so go for it!

 

Simon

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Best wishes to your wife! Once she is well, you will definitely have cause to celebrate with an excellent cruise. And I can't imagine a line that will coddle her more than Hebridean will!

 

:)

 

I guess we better start saving so we can go back to Scotland someday!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Many thanks for your good wishes. My wife had her second operation this morning and everything went better than expected (I'm sending this from her hospital room!). Three more chemo sessions and then hopefully we can start booking up our next cruise.

 

Yes, I can't think of a better line than Hebridean for looking after you.

 

Best wishes,

 

Simon

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

  • Forum Jump
    • Categories
      • Welcome to Cruise Critic
      • New Cruisers
      • Cruise Lines “A – O”
      • Cruise Lines “P – Z”
      • River Cruising
      • ROLL CALLS
      • Digital Photography & Cruise Technology
      • Special Interest Cruising
      • Cruise Discussion Topics
      • UK Cruising
      • Australia & New Zealand Cruisers
      • Canadian Cruisers
      • North American Homeports
      • Ports of Call
      • Cruise Conversations
×
×
  • Create New...