Pride AMS-AMS with pictures and comments

[Emperor Norton]

Very interesting. I have never used this cruise line and really am not seeing why I would want to bother. I love your sarcastic sense of humor and pictures are great.

 

If a picture is worth 1,000 words, what is an action worth (or in some cases a lot of action)? It is hard to convey just how much the staff works to please you and makes every effort to make things right. The service on the ship was the best I've had (between Radisson/Regent, Silversea and Crystal) bar none. The food for the most part was the best I've had at sea. There were a few oopsies which the staff worked hard to rectify. If you want to cruise in luxury and to borrow a line from Cheers "Where everybody knows your name, and they're always glad you came" IMO this is the best line I've been on. The only serious contender in my mind would be Crystal but I'm not a fan of all the dress up and fixed dining times - also I have no idea what their food and service are like since they've gone all inclusive.

 

The thing about this cruise was even when I found issues here and there, the impact was for the most part minimal. In the few cases where I think there really may have been a problem I will definitely say something. So far in what I've written the biggest issue would probably have to be embarkation and that can be avoided by boarding after cabins become available. Honestly for me the biggest tragedy of the cruise was the rain in Peterhoff and the seals on my camera not working which caused a number of images to come out very, very wrong.

Edited August 19, 2012 by baychilla

[Emperor Norton]

I seem to have lost a day. I forgot all about Tallinn, Estonia. This was definitely an interesting day for me. It was the first time I got to see something the USSR left behind, it was my first tour with Seabourn and the first time I've been shopping with the chef. The weather was cooperating, almost entirely clear skies, about 20c/68F and no wind. Sadly the shopping tour as well as other ships in port nixed me running to old town (others on my tour did, I didn't want to chance it).

 

Welcome to the port of Tallinn

Our first view of the market

Perchance it was berry season?

And interesting thing to note was that differing vendors with the same items had totally unrelated levels of flies. The chef would bee line away from any vendor that had fly issues

Chef Jes very happy with the price of mushrooms

Most of the produce looked and smelled ripe rather than American ripe via CO2

Chef Jes after finding some amazingly juicy and tasty mountain peaches (at least I think that's what they were called)

[Roxburgh]

If the portions are too small , you may always ask for more, this is much better than delivering large portions and have lots of waste.

 

What I like about the small portions is that I can enjoy several courses and dessert. Here in the USA, the portions are so humungous that I rarely have an appetizer, never a dessert and often leave part of my dinner uneaten.

[Emperor Norton]

When it came time to find fish I felt we had all become Goldilocks. The first place you could tell via smell what it was selling (before you saw it), the second place as soon as you stuck your head in the door you could smell what they were selling and the third place the only time you smelled the fish was if you stuck your nose up to it

 

Fresh Salmon anyone?

Sadly, we could not bring back any meat for the ship, maybe next time piggy

In the next shop we were accosted by a knife wielding mad-woman

It seems she very much wanted to sell some cheese, including Goats with nettles, a red pesto, a green pesto and several others. There was a lightly smoked cheese that was delicious, they also had a 5 year old something that was good, I think it too was another goats milk cheese. Several passengers left with full bags from here

[Emperor Norton]

Once back from the tour I retreated to the Skybar to view old town and the shipping traffic. There were several high speed ferries that seemed to like to play a game of "how close can we get and not hit you"

 

For instance, this

Got about this close (yes it's still moving)

Old town looked really interesting, perhaps in the future I'll revisit and get to see what I missed

They also had some very colorful traffic

[Emperor Norton]

In Tallinn magic happened (no someone didn't leave me a glass of water when I was sleeping on the deck). On my cabin request form I had asked for Hendricks Gin and Stoli Elit. The Hendricks was in my cabin but the Stoli was MIA. I mentioned this to my stewardess and eventually I guess Karl Eckl the hotel manager heard about it. He went (or sent) someone to find the Elit. When I returned to the ship and visited the Skybar I was asked if I wanted to see a magic trick, well under a white cloth was

 

I thought Tallinn was a nice stop (unlike Ronne) and would gladly go back. Further, I highly recommend going shopping with the chef, you never know what you'll be able to see or taste. I would've been happier had we skipped Ronne altogether and had more time in Tallinn[/left]

 

Open Galleries with more images:

Amsterdam

Ronne

Tallinn

 

Next: St. Petersburg, More St. Petersburg, even more St. Petersbug etc...

That's it from Tallinn

Edited August 19, 2012 by baychilla

[Emperor Norton]

Here is a clear version of the smoking policy

 

Sadly especially at night the guests and staff seem to have ignored the rules, or decided it wasn't their place to enforce them:(:mad:

[Menelaus]

We have been on only one Seabourn cruise. On Legend. Seabourn took us to a 5* hotel for breakfast when we arrived in Dubai early in the morning. Then to the ship. Small queue for check in; no chair hoggers.

 

Yes the safe was not very convenient and the wardrobe door was difficult to unstick from its magnet; hardly enough to spoil the cabin.

 

The food was excellent, in both restaurants. As you say breakfast & lunch is best taken on the open deck, but you don't like it there. Why not if it is the best??

Small portions? More than adequate for us. Can't watch tv from the bed? We could.

Are you enjoying the cruise? Doesn't sound like it to me.

 

Good pictures though.

 

My thoughts exactly.

As well, I thought if the food was so bad why take such lovely pictures of it!.

Edited August 19, 2012 by Menelaus

[seabournaddict]

It really is a shame you missed the old part of Tallinn, its a beautiful place.

[Emperor Norton]

My thoughts exactly.

As well, I thought if the food was so bad why take such lovely pictures of it!.

 

Not all of us flew on the day of the cruise on Seabourns dime. That is, we went from wherever we were to the ship. You're suggesting that after your 5* breakfast you were taken straight to your suite with ZERO stops in between? Seabourn SOP says otherwise. Further you're representing the worst of sterotypical CC behavior. That is you were NOT on my timeline, NOR were you on my cruise. YMMV. As I found with Regent; I can have the same dish as another table mate, but one has alpo and the other has a frozen Indian meal. If you want to state that you were on an entirely different cruise, with different dates and different staff, fine.

 

 

I'd actually love to cruise with the both of you. I could take the pictures and at the end of the cruise we could post our opinions. Oh wait a tic, neither of you "well seasoned" travelers have left either a textural or pictorial version of a Seabourn cruise. Hrm... Until then I believe that Bender from Futurama has a quote appropriate for the both of you.

[Emperor Norton]

It really is a shame you missed the old part of Tallinn, its a beautiful place.

 

I agree, that's why I'm looking to go back:D

 

Sadly there was a MASSIVE amount of confusion of the shopping with the chef tour this time around.:(

Edited August 19, 2012 by baychilla

[oregon50]

Further you're representing the worst of sterotypical CC behavior.

 

Pot...kettle....black. Thankfully, your behavior is not typical.

[Jim Avery]

OK, less fighting and more pictures please.:eek::D

[Menelaus]

Not all of us flew on the day of the cruise on Seabourns dime. That is, we went from wherever we were to the ship. You're suggesting that after your 5* breakfast you were taken straight to your suite with ZERO stops in between? Seabourn SOP says otherwise. Further you're representing the worst of sterotypical CC behavior. That is you were NOT on my timeline, NOR were you on my cruise. YMMV. As I found with Regent; I can have the same dish as another table mate, but one has alpo and the other has a frozen Indian meal. If you want to state that you were on an entirely different cruise, with different dates and different staff, fine.

 

 

I'd actually love to cruise with the both of you. I could take the pictures and at the end of the cruise we could post our opinions. Oh wait a tic, neither of you "well seasoned" travelers have left either a textural or pictorial version of a Seabourn cruise. Hrm... Until then I believe that Bender from Futurama has a quote appropriate for the both of you.

 

Actually I said nothing about the cruise, I was replying to Jay23, my comments were on your so many negative comments and the lovely pictures. Don't get yourself in such a huff. Wrongly assumed, if you can post a negative others would be allowed to do the same.

[sfvoyage]

my comments were on your so many negative comments and the lovely pictures...

 

Yes, it's a shame about all the flippant & sarcastic negative comments... could really turn off newbies to SB if they believe everything on here!

[margbem]

Yes, it's a shame about all the flippant & sarcastic negative comments... could really turn off newbies to SB if they believe everything on here!

 

Totally agree. It was putting me off and we are about to do our 4th Seabourn! I know that we will have another fabulous time. Newbies - please take everything with a pinch of salt and understand that you can't please all the people all the time!

[LiftLockCouple]

I hope the OP will continue with the review and pictures. We are planning A Baltics cruise for may 2013 and value seeing and hearing the experiences. The review so far has been very valuable.

[redheadednancy]

OK, less fighting and more pictures please.:eek::D

I thought she was an extremely negative person and did not appreciate her comments....that's not the direction I like to take my day...into negativity. However, the pictures are great, so I just look and quit reading! Solves the problem!

[lincslady]

I thought she was an extremely negative person and did not appreciate her comments....that's not the direction I like to take my day...into negativity. However, the pictures are great, so I just look and quit reading! Solves the problem!

 

 

Agree with you, Nancy (have not heard from you for a while?) and the other recent posters - but I thought Baychilla was a man, like ST?? Do tell.;)

[wripro]

Don't worry. The negative and very frequent posters usually go away after a while.

[Skeezics]

Well, I for one, loved the very first picture...Irish Coffee from the Buena Vista! One of our favorite haunts in SF....Baychilla, when you mentioned La Folie did you mean the restaurant on Polk Street? Love the window table for two.

[redheadednancy]

Agree with you, Nancy (have not heard from you for a while?) and the other recent posters - but I thought Baychilla was a man, like ST?? Do tell.;)

I have no idea. Just sounded like a woman and when I saw "Bay Area".... Yes, we must catch up. We have been travelling a lot but in US this summer. Getting ready for Prague, Budapest and Vienna . I want to hear about your last cruise and any planned future one in email and tell you what I think we are doing. I haven't been on CC mush, just a quick here and there so I can keep up!!!! Seems to me even ST is not as visible....must be summertime!

[MightyQuinn]

Ya know, I'm getting the impression that Baychilla actually enjoyed his (pretty sure it's a he) Seabourn cruise. You have to read carefully between the sarcasm and jibes, but I think he had a good time overall, perhaps grudgingly.

[DUHCAR]

:D

Hey 'Chilla, what camera and lenses are you using for your pictures?

[Nigella]

Ya know, I'm getting the impression that Baychilla actually enjoyed his (pretty sure it's a he) Seabourn cruise. You have to read carefully between the sarcasm and jibes, but I think he had a good time overall, perhaps grudgingly.

 

That was the same impression I got too. We will be newbies to Seabourn and the review hasn't been off putting for me, especially compared to others I've seen here.