10 Day Caribbean Sojourn Review

[Host Dan]

One has to remember that the Virtuoso host is sailing for free (other than port charges). Many could not afford to sail Seabourn. She should thank her lucky stars she is onboard. I would definitely make sure Virtuoso AND Seabourn is aware of her behavior.

[nolatravelgirl]

Day 6 – Antigua – Elegant Casual

 

Since I was a lazy slug the night before I was up pretty early and stood out on the balcony and watched as we pulled up to the dock and watched how they tied the ship up and got everything set up. It really is interesting to see how things work. The weather looked okay, but again there were these ominous clouds on the horizon.

 

IMG_0924 by nolatravelgirl, on Flickr

 

We had pre-booked an all-day Catamaran tour on our own as the ship’s catamaran wasn’t all day and the tour with Eco-Tours seemed like a better value. We got off the ship and went to the designated meeting spot and knew things were bad when there was no catamaran in sight. A man approached us and said he had good and bad news. The good news was we were getting a refund, but the bad news was we weren’t going out. It didn’t look that bad, but he said they had checked the weather and it was going to get bad so we got cancelled.

 

Eli’s Eco Tour

http://www.adventureantigua.com/the-eco-tour/

 

We were already off the ship and decided to see what was going in town. It was only 9am so most of the shops and restaurants weren’t open. We wandered about town looking for something to do, but unfortunately it wasn’t looking good and we hadn’t done research for rainy day activities in Antigua. While walking around the skies burst open in a torrential down pour. We bee lined back to the ship and had to walk thru the group of Seabourn folks who were scheduled for the ship’s catamaran excursion. I couldn’t imagine boarding a catamaran in that nasty weather. We dried off and I watched from our balcony as that excursion went out.

 

Seeing that it was turning out to be a yucky day we did what anyone would do. Okay, most folks probably didn’t do what we did, but when life gives you lemons, turn around and make cocktails with those lemons. :)

 

Claudio & Miguel had opened the pool bar which was under the cover and conveniently our room was just steps away. Day drinking is how we spent our morning/afternoon. My liver was quite surprised as today was supposed to be a nice healthy day of snorkeling.

 

If memory serves me right this is also the day we went to The Colonnade for lunch to have the famous steak frites. It was a much thinner cut of meat and not nearly as good as the luscious piece of meat I had the evening before in the MDR, but it was tasty with the herb butter and the food was definitely a cut above the usual fare at the patio grill for lunch.

 

I can neither confirm nor deny that there were a lot of cocktails and wine consumed on this rainy day and we probably should have done something else, but alas we didn’t. I remember taking a few pictures that day from deck 9. You can see the ugly clouds and the wet deck.

 

IMG_0927 by nolatravelgirl, on Flickr

 

If you are wondering if the bar stocks your favorite adult beverage you can check out the patio bar selection here:

IMG_0928 by nolatravelgirl, on Flickr

 

It was unfortunate that we missed our snorkeling catamaran tour in Antigua but you have to go with the flow and make the best of things.

 

Dinner that evening was again a hosted table. We were dining with Cruise Director Heidi and two other couples. One couple was very interesting, he was retired and now a mystery writer. The wife worked in higher education and had one time worked at Sophie Newcomb in New Orleans so we had lots to talk about on that topic. The wine flowed freely and considering the “day drinking” from earlier I was definitely chatty. In one dinner “I” had come up with a list of suggestions for Heidi and team on how they could make caviar in the surf work even with the rain. It was all in good fun.

 

Tip: If you want to be sat at hosted tables, be sure to let them know. I think it is a great way to meet other people and find out about some of the inner workings on the ship. To me small tables of 2 are meant for a romantic dinner or first dates. Most of the folks on the ship have been married for years and can have dinner alone any day of the year and why would you want to eat alone for whole the trip. Why not branch out and meet some folks. Unlike big cruise lines you aren’t required to sit with the same people each evening. You can mix it up and meet new people every night.

 

I went and saw the magician’s act afterward. He did most small slight of hand tricks and some light comedy. There were no trap doors, sawing people in half or making the audience/ship disappear. Like most of the other entertainment, it was good not great, but I didn’t book this cruise for the entertainment. The show was only an hour long, which is enough.

 

After the show I headed up to the Club and ran into Katy and Joe from our hosted table with Sophie. They were a riot and I had fun talking to Matt the bartender at the Club bar. I tested his knowledge of cocktails and asked him if he had ever made a “dirty girl scout.” We also traded some funny one liners about whether I may or may not have been a dirty girl scout. I had stumped the bartender with my dirty girl scout, but in reality I couldn’t remember how to make it either so I knew I would look it up online as soon as we got to St. John and internet on my phone was free since it was a US Territory.

 

Day drinking + dinner drinking + club drinking = totally done and off to bed. Antigua, I shall remember you fondly.

[Ithaca]

I am so enjoying your review and blog! I'm originally from San Juan, but living in the states for 22 years. Wish I'd been with you during your San Juan stay. Thanks for the photos, Ithaca, NY.

[cjknox]

What an excellent review; i'm looking forward to trying Seabourn in the future. Thank you very much.

[Chairsin]

jenidallas,

I can't say if it was the same person but irregardless it is very unfortunate that you had that experience. As yes, they seem to forget they are there for you -- not the other way around. My husband had to keep reminding me that it was OUR vacation which WE paid for and I should not feel obligated to be anything other than polite to our Virtuoso hosts.If you really do like your TA you may want to mention that you do not believe the Virtuoso host should talk down to their clients.

[jenidallas]

jenidallas,

If you really do like your TA you may want to mention that you do not believe the Virtuoso host should talk down to their clients.

 

The owner of the agency sits on Virtuoso's cruise advisory board so I am sure this will get escalated. I had not had this experience with them in the past so it caught me off guard!

 

The host also left very rude voice mail messages for several guests (including us) blasting us for not returning a form that had not been delivered to us to begin with. She accused me of throwing it away... unnecessarily confrontational in my book!

[jenidallas]

More trip report, please! (I realize I was right there, but I am enjoying reliving it in between episodes of flipping through the 2014 guide and daydreaming about the next time!)

[jagi]

Am loving these reviews. I have loved every cruise on Seabourn, but stuck to the more exotic ports. Was never interested in a Carribbean cruise, but now I'm re-considering it. Anything on Seabourn is so special.

[Roxburgh]

Am loving these reviews. I have loved every cruise on Seabourn, but stuck to the more exotic ports. Was never interested in a Carribbean cruise, but now I'm re-considering it. Anything on Seabourn is so special.

 

The Caribbean is brilliant if you can avoid the larger ports and the mega ships. Islands like Jost Van Dyke or Les Saintes are fantastic.

[Foxberry]

I am really enjoying your review and the intrigue of the Virtuoso Host saga. Jim and I were lucky enough to have been on the 2009 inaugural Odyssey Caribbean cruise with Host Dan and Roxburgh. Charles is 100% correct those small islands are just delightful to explore and we haven't missed a Seabourn Caribbean cruise in years, we board the Pride Dec 11. Please continue to amuse . . . Robbie

Edited November 17, 2013 by Foxberry

[nolatravelgirl]

More trip report, please! (I realize I was right there, but I am enjoying reliving it in between episodes of flipping through the 2014 guide and daydreaming about the next time!)

Well the days are starting to run together in my mind. If I had the Herald's I might be able to figure it out more easily ;)

Am loving these reviews. I have loved every cruise on Seabourn, but stuck to the more exotic ports. Was never interested in a Carribbean cruise, but now I'm re-considering it. Anything on Seabourn is so special.

I wouldn't do the Caribbean if you had to do the typical mega-ship ports, but Seabourn really does the smaller islands better. The only time we saw a mega ship was in San Juan. The Norwegian Gem pulled into port about 3pm and we departed at 5pm.

 

I have never cruised before but have been to the Caribbean and thought that the Caribbean itinerary would be a great warm weather cruise where I didn't feel like I needed to be off the ship and go go go. You really get to experience the amenities of the ship on these routes.

[jenidallas]

Well the days are starting to run together in my mind. If I had the Herald's I might be able to figure it out more easily ;)

 

I can drop them all in the mail tomorrow. They are still on my office manager's desk as the scanner is attached directly to his desktop - was kind of a crazy week!

[nolatravelgirl]

Day 7 – Cruz Bay, St. John, USVI (Tender) – Elegant Casual –Chef’s Dinner - Comedian

 

The rain was starting to become an ever present fixture on this cruise. I was bummed that my daydreams of frolicking in the sun and waves at each port wasn’t going to happen. St. John was our shortest port of the trip and since we were departing at 3pm we hadn’t planned an excursion and were just going to find a local beach. The skies were gloomy and I read the day’s excursion and thought maybe we could sign up for the Trunk Bay snorkel trip figuring that it would be in the water so a little rain would be okay, not 10 minutes later an announcement was made that Trunk Bay snorkeling excursion was cancelled.

 

Determined that I was going to put my feet on the ground in St. John we dug the umbrellas out of the closet and headed for the tenders. It was a sleepy Sunday morning and again most everything at the dock was still just starting to wake up. We meandered by a church and could hear some very soulful singing. A few shops were open, but nothing was screaming my name unless you wanted cheesy tourist souvenirs like painted sea shells and dorky t-shirts.

 

I took this one picture to prove that we were there.

 

IMG_0933 by nolatravelgirl, on Flickr

 

I was getting cranky and really frustrated. I REALLY wanted some beach time and the weather just wasn’t cooperating! I also wasn’t ready to get back on that ship. Don’t get me wrong the ship and service are lovely, but sometimes it was all just too much and after yesterday’s day drinking I didn’t need a repeat of that day. We were about to throw in the towel when up the road from the dock I saw this cute little restaurant with big shudders that opened up. I had no idea what they served or if it was going to any good, I knew that it looked like it had a funky vibe and a nice view so it could be fun.

 

We tramped up the hill and up the set of wet stairs to find Jake’s. If you much prefer the white table cloth and china of Seabourn then you will absolutely hate this place. I needed a change of pace from Seabourn, so it was great. We ordered cheap cocktails and potato pancakes with apple sauce and sour cream. The service was friendly. I would add this to my list of places I would go again, since it is great for breakfast. I would even take the first tender over and then go on excursion after breakfast.

 

IMG_0934 by nolatravelgirl, on Flickr

 

IMG_0935 by nolatravelgirl, on Flickr

 

Potato Pancakes!

IMG_0936 by nolatravelgirl, on Flickr

 

We milled about town for a bit but then called it quits. This is someplace I really want to come back to and experience, unfortunately the weather was not on our side today and schlepping in the rain on wet streets just didn’t seem all that fun so it was back to the ship.

 

If memory serves me right, this afternoon was the chocolate extravaganza for tea time. This was my only time going to tea in the observation lounge, but it was all quite lovely. The cocktail tables were all set with white table cloths and napkins. The servers wore white gloves and delivered individual pots of tea to the patrons. There was a big selection of teas on the menu. There were two sections of food on the buffet. One side was dedicated to scones, clotted cream and jellies, tea sandwiches and other small savory snacks. The other side was all chocolate pastries. The pastries looked yummy and were all beautifully presented. I only had the scones with clotted cream and strawberry jam. The scones were round with crispy outsides but soft fluffy middles.

 

Tonight was the Seabourn Club party in the grand salon. There were a lot of Seabourn club members on board and other than giving out the milestone awards it was just another cocktail hour with some entertainment. Sophie performed a few songs and the captain spoke.

 

After dinner it was the Chef’s dinner in the MDR. We had put together our own table and had guest services send out invitations. It was fun to make our own table and enjoy the company of some of our new friends. The Chef’s dinner is a multi-course dinner where I recall you only had to make an entrée selection. There is a preprinted scroll at each place setting listing out the menu. The chef signs each one. If you aren’t interested in the chef’s menu you can always order off the everyday menu, but you will need to request it, as they don’t automatically pass out menus on this evening.

 

If memory serves me right the evening entertainment was Brad Upton, a comedian. His jokes were not funny and in poor taste. Several folks walked out and the mood was pretty down in the salon. If this is the comedian on your sailing then I suggest just skipping it.

 

After the show I headed up to the club and had drinks with our new friends and favorite bartender Matt. I remembered to bring my recipe for a dirty girl scouts and Matt whipped up a round of shots while listening to band. The band and Melanea were great.

[absolutboy20]

Thank Novatravelgirl and Jenidallas for the cruise report. It's always nice to read about someone's recent adventures while waiting our next cruise to come around. Potato latkes in St.John in a beachside cafe, who would have thought?

 

Looking forward to your next post. It all sounds great, except for the weather...

[jenidallas]

Potato latkes in St.John in a beachside cafe, who would have thought?

 

Next time I am there, I want to try their gingerbread pancakes.

 

There were several crew members there too. I am making sure to ask crew for their suggestions for future ports as they seem to have the scoop on what to do!

[purpleally]

I usually hike to the beach when in St. John's. there are two easily accessible. However, not in the rain. James sounds interesting. If it is raining when we are there will have to check it out. Liked your idea of having a table with invites sent. Only nine more sleeps!

[italycruiser]

Nolatravelgirl: Please, please share the recipe for the "dirty girl scout" - sounds like a hoot.

 

Thanks for these reviews - they are so much fun to follow.

[italycruiser]

I found the recipe for the "dirty girl scout" on the internet - looks very rich. Thanks for the idea.

[bradtarga34]

Having a fantastic time on this same itinerary, thankful we have been lucky with some lovely weather, although rather cloudy laying on Shell Beach in St Bart's... Everything on board has been fab, Nelson been looking after us in the sky bar.

[purpleally]

Be sure to save some of that nice weather for us next Wednesday!

[Winner]

Please say hi to Nelson for me and tell him I will miss him on Pride next month!

 

Winnie

[bradtarga34]

Another beautiful day and view, Cruz Bay today. Jealous? :)

[Emperor Norton]

I missed Nelson and Jes on my Pride cruise.:(

 

Thank you OP for posting a review with pictures - I think the board could use more of us.:D

[nolatravelgirl]

Sorry to go missing. I hate being one of those folks who start a review and doesn't finish. Here are some of the Heralds with all the activities and menus

 

Day 1

01-001 by nolatravelgirl, on Flickr

01-002 by nolatravelgirl, on Flickr

01-003 by nolatravelgirl, on Flickr

01-004 by nolatravelgirl, on Flickr

01-005 by nolatravelgirl, on Flickr

01-006 by nolatravelgirl, on Flickr

Edited December 2, 2013 by nolatravelgirl

[nolatravelgirl]

Room Service Menu

01-007 by nolatravelgirl, on Flickr