.......idle jottings

[ho-hum]

Co-dependant enablers.

 

You're smart !

[ho-hum]

The soot is no more !

 

Hum met up with the 4 Italian engineers at embarkation whose duties included remedying the soot problem and what a hell of a problem it was too. There was recognition as we had met up on the Mumbai - Athens trip before and had chatted then: they were fun guys ready for some banter, you can tell

 

Hum encountered them again after disembarkation at San Juan as we were all waiting for taxis to take us to the airport. So hum wanders over and asks for confirmation that they had fixed the soot from the funnel. Yes they smiled and were relieved to say. They dont want to spend another day onboard. It is a horrible job, the heat was hell and there was no respite for them die to breakdown of air-conditioning.

 

Hum slaps their backs, they grin and are so glad to go home.

 

So one problem down but the air-con remains. It will take another 7-10 days but the end is in sight. But they need to pick up a replacement engineer as one of them will have to return home due to a medical condition (which he showed me....eeewww !). Nice chap, a Brit too.

 

How the charter will take this is awkward.

 

Maybe SD will say "Oh what poor luck, the air-con has just broken !".

 

Well its US Coastguard inspection to-day. Captain Steinar is confident.

 

And there is US Public Health; this can happen anytime with no prior notice over the next 3 months !

 

They have had an independent consultant onboard since Lisbon and he has been wandering around the ship often with a trail of officers, inspecting this and that, muttering to one another and making notes on sheets of paper on their clipboards. If they were to be rewarded for effort they would score 100% but life is not like that. This old ship (whilst ho hum has few concerns over health) may prove a tad less accommodating to to-days meticulous requirements that the purpose designed modern ships sail through.

 

Hum asked the consultant if he was happy: "exquisitely" was his humorous reply. The next encounter at the airport a few hours ago was as "chipper". Let us ALL hope it goes well and the inspection is SOONER rather than later.

 

Good luck SD. We wish you all well.

[Jim Avery]

Safe travels home Mr. Hum.

[cabosal]

Was looking at SD 2014 cruise schedule. there is no cruises for SD like Dec 23rd till after first of year 2015.

Wonder if they are running company or group on those dates........We wanted to go on Dec 13th SD I 10 day cruise but we have grand daughter getting married, it was excellent cruise to say the least

Just curious !!:confused:

[ho-hum]

Was looking at SD 2014 cruise schedule. there is no cruises for SD like Dec 23rd till after first of year 2015.

Wonder if they are running company or group on those dates........We wanted to go on Dec 13th SD I 10 day cruise but we have grand daughter getting married, it was excellent cruise to say the least

Just curious !!:confused:

 

 

SD shoreside mamagement had decided to take two charter requests for BOTH SD1 & 2 for the New Year.

This was a time for so many regulars (including ho hum and blondie) to get together and celebrate New Year with one another AND THE CREW.

 

Ho hum and blondie were really shocked when these historic sailing dates had been sold for the highest price.

 

"And why should'nt they ho hum ?" None. But what of regular customer loyalty ?

It is ONLY one way; passengers to SD not SD to passengers.

 

A little later hum found out about rumours that Santa might not be real !

 

It is this kind of rumour mongering that sets a negative mood.

 

To spend one's time with one's family on Xmas has to be accepted but New Year also !

OMG NO !

 

And if you thought that was bad, look what they then did for 2016 with sailings commencing on the 2 & 3 January respectively.

Have you ever tried to get a hotel room in the Caribbean for one night before embarkation ?

Every hotel wants a 3 night stay, so it means either staying there for New Year or paying for 3 nights and staying for 2 at premium rates.

 

SD sold their soul in 2014/15

Then SD showed either their incompetence (again) or un-concern for their clients in 2015/16 (again).

 

Crazy, stupid and no loyalty........... and what about us ?

We seem to just passively accept this treatment.

[ho-hum]

[/i]QUOTE=Jim Avery;44675754]1,000 replies and 52,000 views! To paraphrase Freddie Mercury, Mr. Hum, You are the Champion!

 

 

Not quite Jim but the summit is in sight......... at 55,695 feet......(sorry ho hum means views).

 

The majestic thread:

 

"And you know you are addicted to Sea Dream when"

 

by frequent traveller stands within another two week's climb: the snow swept summit is in sight in the glistening morning sun.

Like a line of majestic mountains, this recent eruption of nonsense has created the second highest mountain / number of views (though it stands significantly higher than any other posts in term of replies: some 325 replies higher in fact ! And veritably daunts the surrounding caps).

 

We passed the former second highest mountain and paid our respects to:

"SD2 Fall 10 Transatlantic Crossing"

and sang our praises to ctbjr saluting him with cans of Red Stripe ! (Ho hum and blondie were actually on that xing he originated but CC was unknown to hum).

 

But yes we have also passed over 50 pages t'boot and the amazing 1000 views !!!

 

Thanks to everyone, its been great fun.

 

Ho hum intends to retire on or before the first anniversary of the thread: 7th March, 2014 (2.01am !) and retire to the bosom of the English countryside.

 

But before he goes there is going to be one almighty battle ahead with Oslo and the Owner (if things dont improve, mightily and hum cant see that happening after this trip).

 

There will be the equivalent of "The Gunfight at the not-OK corral" in this little corner of the cruising world.

 

Or maybe ho hum will revive scenes reminiscent of "633 Mosquito Squadron" where a band of Allied aircraft-men in WW2 flew up the Norwegian fjords and displaced a large over-hanging rock off a mountain to destroy the German V2 rocket fuel plant below. The fuel was used in the rockets which did so much damage to London during the blitz.

 

Well the Owner's underground bunker in the mountains in Oslo are similarly tricky to destroy. So far our band of Ally aircraft men is lead by "Commander Courageous": well he is the only one of us that can actually fly !

 

But we will gather others, fly over the Atlantic, drop our bombs and be back for tea and tiffins by late afternoon.

 

Oslo had asked ho hum a month or so ago in an email why ho hum always criticises shoreside management....the lengthy consideration and documentation will be published here and a copy sent to Oslo.....hum does'nt believe it will be really considered there.

 

Just a little more research and in a month it will commence.

 

Meanwhile further material is being discovered nearly every day. Just a few more to consult whilst hear in the US.

 

So Watch this space.

Edited November 11, 2014 by ho-hum

[gcmv]

How frau gcmv has been able to transform this "Volkswagen Beetle" of a man into a "Porsche Carrera" is astounding !

 

Best comment of 50 pages idle jottings ... :D

 

QUALITY = MADE IN GERMANY! ;)

Gcmv is so happy, that ho-hum did not compare gcmv with a "Vauxhall Astra" transforming to a "Bentley Daimler" ... :)

[Jim Avery]

Crazy, stupid and no loyalty........... and what about us ?

We seem to just passively accept this treatment.

 

Well, not all of us. Between SD trips there are lots of other options out there. No longer SD exclusive but still long for the real SD experience.

[whatnot]

We are with you Jim. Still love SD when it is done the right way but our last trip had air conditioning, soot, electrical, and water issues. We are doing another river cruise in May and don't have another SD booked. Maybe by 2016 they will have gotten their act together!

 

Ho-Hum, I wish you you much success in your "Assault on Oslo"!

[ho-hum]

[/b][/b]

Best comment of 50 pages idle jottings ... :D

 

QUALITY = MADE IN GERMANY! ;)

Gcmv is so happy, that ho-hum did not compare gcmv with a "Vauxhall Astra" transforming to a "Bentley Daimler" ... :)

 

Yes German style and engineering also brought the world the:

The Messerschmitt Kabinenroller !!!

 

Mein Gott !! Haha

 

An early photo of you and frau gcmv off to the Dolomites ! Haha

[ho-hum]

Safe travels home Mr. Hum.

 

Dont be too eager to "wend ho hum on his merry way" Jim but hum will save your kind au revoir for later today.

 

We have been staying three days in Miami ....... had a meal with Dutch friends at Nobu's first night opposite our hotel (The Setai) and then dining and imbibing "meetings" two "big-wigs" in the cruise industry who know ALL about SD management and whom ho hum will be asking some pretty direct questions according to the appropriateness of the situation after plying them with liberal amounts of fine wines and champagnes, naturally.

 

Ho hum will be doing a full critique on SD (who he has been travelling with on numerous occasions over many years). Ho hum is not looking for "cheap shots" but as best an honest critique as is possible.

 

Nobu's by the way was brilliant but very noisy and hum has almost 50% loss of hearing in one ear: the cacophony ! It was horrendously expensive but we were being treated.

 

Hum wanders in to Nobu with blondie and three Dutch guys (from SD) who are all in the fashion industry (women's) after a bottle of champagne in the bar and we gradually notice that ALL the fellow diners are dressed in black and white !

 

Maybe they are going to a concert ? No this is the slavish fashion here. Hum wears a lovely blue shirt and has looks that say "Where's this hick from ?"

 

The meal had flashes of brilliance but the deserts were just OK.

 

Lunch next day at Sibilla, an Italian restaurant in Lincoln avenue consisted of a fantastic salad and Capresina pizza with a bottle of Montepulciano d'Abbruzo and San Pellegrini. The meal was fantastic especially the vinaigrette, comprising of olive oil, thick balsamic, wasabe, black sesame seeds and a pinch of honey.........delicious.

 

Then it was our turn to treat the Dutch guys at BLT Steak at The Betsy, Miami Beach. Naturally we all had delicious steaks except blondie who had.......err, not a steak. This was accompanied by three fed US wines, a Syrah from Ojai Vineyards, a Zinfandel from Ridge, Paso Robles and a Cab Sauv from Ramey: all brilliant wines whose wineries ho hum has known for over 25 years (Meeting two of the actual winemakers too: very nice guys).

 

Then we dined at a sailing club after a bottle of VC at the water side home of a friend.

 

And at lunch we are dining at Juvia with two chums, then it's off to the airport and international lights to dear old Blighty !

 

Phew !

 

EXCLUSIVE

Never been seen photo of the left footed toe of ho hum !

(Oh how the hell did that happen ? Upside down !! Toe is on top !!!)

 

http://www.thesetaihotel.com/

 

http://www.noburestaurants.com/

 

http://www.tripadvisor.com.ph/Restaurant_Review-g34439-d438264-Reviews-Locanda_Sibilla-Miami_Beach_Florida.html

http://www.e2hospitality.com/

 

http://www.juviamiami.com/

[ho-hum]

We are with you Jim. Still love SD when it is done the right way but our last trip had air conditioning, soot, electrical, and water issues. We are doing another river cruise in May and don't have another SD booked. Maybe by 2016 they will have gotten their act together!

 

Ho-Hum, I wish you you much success in your "Assault on Oslo"!

 

Good day whatnot.

 

Tell ho hum ..... just when was that last voyage with all the problems ? (It was SD2 right ?).

 

We need a gunner in the rear of the plane ...... Ho hum will put your name down !

[Jim Avery]

Aaahhh Miami. I am a large fan of Cuban food.:D

[piratelooksat45]

Ho hum, are you sure that is your toe? :eek:

 

(Sorry I couldn't resist).

[swjumbo]

Ho Hum? I would have expected from someone as educated, travelled and obviously eloquent as you seem to be to have more imagination than to call one's self Ho Hum.

Since you appear to know so much about Seadream why not call yourself Captain Seadream or even better, The Dreamer!

Looking at your postings you could be called the Atlantic Baron.

No, I've got it. It's got to be nautical and since you're coming back to the UK and it's chilly here what about Chiver me Timbers!!

Xx

[vandrefalk]

Uh, oh -- swjumbo -- you are getting close!

Vandrefalk

[ho-hum]

America ! Ho hum can save you a fortune in energy !

 

Turn the frigging air-con down in your airports.....it's crazy...it is so cold in Premium Lounge.....just might have to mingle with common people in ordinary lounges !

 

Yes it has come to this !

 

In the US they have cold weather on the inside....in Europe they have it on the outside !

Crazy, it must be 11 degs here. Madness.

[whatnot]

Good day whatnot.

 

Tell ho hum ..... just when was that last voyage with all the problems ? (It was SD2 right ?).

 

We need a gunner in the rear of the plane ...... Ho hum will put your name down !

 

Sorry Ho, it really was on SDI. I can promise you it has issues too! It was the 11 day Dover to Lisbon cruise on August 30. 2014. And it had just been into dry dock in May. They had done new decorating to the Salon and a couple of cabin changes but not much. I was surprised at the issues we had. Maybe they spent so much on the new crankshaft they didn't do proper maintenance on other things! You could not control the air conditioner on your own. If you complained about being hot, then they did something and it got better, but then you got this black sooty looking stuff that came out of the air vents onto the bed and the coffee table. If you complained about the black stuff, then the room got hot again. Then there was no electricity one night in our cabin and the water went off in my friends cabin. That was all fixed but it is disturbing.

 

Seems like to me they are both being neglected. They just won't take them out of service long enough to fix their problems. Or maybe they just don't want to spend the money on a 30 year old ship.

[CDreamer]

Sorry Ho, it really was on SDI. I can promise you it has issues too! :::snip::: Seems like to me they are both being neglected. They just won't take them out of service long enough to fix their problems. Or maybe they just don't want to spend the money on a 30 year old ship.

 

Thank you whatnot and Ho Hum... THIS is why first hand reports from SD passengers are so important! Otherwise, who would have any idea about these ongoing issues and whether or not they are being addressed (and resolved) over time?

 

Occasional mishaps or mechanical problems are one thing - they can and do happen on ANY ship... but these repetitive issues that Ho Hum and whatnot have pointed out would be considered unacceptable on ANY cruise line; let alone one which competes in an "upscale" market. And when these issues have continued on without any resolution over a period of months, it becomes obvious that the passengers' comfort and safety are no longer the goal here.

 

Not getting perks for being repeat passengers is one thing (would be nice tho'!)... But continual A/C & electrical problems, soot pouring in through the vents (is anyone concerned about the health implications of breathing this in, especially in the absence of any fresh air?), and low water pressure -or no water at all -is beyond what any passenger should have to endure. Especially when these things appear to be ongoing or getting worse!

 

We have taken 9 (10? 11?... lost count!) fantastic cruises with SD and this was the first year that we backed away and didn't book any. We have also not booked any future SD cruises at this point. We both really miss the Captains, amazing crew, wonderfully prepared meals, & meeting interesting people on board - some of whom have become very good personal friends whom we've especially missed being on board with this year.

 

We are hoping to some day return to SD (both 1 and 2), but until these problems are addressed and improve significantly and some of the main focus shifts back to the safety, comfort, and well being of all passengers we will continue to travel on our own and explore a newfound love of river cruising.

[ho-hum]

Haha

Got to tell you this.....blondie and ho hum are back home.

So ho hum discreetly goes to check the mice traps to avoid blondie having a fit.

Yes quite a few and quite old.....no not their age dumbo....the age of the bodies !

 

Well settle down for a nice cup of tea.....when.......Aaaaggghhhhhh !

Rush to the kitchen and there on the top shelf, at eye level to blondie is a mouse !

Very cute really and totally un-afraid even though it has blondie screaming at it !

 

Do something !

 

Kill it live ! No way.

 

Tonight the house is fully armed .........

[Jim Avery]

Haha

Got to tell you this.....blondie and ho hum are back home.

So ho hum discreetly goes to check the mice traps to avoid blondie having a fit.

Yes quite a few and quite old.....no not their age dumbo....the age of the bodies !

 

Well settle down for a nice cup of tea.....when.......Aaaaggghhhhhh !

Rush to the kitchen and there on the top shelf, at eye level to blondie is a mouse !

Very cute really and totally un-afraid even though it has blondie screaming at it !

 

Do something !

 

Kill it live ! No way.

 

Tonight the house is fully armed .........

 

Rats!! Yall need some of ole Jim's firearms. That Dirty Harry 44 Magnum shore make a mess of Mickey Rat! Yee Haww!:eek::D:D

[Ragnar Danneskjold]

Hmmm, posh mice.

 

Good name for a Modest Mouse tribute band.

[gcmv]

Dearest Ho-hum,

gcmv will give you a word of advice:

 

Sometimes it is helpful to close the windows and doors before going on a holiday - Ho-hum can save costs for energy and relax his and blondies nerves. (Btw. this tactic makes traps needless.) ;)

[Poppy1966]

..........or you could borrow this boyo. Mr Pickles. Never fails to bring home a dead present for me!

[ho-hum]

Aaahhh Miami. I am a large fan of Cuban food.:D

 

 

When you say you are a "large" fan ........ are you referring to your girth old chap ?