Just booked my first Seabourn Cruise!!!

[Lois R]

57 minutes ago, florisdekort said:

 

I’ve found that most hosted tables are at 7:30 pm and finish around 9 pm...

 

Floris 

That would be ok...….I just don't want to be eating at 10:00

[Catlover54]

On 8/3/2019 at 3:56 PM, Lois R said:

Hi Missy, thank you and if you read my previous post you will see I am really ready to go now but I will to wait until I am 62 and that is in March.  SS will kick in at that point.

 

Lois:  welcome to SB!  I have enjoyed your Silversea posts and it is quite clear to me you are  a glass 3/4 full type of gal, life-loving and enthusiastic, so I am confident you will enjoy yourself.

 

Just a little thread drift on the social security issue.  I also considered retiring and taking Social Security at 62, but I hope you are aware that if you start drawing it then and not at full retirement age just a few years later, there is a significant cut in the permanent monthly annuity.  Assuming you paid in SS at max most of your working life, that is several hundred $ a month.  I just retired, but will not request SS until age 66, my full retirement age, so the pension will be several hundred a month higher.  Even with all my health problems, the math and odds calculations would not make sense for me to start at 62 unless I had an illness ready to kill me quite soon.  As long as a person has enough other funds to do fine financially if retired, for a few more years after 62 , without depending on the relatively small amount base SS  pays at 62  (and taking luxury cruises would presume one does), AND at least 10 years best guess life expectancy,  almost all retirement financial advisors recommend waiting until full retirement age to start drawing, as this can yield tens of thousands of extra dollars long term, even adjusted for lost interest, inflation,  and opportunity costs.

 

There is also the third option, not pulling until age 70, for another few hundred a month gain, but then one has to live until 84 to recoup the lost income, and I do not like those odds on the life expectancy charts despite seeing nonogenarians on cruises.

 

Just a thought,  to potentially save money ( even luxury cruisers like to save), and not meaning to pry or be presumptuous. You likely already know all this but I did not until a few months ago!

 

Have a wonderful trip, and I hope our paths cross at some point on SB or SS!

 

 

 

 

 

[saminina]

Financial advice is a main reason I read CC.         Now, I need to find religious and health guidance.

[markham]

Saminia,

 

Why don’t you go on a cruise and meet some like-minded people? You know, people who enjoy sharing ideas and information. How about a themed cruise?

 

If you are thereby preoccupied maybe you will spend less time on websites, with all that that entails.

 

Happy and healthy sailing!

[saminina]

Having watched your antics in OB on the Kobe to Vancouver run, you could say I have completed a themed cruise.  

[markham]

How very fortunate you are! While I admit I did not have the pleasure of meeting you, I trust that you enjoyed yourself in the OB and will continue to do so.

 

Happy and healthy sailing!

Edited August 9, 2019 by markham

[Lois R]

On ‎8‎/‎9‎/‎2019 at 10:13 AM, Catlover54 said:

 

Lois:  welcome to SB!  I have enjoyed your Silversea posts and it is quite clear to me you are  a glass 3/4 full type of gal, life-loving and enthusiastic, so I am confident you will enjoy yourself.

 

Just a little thread drift on the social security issue.  I also considered retiring and taking Social Security at 62, but I hope you are aware that if you start drawing it then and not at full retirement age just a few years later, there is a significant cut in the permanent monthly annuity.  Assuming you paid in SS at max most of your working life, that is several hundred $ a month.  I just retired, but will not request SS until age 66, my full retirement age, so the pension will be several hundred a month higher.  Even with all my health problems, the math and odds calculations would not make sense for me to start at 62 unless I had an illness ready to kill me quite soon.  As long as a person has enough other funds to do fine financially if retired, for a few more years after 62 , without depending on the relatively small amount base SS  pays at 62  (and taking luxury cruises would presume one does), AND at least 10 years best guess life expectancy,  almost all retirement financial advisors recommend waiting until full retirement age to start drawing, as this can yield tens of thousands of extra dollars long term, even adjusted for lost interest, inflation,  and opportunity costs.

 

There is also the third option, not pulling until age 70, for another few hundred a month gain, but then one has to live until 84 to recoup the lost income, and I do not like those odds on the life expectancy charts despite seeing nonogenarians on cruises.

 

Just a thought,  to potentially save money ( even luxury cruisers like to save), and not meaning to pry or be presumptuous. You likely already know all this but I did not until a few months ago!

 

Have a wonderful trip, and I hope our paths cross at some point on SB or SS!

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks for the detailed reply.   I have been out of town all weekend and just got home earlier this evening.  

 

I don't think you are prying.....we all have different life circumstances.  Mine is such that I am going to collect it starting at 62. (my choice of course.) But I have several other investments as well and all combined,

I should be ok,,,so, No I am not waiting 9  years to collect...….who knows if I will even be around in

9 years (I plan to of course, but one never knows).

 

Oh....if I have to go back to Mainstream lines in order to keep cruising? I will do that...…...this TA is basically already paid for  (due to other circumstances) so I am doing it.  I will probably have to sail away from the luxury lines......I will do what I have to do...….love cruising too much to give it up.

[fudgbug]

13 hours ago, Lois R said:

Thanks for the detailed reply.   I have been out of town all weekend and just got home earlier this evening.  

 

I don't think you are prying.....we all have different life circumstances.  Mine is such that I am going to collect it starting at 62. (my choice of course.) But I have several other investments as well and all combined,

I should be ok,,,so, No I am not waiting 9  years to collect...….who knows if I will even be around in

9 years (I plan to of course, but one never knows).

 

Oh....if I have to go back to Mainstream lines in order to keep cruising? I will do that...…...this TA is basically already paid for  (due to other circumstances) so I am doing it.  I will probably have to sail away from the luxury lines......I will do what I have to do...….love cruising too much to give it up.

I too took SS at 62 and here I am almost 17 years later! :-)  Enjoy every minute of your retirement!

[Lois R]

On ‎8‎/‎12‎/‎2019 at 1:27 PM, fudgbug said:

I too took SS at 62 and here I am almost 17 years later! :-)  Enjoy every minute of your retirement!

Thank you

[Lois R]

Instead of starting another thread hoping someone will answer me on this one.....question about the cruise line excursions.....

Since the amount of passengers is much lower than mass market, for those of you who have taken tour's through Seabourn, have you found them pretty good? Smaller size groups? There are several places

I will be visiting for the first time and just want some input from you long timers

 

Thanks for the help

[Isklaar]

34 minutes ago, Lois R said:

Instead of starting another thread hoping someone will answer me on this one.....question about the cruise line excursions.....

Since the amount of passengers is much lower than mass market, for those of you who have taken tour's through Seabourn, have you found them pretty good? Smaller size groups? There are several places

I will be visiting for the first time and just want some input from you long timers

 

Thanks for the help

 

Hi Lois

The tours are generally ok. It depends on where one is in the world, but if you've taken SS tours, I'd say SB tours are generally comparable. 

[Lois R]

7 minutes ago, Isklaar said:

 

Hi Lois

The tours are generally ok. It depends on where one is in the world, but if you've taken SS tours, I'd say SB tours are generally comparable. 

 

Hi, thanks for the reply......appreciate it!

[Lois R]

If I have an OBC....do I need to wait until after I board in order to use it for some tours? Or can it be used ahead of time?

[ibnoland]

Book your tours ahead of time, charging them to your credit card. Then once aboard, go to the square and get them to transfer them to your OBC and issue a credit to your credit card. Works great every time. I don’t believe you can use your OBC until on board.

Some will recommend that you wait until on board to book your tours, but I cannot see any advantage in doing so. It’s not likely, but the tour you most desire could fill up if you wait too long to book it. You can always switch if you change your mind about what you want to see, as long as there are still vacancies.

You might want to book the T.K.Grille now too. Pick a sea day (not the first one) and reserve a table for 4. Then invite 2 or 3 fellow pax to join you. If you can’t find any suitable folks, you can cancel the reservation that afternoon.

BTW, we will be with you from MIA to BCN.

Butch & Judy

[Lois R]

22 minutes ago, ibnoland said:

Book your tours ahead of time, charging them to your credit card. Then once aboard, go to the square and get them to transfer them to your OBC and issue a credit to your credit card. Works great every time. I don’t believe you can use your OBC until on board.

Some will recommend that you wait until on board to book your tours, but I cannot see any advantage in doing so. It’s not likely, but the tour you most desire could fill up if you wait too long to book it. You can always switch if you change your mind about what you want to see, as long as there are still vacancies.

You might want to book the T.K.Grille now too. Pick a sea day (not the first one) and reserve a table for 4. Then invite 2 or 3 fellow pax to join you. If you can’t find any suitable folks, you can cancel the reservation that afternoon.

BTW, we will be with you from MIA to BCN.

Butch & Judy

Hi Butch and Judy...thanks for the tips.   I am sort of a "go with the flow person" (when it comes to dinner anyway). Booking TK Grille 8 months ahead? So they fill up every night this far out?  Oh...I started a roll call for the Crossing, if you want to come say hello over there

[ibnoland]

No, they will not fill up this far in advance, but the longer you wait, the harder it may be to get a reservation for the night and hour you prefer. We like to go about 6:30, in order to be finished with dinner well before the evening program...which we may or may not attend anyway. We also like to “go with the flow”, but just showing up doesn’t work well at the T.K.Grille, which requires advance reservations, unless you’re lucky.

[Lois R]

Hi again, thanks for the informative reply.   I also like to eat between 6:30--7:00.  I will check the website and see how it is set up.

 

[Thecat123]

8 hours ago, Isklaar said:

 

Hi Lois

The tours are generally ok. It depends on where one is in the world, but if you've taken SS tours, I'd say SB tours are generally comparable. 

 

Haven't been on SS but over the last 5 years we have found that Seabourn only half full the coaches for tours on all the shore excursions we have done with Seabourn and never had a complaint with the way the tours are run

[2SailingNomads]

Yes Seabourn buses are always only 1/2 full but we usually do private tours except when circumstances require a ship tour (to Marrakesh for example where it is 4+ hours each way and if you get stuck in traffic the ship might not wait for you, and our bus got back past sailing time due to some pax who failed to pay attention and show up at the prescribed time).

 

Our experience w/ SB tours has been mixed, leaning toward not so good, although some of that is based on the others on the tour, like the people on a float trip who could not be bothered to actually put their paddle in the water to help us go around the rocks.    At the same time we have had a few that were pretty decent - white water rafting in Chile was a great tour.  Given a port where time to travel to/from what you want to see is not a problem I would always arrange a private tour, or if time is a concern hire a car from Seabourn as we did with a group when in Bangkok - another place where traffic can be a nightmare and we did not have an overnight.