Live from the Seabourn Quest, Montreal-Montreal, 9/22/22-10/4/22

[Catlover54]

 

 

 

[Catlover54]

SB then followed through on the scheduled activities including the evening sailaway pool party with caviar and the house champagne ( or house vodka, if you preferred):

 

 

 

The performers did mostly popular Broadway style standard songs, with a couple of opera arias tossed in. 

 

 

 

 

[alainciao]

Last two photos are prize winners!😀

[highplanesdrifters]

Delightful

[Catlover54]

5 hours ago, alainciao said:

Last two photos are prize winners!😀

 

DH thanks you for the complements 🙂

 

 

[Catlover54]

After sailing out of Baei-Comeau last night, and the sailaway party, we once again ate in The Restaurant (the Colonnade offered a Thai night, which has not at all inspired us or some recent reviewers), but it was early and post-pool party, so we expected service not to be the best due to the strain on staff (we were right). 

But as before, we found the food to be  very good.  Though food is to a great degree subjective, we liked the chicken cassoulet appetizer, the chef's salmon special (I don't think I've had a bad salmon entree on SB), and the truffle risotto with (or without) poached egg. The service, though confused (e.g., refilling the wrong glasses with the wrong fluids, right hand not knowing what the left was doing etc., and perhaps also problems due to some language and/or masks muffling and blocking  sounds in the noisy venue), was  *always*  friendly.  

I have yet to deal with a rude SB staff member, which I have unfortunately periodically encountered on other luxury lines, including Crystal and ultraluxury Hapag Lloyd. 

 

There were several people involved in our dining experience but the main problem is that no one was really paying attention to coordinate things.  On top of that DH made the mistake of trying an included pinot that tasted as if it likely had been sitting out all day (if not more) and was simply undrinkable, which soured his experience, and I was poured flat Pelligrino.  After some discussion and delays, DH managed to get a decent substitute included red so he could finish what was left of his meal, and I managed to get an unopened bottle of sparkling water, to make sure it was not flat.  

 

All in, dinner overall was good enough for me (I was not very hungry, and didn't feel like wine, after the pool champagne party) though DH was not a happy camper.  So we will look into going back to TK Grill on a day when we are very hungry and can do justice to the high food load.

[Catlover54]

Day 8,  (Thursday, 9/29), Sept-Iles ("Seven Islands"), another substitute port, (which does not get very many cruise tourists), on another beautiful day:

 

View for walking from the ship was not too promising:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nothing was posted about excursions here on SB Source by the time  we went to dinner the night before  ( we had checked it several times in the day once the internet was back up) . We had also tried earlier to call SB Square via guest services, while on the go,  for information to plan our day, but no one answered (recording told us how busy and sorry  they are , and we were unable to leave a message for call back ). We had rushed to ready ourselves for the pool party and dinner, and when we stopped by SB Square after dinner, no one was there and the SB Source still had nothing posted.

Then we later found out there were two excursions,  offered very late, one of which was already booked up within less than two hours of posting.  

It also turned out, per DH who inquired today when he saw "mystery bus" pulling away at an unscheduled time  , that two other tours had been offered but were "instantly full" so were never shown on SB Source  (e.g., DH found out a local farm tour could "only hold 10 people" -- and 10 people had already somehow been booked -- unclear how they were able to know about it and do so, when it was never made electronically available to the general Quest SB Source public.)

 

Communication to the general guest public could be much better from Destination Services, especially on a cruise with many rescheduled ports where extra effort is required. Reliance on haphazard and unreliable electronic communications via SB Source, especially with spotty internet (or on word of mouth) is not ideal on a luxury cruise, even post hurricane avoidance.

 

Destinations desk in SB Square also has had no hours sign posted.  They are supposedly open 7am, before things get going, then close when morning tours start.  Then the main opening time is supposedly 4-6 PM, when you can come find out about excursions when you see nothing offered on SB Source (which is typical).  No maps of the area were posted, and no one was available to give DH any information.  

 

 

We had already researched online attempting excursions on our own (there is a nature park with hiking trails 6 miles away).  But local transportation is an issue in this town with limited tourist infrastructure.

 

So, after a Colonnade "Greek" lunch of unadorned meat on a stick with a side of salad and rice,  this  became a good day for DH to finally get his first long-postponed massage, and he will not likely have a photo fix today! 🙂

 

 

Entertainment offered later:

 

Trivia is offered at 4 with CDs JP and Aimee (we don't usually do that, especially with Covid,  but I know many like it). 

 

British tea is at 4

 

No enrichment lecture but you can do yoga and learn about pearls.

 

The main show will be DETROIT CITY SOUNDS, Motown.

 

Tomorrow we will be in Havre-Sainte-Pierre, and the excursion we had originally scheduled will be done then, just on a different schedule.

 

We have another substitute port in 2 days, Gaspe, October 1, and still no excursions are posted on SB Source, so we will have to be more aggressive in figuring out something out to do there in advance.

[DaveA]

We were fortunate in being able to book one of the tours today that never appeared on the app. When I went for the port talk yesterday I got the a few minutes early and the speaker had handed out sheets that described three tours: the two on the app plus an extra one to a seafood farm on one of the seven islands. A friend tipped me off that they were taking bookings at the excursions desk upstairs so I skipped the port talk and went straight up and booked. The tour was interesting, although rather different from the provided description.

I totally agree with catlover54 that communications are very poor. The same was true with the Internet failure. We were never told that it had been fixed and that to use it again we would need to use the app to select a package again. Only when we overheard other passengers talking about it working again did we ask customer services and sort it out.

[SLSD]

1 hour ago, DaveA said:

We were fortunate in being able to book one of the tours today that never appeared on the app. When I went for the port talk yesterday I got the a few minutes early and the speaker had handed out sheets that described three tours: the two on the app plus an extra one to a seafood farm on one of the seven islands. A friend tipped me off that they were taking bookings at the excursions desk upstairs so I skipped the port talk and went straight up and booked.

On past SB cruises, we have run into the same thing---excursions announced at port talks (which we usually attend).  Several times, we have left a port talk to go and book a newly announced excursion.  

 

Also, bridge tours have often been booked up before we even heard that they were happening.  In one of these cases, I called guest services and asked them to offer an additional bridge tour for those of us left out of the first one.  They obliged, and we were happy.  We never tire of bridge tours and try to take one on each cruise.  

[Roland4]

6 hours ago, DaveA said:

We were fortunate in being able to book one of the tours today that never appeared on the app. When I went for the port talk yesterday I got the a few minutes early and the speaker had handed out sheets that described three tours: the two on the app plus an extra one to a seafood farm on one of the seven islands. A friend tipped me off that they were taking bookings at the excursions desk upstairs so I skipped the port talk and went straight up and booked. The tour was interesting, although rather different from the provided description.

I totally agree with catlover54 that communications are very poor. The same was true with the Internet failure. We were never told that it had been fixed and that to use it again we would need to use the app to select a package again. Only when we overheard other passengers talking about it working again did we ask customer services and sort it out.

We are first-time Seabourn cruisers, after many years on Crystal. We are very much enjoying this cruise, and making a concerted effort NOT to make comparisons to the onboard experience, simply because there is no point to doing so.

 

While we have enjoyed the cruise to date, our biggest complaints are a lack of communication and attention to detail. With the massive changes to the itinerary, there has been NO ONE at the Shore Excursion Desk in Seabourne Square. We have been there at various times every day, and this afternoon at 4:00, there was finally someone there. And what did he tells us? We don't have any information for anything beyond tomorrow! Really??

 

To other matters. It took us most of the first day to get access to the internet. It is very fairly simple using the Source app, except there are NO instructions on how to access Source from a tablet anywhere in our room. Had to go to Seabourne Square for that! And while we are on the subject of the app, for people like me, for whom my cell phone is not a body part, having to carry it with me everywhere I go on the ship is a real PITA. And let's not get into what happens when......

 

....the internet goes down and the entire "paperless" system grinds to a halt! And it was down for most of 24 hours without ANY announcement to the general public that we have been aware of as to why it was down and when we might expect it back!  

 

 

[CalmSea]

I have to agree that communication is poor and service is below what we had enjoyed before.

[NorbertsNiece]

Salut!

 

Here you are coming in to Havre-Saint-Pierre. 

 

[conchyjoe]

I also have to agree, communication has been abysmal and the staff at Seabourn Square and Destination Services have been very poor. My DW doesn’t like riding the tenders so a couple of days ago I asked if we would be alongside in Havre St. Pierre and after reluctantly looking it up on her computer, the young lady confirmed that we would indeed be alongside. When we arrived this morning we went to anchor and tender service began.

 

We are aware of several cases of Covid onboard. Sure wish more folks would wear masks in public spaces.

 

[Catlover54]

 

Day 10, Friday, September 30, Havre Saint Pierre

 

We had a beautiful day, sunny, windy and crisp, for pax to explore the nearby islands, after tendering into port.  We thoroughly enjoyed the day. More on that later.

 

 

Update on dining service challenges:

 

After DH's ongoing unhappiness in the Restaurant with service (NOT with the food), he had gone to TK to try and find any slot, any remaining day of the cruise, so we could dine there again.  He was told all was filled up, and he is not interested in continuing to chase them as there are many pax doing the same and doing this just increases stress. 

 

So, last night we went to the multicourse "Chef's Dinner" in The Restaurant, (the menu was presented on a scroll (hard to photograph, would need a total of six hands). The venue was open as of 6:30, (not 7) which was good, as this allowed a jump start for a hungry DH to make up for his unhappy night before. We knew many people would be flooding in after the 6:30 SB frequent cruisers, and/or comped cruisers from Crystal equivalents, get-together. We skipped that because it seemed over half the ship was lined up to get into the Salon auditorium for the event (so if everyone is special. . .). 

 

On the table was a list of five special courses being offered.  The waiter explained the portions would be small, and that there was an option for a high  end  wine pairing for another $195 pp, designed to go with the courses:

 

 

 

 

 

[Catlover54]

The assigned beverage waiter first offered us the same  pinot noir from yesterday DH had tried and sent back as a "beautiful wine" selected for the day, and we told him we were actually interested in the pairing wines.  He then said he would send a sommelier.  He sent a woman who is apparently in training, (hair poorly combed and  in her face, mask way under her nose, looking very unhappy, and clearly unsure what to do).  She looked at the pairing menu in confusion, stated the obvious, (e.g., namely, that the pairing wines listed were premium and not complimentary), and then asked us *which* of the wines we would like with our meal. DH tried to explained that we were interested in the *pairing sequence*, and not just a whole bottle of one of the premium wines (which were not even priced individually on the pairing menu, there was just one price of $195) , to go with the multicourse meal.  I asked how large the wine pours would be , e.g., if they would be 2 ounzes (common with complex pairings) , 3 ounzes, or what (or what they would be in cc)? She said she'd have to "get the sommelier" (which we thought she was supposed to be).

 

And send him she did! You could actually smell him coming from 30 feet away! He was a pleasant enthusiastic young man, but wearing an overwhelming amount of very fragrant sickly sweet aftershave that frankly did not pair well at all with the wines or the foods that were eventually brought.  

So every time he came over for a new pour, or to see if we were enjoying our pairings, DH and I had to restrain ourselves  from gagging and for the  first time on any cruise since we restarted cruising summer 2021, we missed not wearing an N95 mask (though that probably would not have done the trick -- given the intensity of the aftershave we would have needed something closer to a hazmat suit).  We both hoped the somm would just stop talking in detail about the wines he brought each time,  and leave as soon as possible.  This was especially true since he was giving us very primitive information anyway and really not catching on to repeated statements and attempts at conversation by DH that would have, at least to a better trained  somm who was paying attention, indicated he was dealing with a guest who is not a novice to wine, so wine baby talk should have been avoided. He  just had his simple bit to say and was going to recite it no matter what.

 

He also dropped an empty glass on the floor , spilled a half full glass, and struggled with the Coravin style volume allocator he was using, and landed up spraying wine droplets all over the inside of the glass all the way to the top, thus disrupting the aesthetics of what could have  been a beautiful glass with a couple ounzes of beautifully colored wines towards the bottom.

 

There did not appear to be very many people who ordered the pairing -- in our section of the room, looking around at about 40 guests, there were none.

 

This morning, a busy-appearing staff man came in with the room service tray, plopped it on the side table, said "enjoy your breakfast", and quickly left -- no set-up, no checking for completeness.  

 

Tonight dinner service was worse as it also affected the food  (I will skip the absurd details, they are too ridiculous). We then had a talk with the maitre'D.  At first he acted as if it was news to him that there are service or staffing problems .  Then (while wearing  his mask well below his nose, as do many staff ) he finally admitted that 12 chefs are out with Covid and there are many new staff in training (including the faux assistant lady somm from last night -- this is actually her first cruise). We told him that though we appreciate the challenges of Covid, we have done multiple luxury cruises on other ships (all but one luxury) *since Covid*, and at least in our experience, the dining room and other service has somehow managed to be better.  

 

He apologized and stated he appreciates the feedback (including about the aftershave!).  I felt a bit sorry for him, as there is so much he can do with the money and staff he is given, especially when pax won't say anything (perhaps because they're happy just to be going anywhere right now).

Edited October 1, 2022 by Catlover54
Typo

[Catlover54]

(Havre St. Pierre, excursion):

 

a delightful boreal forest and assorted flora highlighted the gorgeous walk after tendering and another boat ride

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited October 1, 2022 by Catlover54
Typo

[nancygp]

Wow,12 chefs out with Covid..didn’t realize there were so many chefs…hope they recover soon

 

 nancy

[toseaornottosea]

Seabourn should be ashamed and disgraced to put on a dining experience such as that.  To my mind if they have that many chefs out with covid and so few capable wine somms and wine servers they should have cancelled the chefs dinner explaining that due to unforeseen staffing issues they regret that must cancel the event.

 

[Catlover54]

On the UP side today (other than the port/nature tour which we both loved):

 

1.  Singer/piano player/ artist Jo Rochel did her 2nd show and it was very strong and creative, with an interesting potpourri of songs.  She has a VERY strong voice with a wide range, and I am so glad she is singing again and no longer having to drive a delivery truck due to Covid, like she did for 18 months..

 

2.  The laundry had lost two of my pairs of favorite unique trousers early in the cruise -- but when I pursued trying to locate them, they found them!!! Yay, service follow-up success.  

The assistant Helene in SB Square is cool, calm, and collected and sincerely tried to resolve some accounting issues that needed clarifying -- with success.  She has to redirect many things to different departments.  On my pre-Covid cruises, I liked the SB Square personnel a lot because they seemed to be able to do almost everything, including dealing with excursions, but that has changed, things are more centralized.

 

3.  We secured a nature excursion through SB for tomorrow in beautiful unscheduled Gaspe (though I'd been getting spoiled sleeping in late, this excursion is very early, so it will be a special challenge -- however, that means ordering room service again 😳 🙂 !!!

 

4.  We are sailing at a good clip, trying to make up time we lost avoiding some whales, where we had to slow down.  I love the feel of swaying while sleeping at sea.

 

 

[Roland4]

With all due respect to the OP, and as first-timers on Seabourn we have nothing to compare to, but are we on different versions of the Quest??  We had a very good Italian dinner in the Colonnade last night, and the best service of the trip this evening in The Restaurant. There was certainly no evidence of being short-staffed in the section we were seated in. All "the usuals", and they have been very attentive, were there. As far as COVID is concerned, I gauge it by the "stool outside the room"  described by another poster on the Trans-Atlantic thread, and in going back and forth regularly on Decks 4/5/6/7, (we are on Deck 9) I have seen exactly one on Deck 7.

[Catlover54]

 

 

SB SWAG, little gifts:

 

When we returned to our suite, we found these odd 'swag' gifts -- eyeglass cloths with a SB logo:

 

 

 

Other swag that we have received during the cruise is a zippered tote bag with the SB logo (the same that has been given out for several years, it is very practical for beach towels or as a day pack if you have not already brought one, and the zipper always works):

 

 

 

 

 

Also, in The Restaurant a few days ago, when I tried to hang my purse over the edge of a rounded chair edge and it would not hold, I put it on the floor. A female supervisorial staff person then kindly came to me and gifted me this very practical purse hook:  you put the metal hook part on your purse strap to hold it up, and then the round part that says SB gets put on the table.  This helps keep the purse off the floor (and of course out of the servers' way).

 

 

(It looks a little like handcuffs but trust me they are not, SB is not that kinky)

 

Plus, every night after turndown service, we get these tasty Swiss chocolates bites left on the pillow (pre-Covid there were bigger ones, but I suspect management realized guests were just piling them up and taking them home to their grandkids)

 

Edited October 1, 2022 by Catlover54
Typo

[Catlover54]

7 hours ago, Roland4 said:

With all due respect to the OP, and as first-timers on Seabourn we have nothing to compare to, but are we on different versions of the Quest??  We had a very good Italian dinner in the Colonnade last night, and the best service of the trip this evening in The Restaurant. There was certainly no evidence of being short-staffed in the section we were seated in. All "the usuals", and they have been very attentive, were there. As far as COVID is concerned, I gauge it by the "stool outside the room"  described by another poster on the Trans-Atlantic thread, and in going back and forth regularly on Decks 4/5/6/7, (we are on Deck 9) I have seen exactly one on Deck 7.

 

I am delighted that you are having a different experience and have had no service problems at all that you have reported to anyone!  Or did you perhaps report them early in the cruise as soon as a problem occurred , (e.g., staff dropping off your breakfast tray without set-up), thus leading to extra attention from management?  

 

And if you have  had no problems with  service, e.g.,  destinations and excursions, and internet information detrimental reliance, which calmsea, , Dave, and conchy Joe also reported, why did you write post #160??

 

In any event, the reality is that experiences will vary based on who people are, where they sit, what time they go eat, how proactive they are, what expectations are compared witih other luxury lines for price paid, personality (we are reserved and not pushy people) and sometimes just luck. I like to hear about all of them them to better assess the different luxury cruise line options and decide if I want to pay for them or explore other places. That's why I asked others to partake in this thread.

 For one thing different , I note you report you are on deck 9, a more expensive deck.  For another, I note you were a frequent Crystal cruiser.

 

I like to distinguish between objective facts and subjective experiences  (e.g., 40 minute wait for food to come, 20 minutes to order dessert -- undeniable facts, as time is measurable and objective).  Something either did or did not take 40 minutes. And there is subjectivity (e.g., I did not "like" eating my cold mushroom pasta or cold and rubbery souffle with solidified, unpourable cream filling because it was served cold -- likely due to lack of staff to pick it up on time).

I'm not sure how to classify the overpowering inappropriate aftershave of the somm, objective or subjective (no 'smellometer')  -- but  perhaps you did not interact with that somm, or have nasal congestion or another explanation  so cannot smell him, etc., or think it is a trivial staff  issue on a "luxury" cruise, so it is not an issue for you.  

 

As for Covid, will all due respect to your "all due respect' preface, I see no respect. I simply reported would the maitre'D told me -- *he said* that 12 chefs were out with Covid.  So by telling me about your 'table outside the room' standard, you are actually suggesting that either the D is lying that  chefs are out with Covid (he could be, to make excuses for our service experiences all week -- it has happened with other personnel on other lines ), or that I would deliberately make something like that up knowing it to be untrue, even though it could scare people about having Covid on a ship when there isn't any.  Do you know for a fact that infected crew are all housed in rooms with a little table outside, and therefore there is only 1 infected crew? 

 

I am loyal to no lines. I cruise many different (mostly luxury)  lines, and sometimes write blogs about my cruises, listing pros and cons of ports, food, service, etc., *as I experience it* (you can look at my prior blogs and reviews), to help other pax know what is going on and help them --  as they have helped me make judgments and plan my trips (e.g., thanks to just this blog, I learned I could ask for a coffee machine even though I am not entitled to one in my level suite on deck 6; and I learned from Dave posting about getting access to the Mystery Excursion the other day that never appeared on the SB app, that on SB one may need to be quick on the draw and aggressive and/or it helps if you know someone else not staff to tell you things, to find out about events that might not otherwise be announced.

 

I learn very little from blogs that always tell me everything is always wonderful, (especially if there is a different status and/or there is a secondary gain issue, whether monetary or not), so I try not to write them (unless everything really is only wonderful) . I have no loyalty, and love to compare lines (yes, there is a point -- we pay a lot of money), but almost always enjoy aspects of them all and cannot think of a cruise I took I wish I had not taken, even if it was just a learning experience.  If I expected perfection, I would just stay in my very nice home. 

 

I am sorry you are unhappy with my blog, and hope you enjoy the rest of your first SB cruise.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Roland4]

57 minutes ago, Catlover54 said:

 

I am delighted that you are having a different experience and have had no service problems at all that you have reported to anyone!  Or did you perhaps report them early in the cruise as soon as a problem occurred , (e.g., staff dropping off your breakfast tray without set-up), thus leading to extra attention from management?  

 

And if you have  had no problems with  service, e.g.,  destinations and excursions, and internet information detrimental reliance, which calmsea, , Dave, and conchy Joe also reported, why did you write post #160??

 

In any event, the reality is that experiences will vary based on who people are, where they sit, what time they go eat, how proactive they are, what expectations are compared witih other luxury lines for price paid, personality (we are reserved and not pushy people) and sometimes just luck. I like to hear about all of them them to better assess the different luxury cruise line options and decide if I want to pay for them or explore other places. That's why I asked others to partake in this thread.

 For one thing different , I note you report you are on deck 9, a more expensive deck.  For another, I note you were a frequent Crystal cruiser.

 

I like to distinguish between objective facts and subjective experiences  (e.g., 40 minute wait for food to come, 20 minutes to order dessert -- undeniable facts, as time is measurable and objective).  Something either did or did not take 40 minutes. And there is subjectivity (e.g., I did not "like" eating my cold mushroom pasta or cold and rubbery souffle with solidified, unpourable cream filling because it was served cold -- likely due to lack of staff to pick it up on time).

I'm not sure how to classify the overpowering inappropriate aftershave of the somm, objective or subjective (no 'smellometer')  -- but  perhaps you did not interact with that somm, or have nasal congestion or another explanation  so cannot smell him, etc., or think it is a trivial staff  issue on a "luxury" cruise, so it is not an issue for you.  

 

As for Covid, will all due respect to your "all due respect' preface, I see no respect. I simply reported would the maitre'D told me -- *he said* that 12 chefs were out with Covid.  So by telling me about your 'table outside the room' standard, you are actually suggesting that either the D is lying that  chefs are out with Covid (he could be, to make excuses for our service experiences all week -- it has happened with other personnel on other lines ), or that I would deliberately make something like that up knowing it to be untrue, even though it could scare people about having Covid on a ship when there isn't any.  Do you know for a fact that infected crew are all housed in rooms with a little table outside, and therefore there is only 1 infected crew? 

 

I am loyal to no lines. I cruise many different (mostly luxury)  lines, and sometimes write blogs about my cruises, listing pros and cons of ports, food, service, etc., *as I experience it* (you can look at my prior blogs and reviews), to help other pax know what is going on and help them --  as they have helped me make judgments and plan my trips (e.g., thanks to just this blog, I learned I could ask for a coffee machine even though I am not entitled to one in my level suite on deck 6; and I learned from Dave posting about getting access to the Mystery Excursion the other day that never appeared on the SB app, that on SB one may need to be quick on the draw and aggressive and/or it helps if you know someone else not staff to tell you things, to find out about events that might not otherwise be announced.

 

I learn very little from blogs that always tell me everything is always wonderful, (especially if there is a different status and/or there is a secondary gain issue, whether monetary or not), so I try not to write them (unless everything really is only wonderful) . I have no loyalty, and love to compare lines (yes, there is a point -- we pay a lot of money), but almost always enjoy aspects of them all and cannot think of a cruise I took I wish I had not taken, even if it was just a learning experience.  If I expected perfection, I would just stay in my very nice home. 

 

I am sorry you are unhappy with my blog, and hope you enjoy the rest of your first SB cruise.

 

 

I am not suggesting there have been no problems, as there obviously have been. I am suggesting that we have seen improvement in the general service levels since the beginning of the cruise. It apparently is not back to what it should be, but it appears to be moving in the right direction. And yes, I do believe in dealing with significant issues when they occur in the hope they will be corrected. If that means a little extra attention, I am fine with that. Beats "suffering in silence" any day. As a general comment, I don't believe in waiting to the end-of-cruise evaluation, then slamming "management" when they can't respond. 

 

 

[ivyleaguegent]

11 hours ago, Catlover54 said:

The assigned beverage waiter first offered us the same  pinot noir from yesterday DH had tried and sent back as a "beautiful wine" selected for the day, and we told him we were actually interested in the pairing wines.  He then said he would send a sommelier.  He sent a woman who is apparently in training, (hair poorly combed and  in her face, mask way under her nose, looking very unhappy, and clearly unsure what to do).  She looked at the pairing menu in confusion, stated the obvious, (e.g., namely, that the pairing wines listed were premium and not complimentary), and then asked us *which* of the wines we would like with our meal. DH tried to explained that we were interested in the *pairing sequence*, and not just a whole bottle of one of the premium wines (which were not even priced individually on the pairing menu, there was just one price of $195) , to go with the multicourse meal.  I asked how large the wine pours would be , e.g., if they would be 2 ounzes (common with complex pairings) , 3 ounzes, or what (or what they would be in cc)? She said she'd have to "get the sommelier" (which we thought she was supposed to be).

 

And send him she did! You could actually smell him coming from 30 feet away! He was a pleasant enthusiastic young man, but wearing an overwhelming amount of very fragrant sickly sweet aftershave that frankly did not pair well at all with the wines or the foods that were eventually brought.  

So every time he came over for a new pour, or to see if we were enjoying our pairings, DH and I had to restrain ourselves  from gagging and for the  first time on any cruise since we restarted cruising summer 2021, we missed not wearing an N95 mask (though that probably would not have done the trick -- given the intensity of the aftershave we would have needed something closer to a hazmat suit).  We both hoped the somm would just stop talking in detail about the wines he brought each time,  and leave as soon as possible.  This was especially true since he was giving us very primitive information anyway and really not catching on to repeated statements and attempts at conversation by DH that would have, at least to a better trained  somm who was paying attention, indicated he was dealing with a guest who is not a novice to wine, so wine baby talk should have been avoided. He  just had his simple bit to say and was going to recite it no matter what.

 

He also dropped an empty glass on the floor , spilled a half full glass, and struggled with the Coravin style volume allocator he was using, and landed up spraying wine droplets all over the inside of the glass all the way to the top, thus disrupting the aesthetics of what could have  been a beautiful glass with a couple ounzes of beautifully colored wines towards the bottom.

 

There did not appear to be very many people who ordered the pairing -- in our section of the room, looking around at about 40 guests, there were none.

 

This morning, a busy-appearing staff man came in with the room service tray, plopped it on the side table, said "enjoy your breakfast", and quickly left -- no set-up, no checking for completeness.  

 

Tonight dinner service was worse as it also affected the food  (I will skip the absurd details, they are too ridiculous). We then had a talk with the maitre'D.  At first he acted as if it was news to him that there are service or staffing problems .  Then (while wearing  his mask well below his nose, as do many staff ) he finally admitted that 12 chefs are out with Covid and there are many new staff in training (including the faux assistant lady somm from last night -- this is actually her first cruise). We told him that though we appreciate the challenges of Covid, we have done multiple luxury cruises on other ships (all but one luxury) *since Covid*, and at least in our experience, the dining room and other service has somehow managed to be better.  

 

He apologized and stated he appreciates the feedback (including about the aftershave!).  I felt a bit sorry for him, as there is so much he can do with the money and staff he is given, especially when pax won't say anything (perhaps because they're happy just to be going anywhere right now).

It is simply astounding to me that after months and months of Seabourn being advised of multiple problems with the Quest they remain uncorrected, yet these issues do not seem to exist on the other ships in the line.

[lincslady]

For  whatever reason poor old Quest seems to have drawn the short straw when it comes to enough trained staff on board, as the other ships generally seem to be operating pretty much at the usual standard.

 

Regarding differing opinions on service, in the past - with full staff numbers on board - we have had very variable service now and again, according to having experienced ,  well trained  and personable servers on board, in different sections of the dining rooms - or not.  It can pay to remember which section you want to sit in, and ask the Maitre'd as you go in.