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

[fdnycruiser]

I wonder if anyone that contracted Covid had the new booster. We got ours 2 weeks ago, so keeping our fingers crossed for our upcoming cruise. I had Covid on another cruise during Christmas, and it wasn’t fun. 

[bayonejoe]

Just curious, as the ship is disembarking on the 4th will the pax that have tested positive for Covid need to quarantine in Canada? Or will they simply disembark and go on their way. So many unanswered questions.

[labonnevie]

On 10/1/2022 at 9:03 AM, Viking1966 said:

Any waiter's recommend in the main dining room? We will be embarking the Quest on Oct 4th? 

Elena

[travel4b]

7 hours ago, labonnevie said:

Elena

Yes, Elena is one of the best. Thomas is also good; Unfoetunately, I believe Fabian is no longer onboard. 

[Catlover54]

The galley lunch yesterday:

 

In line for fondue:

 

Parma ham and greenery:

 

Crackers etc. (the Sandeman port wine standing there was just for decoration, not open):

 

 

Dessert:

 

 

Description not required:

 

 

This little bunny managed to escape the galley lunch carnage:

 

 

Edited October 3, 2022 by Catlover54
Format

[Catlover54]

 

Scenic cruising yesterday down the St. Lawrence Seaway, through QC, Trois Rivieres, on the way to Montreal:

 

 

 

 

Time lapse:

 

 

 

 

 

Edited October 3, 2022 by Catlover54
Typo

[CalmSea]

My question for the day is: "When is a tempura not a tempura?". We went to the Colonade for dinner last night. Afterward we went to listen to the Trio and then went back to our cabin as usual through the dining room. The hostess at the Restaurant stopped us and asked us how was our Japanese dinner at the Colonade. We told her that the most authentic part was the chilled sake, which was very good. She was glad, and said she suggested to Seabourn to serve sake with Japenese food, and asked for more feedback. So, i told her what was on my mind, that the tempura lobster was good, but not really tempura. I told her it was more like a British fish and chips with a lobster filling. Then DW went into a long discussion with the hostess about the importance of a light batter. The hostess wrote a lot on her notebook and her parting words ware that she would talk to the kitchen staff. After coming back to the cabin, I reflected on the tempura question. If I was served this kind of a tempura in a Japanese restaurant on land, I would not go back. Yet on Seabourn, I have been served this kind of tempura before, and I came back! That let me to think of other dishes. An immediate candidate jumped to mind: Peking duck at the Earth and Ocean. We had it twice on our last cruise. It was very good but clearly not Peking duck as we were used to. So, on the second time, my DW and I decided to call it a "Seabourn style Peking duck". With that memory in mind, I decided that the answer to my Question of the day "When is a Tempura not a Tempura" should be "When it is a Seabourn Tempura".

(Postscript)

I composed the previous portion of the message before I managed to post it. After walking around Montreal's Old Port, we came back for lunch at the Colonade. Guess what! They are serving Tempura shrimp and vegetables! They look and taste much better and even my DW gives them a passing grade. It seems that Seabourn has a prescient of my Question of the day, and has acted preemptively to prove that my answer is wrong!

[lincslady]

I love the shrimp and veg. tempura in the Colonnade, with sweet chilli sauce and aioli - but they are not really tempura, the batter is a bit too heavy. Still taste good, though.

 

The only really wonderful tempura I have had was in Sydney, on the North Shore, in a tiny Asian restaurant near the ferry dock.   Tempura so light and see-through - like angels' wings.

[Mr Luxury]

I make tempura batter with sparkling water.

It's got to be cold

[sfvoyage]

For Seabourn, Asian food is clearly neither its strength nor focus.  We always stay clear of any Asian-themed evenings in the Colonnade (except for Indian Market dinners) or most Asian dishes anywhere on the ship.  Exception is the Sushi restaurant on the 2 bigger ships, whose limited menu offers better Japanese dishes than usual for Seabourn.

 

Their sake, Sho Chiku Bai, by the way, is from Berkeley (California) and retails for <$5 per 750 ml bottle here in San Francisco.  (It is drinkable.)  BTW, is that still the house sake?  

 

[Catlover54]

 

Sunday Oct 2,  "Japanese" dinner service comedy (with help from DH! :))

 

The reader shoud skip this part if he/she does not want to hear unflattering comments about our experience  in the Colonnade last night. 

 

DH and I decided to give The Restaurant a rest, due to our service issues fatigue there (even with a little extra maitre d' attention the last couple days it was still a battle to get proper service despite the delight of usually tasty and  interesting menus).  So                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           we  went to the Colonnade for a Japanese dinner instead. We had had good  success there with the French menu before, service had been marginally better, and we had no prior negative experiences we could remember about the Japanese dinner offerings in the distant past.

 

Now, we unfortunately have such experiences and memories. 

 

As has become our habit on this cruise, we asked the water server (hereinafter "Server 1" -- unfortunately I cannot read the tiny name tags without reading glasses and going very close to a server's chest), for Perrier or other bottled sparkling water.  This was to avoid the taste and flatness of SB's faux custom 'sparkling' water, and we also asked for a glass of ice cubes on the side as the bottled water is usually room temperature. Server 1 seemed to understand, nodded, but then for unclear reasons, she decided to grab our water glasses and promptly disappeared.

 

After  a while a server for generic included wine ("Server 2") came by with her offerings of the day (the usual sauvignon blanc style white and a thin red).  Since over ten minutes had passed since our water glasses had disappeared, and no Perrier or other bottled sparkling had been delivered, we inquired  about the status of the water from Server 1.  We were awkwardly told "she is on the way."  We then observed  Server 2 engage in animated discussion with Server 1, whereupon Server 1 grabbed a half empty bottle of Perrier from the counter and slowly headed for our table, and also brought back the same style glasses she had previously taken away (for unclear reasons).

 

As happens all too often, we were then poured flat and room temperature bottled 'sparkling' Perrier from an already open bottle (presumably not many people order it, as it repeatedly has enough time to sit and go flat on this cruise).  Then off she ran before I had tried it and found out it was, once again,  flat. I am not sure what the point was with the original removal and then return of the identical water glasses. 

 

So, we reflagged Server 1 and asked her to bring  an *unopened* bottle of Perrier (and we explained the reason was that the previous one was flat).  She quickly appeared with it, noting it was unopened -- and then poured sparkling water into the old flat water glass.

 

Finally, a waiter with a rapid staccato speech style, (Server 3), clearly in an understandable hurry, and hard to understand even though his mask was under his nose and mouth, came to take our order.  I ordered the special miso soup as an appetizer.  Not too much later, without warning, an arm with what looked like the cuff markings of some kind of an officer's jacket (pardon my ID ignorance) suddenly appeared from directly behind me, extending a hot soup container past my left side  towards my place setting. I felt breathing from behind, and a voice instructed me to enjoy my soup.  The attached person did not identify himself and I could not immediately see who it was when I felt  his breath on my neck, heard him, and saw the striped jacket sleeve quickly appear and disappear.  Then the sleeve was gone as quickly as it had appeared,  before I had a chance to try and kink my neck around and see who owned the arm that had snuck the soup in, so I could to acknowledge and thank its owner. It's  of course good that higher level crew were helping out, whoever they were.

 

The tasteless concoction masquerading as miso soup, though very nice-looking and aesthetically presented, did not taste like any miso soup I had every had  at home in any Japanese restaurant (with many authentic Japanese restaurants nearby ) or on a ship, and was not flavorful at all to me (yes, I know food is subjective). DH had a pretty good view of some Japanese pax behind me who had also been served the soup, and he said the couple was laughing , as they (presumably experienced with what should be good miso) pushed their uneaten soups aside.  

 

So much time had passed that I decided to try and rescue the soup in an attempt to get on with the business of eating something, even if it was imperfect.  I poured the small amount of soy sauce that was in a container for DH's sushi appetizer on the table into the soup, but that small tablespoon was not enough to pep it up. So I reached for the table salt container (salt fixes 90% of food flavor problems for me if I am hungry enough:)). Nothing came out (presumably due to the  frequent known problem with the sea humidity jamming up salt containers, and of course their not being routinely checked -- this was not the first time we had a jammed container on this voyage).  I reached for the pepper container as an alternative , and nothing came out there either  (presumably for  the same reason). 

 

(cont'd)

[Catlover54]

 

(Cont'd Japanese, 2)

 

Engineer DH decided to 'help' (it was after all a form of hardware problem), and landed up removing the bottom stopper of the salt container, shook some salt out for my soup, and then put the stopper back.  Unfortunately, the stopper  slipped all the way into the container, where it simply disappeared.  DH, now mortified, then rested the now open salt container on its side, with the plan to, (with embarassment and apology), alert the next server of any number or sequence who appeared to carefully take it away and avoid spilling it. But when Server 2 suddenly returned, she grabbed it and put it upright (thinking she was helping) before we could say anything, spilling huge amounts of salt onto the table.  

 

To clean up, instead of getting a proper table rag and container to sweep the salt away, the server just took one bare hand and pushed the mound of salt towards her other bare hand at the end of the table, then ran off with cupped hands to the nearest trash  (leaving a bunch of salt still on the table), saying "I'll be back." Within just a few seconds (not enough time to wash one's hands) I could see her handling glassware  and other dishes for another table on the far side of the room (meanwhile also leaving the leftover salt on our table). 

Meanwhile the staccato server (3) came to perfunctorily ask how my  soup was.  I told him I was frankly not happy with it, that it was too bland.  He asked if I wanted something else, so I requested   chicken consomee (a Quest standard soup, always available and good for what it is this voyage ) which I thought would be an easy replacement because it was on the alternative menu for the Colonnade that day.  He sternly warned me it would take a long time.  I said I understood and that would be fine. 

 

Twenty minutes later, the chicken consomee indeed arrived, (lukewarm of course as most soups are brought to us lately),  briskly dropped off by Server 3, with a spoon to go with it , without comment.  Unfortunately the spoon had a big splotch of very obvious old brownish sticky food firmly stuck to its handle.  DH offered me his own spoon to use instead.  

[Catlover54]

(Cont'd, Japanese, 3)

 

I decided I still needed to speak up about being served dirty silverware, even though I had DH's spoon to use (I had given up on trying to get hot soup). 

So when the staccato speech guy came by cheerfully asking if we wanted a glass of some of his pre-poured sake from a tray he had prepared with many glasses, I declined, and instead reluctantly and with concern showed the dirty spoon  to him, noting it had been brought with my soup, and asked for its removal.  I hoped to alert him or for him to alert whoever checks silverware to make sure it is clean (he was the one who'd originally brought the spoon).  Without any apology for the gross dirty spoon, he grabbed it, clearly irritated, ran off, and I saw him drop it off with another worker (server 4) at a set-up area, after which he then resumed delivering the sake tray  to other guests. The dirty spoon got casually tossed into a container and that was the end of it. No one seemed interested in investigating how a grossly dirty spoon got served to a customer, because there was simply not time, and/or no one cared, and/or it happens too frequently to care, at least at the level of Servers 1-4 (none of whom had the mystery sleeve).  I planned to talk to the maitre d', when available.

 

Later came the main course of beef which, though extremely  tender, was also essentially tasteless; the rice and veggies were ok. Again, I reflexly tried to reach for salt, but a new salt container had still not been brought back by Server 2 to replace the spilled one she had swept up with her hands (plus the table pepper was still stuck and as noted, the limited soy sauce was long gone).  I even briefly fantasized about  reaching for the salt crumbs still on the table that Server 2 still had not cleaned up since her cupped hand partial clean-up, but sanity prevailed and I rejected that obviously unhygienic, much less luxury option. There was no one whose attention I could get, so I also contemplated "borrowing" a shaker from a nearby unoccupied table , but settled on just eating the rice and pepper veggies which at least  had a bit of flavor on them  (of course, this was after checking the fork for old food).  I then sent the flavorless meat back with yet another guy who offered to clear the table of plates (server 5). 

 

I almost never return meat, even if not tasty, and at home I could have just drowned it in any variety of sauces and eaten it, just to not waste the protein.  But I was done with impromptu experimenting in the Colonnade.  The head waiter came by (Server 6), whom we had only briefly seen when we came in,  after noting my meat was returned, and asked if I wanted the cooks to make me another of the same meat plate.  I advised no, but that I would appreciate cleaning up the salt mess that was still lying on our table, especially before any dessert was served, and I also told him about the dirty spoon.  He asked why I had not told him about the spoon before.  I advised I had told the waiter who had served it (and indicated the staccato speaker, whose name I still did not know).

Yet another server (7) then came on instruction of the D and finally properly mopped up the salt residue. 

[Catlover54]

Meanwhile, off on the sides, I saw Server 2 working on a dish to send to a table.  I then saw her lick her fingers on one hand and use them (presumably by reflex) to firm up a strand of her hair that appeared to be in her way in her face, and then (without hand washing), off she went to deliver the plates to  customers.

 

Finally, it was time for dessert, (tapioca on a small dessert crust for me, chocolate pudding for DH, the latter  quite tasty) and I requested  tea to go with it.  I was given an empty mug with a spoon placed inside it, front face and center. After 10 minutes cynical DH wondered if they had forgotten the water and tea, but I had patience and confidence, and eventually  a pot of water with a tea bag in it arrived (by the look of the water, the bag had just been inserted a minute or so before, fine ) . I poured some after waiting a bit, and reached for the sugar container  -- but the sugar flow was stuck in its container.  DH and I burst out laughing, and of course DH offered to 'help' again, but I knew better and declined.  I tried the artificial sweetener container and that was stuck too, with nothing coming out, as was the brown sugar container.  However, with some shaking and gentle coaxing, we were able to get enough brown sugar liberated to sweeten my tea.

 

Exhausted, we returned to our suite, and I was loudly laughing despite not having consumed any alcohol. I voraciously ate the little pillow chocolates, bust into our box of Canadian maple cookies, and contemplated our "first world" $1500 per day and then some 'problems.'

[rkacruiser]

6 hours ago, Catlover54 said:

Scenic cruising yesterday down the St. Lawrence Seaway, through QC, Trois Rivieres, on the way to Montreal:

 

Wonderful photos!  If one has not sailed the St. Lawrence to/from Montreal, one is missing an interesting experience from a cultural, geographic, and scenic aspect.  

 

Starting in Montreal, which I did, watching as the River gradually, slowly, widens as it one's ship approaches the open ocean, I found that to be fascinating.

[rkacruiser]

11 minutes ago, Catlover54 said:

Sunday Oct 2,  "Japanese" dinner service comedy (with help from DH! :))

 

Your posts would be "funny", but, sailing on a "luxury cruise line", they are not!  Your service experience was not even worthy of dining on a Carnival "Fun Ship".  Carnival's steak houses provide a significantly superior dining experience than what you did on this evening.  

[Catlover54]

3 minutes ago, rkacruiser said:

 

Wonderful photos!  If one has not sailed the St. Lawrence to/from Montreal, one is missing an interesting experience from a cultural, geographic, and scenic aspect.  

 

Starting in Montreal, which I did, watching as the River gradually, slowly, widens as it one's ship approaches the open ocean, I found that to be fascinating.

 

It is a unique part of the world, indeed, with so much more to see (including of course by land).  

We still need to get to scenic St. John's (if we go within 2 years, we can use the credit for the private photographic sunrise tour we had signed up for, canceled due to the island being hit with hurricane, but still  nonrefundable).

 

I also want DH to see Halifax, lenses in hand.

 

 

[rkacruiser]

1 hour ago, Catlover54 said:

I also want DH to see Halifax

 

There is so much to experience in this city and its surrounding area.  Each visit that I have made, there is always something different to do.  

[cruisr]

@Catlover54 I noticed you posted pictures of a generic type of swiss chocolate placed on the bed in the evening.  Does this mean the wonderful Thomas Keller chocolates are no longer offered?  They were last year when I was on.

 

I very much enjoyed your posts.  I also very much enjoyed DH’s photos.

[Catlover54]

1 hour ago, cruisr said:

@Catlover54 I noticed you posted pictures of a generic type of swiss chocolate placed on the bed in the evening.  Does this mean the wonderful Thomas Keller chocolates are no longer offered?  They were last year when I was on.

 

I very much enjoyed your posts.  I also very much enjoyed DH’s photos.

 

Further into the cruise the stewardess delivered the larger, traditional SB chocolates for a couple days, but then the little ones reappeared.  I like both, so did not complain.

 

I am glad you enjoyed the posts and photos.

 

We finished off the full day in Montreal with a botanical gardens visit (20 minutes by Ueber from the port).  It is  a nice place for a few hours exercize (depending on stamina and interest in botany), and relaxing  (a nice outdoor alternative pre-embarkation, too).

[Catlover54]

Management personnel just slipped a notification under guest doors, stating a FCC of 20% of the base cruise fare paid will be given.

 

It can be applied to a new reservation booked and sailed within one year from the date of the letter (so, sail by 10/3/23).

It cannot be transferred or refunded, and will be attached to one's SB Club number.

[conchyjoe]

Had dinner tonight in the Colonnade - Canadian Market Menu.

Frankly it was appalling. If just based on the food quality tonight, I would cancel all my future bookings. Cold and waaay too much salt in all the dishes.

 

Unfortunately this voyage has been so badly affected by so many factors. Some new poorly trained and inexperienced crew, a Covid outbreak among the chefs, lack of communication from ships staff and a Hurricane that just compounded all the inherent  problems.

 

That said, there have been some of the crew that have shone as always. Not their fault that the other factors probably diminished their substantial efforts to make everything Seabourn perfect.

[Catlover54]

2 minutes ago, conchyjoe said:

Had dinner tonight in the Colonnade - Canadian Market Menu.

Frankly it was appalling. If just based on the food quality tonight, I would cancel all my future bookings. Cold and waaay too much salt in all the dishes.

 

Unfortunately this voyage has been so badly affected by so many factors. Some new poorly trained and inexperienced crew, a Covid outbreak among the chefs, lack of communication from ships staff and a Hurricane that just compounded all the inherent  problems.

 

That said, there have been some of the crew that have shone as always. Not their fault that the other factors probably diminished their substantial efforts to make everything Seabourn perfect.

 

Perhaps it was all the salt from Server 2's hands last night that was then put in those dishes so as not to waste it? 🙂

 

The Hurricane is also not SB's fault and I assign no blame to them for that.

The rest is top management's fault (way on top), either directly or indirectly, with the tone and direction they have chosen in the Covid context.  With Covid going on and on, there needs to be a bigger margin of people for management staff to call on to help if some staff gets ill, without seriously effecting service.  With competitive labor pricing, that means paying workers more (and likely charging pax more), and allowing proper rest periods to avoid workers comp issues (my first petite stewardesss is out with a wrist injury from lifting and hoisting, poor girl). Will pax pay more?It's a tricky balance.

 

But there is more than that -- observing, there are so many inefficiencies and redundancies, while key factors for good service are ignored.  I see what other lines are doing to be efficient but not diminish service, and it is impressive (and likely there is even more behind the scenes). SB (basically Carnival) will have to be able to compete with all the guys doing it better in many ways (though no luxury line is perfect) . I am not an expert on hotel or cruise ship management, of course, and what works well for my needs may not work for others who like SB a lot even for the high price product ratio.

[Vineyard View]

I have been following this very Informative post - it has so much positive reported in experiences and substituted ports , yet a whole lot of negative re SB service on Quest. We have our first SB sailing on Quest booked for next May. We have paid in full, but if by refund available time, I am not reading posts about serious upgrades in service, food, and even professionalism on Quest, I am thinking it’s not the right choice. I read about all the other SB ships being up to standards, but not Quest even though SB has to be aware of the issues, and quite honestly has had the time to address them. Now all that said, I do realize that the hurricane did drastically change the itinerary. That can’t be helped. But servers scooping up salt with their hands, and licking their fingers to smooth their hair while moving on to serve others, dirty silverware…..totally nuts to accept that on any cruise line, in any land restaurant, in any circumstance. 

[conchyjoe]

1 minute ago, Vineyard View said:

I have been following this very Informative post - it has so much positive reported in experiences and substituted ports , yet a whole lot of negative re SB service on Quest. We have our first SB sailing on Quest booked for next May. We have paid in full, but if by refund available time, I am not reading posts about serious upgrades in service, food, and even professionalism on Quest, I am thinking it’s not the right choice. I read about all the other SB ships being up to standards, but not Quest even though SB has to be aware of the issues, and quite honestly has had the time to address them. Now all that said, I do realize that the hurricane did drastically change the itinerary. That can’t be helped. But servers scooping up salt with their hands, and licking their fingers to smooth their hair while moving on to serve others, dirty silverware…..totally nuts to accept that on any cruise line, in any land restaurant, in any circumstance. 

Well all I can say is that we are Platinum level on Seabourn and the same on Silversea.

we choose our cruises based on itinerary between the two lines. We are booked on the Quest next year and will give them another chance to redeem themselves.