A Seabourn newbie sails Ovation, Norway and the North Cape, June 11 2023

[johng75370]

14 hours ago, jondfk said:

A chilly day sailing north towards the cape.  We braved the Retreat for a few hours

How cold is too cold for the Retreat?  We'll be in Iceland/Norway on Ovation in August and debating if it would be too cold to really enjoy it.  I'm assuming no heaters, but is the shelter sufficient to enjoy in colder weather?

[johng75370]

14 hours ago, jondfk said:

A chilly day sailing north towards the cape.  We braved the Retreat for a few hours

How cold is too cold for the Retreat?  We'll be in Iceland/Norway on Ovation in August and debating if it would be too cold to really enjoy it.  I'm assuming no heaters, but is the shelter sufficient to enjoy in colder weather?

[johng75370]

14 hours ago, jondfk said:

A chilly day sailing north towards the cape.  We braved the Retreat for a few hours

How cold is too cold for the Retreat?  We'll be in Iceland/Norway on Ovation in August and debating if it would be too cold to really enjoy it.  I'm assuming no heaters, but is the shelter sufficient to enjoy in colder weather?

[johng75370]

14 hours ago, jondfk said:

A chilly day sailing north towards the cape.  We braved the Retreat for a few hours

How cold is too cold for the Retreat?  We'll be in Iceland/Norway on Ovation in August and debating if it would be too cold to really enjoy it.  I'm assuming no heaters, but is the shelter sufficient to enjoy in colder weather?

[johng75370]

14 hours ago, jondfk said:

A chilly day sailing north towards the cape.  We braved the Retreat for a few hours

How cold is too cold for the Retreat?  We'll be in Iceland/Norway on Ovation in August and debating if it would be too cold to really enjoy it.  I'm assuming no heaters, but is the shelter sufficient to enjoy in colder weather?

[labonnevie]

15 hours ago, Techno123 said:

@jondfk it is possible to get the list but you need to know who to ask. We got ours from the hotel manager but possibly the Head Sommelier might have access to it??

 

I had the same issue with Regent on our first cruise with them - it was the most closely guarded secret on the ship 😂😂

 

Sounds like you are having a great time though.

Maybe it has changed since last year, but I have always been able to get a list of included wines set to my cabin the first day of the cruise. As stated above, find the Head Sommelier. By day 2 or 3 we have found our favorites and don’t have to vary from those unless they run out. 

[jondfk]

3 hours ago, johng75370 said:

How cold is too cold for the Retreat?  We'll be in Iceland/Norway on Ovation in August and debating if it would be too cold to really enjoy it.  I'm assuming no heaters, but is the shelter sufficient to enjoy in colder weather?

pits a personal judgement of course, yesterday the temp was 8*c / 47*f, probably not too cold we’re there no wind, but there was 11knt wind from the north, and the ships speed as 17knts combined, too cold.  Today, same temps, but at anchor, basically not a breath of wind so, perhaps.

 

[jondfk]

2 hours ago, labonnevie said:

Maybe it has changed since last year, but I have always been able to get a list of included wines set to my cabin the first day of the cruise. As stated above, find the Head Sommelier. By day 2 or 3 we have found our favorites and don’t have to vary from those unless they run out. 

it’s changed, no list is provided.  Doubtless a meeting with the sommelier could help narrow the choices.  Around us at dinner last night we heard three tables be told “that’s the last bottle of this, tomorrow you’ll need to choose something different.

 

its entirely possible that SB keep track of people who have wanted a list in the past and provide it to those passengers without request.

 

[jondfk]

I feel compelled today to comment on the planning of events onboard, or the poor planning of the same.  The featured speaker on our cruise is Steve Wozniak co founder of Apple.  This is a great choice and it was clear he would be a hot ticket.  I’m not sure the capacity of the Grand Salon but it was filled with ~30 people standing outside in the hallway looking in.

 

Here’s the poor planning part.  He was scheduled to speak pre dinner at 6:15 assuring that the entire audience would hit the Restaurant at 7:00.  Having had the pleasure of meeting Woz previously we elected to skip the event and move towards the dining room closer to opening hoping we’d slip under the crowd.  It was so quiet when we arrived that I thought my watch was wrong and they were closed.  No such luck however our starters were served as the wave started to build, it seems the kitchen decided to focus on starters  until every person in the dining room was served making for an hour delay between our starters and mains.

 

It would perhaps have been smarter to schedule this particular speaker at say 2pm allowing folks to fan out a bit before the next collective event?  Worse yet it has been announced that his second talk will be …. At precisely the same time.

 

Oh dear don’t I sound grouchy this morning.  Sorry for that.

 

[SLSD]

45 minutes ago, jondfk said:

I feel compelled today to comment on the planning of events onboard, or the poor planning of the same.  The featured speaker on our cruise is Steve Wozniak co founder of Apple.  This is a great choice and it was clear he would be a hot ticket.  I’m not sure the capacity of the Grand Salon but it was filled with ~30 people standing outside in the hallway looking in.

 

Here’s the poor planning part.  He was scheduled to speak pre dinner at 6:15 assuring that the entire audience would hit the Restaurant at 7:00.  Having had the pleasure of meeting Woz previously we elected to skip the event and move towards the dining room closer to opening hoping we’d slip under the crowd.  It was so quiet when we arrived that I thought my watch was wrong and they were closed.  No such luck however our starters were served as the wave started to build, it seems the kitchen decided to focus on starters  until every person in the dining room was served making for an hour delay between our starters and mains.

 

It would perhaps have been smarter to schedule this particular speaker at say 2pm allowing folks to fan out a bit before the next collective event?  Worse yet it has been announced that his second talk will be …. At precisely the same time.

 

Oh dear don’t I sound grouchy this morning.  Sorry for that.

 

We did not have a delay at all last night in the dining room. We DID go to the presentation, then walked down a few fights of stairs to the dining room afterwards.  It was exactly the same efficient service as before.  It just goes to show that not everyone has the same experience on the same cruise!  Perhaps we have been very fortunate, but so far, service has been fabulous in every venue.  I'm sorry to hear about your delay.  

Edited June 15, 2023 by SLSD

[jondfk]

I heard today that the restaurant did 380 covers last night, capacity is 441 so, yeah, that’s slammed.  Also told that the ship has been caught by surprise with the split between venues, with far less choosing E&O and Colonnade.  Tonight is the Keller rib dinner which may draw some upstairs.  For our part we will have our first meal in TK Grille, a report tomorrow.

[nancygp]

55 minutes ago, jondfk said:

 Tonight is the Keller rib dinner which may draw some upstairs.  

It’s a big draw

 

nancy

[jondfk]

Too cold today for any time in the Retreat, but the powers that be opened Observation bar for the afternoon, we hung out for a couple hours reading, talking and playing a few card games.  Lovely.

 

Tonight was our first at Keller Grill.   Very impressed, lovely service.  I’ve read others complain the Cesar salad lacks flavor, couldn’t disagree more, we found the flavor perfect, not overpowering but plenty bold.  We shared the NY Strip for two, this was plated perfectly.  The sides we selected were on the fancier end, we agreed to stick with more basic mashed and spinach next time.  And oh that coconut cake, wow, so glad we decided to share.  Overall, a major hit, no doubt we will enjoy our second experience in a few days time.

 

A lovely day all in all despite a gray drizzling sky.  Tomorrow Tromso with, we hope, a few less clouds and a few more degrees.

 

 

[nancygp]

23 minutes ago, jondfk said:

Too cold today for any time in the Retreat, but the powers that be opened Observation bar for the afternoon, we hung out for a couple hours reading, talking and playing a few card games.  Lovely.

 

Tonight was our first at Keller Grill.   Very impressed, lovely service.  I’ve read others complain the Cesar salad lacks flavor, couldn’t disagree more, we found the flavor perfect, not overpowering but plenty bold.  We shared the NY Strip for two, this was plated perfectly.  The sides we selected were on the fancier end, we agreed to stick with more basic mashed and spinach next time.  And oh that coconut cake, wow, so glad we decided to share.  Overall, a major hit, no doubt we will enjoy our second experience in a few days time.

 

A lovely day all in all despite a gray drizzling sky.  Tomorrow Tromso with, we hope, a few less clouds and a few more degrees.

 

 

Great dinner choices…we love the Caesar and the strip yet also like the ribeye.  The spinach and mashed potatoes are really good too.

 

Nancy

[skybluewaters]

Speaking of the Keller Grill on Ovation, I've noticed that the Dover Sole is listed under "Service for Two."  Has this always been the case on Ovation?  On my recent cruises on Odyssey and Sojourn, the Dover Sole was an individual dish.  So is the Service for Two sole larger than what is served on the Odyssey and Sojourn, or have they determined that the portion is too large for one person? 

 

[Mauzac]

13 minutes ago, skybluewaters said:

Speaking of the Keller Grill on Ovation, I've noticed that the Dover Sole is listed under "Service for Two."  Has this always been the case on Ovation?  On my recent cruises on Odyssey and Sojourn, the Dover Sole was an individual dish.  So is the Service for Two sole larger than what is served on the Odyssey and Sojourn, or have they determined that the portion is too large for one person? 

 

I have to say, last time I had it, it was far too much for one 

[PSahoy]

I hope while at your TK dinner you had the opportunity to hear their 

expert song stylist Cat or Catherine either before or after dinner. She makes other’s familiar tunes her own in her fresh presentation. Perfect complement to a lovely dinner.

[2SailingNomads]

On 6/14/2023 at 6:45 PM, labonnevie said:

Maybe it has changed since last year, but I have always been able to get a list of included wines set to my cabin the first day of the cruise. As stated above, find the Head Sommelier. By day 2 or 3 we have found our favorites and don’t have to vary from those unless they run out. 

Used to be easy but the last few cruises more difficult even when we know the Sommelier very well.  I think as others have said they have limited supply so do not want to be held accountable if you ask for X and it is gone.  Best to befriend a wine waiter or Sommelier.  

[jondfk]

7 hours ago, PSahoy said:

I hope while at your TK dinner you had the opportunity to hear their 

expert song stylist Cat or Catherine either before or after dinner. She makes other’s familiar tunes her own in her fresh presentation. Perfect complement to a lovely dinner.

Oh gosh, what an oversight on my part, yes we very much enjoyed here and lingered for several minutes to hear “just one more”.  I joked that she certainly knows her demographic.  John Denver, the Carpenters, the Eagles, a wide range from the 70’s and 80’s.

 

Lovely.

 

[jondfk]

Well, now we’re approaching the halfway point, perhaps a few words about the cabin.

 

Overall we like the design.  For us, the walk in closet it probably more an obstruction than an asset it seems every time the door is open it’s in the other persons way.  We’ve taken to closing ourself in, sure it’s a walk-in, but hardly a “dressing room”.  So, okay, but no great asset.

 

Bathroom, very nicely finished.  Moultin Brown products are fine, the pump bottles as the usual are hit or miss, some work fine, others don’t, just like home.  Towels are of surprisingly average quality and fairly small size, somehow the hand and wash cloths are of more expected plushness.  Let me guess…supply chain.

 

The furnishings of the main room are good, as expected.  The bed is good it’s of medium firmness which is a good way to get close to offending no one.  Our particular suite is has a sleeper sofa, normally I avoid these as they make poor sofa’s, this one is okay though, we don’t spend a lot of time in the cabin, but do typically sit and watch a few minutes of a movie pre dinner, it’s fine for that duration.

 

The table and chairs are fine for breakfast.  We’re unlikely to use them for a room service dinner, just not our thing.

 

The balcony is very large but has had limited use due to the temperature, perhaps later in the sailing.

 

Those with a good memory might recall we booked years ago, initially in a V1 room.  An upgrade / onboard credit appeared some months or a year ago, a call got us bumped to a V4 suite plus a few hundred in cabin credit.  Frankly, we’d have been just as happy in the V1 we originally booked and probably wouldn’t spend extra to upgrade in the future.  I did appreciate the ease with which I got the better offer, one phone call most of which was spent selecting our new cabin.

 

A slightly warmer day today in Tromso, time for a bit of exploration.  More later.

 

Edited June 16, 2023 by jondfk

[jondfk]

Haven’t found much to write about in recent days, exploring Tromsø and Honningsvag both lovely in their own ways.  SLSD does a better job sharing the sites with her photo stream I really have nothing to add.

 

On board it sounds boring to say nothing new, but that’s the truth, we’ve settled into our routine developing relationships with favorite staff.  To the absolute greatest extent has been lovely.  We did learn that our very favorite bartender was called home on an emergency, so sad to not even have a chance to say goodbye, we can only hope that whatever has occurred can be worked out with his presence.  Prayers.

[2SailingNomads]

Who are the bar tenders in Observation bar, club, patio

and Sky Bar?

[jondfk]

Sky bar:  Michela thought on the cold days she is in Observation.

observation bar:  Lauren and William until he departed.

Patio and Club I can’t say because so far we’ve only had table service.  Will look out.

 

[jondfk]

The first of two sea days sailing down the coast of Norway, bright and sunny from dawn to dusk.  The schedule filled morning to night with lectures.  The main event for the day was the Galley Market lunch which I know is a big big deal for SB regulars.  We seriously considered going but we’re put off by the expected (and real) line out the door.  Better a trip to the patio where we found all of the others who took a miss.  A lovely day to be outside which was a very nice consolation.

 

Another very pleasant afternoon in the retreat followed.  Some don’t enjoy sea days, but we always have.

 

Perhaps a few words about out suite service team.  Both couldn’t possibly be sweeter or more pleasant.  They do their jobs competently, aside from problems with our bar set up at the start, nothing has ever been missed.  One night we surprised them by arriving back to the room a bit after 8:00 to find the room unmade.  No big deal but a bit a surprise as we had out the service sign out at 5:00.  On the other hand someone said we should expect to be surprised and amazed, well, not so much.  Then again do we really need amazing suite service?

 

Early in the sailing someone complained about the absence of coffee early in the AM, perhaps a not unreasonable request given our land of the midnight sun sailing.  Surprisingly the ship adjusted the start of the early rise service to … I don’t know when but it’s been fully set up when I arrive usually by 5:30.  While I didn’t make the request I have been the very happiest of beneficiaries!  It’s my opinion that the early coffee in Observation is the best on the ship, perhaps only because I enjoy my first cup so very much.

 

Edited June 19, 2023 by jondfk

[purpleally]

On 6/14/2023 at 5:50 AM, jondfk said:

A chilly day sailing north towards the cape.  We braved the Retreat for a few hours, a shock to the system after a number of very pleasant days, huddled now on Observation watching the sea, anticipating lunch.

 

Perhaps a few words about wine in the meanwhile.  I’m no oenophile but do enjoy a variety of wines and regions.  That said, I’ve been disappointed with all of the daily reds which have been largely Spanish (who make some great wines no doubt).  The second choice is reliably better but still not great.  Whites have been more varied from Austria and elsewhere in Europe, several have been very serviceable though none that I need to remember for home.

 

There seems to be no list available though wines you enjoyed previously are poured again without complaint, though with a slight delay while retrieved.  Somehow I expect to identify a favorite on the last evening when I’ll have no further opportunity to enjoy.  I wonder whether this is usual for Seabourn?  Meaning keeping the included wines under wraps?  
 

it’s no doubt easier to push a single red and white each day, but I for one would prefer a list of what’s on offer.  I promised not to excessively compare SB to Oceania but in this regard Oceania are miles ahead, the wines by the glass are listed every day and the full list is always ready at hand, score one to Oceania (though I note that none of their wine is included in the base fare).

 

Use your pull in the Retreat, maybe they can help with wine list