Roll Call Seabourn Spirit 15-11-2009 Lisbon-Ft. Lauderdale

[Seabourn-nail]

Paul and I will be in 319. Very happy about this since we will be onboard for the extended seventeen days. We have enjoyed those tiny little balconies just for some occasional fresh air.

Also, we are looking forward to meeting some new critic cruise members.

Ginger

That is wonderful Ginger, I'm happy for you! René also loves the balcony a lot.

So I guess there were balcony suites available for the 17 days! We could only move to the most forward non balcony suites....

But like I said, our time will come!

Marja

[howndder]

Hi Marja and Ginger,

Upgrades are an unbelievably inexact science. I speak from experience, having been in the travel business for over 30 years and my last 10 as director of frequent flers for BA. Supposedly, when you book and what category you start with are the determining factors that should be used. Of course, past passenger status and how many days with the company are always taken into account. Now, that being said, it can also come down to who's on duty that day and how they're feeling and if their having a bad hair day, etc, etc. The first time we were given an upgrade to a balcony cabin on Seabourn, it was our agent and her connections at Seabourn. This time the "Balcony Gods" were smiling down on us, I guess.

Yes Marja, your turn will definitely come. I hope its sooner, rather than later.

Howard

[dhream]

We wanted to experience more than just a TA with Seabourn, but the 17 day crossing on Spirit (including the 5 night Caribbean) posed several issues for us, the least not being just two ports between FLL and STT and yet two more sea days after 10 straight days of ocean.

So... what we are doing is flying down to STT on Friday 27 Nov, and staying at the rustic Mafolie Hotel on the hill above the dock http://www.mafolie.com for 5 days until the Spirit arrives from FLL on 2 Dec then we're getting back on and doing the island-intensive 7 day Charlotte Amalie round-trip.

 

I spent an unforgettable summer in 1985 being a beach-bum/yachtie on St Thomas, and want to show Licia all my old haunts (mainly the bar at Red Hook and the other one over at St John Ferry Pier) :D

 

Does anyone know if the 0800 arrival at the dock in St Thomas and a departing flight at 1000 is doable? I would not chance it in, say, a major city, but I'm wondering if St Thomas is still as laid back most days?

 

It's our only option to make JFK on time for our flight back to Sydney. I'm already leaning toward prudence, and overnighting in STT one more time just to make sure we don't miss the AA5081.

 

Anyone getting the same flight? Thanks!

[ltsally]

We recently received that brown-cover brochure that included info on about 4 excursions for our day (well, 6 hours) in Madeira. I was surprised at the pricing, which seemed quite high for what was on offer. Based on the prior experience of some of you crossing veterans, are more options likely to be offered on-board? Or, any suggestions for what to do/how to see M on one's own?

[howndder]

We too recvd that brochure and yes the prices were def high. The last time we took Seabourn across was in 07 and they "gave" us a wonderful tour in Punta Del Gado. I guess the "Seabourn Experience" is another casualty of our bleak economy.

I believe that one can "do" Madeira on their own quite easily in 6 hours. I suppose you "must" do the basket ride and "must" take the cable car and other than that and perhaps tea at "Reids Hotel" there isn't really that much else to do. It is a beautiful island and if you've never been there it is nice to see. I'm sure there will be several passengers interested in doing the island themselves. You should have no problem with this and I will help locate others.

Howard

[dhream]

Dear Howard, Marja, et al;

 

As mentioned earlier in previous posts elsewhere, we have some difficulty with the 'post updater' actually posting updates to our mailbox, so up until browsing this entire thread last night we did not see Howard's welcoming comment to us, nor were we aware of the many other joining cruisers, so hello to you all -and thank you Howard! :o :D

 

Not sure if pre or post cruise accommodation info is on-topic, but we have now done a little more research, and moved our booked 5 day post TA stay to http://www.bellavista-bnb.com/tour.htm which has had consistent rave-reviews since opening in 2001.

 

There are 4 delightfully themed rooms on offer. Although they do ask guests stay a minimum 2-3 nights depending on the room booked.

 

Our plan is to fly from FLL or MIA to St Thomas on the disembarkation day of the TA, and await the arrival of Spirit into St. Thomas on Dec 2 when we re-embark for a 7 day Caribbean cruise.

 

That might sound extravagant and over-indulgent, and it is! :p Seriously though, given we both have the ultimate luxury of time on our hands -just this once- and its our Honeymoon, and we would have to travel three quarters of the way around the world to do the Caribbean another time, it just makes sense to take the plunge and enjoy it to the fullest!

 

We can almost smell the seaspray now... can't wait to meet you all at the sail away in Lisbon!

[Seabourn-nail]

Dear Howard, Marja, et al;

 

Not sure if pre or post cruise accommodation info is on-topic, but we have now done a little more research, and moved our booked 5 day post TA stay to http://www.bellavista-bnb.com/tour.htm which has had consistent rave-reviews since opening in 2001.

 

There are 4 delightfully themed rooms on offer. Although they do ask guests stay a minimum 2-3 nights depending on the room booked.

 

Our plan is to fly from FLL or MIA to St Thomas on the disembarkation day of the TA, and await the arrival of Spirit into St. Thomas on Dec 2 when we re-embark for a 7 day Caribbean cruise.

 

That might sound extravagant and over-indulgent, and it is! :p Seriously though, given we both have the ultimate luxury of time on our hands -just this once- and its our Honeymoon, and we would have to travel three quarters of the way around the world to do the Caribbean another time, it just makes sense to take the plunge and enjoy it to the fullest!

 

We can almost smell the seaspray now... can't wait to meet you all at the sail away in Lisbon!

So your plans are not final yet? Of course you're still young and "easy going", but we just booked the extra 5 days to stay on the ship and not having to spend 5 days in a hotel in Ft. Lauderdale before our scheduled reward flight to Amsterdam!

I think you will be sad to leave the ship, do all of your packing (or some) and then the extra travel, taxi's, flights, a lot of hassle....

You will miss the ship, I'm sure, that extra service, the good food, the champagne..... but OK, your own choice - just my opinion and advice!

Marja

[howndder]

Will & Licia, no apologies necessary. I'm just glad you were able to straighten out your thread problems. Marja, you must absolutely check out the hotel they are staying in, in St. Thomas. It looks picture perfect. I have added it to my Favorites list for the time when we plan to "do" St. Thoams on an overnight as opposed to just a day stop on a cruise. Thank you W & L for that recommendation. The view from the pool is simply stunning.

When oh when do we get docs?

Howard

[JaneBP]

>"Our plan is to fly from FLL or MIA to St Thomas on the disembarkation day of the TA, and await the arrival of Spirit into St. Thomas on Dec 2 when we re-embark for a 7 day Caribbean cruise."

 

You might cnsider having the Spirit keep a suitcase or two until you re-embark thereby saving some space and annoyance with several bags with clothing you might not need for the 5 days. I think your plan is a splendid idea.

[howndder]

First off, I must say that "JaneBP"'s idea about the bags is nothing short of brilliant. Now for the big news:

I am doing the DOC DANCE! Yippee. Thia can only mean one thing, we're leaving soon. Another Yippee!

Howard

[Seabourn-nail]

First off, I must say that "JaneBP"'s idea about the bags is nothing short of brilliant. Now for the big news:

 

I am doing the DOC DANCE! Yippee. Thia can only mean one thing, we're leaving soon. Another Yippee!

 

Howard

 

That's what I meant with: do all of your packing (or some).

You might be able to leave some clothes even hanging out on a rack (?).

I will certainly check out the hotel on St. Thomas. I personally would always go for the extra cruise days!

I will have plenty of time to wish our honeymooners a wonderful time during the crossing!

Marja

[dhream]

Will & Licia, no apologies necessary. I'm just glad you were able to straighten out your thread problems. Marja, you must absolutely check out the hotel they are staying in, in St. Thomas. It looks picture perfect. I have added it to my Favorites list for the time when we plan to "do" St. Thoams on an overnight as opposed to just a day stop on a cruise. Thank you W & L for that recommendation. The view from the pool is simply stunning.

When oh when do we get docs?

Howard

 

Hi Howard,

I just want to clarify if you were aware we have moved our booking in St Thomas from the Mafolie Hotel (with a stunning view) to the Bellavista B&B with a similar stunning view, and stunning rooms, and stunning breakfasts -yes even Wendy's Brekkies are a work of living art. (I only mention this as you mentioned 'the Hotel' in the above post and didn't want any confusion between 'the Hotel' and the delightful B&B). Here's the link again for conveniece sake: http://www.bellavista-bnb.com/tour.htm

 

The anticipation builds... :D

Will & Licia

[dhream]

I believe that one can "do" Madeira on their own quite easily in 6 hours. <snipped> I'm sure there will be several passengers interested in doing the island themselves. You should have no problem with this and I will help locate others.

Howard

 

Howard,

We'd love to join any other adventuresome sailors you can 'press-gang' into 'going it alone' on Madiera, I'm all for scouring the Net beforehand, doing a little pleasant homework, and striking out on the day -solo if necessary.

True, we're all just the latest in a long line of tourists playing at being intrepid explorers, but it sure beats the pennant-bearing guide and the little gaggle of googly-eyed voyeurs. That's OK for some, but it's just not us. ;)

[dhream]

Jane and Marja,

 

I guess you both get to share the credit for your great suggestion to leave some of the heavy-duty glad rags on the Spirit. it's a splendid idea, and I'm sure they'll accommodate us if we ask nicely.

 

Marja,

I do see your point about staying aboard. For me, St Thomas just happens to have a little place in my heart from way back, and our decision to stay there was almost accidental, it would have never crossed my mind were it not included in the Spirit itinerary, and even then, we may have stayed on had the 1st week of the Spirit's Caribbean cruise season offered us just a little more island-hopping.

 

I don't want to praise our choice of accommodations too highly in advance, but all I can say is, on the independent http://www.tripadvisor.com they scored an unheard of 100% approval rating from independent traveler reviews! (actually, Licia has to take the credit for finding Bellavista on tripadvisor.com, I overlooked it!):o

 

All the reviews we read seemed to echo the praise one hears about Seabourn, Vis-a-vis: 'stylish and intimate', 'impeccable attention to detail', 'service touches above and beyond' it seemed the logical choice, and a perfect match for our unique little hop on-hop off cruise plan.

 

We will update you all with our own honest and (we hope) balanced opinion of how well or otherwise The Bellavista B&B works as a landside match for the 'Sisters' -and anyone looking to get a little more from their pre or post cruise accommodation on St Thomas.

 

Will & Licia.

[dhream]

First off, I must say that "JaneBP"'s idea about the bags is nothing short of brilliant. Now for the big news:

I am doing the DOC DANCE! Yippee. Thia can only mean one thing, we're leaving soon. Another Yippee!

Howard

 

Howard,

Apologies for poorly paraphrasing Oscar Wilde, but: "There is only one thing better than doing the DOC Dance, and that's doing the Dock Dance" -on Embarkation Day.:p

[sullaRaffaello]

The reason I asked this question is because it looks like there are actually 3 terminals in Lisbon that handle cruise ships.

 

http://www.portodelisboa.pt/portal/page/portal/PORTAL_PORTO_LISBOA_ING/CRUZEIROS/CRUISE_TERMINALS

 

 

From the following page on that site,

 

http://www.portodelisboa.pt/portal/page/portal/PORTAL_PORTO_LISBOA/CRUZEIROS/Previsao_anual_de_navios_de_cruzeiro_2009.pdf

 

they haven't posted the terminal for our cruise yet, but it looks like so far this year, Seabourn has always used Terminal de Cruzeiros da Rocha Conde de Óbidos.

 

 

I got my documents today and indeed, the embarkation is at the terminal above.

[howndder]

Will and Licia and everyone else for that matter, "Trip Advisor" is a site that anyone can post their impressions of where they stayed or which line they used etc., etc. I mean "anyone". There has been many times when the actual poster worked for the property reviewed. One must take anything one reads on these sites with a grain of salt. I did check out Bellavistas' web site and from that it does indeed lookk fabulous, I just have a more open mind as to "Trip Advisor". I suggest that you read several of the postings for any property that you are interested in.

As far as "Madeira" is concerned, It's quite possible that we may stay on board the ship, having been here several times. This is our 16th? crossing and there are only so many places that a ship can stop enroute.

Marja, I'm sorry that I didn't notice that you had suggested the same thing as far as the luggage is concerned.

Time is getting shorter and shorter. I just have a wedding at the end of this mmonth and then I can put all of my energies into what to pack for Seabourn. I'm a clothes horse, so it isn't easy for me on an only 2 week cruise.

Howard

[JaneBP]

>"Marja, I'm sorry that I didn't notice that you had suggested the same thing as far as the luggage is concerned."

 

Me too, Marja. I misunderstood your comment. I had done what I advised one time on the Legend, with cruises in the Caribbean a month apart. It was so convenient. My luggage often has more fun that I do.

[Seabourn-nail]

No apologies necessary as far as I'm concerned! I'm sure my English is sometimes a little bit different from what you're used to and so is my sense of humour!

Have a nice weekend all!

Marja

[SandyK1968]

Sitting , idly, at the computer, still in pyjamas, I noticed that my post of many moons ago on this thread has disappeared.

 

Count us in on the T/A.

 

I know that Marja knows that we're going to be aboard, and I look forward to meeting you all, on or after the 15th November.

 

It feels like light years since we've sailed on SB, though it's actually only 6 months (that's what happens when you're the mother of 2 small and active children...who, you'll be glad to hear, won't be joining us on board)

 

And for the honeymooners...we had our honeymoon on the Pride 5 years ago, and there's no better way to do it!

 

Counting the days....:D

 

Sam & David

[Seabourn-nail]

Changed CC guest list

Newest list of CC people who will be on this Spirit crossing:

 

TravelHop - Ponte Vedra Beach, FL (John & Dawn)

howndder - Ft. Lauderdale (Howard & Derek)

lifelover - Gulf Breeze Florida (Ginger & Paul)

dhream - Australia (Will & Felicia)

ltsally - Upper Midwest

sullaRaffaello - West Caldwell, NJ

SandyK1968 - Sam & David

Constance331 - New York City (Roxanne)

Seabourn-nail - Hoorn, the Netherlands (René & Marja)

And then I know our good friends Jackie & George will be there too!

 

I don't know all your first names, sorry!

Sam & David:

You wrote I know you will be on board! Do I? Can you help me.... do I know you? I'm sorry for asking if I do, but I'm only human.... and at the moment my memory doesn't help me much!

Five more weeks to go today!

Have a nice weekend!

Marja

[Seabourn-nail]

Changed CC guest list

Newest list of CC people who will be on this Spirit crossing:

 

TravelHop - Ponte Vedra Beach, FL (John & Dawn)

howndder - Ft. Lauderdale (Howard & Derek)

lifelover - Gulf Breeze Florida (Ginger & Paul)

dhream - Australia (Will & Felicia)

ltsally - Upper Midwest

sullaRaffaello - West Caldwell, NJ

SandyK1968 - Sam & David

Constance331 - New York City (Roxanne)

Seabourn-nail - Hoorn, the Netherlands (René & Marja)

 

And then I know our good friends Jackie & George will be there too!

 

I don't know all your first names, sorry!

 

Sam & David:

You wrote I know you will be on board! Do I? Can you help me.... do I know you? I'm sorry for asking if I do, but I'm only human.... and at the moment my memory doesn't help me much!

 

Five more weeks to go today!

Have a nice weekend!

 

Marja

 

And then while in the kitchen ..... I was thinking: Sam must be short for Samantha and that does ring a bell!

So you must be from Cardiff, United Kingdom!

In that case I'm looking forward to meeting you! But I don't think I knew already..... or?

Marja

[SandyK1968]

No, Marja, we haven't met, but I feel as though I know you, as we are good friends of Marco and Marcel, who are our daughter's godfathers. See you at the Sky Bar. ;);)

[Seabourn-nail]

No, Marja, we haven't met, but I feel as though I know you, as we are good friends of Marco and Marcel, who are our daughter's godfathers. See you at the Sky Bar. ;);)

Hi Samantha!

I know we haven't met, but what I wrote and meant was, that I didn't know yet you are going to be on this cruise! I thought you expected Marco and Marcel to have mentioned it to us. By the way we will see them tomorrow!

See you on the 15th of November!

Marja

[Seabourn-nail]

Great news:

Looks like we will be having Mr. Nelson (super Sky Bar "manager") for our Spirit crossing! Vamos!

Marja