– Avalon Myanmar – Myanmar River Cruise – April 2017
Avalon Waterways – Myanmar – Part VI (Kya Hnyat to Kyauk Myaung)
Avalon Waterways – Myanmar – Part IX (The Ship: Avalon Myanmar)
Avalon Waterways – Myanmar (Burma) – Reflections: “Isn’t This Amazing!?”
*Azamara Club Cruises – Azamara Journey – Singapore to Dubai (April 8, 2018)
* Azamara Quest – Southeast Asia and Japan (February 2015)
– How Close to Luxury Can Celebrity’s Smallest Ship Get? – Part I
– How Close to Luxury Can Celebrity’s Smallest Ship Get? Part II
– How Close to Luxury Can Celebrity’s Smallest Ship Get? Part III
– How Close to Luxury Can Celebrity’s Smallest Ship Get? Part IV
– How Close to Luxury Can Celebrity’s Smallest Ship Get? – Some Final Observations and Thoughts
– The Prologue to the Travelogue
– The Adventure Begins…With a Bump or Two
– Settling In Made Easy
– Luxury Touches Here, There and OK, Not, Everywhere…But There Are Lots of Them!
– Asian Flair Onboard and On Shore
– Private Tours, Israel and Conflicts in Perceptions and Perspective
Celebrity Equinox 2009 – Egypt…Impressive and Depressing
– Dining With the Captain and the Reidel Wine Seminar
– The Last Dinner (Tuscan Grille) and Disembarkation
– What Happens When A Class Act Meets Highly Discounted Cruise Fare
– Lisbon to Monaco: Crystal As a “Move Up” & “Move Over” Luxury Option – Part I
– Lisbon to Monaco: Crystal As a “Move Up” & “Move Over” Luxury Option – Part II
– Lisbon to Monaco: Crystal As a “Move Up” & “Move Over” Luxury Option – Part III
– Lisbon to Monaco: Crystal As a “Move Up” & “Move Over” Luxury Option – Part IV (Food & Wine!)
– Princess Cruises Doesn’t Treat You Like Royalty; Celebrity Cruises Does! Which is a Better Value for the Upscale Cruise Guest? Part I
– Celebrity Silhouette vs. -Royal Princess – Which Is A Better Value For The Upscale Cruise Guest? Part II: The Standard Veranda Staterooms
– Celebrity Silhouette vs. Royal Princess – Which Is A Better Value For The Upscale Cruise Guest? Part III: Treating You Right From The Start
– Celebrity Silhouette vs. Royal Princess – Which Is A Better Value For The Upscale Cruise Guest? Part IV: The Wine Lists Speak Volumes (As Do The Beverage Packages)
Regent Seven Seas Voyager – August 2017
– Italy and Corisca 2014 – Part I
– Italy and Corisca 2014 – Part II (Getting There, The Stateroom and First Impressions)
– Italy and Corisca 2014 – Part III (“You Can’t Teach Five Star Service” and Bonafacio, Corsica)
– Italy and Corisca 2014 – Part IV (Calvi, Monaco, Portofino, Porto Azzurro…and Stale Bread)
– Italy and Corisca 2014 – Part V (My Last Day…and How The Chef’s Team Makes It Happen)
You know I am a huge critic of Cruise Critic and, honestly, since I stopped posting over there (Thank You!!!!) the board has devolved into little more than a catty obnoxious clique where actually very little of substance is ever discussed and, frankly, much of what is being discussed is, well, disgusting.
I cannot tell you the number of emails I am presently receiving worried if these obnoxious and cliquish people is what Seabourn is about. Thank heavens I know it is not. Those that are upset by this little, actually insignificant Cruise Critic clique, need to understand – these self-absorbed people make up much less than 0.5% of the Seabourn guest list.
Do the math: Most Seabourn cruises have no (zero) Cruise Critic posters. Some have 2 or 3. A few, such as a Crossing have maybe 6 or 8. Out of 100 suites, that is a very significant minority. Take those same numbers and put them on the Odyssey and these folks are essentially invisible to everyone…but themselves.
The most recent absurdity is over how people were dressed that were arriving for, or attending the, Maiden Voyage. Who cares? Why? The answer, which is going to piss ’em off, is that those obnoxious and insulting posters are almost exclusively “wannabes”. (Notice I used green – envy.)
They wannabe able to afford the Maiden Voyage, but probably cannot afford it. (And they weren’t considered for the Inaugural filled with the top brass of Carnival Corp. and Seabourn. Some even had to falsely devolve sailing with Mr. Arison, Mr. Frank, Ms. Conover, etc. into being a junket rather than an honor.)
They wannabe able to fly in from their European home the same day, but they don’t own one and/or they are xenophobic Americans who forget that Seabourn is an international cruise line with many non-US guests who consider flying within Europe similar to taking a bus (and who gets dressed up for that?).
They wannabe able to wear whatever the damn well please, but actually worry that someone who has anointed themselves the fashion police might realize that “the clothes actually don’t make the person”.
But the reality is that this specific VERY SMALL GROUP on Cruise Critic (most certainly not all who post or read Cruise Critic) tend to be the ones that book the lowest available suite at the highest discount…or they cannot afford to go (or simply will not go). Read their posts and you will see they are the very same ones complaining that if Seabourn doesn’t give away the cruises to them – especially single suites – they are going to other cruise lines. They tend to sail for 7 days…maybe 14…once a year, possibly skipping a year hear or there.
The Seabourn demographic is changing to be younger, but one thing is clear: There are many guests that cruise multiple times a year and do so for far longer than 7-14 days.
Another things to keep in mind: Everyone on Seabourn is treated exactly the same. I have rarely heard anyone wanting to boast about who they are or what they are worth. It tends to be exactly the opposite because, in a sophisticated world, it just doesn’t matter. What matters is that you are respectful of the other person and friendly enough for the then situation.
So how did people dress on the Inaugural – for those that want to know? With a few exceptions (there always are): Elegantly or Country Club Casual. After reading this post that you feel insulted you, “Do you now think my compliance with the expected dress code makes me a better person than the one that do not dress as well as me?” Didn’t think so.
Get the message?
Postscript: A Cruise Critic post (captioend Cruise Critic Dangers) on the Regent Board expressing the problems with rudeness and misinformation…and insignificance of Cruise Critic: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?s=0ebdcd2fdacacfe08d05103bf423f2d5&t=1016471
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