Seabourn Sojourn Cruise in the Caribbean
By Mandy Brown
My husband and I love sailing, from racing small yachts and windsurfers to cruising in larger yachts with friends on holidays in many destinations around New Zealand and overseas. This year we decided to try cruising on a larger ship to see whether it was for us. Firstly choosing the right cruise was important. After talking to The Private Travel Company’s Cruise Master, Sandra Barclay-Graham and the team at Cruise World we all agreed that a Seabourn cruise was the one. A good size ship, all suite and only 428 passengers. From there we looked at the cruises available in October/November (the time that suited us). We chose the Caribbean for 10 days, on-board Seabourn Sojourn.
Our Itinerary
Monday - depart Fort Lauderdale, Florida, USA
Tuesday - at Sea
Wednesday - at Sea
Thursday - San Juan, Puerto Rico
Friday - Gustavia (St Barts), France
Saturday - St Johns, Antigua
Sunday - St John (Cruz Bay) US Virgin Islands
Monday - Isla Catalina, Dominican Republic
Tuesday - at Sea
Wednesday - at Sea
Thursday - arrive back at Fort Lauderdale, Florida, USA
We decided to spend a few days in Miami prior to our cruise. Flying from Auckland to Miami, via Los Angeles. You can fly direct from Los Angeles to Fort Lauderdale with the airport at Fort Lauderdale situated right next to the port. We took a 45 minute taxi ride from Miami to the port in Fort Lauderdale at an agreed rate of USD65, which we organised through our hotel.
Seabourn Sojourn was there waiting for us as we arrived at the port. We were dropped off outside a terminal building along with many others. My husband and I both looked at each other with worried looks to begin with as we walked into the terminal with a few very elderly and even infirmed passengers. We are in our early 50’s and had listened to people talk about cruising only being for the elderly, of course these people had never been on a cruise and balled them all into one category. Smiles were back on our faces once we started to go through the boarding process and discovered many ages. The first couple we met were American and when they found out this was our first cruise experience they told us that we were very lucky to be on what they considered the ‘Rolls Royce’ of cruise ships.
The boarding of over 400 passengers went extremely smoothly. We were firstly directed to the Colonnade, which is one of the 4 restaurants on-board. There we were offered a Buffet lunch and drinks while we waited for all passengers to board and our suites to be ready. Everyone was extremely relaxed and well into holiday mode.
We made our way to our suite and knowing that we were booked into a Veranda Suite we still were very impressed when we saw it. We had a well spec’d Lounge and separated Bedroom area, walk-in wardrobe, marble bathroom with bath and separate marble shower. To top this off we had floor to ceiling windows and door which opened onto a private balcony with 2 sun lounges and a table.
The first 2 days we were at sea heading towards Puerto Rico. This was a wonderful time spent exploring the ship and finding our favourite spots. Checking out the 4 restaurants and of course the Spa was on our list as well. The ship was beautiful the décor contemporary and the artwork world-class, including Picassos and Magrittes. The crew were exceptional, always smiling, helpful and quick to get to know you. My husband made friends with the Barista not long after we left port. A Café is situated in what is called The Square, which is where you go to find out about your cruise, your bookings and your excursions. The Barista was an Irishman and when my husband asked him hesitantly for a Flat White he poured milk into a saucer for him with a straight face, which quickly turned to laughter when he realised that my husband wasn’t sure he was joking and he absolutely knew how Kiwis liked a coffee called Flat White. Happy that our daily coffees were sorted my husband went off to check out the Gym. Being away for nearly 3 weeks was going to be cutting into his Round Taupo Bike race training so he had every intention of using the Gym. He was really thrilled with the top of the range equipment and facilities and did train daily.
One of the things we all dread is being unwell while we’re away. Well this was my time to be sick on holiday, but as it turned out the best place to be. The night that we sailed I woke up to a scratchy throat and by morning I was coughing none stop and feeling pretty unwell. I went straight to see the Ship’s Doctor and very quickly given medication to deal with a chest infection that eventually turned into Bronchitis. I was well taken care of and I was extremely impressed by the facilities in the Medical Centre. The best thing for me was rest and humidity for my breathing, so I was in the best place lying on a sun lounger by 3 pools of differing temperatures in 30 degree heat and almost 100% humidity in places.
There were 7 Kiwi’s on-board Sojourn; one was a crew member and 3 couples including ourselves. One of the other couples, Rod and Gaye Spencer, are also clients of The Private Travel Company and had been on Sojourn from Montreal to Fort Lauderdale and then continued on to the Caribbean. It was lovely meeting up with them as they have been on a few cruises and were already part of the Sojourn family so knew the ropes.
At each one of the stopovers we got off the ship and ventured out. We took a small tour of San Juan, Puerto Rico in a well air-conditioned bus. It was too hot for anyone to walk around, but we managed to see some San Juan highlights both historic and modern, from the original Spanish Fort to Ricky Martin’s apartment.
Next was St Barts, a small island controlled by the French and occupied by the rich and famous over Dec, Jan and Feb, with New Years being one of the biggest and probably most expensive parties in the world. We hired a four wheel bike and drove around the island on our own finding great beaches, resorts and beautiful expensive shops. This is also where we organised an excursion snorkelling, one that we wouldn’t recommend. It was in a small Cat and there were about 10 people from the cruise. It was advertised as a 2 hour snorkelling trip and was run by a Frenchman who after taking us about 500 metres from the marina to a rock in the bay proceeded to spend 1 hour lecturing everyone on the do’s and don’ts of putting your snorkels and fins on and making orderly lines. I do mean lecturing, he was rude and obnoxious. He then pointed to a small area where he was happy for everyone to snorkel and pointed out that he would take the boat in if anyone disobeyed. Most people were quiet with shock from the treatment which killed the buzz and at USD99 per person was a huge waste of time and money. Take me back to the ship I cried.
Antigua was our next destination, St Johns is the capital. The day we arrived it was raining, over 30 degrees and the humidity was extreme. Sugar Plantations used to be everywhere and the main source of income, but now the Sugar processing plant is left rusting and Tourism is where most get their income from. Consequently when we disembarked the ship and walked out of the port gate we were swarmed by offers of Taxi rides and guides. We ended up in our own 20 seater bus on a 2 hour drive around the island with a private guide.
The following day we cruised into Cruz Bay and the Island of St John one of the US Virgin Islands. It is a beautiful island, lush and green with the most incredible beaches. Most of the island is a national reserve and well groomed and maintained. St John is home of one of the best beaches in the world called Trunk Beach with turquoise water and white sand.
The last island we visited was in the Dominican Republic called Isla Catalina. Sojourn tied up to a very handy large buoy and we were taken by tender from the ship to the island where we were greeted with cocktails sun lounges and umbrellas. That day Seabourn put on a huge BBQ on the island and opened up its marina, which is located in the aft of the ship and all the water toys were taken out from speed boats, zodiacs, skis, kayaks to biscuits and banana boats. The crew of Sojourn were in full form and enjoying the day as much as the passengers. Then the best thing of all happened when the crew arrived in the water with a surfboard that had Beluga Caviar, crostini’s and condiments as well as Champagne to serve everyone in the water. This was the infamous ‘Caviar in the Surf’ event. Rain and the odd rogue wave didn’t dampen anyone’s mood, everyone enjoyed the party.
We then had 2 days at sea heading back to Fort Lauderdale. This was spent really enjoying the outdoor spaces and relaxing. I also took advantage of the time to enjoy a treatment in the Spa. Some of the passengers spend a great deal of time in the spa and you can pay to have use of the Spa Villa and Cabana and take on a large number of treatments or even recover from a surgical treatment.
The last day of our cruise was highlighted by the Galley Market Kitchen lunch. This is a huge Buffet lunch and starts in the Galley where you can view the Chefs cooking you a fresh serving of seafood or pasta. See large platters of Lobster and freshly cooked prawns and flow out to tables of salads and huge tables of the most incredible Deserts. An afternoon siesta was definitely required after that lunch. Then it was meeting up with our new found friends in the Observation Bar for drinks and wandering down for a final dinner under the stars.
Disembarkation at Fort Lauderdale went as smoothly as boarding. After breakfast we just wandered down to the Square for our final Flat White and waited until they called our number and colour, which meant that our bags were off the ship and available to pick up and go through immigration, which also went smoothly. We even had the most friendly American customs officer we had ever met who when he saw that we were heading to San Francisco and Napa Valley for a few days wanted to make sure we went to the right Vineyards and the right tour.
The night before we arrived in port we were given information about other Seabourn Cruises and as a passenger if we paid a cruise deposit now we would get 5% off any cruise we took in the next 4 years. I decided this was a great opportunity to see how much my yachting, Skipper, husband enjoyed cruising in ships. Not only did he not hesitate in doing it, he even went and delivered the form and organised payment, which is normally left to me. I guess even a sick wife didn’t dampen his experience and we are going on another cruise.
Caribbean
Seabourn Sojourn Cruise in the Caribbean
By Mandy Brown
My husband and I love sailing, from racing small yachts and windsurfers to cruising in larger yachts with friends on holidays in many destinations around New Zealand and overseas. This year we decided to try cruising on a larger ship to see whether it was for us. Firstly choosing the right cruise was important. After talking to The Private Travel Company’s Cruise Master, Sandra Barclay-Graham and the team at Cruise World we all agreed that a Seabourn cruise was the one. A good size ship, all suite and only 428 passengers. From there we looked at the cruises available in October/November (the time that suited us). We chose the Caribbean for 10 days, on-board Seabourn Sojourn.
Our Itinerary
Monday - depart Fort Lauderdale, Florida, USA
Tuesday - at Sea
Wednesday - at Sea
Thursday - San Juan, Puerto Rico
Friday - Gustavia (St Barts), France
Saturday - St Johns, Antigua
Sunday - St John (Cruz Bay) US Virgin Islands
Monday - Isla Catalina, Dominican Republic
Tuesday - at Sea
Wednesday - at Sea
Thursday - arrive back at Fort Lauderdale, Florida, USA
We decided to spend a few days in Miami prior to our cruise. Flying from Auckland to Miami, via Los Angeles. You can fly direct from Los Angeles to Fort Lauderdale with the airport at Fort Lauderdale situated right next to the port. We took a 45 minute taxi ride from Miami to the port in Fort Lauderdale at an agreed rate of USD65, which we organised through our hotel.
Seabourn Sojourn was there waiting for us as we arrived at the port. We were dropped off outside a terminal building along with many others. My husband and I both looked at each other with worried looks to begin with as we walked into the terminal with a few very elderly and even infirmed passengers. We are in our early 50’s and had listened to people talk about cruising only being for the elderly, of course these people had never been on a cruise and balled them all into one category. Smiles were back on our faces once we started to go through the boarding process and discovered many ages. The first couple we met were American and when they found out this was our first cruise experience they told us that we were very lucky to be on what they considered the ‘Rolls Royce’ of cruise ships.
The boarding of over 400 passengers went extremely smoothly. We were firstly directed to the Colonnade, which is one of the 4 restaurants on-board. There we were offered a Buffet lunch and drinks while we waited for all passengers to board and our suites to be ready. Everyone was extremely relaxed and well into holiday mode.
We made our way to our suite and knowing that we were booked into a Veranda Suite we still were very impressed when we saw it. We had a well spec’d Lounge and separated Bedroom area, walk-in wardrobe, marble bathroom with bath and separate marble shower. To top this off we had floor to ceiling windows and door which opened onto a private balcony with 2 sun lounges and a table.
The first 2 days we were at sea heading towards Puerto Rico. This was a wonderful time spent exploring the ship and finding our favourite spots. Checking out the 4 restaurants and of course the Spa was on our list as well. The ship was beautiful the décor contemporary and the artwork world-class, including Picassos and Magrittes. The crew were exceptional, always smiling, helpful and quick to get to know you. My husband made friends with the Barista not long after we left port. A Café is situated in what is called The Square, which is where you go to find out about your cruise, your bookings and your excursions. The Barista was an Irishman and when my husband asked him hesitantly for a Flat White he poured milk into a saucer for him with a straight face, which quickly turned to laughter when he realised that my husband wasn’t sure he was joking and he absolutely knew how Kiwis liked a coffee called Flat White. Happy that our daily coffees were sorted my husband went off to check out the Gym. Being away for nearly 3 weeks was going to be cutting into his Round Taupo Bike race training so he had every intention of using the Gym. He was really thrilled with the top of the range equipment and facilities and did train daily.
One of the things we all dread is being unwell while we’re away. Well this was my time to be sick on holiday, but as it turned out the best place to be. The night that we sailed I woke up to a scratchy throat and by morning I was coughing none stop and feeling pretty unwell. I went straight to see the Ship’s Doctor and very quickly given medication to deal with a chest infection that eventually turned into Bronchitis. I was well taken care of and I was extremely impressed by the facilities in the Medical Centre. The best thing for me was rest and humidity for my breathing, so I was in the best place lying on a sun lounger by 3 pools of differing temperatures in 30 degree heat and almost 100% humidity in places.
There were 7 Kiwi’s on-board Sojourn; one was a crew member and 3 couples including ourselves. One of the other couples, Rod and Gaye Spencer, are also clients of The Private Travel Company and had been on Sojourn from Montreal to Fort Lauderdale and then continued on to the Caribbean. It was lovely meeting up with them as they have been on a few cruises and were already part of the Sojourn family so knew the ropes.
At each one of the stopovers we got off the ship and ventured out. We took a small tour of San Juan, Puerto Rico in a well air-conditioned bus. It was too hot for anyone to walk around, but we managed to see some San Juan highlights both historic and modern, from the original Spanish Fort to Ricky Martin’s apartment.
Next was St Barts, a small island controlled by the French and occupied by the rich and famous over Dec, Jan and Feb, with New Years being one of the biggest and probably most expensive parties in the world. We hired a four wheel bike and drove around the island on our own finding great beaches, resorts and beautiful expensive shops. This is also where we organised an excursion snorkelling, one that we wouldn’t recommend. It was in a small Cat and there were about 10 people from the cruise. It was advertised as a 2 hour snorkelling trip and was run by a Frenchman who after taking us about 500 metres from the marina to a rock in the bay proceeded to spend 1 hour lecturing everyone on the do’s and don’ts of putting your snorkels and fins on and making orderly lines. I do mean lecturing, he was rude and obnoxious. He then pointed to a small area where he was happy for everyone to snorkel and pointed out that he would take the boat in if anyone disobeyed. Most people were quiet with shock from the treatment which killed the buzz and at USD99 per person was a huge waste of time and money. Take me back to the ship I cried.
Antigua was our next destination, St Johns is the capital. The day we arrived it was raining, over 30 degrees and the humidity was extreme. Sugar Plantations used to be everywhere and the main source of income, but now the Sugar processing plant is left rusting and Tourism is where most get their income from. Consequently when we disembarked the ship and walked out of the port gate we were swarmed by offers of Taxi rides and guides. We ended up in our own 20 seater bus on a 2 hour drive around the island with a private guide.
The following day we cruised into Cruz Bay and the Island of St John one of the US Virgin Islands. It is a beautiful island, lush and green with the most incredible beaches. Most of the island is a national reserve and well groomed and maintained. St John is home of one of the best beaches in the world called Trunk Beach with turquoise water and white sand.
The last island we visited was in the Dominican Republic called Isla Catalina. Sojourn tied up to a very handy large buoy and we were taken by tender from the ship to the island where we were greeted with cocktails sun lounges and umbrellas. That day Seabourn put on a huge BBQ on the island and opened up its marina, which is located in the aft of the ship and all the water toys were taken out from speed boats, zodiacs, skis, kayaks to biscuits and banana boats. The crew of Sojourn were in full form and enjoying the day as much as the passengers. Then the best thing of all happened when the crew arrived in the water with a surfboard that had Beluga Caviar, crostini’s and condiments as well as Champagne to serve everyone in the water. This was the infamous ‘Caviar in the Surf’ event. Rain and the odd rogue wave didn’t dampen anyone’s mood, everyone enjoyed the party.
We then had 2 days at sea heading back to Fort Lauderdale. This was spent really enjoying the outdoor spaces and relaxing. I also took advantage of the time to enjoy a treatment in the Spa. Some of the passengers spend a great deal of time in the spa and you can pay to have use of the Spa Villa and Cabana and take on a large number of treatments or even recover from a surgical treatment.
The last day of our cruise was highlighted by the Galley Market Kitchen lunch. This is a huge Buffet lunch and starts in the Galley where you can view the Chefs cooking you a fresh serving of seafood or pasta. See large platters of Lobster and freshly cooked prawns and flow out to tables of salads and huge tables of the most incredible Deserts. An afternoon siesta was definitely required after that lunch. Then it was meeting up with our new found friends in the Observation Bar for drinks and wandering down for a final dinner under the stars.
Disembarkation at Fort Lauderdale went as smoothly as boarding. After breakfast we just wandered down to the Square for our final Flat White and waited until they called our number and colour, which meant that our bags were off the ship and available to pick up and go through immigration, which also went smoothly. We even had the most friendly American customs officer we had ever met who when he saw that we were heading to San Francisco and Napa Valley for a few days wanted to make sure we went to the right Vineyards and the right tour.
The night before we arrived in port we were given information about other Seabourn Cruises and as a passenger if we paid a cruise deposit now we would get 5% off any cruise we took in the next 4 years. I decided this was a great opportunity to see how much my yachting, Skipper, husband enjoyed cruising in ships. Not only did he not hesitate in doing it, he even went and delivered the form and organised payment, which is normally left to me. I guess even a sick wife didn’t dampen his experience and we are going on another cruise.
