Cruise Day #47 - Sea Day 3 of 4

Last night was our final formal night, so we dusted off our finest and got properly dressed for the occasion.

We started the evening in a very lively Observation Bar before heading to The Restaurant at 7:30.

We decided to splurge on a bottle of 2022 Ornellaia (the only vintage onboard). 

Honestly, it’s way too young and could probably use another 10+ years of aging… but we enjoyed it anyway! Formal night service also gets a little extra flair with synchronized cloche service — always fun to watch.

After dinner, we made our way to the Grand Salon for the Seabourn Singers and Dancers show. It was well attended and we thoroughly enjoyed it.

The seas have been perfect for the past 24 hours — let’s hope that trend continues! It’s sunny today and expected to reach the mid-70s… a perfect pool day. That’s exactly where we are right now and where we plan to stay for most of the day 😎

Cruise Day #46 - Sea Day 2 of 4

Our last dinner in Solis last night was another great experience! We once again shared the Salt Baked Branzino — so good! The Silver Oak Napa Cab was also excellent.

Afterwards, we met up with our buddy Mr. C in the Grand Salon for Nyree Huyser’s Celine Dion tribute show. WOW!!! What a performance! 

Nyree is, without a doubt, the most talented vocalist we’ve seen in all our years of cruising. So much power and finesse — truly outstanding. You can find many of her performances on YouTube, and they’re definitely worth checking out. And on top of it all, she’s personable, charismatic, and warm. We’re so glad we had the chance to get to know her!

The seas calmed down quite a bit overnight. It’s still a little rocky, but nowhere near yesterday’s movement. It’s sunny and it's warmer than forecasted, low 70°s. Nice day by the pool.  

The Chef preparing poolside pasta...

Charlie playing his tunes... 

Us in our favorite loungers...

Tonight is our last formal night and, sadly, we’ve received our disembarkation information 😪. 

The Seabourn Singers and Dancers will be performing tonight, which should be fun!

Cruise Day #45 - Sea Day 1 of 4

Last night we kicked things off in the Observation Bar. It was pretty quiet when we arrived, but by the time we left it was absolutely hopping. 🍸 

We had made dinner plans to meet Nyree — one of the new guest singers — in The Restaurant at 7:30. Our friend Mr C joined us and we ended up having a fantastic evening. Nyree was a semi-finalist on the 2023 Australian version of The Voice and is an incredibly lovely young lady! She'll be performing her Celine Dion tribute tonight. Originally, the Seabourn Singers and Dancers were performing tonight, but that show has been postponed due to the rough seas. 

After dinner, the four of us headed to the Grand Salon for the show. It was… okay. Just not really our thing. By the time it wrapped up, though, the ship was seriously rocking. Earlier, the Captain had warned us we’d be in 15 to 20-foot seas for the next 24 hours — and wow, he wasn’t kidding 🌊 It rocked and bumped all night long!

This morning it’s sunny outside, but the seas haven’t calmed down one bit. According to my trusty Windy app, it looks like this may stick around for a while! 😬

We ventured out of our stateroom for lunch in The Restaurant and then quickly retreated back to the comfort of our sofa! 🛋️ The ship is still rocking quite a bit — even the restaurant staff were having trouble navigating the floor.

This afternoon, we’ll be streaming Netflix until it’s time to get ready for our final dinner at Solis tonight. We’re also looking forward to Nyree's show!

More details in tomorrow’s blog… 👀

Cruise Day #44 - Fiordland National Park, New Zealand

As we were leaving Oban yesterday, the Captain announced that the overnight winds would reach 45 knots (52 mph)! That meant rough seas ahead… and he wasn’t kidding!

There was a nice crowd gathered in the Observation Bar as we sailed away from Stewart Island. At dinner in The Restaurant, we were seated next to a solo traveler who turned out to be one of the ship’s new entertainers, Nyree — a vocalist performing a Celine Dion tribute in a couple of nights. It was a pleasure getting to know her, and she joined us afterward for fellow vocalist Jennifer Gray’s performance in the Grand Salon. We’re even having dinner together tonight — this time at the same table! Jennifer's show was impressive, she sang mostly show tunes.

When we woke up this morning, we were already cruising through the Fiords. (Fun fact: Fiords and Fjords are the same word — “Fjords” is used in Norway, while “Fiords” is the New Zealand spelling.) It’s sunny today with just a few clouds. The naturalist’s commentary was available on the TV bridge cam channel and also being broadcast in the Observation Bar and Seabourn Square.

After toast and cappuccinos in The Restaurant ☕, we made our way up to the Observation Bar. Both the lounge and the outside viewing deck were quite busy. I snapped a few photos from the deck, although they really don’t do justice to the incredible scenery. 

We stayed up there for over two hours just soaking in the views.

By noon, hunger won out, and we headed to the Colonnade where — surprise! — it was Mexican lunch. All the favorites were there, including chilaquiles and churros. Muy bueno! 🌮

Yesterday, we were invited to a gathering this afternoon for the viewing of Milford Sound, in the Penthouse Spa Suite of our friends C & M. It was a lot of fun — beautifully catered by the bar and restaurant team with plenty of canapés, caviar, champagne, and wine 🥂. The aft suite was huge, with an equally massive veranda!

The guests were all part of our new circle of friends, and we had a great time! And the sights were absolutely stunning.