SLOW TRAVEL
Seabourn: Let’s Talk About Days At Sea
Continuing our initial sailing pattern on the Seabourn Food And Wine Cruise of a day at sea after every port of call has provided some unique opportunities in our coverage of the premiere at-sea culinary event. We’ll break that pattern shortly as we overnight in Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City) then visit back-to-back ports of call in Cambodia and Thailand, continuing our 14-night Taste of Asia itinerary. The topic of ‘days at sea’ brings a mixed bag of reactions from experienced cruise travelers.
Some love the solitude of being completely surrounded by water as far as the eye can see, in all directions. Others like a mix of sea days and port days and still more would like nothing but port calls with no time at sea at all. Our sailing of Seabourn Sojourn provides a good example of why choosing the right cruise ship for the right traveler is…well…or reason for being here in this space in the first place.
A day at sea can mean a blissful day to oneself; reading, relaxing, engaging fellow travelers and more. Nicely appointed Seabourn Sojourn has a number of attractions for the well-traveled passengers who book this magnificent ship. An important distinction to those attractions: they will require some thought and active participation to enjoy.
This particular sailing of Seabourn Sojourn from Hong Kong to Singapore offers dynamic ports of call in Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand; surely bucket list items for many sailing with us. Not to be passed over, forgotten or in any way given less than the understated importance they have: a number of passengers traveling with us visited Vietnam before, as members of the U.S. military.
This is a topic we have touched on from time to time, always jumping at the chance join cruise lines in their support of military member. We first saw just what a wonderful tribute is possible via sister cruise line Princess Cruise first Cruising For A Cause, benefitting the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund. Later, we enjoyed paying tribute to military families as Carnival Cruise Lines began sailing from the port of Galveston on a cruise to benefit Operation Homefront.
I can’t help think of those Vietnam veterans who were there.
I can see their stories in the terrain and imagine a different time. Today’s Vietnam welcomes us as any other nation on the planet has as tourists. Funny, a tour guide referred to the Vietnam War as the American War; as easy to talk about as our Civil War. It felt a lot like visiting Nuremberg and that difficult time for Germany.
We overnight in Saigon next and begin that extended stay Shopping With The Chefs. That’s next.
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