Arctic Embarkation: 55 Days Dover To Boston

Our 55-day sailing from England across Arctic shores to Boston began smoothly yesterday, from Dover hotel to embarkation to the sail-away party with views of the White Cliffs.

A heat wave had been enveloping the U.K. and when we drove into Dover a day before departure, we were surprised to see Brits in swim suits crowding the rocky beach facing our hotel.

Seabourn Quest Departing Dover

The absence of “English Weather” was a good omen for our travels and, at least for now, confirms our decision to pack layers of mostly summer clothes even though our itinerary will take us to the edge of the Arctic Circle in Iceland and Greenland.

 We prefer departures from Dover, with its small scale and easy walks from hotels to shops, restaurants, and pubs along streets that still constitute a traditional British town. This is compared to Southampton that is often dominated by several ships of the Carnival brand, which is headquartered there. And there is Dover Castle, with centuries of history through World War II, a brief taxi or tour bus ride up the hill.

Seabourn Quest Departing Dover

Dover hotels are modest but adequate for an overnight before sailing, and staying here removes the anxiety of arriving at a London airport the same day as your cruise, hoping you can find the operator of your transfer, and racing to port before your ship sales.

The Seabourn Quest was a welcome sight. We last sailed her a couple years ago from Florida, along the Eastern coast of South America, into the Antarctic, and then north to Valparaiso. The all-inclusive ship was comfortable and well run for the 45 days and the professional expedition team made the Antarctic experience exciting and memorable.

Quest is one of three Seabourn vessels that now pass for “small ships,” compared to the new 600 passenger Encore and Ovation and the retired 200 passenger “Yachts of Seabourn” that defined the brand for many years.

With the exception of a few over-size suites, all cabins on Seabourn are about the same size, nine or ten feet by 29 or 30 feet. They all feature the same comforts so there is usually no need to specify and pay an up-charge for a particular cabin. Exceptions are if you want to avoid the potential noise of a nearby elevator or stairs. Or in the case of the Antarctic or Alaska, you prefer the view offered by veranda with all-glass panels.

In these first days, our impression is that the cuisine in the dining room, called the Restaurant, and the Thomas Keller Grill has improved as Keller's influence and relationship with Seabourn has intensified. When Seabourn first announced the Keller deal, the implication was that themes from his famous, highly-regarded restaurants, like French Laundry, would make their way on-board.

Keller Lamb In Quest Restaurant

Surprisingly, these early efforts were channeled into an American steakhouse format that, at least to us, seemed indistinguishable from stereotypical steakhouse chains throughout the U.S.

At the outset of this sailing that has changed, with more sophisticated dishes in his namesake dining venue and intermittently in the main dining room. We look forward to that continuing.

After a sea day, our scheduled first port of call was stolen by Pirates-- actually by the Pirates of Penzance. That is to say that we were rerouted to Falmouth because of damaged docks at Newlyn-Penzance, although newly boarding passengers were not informed about the change unless they happened to attend the port lecture at 11 a.m. on the sea day.

After Falmouth, on to Milford Haven, Wales.