Back from the Seabourn Odyssey (Bali to Singapore)

I'm finally getting settled back into the normal routine of WORK but thought I would give my thoughts on my time on the Odyssey.

We were on the Bali to Singapore cruise on Atlantis. Overall, it was a great experience.

ROOM: We had cabin 1019. I liked the separation between the living area and bedroom with the glass wall, my partner felt that it made the room feel smaller. I thought the veranda was a tad small compared to other ships we had been on. The room attendant Galina was fast and tidy, getting in and out of the room as soon as we left for breakfast or dinner. She was also very thoughtful in looking through the manifest to decorate rooms for passenger's birthdays. I believe they were four people with birthdays just in our little area. The only downside to the room I can think of is the proximity to the Observation bar. They do have double doors that they close for night-time entertainment, but you can hear the sound through the door into the bedroom.

DINING:It was very difficult for us to eat anywhere but the outdoor dining at the Colonnade. With the balmy weather in the area, the atmosphere, great service, and food quality made it hard for us to go anywhere else. We ate in the main dining room about three times, with one of them during the open galley brunch buffet. We simply ran out of time to get in for Restaurant 2, and we only had room service for breakfast twice which was prompt and accurate. The one snafu happened while we were in Phuket in the main dining room for dinner. 95% of the passengers were venturing out to town so the dining room was empty besides three tables being occupied with all staff present. One of the menu items consisted of prime rib, but when horseradish was requested they scrambled looking for it on board, then we were told they unfortunately they were out, and about halfway through dinner the horseradish appeared. We had a similar situation with a sour cream for a baked potato on another night, again in the main dining room.

SPA: My partner enjoyed the spa for a deep tissue massage very much, stating it was one of the best he had had. The gym itself was ok. It was great in the sense that it was never crowded, but I felt with the high ceilings they have in the weight room, they could have installed some type of pull up/chin up/dip bar and removed some of the traditional gym equipment.

DESTINATION:The experience of going from Bali (beautiful beaches but crowded and impoverished) to Singapore was quite a contrast and made for some interesting excursions. Although I was expecting some ports to be busy, the number of ships in Surabaya and the through the Strait of Malacca was simply unbelievable. The highlights for me were the snorkeling at Menjangan Island and the sea canoes in Phang Na Bay. Borobudur the police escort and the bus convoy driving on the wrong side of the road was an excursion in itself.

SUGGESTION: I don't know if this is simply just on the Odyssey, but I found it odd that they do not sell sunscreen or aloe vera in the ship store. Although they state that sunscreen is readily available on the pool deck, it really was not the case and seemed like they were using half empty bottles left over from what passengers had left behind. Every bottle they brought out was a different brand/size from different countries, and none of them were ever half full.

I brought four cans of sunscreen for the trip, but ended up running out by the end of the trip. I went to purchase sunscreen at the ship store, but was directed to the spa. Unfortunately they only carry Skinceuticals in a 1.7 ounce bottle for $35 and then another brand which was even more expensive. BTW, the Skinceuticals was terrible and left it on board after trying it once. Another friend of ours got sunburned and went looking for aloe vera, and was told they do not sell any on board.

INTERNET: The speed/access/stability was probably the best I've experienced on a ship. I never had the dreaded experience of wasting minutes just to try and establish a connection. I do wish they offered an unlimited package for the total duration of the cruise, rather than one unlimited package for seven days.

OVERALL: The cruise was very different than the other cruises we have done in the past and I can say I came back more relaxed. I can't say it's one thing that made the experience really stand out, but it's all of the small things in terms of service that made it a great experience. We're looking at a possible Med cruise on Seabourn again if it is offered next summer.

Lastly, was fun to sail into Phuket to see the Legend docked at the pier. We shared the location for about an hour before they pulled out.

Thank you again to the people who gave first timer pointers on this board!

Hello Absolutboy20!

Being Godparents of the Odyssey, we are delighted that you enjoyed the trip and appreciate your favorable review. And we are happy that you would like to sail with Seabourn again. Don't wait for an Atlantis Charter - try sailing on a regular voyage. You won't be disappointed and you might even like it more! I think that saying it was all of the little things that made the trip special is right on. Although we have many days on Seabourn, the only Atlantis trip we did was the first one done on the Quest. We've stayed in 1019 on the Sojourn and liked it very much. On our last voyage we used Luc whom I think is one of the best masseurs on land or sea! Was he your therapist? By the way, who was the "special" entertainer? Thanks again,

Joe

I'm glad you reported back! I was wondering how your cruise went. While you were on the Atlantis charter, I was with Nick and Greg on Norwegian's new Getaway. I wouldn't stop comparing The Haven to Seabourn - I told them if there is another Atlantis cruise on Seabourn, I would go with them!

And I second the advice here to try a "regular" Seabourn cruise - you won't be disappointed.

Joe - I asked my partner as to who his masseuse was but he couldn't recall the name unfortunately. Special entertainer was not anyone "big" like Adele Dazeem as they had on the larger Caribbean cruises. We had pop singer Zoe Badwi, comedienne Jackie Hoffman, Rhonda Burchmore a Jazz singer from Australia, and Trevor Ashley.

Jenidallas - How was the Getaway and the Haven?! If the Haven experience is anything close to Seabourn, I would be pretty happy. =)

I wouldn't have any issues with doing a traditional cruise. It would first be less expensive which is a bonus. The two items would be be the dress code as it is much more relaxed on Atlantis with no formal nights (I just can't imagine wearing/taking formal wear to a hot/humid region), and Atlantis normally offers more night time entertainment.

But if none of their offerings line with with our vacation schedule, we may just book directly through Seabourn.

You don't need a tux or even a suit for formal optional nights on Seabourn. A jacket with or without tie will do so don't let that stop you.

Glad you enjoyed the cruise. We were on the Legend when you sailed into Phuket.

I guess one person's balmy is another s Hades. We thought our entire cruise was very hot (in the low to mid-90's until we arrived in Dubai). Too hot to eat outside for us!

Jenidallas - How was the Getaway and the Haven?! If the Haven experience is anything close to Seabourn, I would be pretty happy. =)

The veranda suites were slightly smaller but the experience was equally personal within The Haven walls. (I didn't stay there as I flew solo and didn't want to pay 200%!). Food was good, the concierge was wonderful in booking things (but it didn't seem that he could get anything additional from what I could book at Guest Services). The pool area was very Seabourn-esque.

I thought food was at least equal to Seabourn - but we only at dinner at the specialty restaurants to The Haven. I only tried the MDR for breakfast/lunch and never went near the buffet (I'm honestly not even sure where it was on the ship!)

Entertainment was a big plus - but I hated how crowded the ship was outside the Haven and The Studios (where I stayed as a solo). And I should point out that my "cute" (and admittedly well-designed Studio) was the size of the bathroom on Seabourn!

And I should also point out that Getaway had over 4,500 pax that week (it's designed for 3,900) including 1,500 children. That's 3-4 Seabourn ships full of children... ACK!!!!! :eek:

Wripro, thanks for the specifics on the dress code. A jacket/dress shirt sound much more in line with what we would be wanting to do on vacation than a tux.

The only place that I found it a little too warm to eat outside was in Benoa which was our embarkation port. But we still did it. I just felt bad for the crew members who were in full black suits welcoming up on board.

Here are some pictures of the Legend while we pulled in. Hoya68 if you were in a common area outside, I may have a picture of you.

Sorry we had all the sunscreen on the Pride. They ended up giving it out from the sky bar

Sent via squirrels and a rotary phone

Hello Absolutboy20!

Being Godparents of the Odyssey' date=' we are delighted that you enjoyed the trip and appreciate your favorable review. And we are happy that you would like to sail with Seabourn again. Don't wait for an Atlantis Charter - try sailing on a regular voyage. You won't be disappointed and you might even like it more! I think that saying it was all of the little things that made the trip special is right on. Although we have many days on Seabourn, the only Atlantis trip we did was the first one done on the Quest. We've stayed in 1019 on the Sojourn and liked it very much. On our last voyage we used Luc whom I think is one of the best masseurs on land or sea! Was he your therapist? By the way, who was the "special" entertainer? Thanks again,

Joe[/quote']

 

What does it mean to be "godparents" of a ship? Does anyone else know you're the godparents, or is this just a title you give yourself - for some reason that makes you feel good? No need to respond if I've already answered the question.

What does it mean to be "godparents" of a ship? Does anyone else know you're the godparents, or is this just a title you give yourself - for some reason that makes you feel good? No need to respond if I've already answered the question.

Perhaps this quote from a Disney Cruise Line website says it best:

"All cruise ships have Godmothers. Most of the time it is celebrities and Royalty that get the fun and honor. A ships Godmother christens the ship and blesses it. She is entrusted with guiding this ship to and around all its destinations by placing a blessing upon it. Now just because ships have Godmothers it does not mean they don’t also have Godfathers. This maritime tradition has been going on for about 4,000 years."

Jenidallas, you bring up a great point. I love my nieces and nephews and like to be with them, but a cruise with kids running around left and right doesn't sound like a R&R vacation. Maybe I'll get to meet you in person if they sign a Seabourn cruise in 2015 for the Med =)

Sorry, Adventurans, but your concept of who is a Seabourn Godparent is off the mark. In fact, I am one myself as is the poster my crow's nest. You see, we sailed on the ship's inaugural cruise and this is documented with our names at Seabourn Square.

Happy sailing!

Hello Adenturans,

When a new ship is launched the line selects a Godmother to christen the ship at the opening ceremonies. For instance, we were on the Inaugural sailing of the Crystal Serenity and it was Julie Andrews who was the Godmother. When the Odyssey was launched, Pamela Conover was the President of Seabourn and she declared that it should be all of the passengers sailing on the Maiden Voyage who should be the Godparents of the new ship. I apologize if I sounded snobbish to you. It's just that the Odyssey is a special ship to me. And by the way, there is a plaque near the Seabourn Square listing all of the passengers so next time you're onboard, have a look.

Adventurans,

Hello Again. Just thought you might like to know that Blythe Danner is the Godmother of the Quest and Twiggy is the Godmother of the Sojourn.

Markham,

Hi, we were typing at the same time!

In fairness, generally there is one 'godmother' who christens the ship - Seabourn did it differently on their new ships (certainly Odyssey and Sojourn) - not sure about Quest - by naming all those on the first cruise on a plaque by the Square.

I remember enjoying the ceremony for Sojourn - I thought it was delightful, though some people did not think Twiggy was famous/important enough to be the 'christener' at the time. We were on the second cruise, and it was wonderful.

I too am a godparent of the Odyssey having sailed on the maiden voyage, along with many friends. It's the only ship that made the maiden voyage passengers godparents. The Sojourn and Quest still have plaques bearing the maiden voyage passengers' names in Seabourn Square but they aren't godparents. Not that the honorarium gets me any more breadsticks than anyone else.