travellingnewyorker Posted May 9, 2017 #1 Share Posted May 9, 2017 Greetings experienced Seabourn cruises, Question for you all; I have never taken a cruise the caliber of Seabourn; I would like to turn away from the more mainstream cruise lines and try something more upscale like Seabourn. My question is, when searching for the lowest prices of a Seabourn cruise, since they are so much more than mainstream cruise lines, I am having trouble judging what is an "average" rate per person per night for the cheapest stateroom; basically, in your experience, how cheap can I reasonably expect it to get, and at what point should I realize that it isn't going to get any lower and I should either bite the bullet or stop wasting my time shopping around because that's as good as it gets? $200 per person, per night? $300? $400? Thanks in advance. Travellingnewyorker Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thecat123 Posted May 9, 2017 #2 Share Posted May 9, 2017 What we have found and I argue with our Travel Agent is that once you have paid that original cost which might seem high compared to those 2 or 3 thousand passenger cruise ships with all their hotel charges, drink packages, tips, thousands of passengers getting on and off the ship, the smaller size cabins, etc Seabourn prices are looking a lot better. After you pay that initial cost with Seabourn there isn't any other nickle and diming. On our last cruise we had a Caviar in the Surf day which is all part of the initial fare and to us that day was worth mega bucks Some other cruise lines we have been on we have just about paid for the cruise again with all the nickle and diming With Seabourn you aren't just a number You are a passenger who is looked after very very well I know this doesn't really answer your question but might help you You gotta look at what you get for your money Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shipcamein Posted May 9, 2017 #3 Share Posted May 9, 2017 Several travel review sights set the luxury entry bar at about $500/pp/per day - and that has roughly followed I have found over years of shopping. You can of course do a little better (or a whole lot worse), but, as others have said - it's really in the value of it, not the dollars, if that makes sense. If this type of cruise doesn't get it for you, then no amount of savings will make it better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fudgbug Posted May 9, 2017 #4 Share Posted May 9, 2017 An annoyance of mine is that you still have to pay for internet on Seabourn. If you sit down and list out what you additionally pay for on a 2- 3,000 passenger ship, then compare it to what is included in a Seabourn cruise on a much smaller ship, JMO, you'll find that the Seabourn is a better value for service, food, drinks, and experience. In addition, on Seabourn you're made to feel as a valued guest rather than one of the masses. Take a look at too Regent Seven Seas with 700 passengers. Regent includes internet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
travellingnewyorker Posted May 9, 2017 Author #5 Share Posted May 9, 2017 Thanks for both of your replies. I have really enjoyed cruising in the past, but the older I get, the more I am looking for an upscale experience; exactly what you mentioned, Thecat123. I am seeing rates around $4,000 for one week per person. Is that typical or should I shop around more aggressively? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sunprince Posted May 9, 2017 #6 Share Posted May 9, 2017 Travellingnewyorker, I see that you are using the words "cheapest" and "cheap" in your original post. Seabourn is not "cheap" and I think many Seabourn cruisers do not want it to be cheap as then it would a difference experience. Rather, we look for good value balanced with a great experience which Seabourn can offer. A great cruise at a great price is always a bonus, but not always possible. I would suggest that you do some further research on Seabourn's website, currently during some "sale" events pricing for 7 days can be approx $3000/pp for 7 days. Also Seabourn offers various sales where you get a balcony guarantee for the price of a non-balcony. This can be very good value. For example, for our upcoming cruise this summer we are paying approx $350/pp per day. This was an exceptional opportunity and well within your budget. It all depends on the itinerary, timing and popularity of the cruise. Hope this helps. Sent from my iPad using Forums Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Silver Sweethearts Posted May 9, 2017 #7 Share Posted May 9, 2017 Thanks for both of your replies. I have really enjoyed cruising in the past, but the older I get, the more I am looking for an upscale experience; exactly what you mentioned, Thecat123. I am seeing rates around $4,000 for one week per person. Is that typical or should I shop around more aggressively? Quite actually, a twelve day cruise in an Ocean View suite aboard the Odyssey in the Caribbean is listed on Seabourn's website at $3,999 per person including taxes, fees and port charges. As mentioned, location and time of year do make a difference. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
travellingnewyorker Posted May 9, 2017 Author #8 Share Posted May 9, 2017 Thanks for all your input, I appreciate you taking the time to share your experience and insight. Maybe I choose my words poorly. I expect that Seabourn won't be "cheap", but basically, I was wondering if $4,000 a week is standard, or, if I should shop around a bit more. Indeed, Silver Sweethearts, your post shows me that I can get much more "value" on a per night basis if I look more extensively - $4,000 for 12 nights is incredible value! That is something I would pay with much less hesitation (as opposed to $4,000 a week, which is at the outer edge of my budget). To comment on what you were saying, Sunprince, Seabourn is not cheap - and that is exactly what I am turning to Seabourn - Royal Caribbean and other mainstream cruise lines started to really feel "cheap" to me, and while they are still..."fun", at this stage in my life, I work hard for my money and feel more comfortable splurging and indulging in a little luxury, and would prefer to immerse myself in a more upscale, sophisticated environment. Thank you all again for your feedback. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thecat123 Posted May 10, 2017 #9 Share Posted May 10, 2017 (edited) I mentioned Caviar in The Surf Have a look at this as it might explain what we are talking about See why I said Seabourn is special to us and it happens just like in the video One of the best days we have had on a cruise Edited May 10, 2017 by Thecat123 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rachelfran Posted May 10, 2017 #10 Share Posted May 10, 2017 in 2015 we did a 7 night athens/venice cruise and paid about $5700 for two of us for a week. We booked the Verandah Guarantee category and ended up in a V6. Well worth every penny! Greetings experienced Seabourn cruises, Question for you all; I have never taken a cruise the caliber of Seabourn; I would like to turn away from the more mainstream cruise lines and try something more upscale like Seabourn. My question is, when searching for the lowest prices of a Seabourn cruise, since they are so much more than mainstream cruise lines, I am having trouble judging what is an "average" rate per person per night for the cheapest stateroom; basically, in your experience, how cheap can I reasonably expect it to get, and at what point should I realize that it isn't going to get any lower and I should either bite the bullet or stop wasting my time shopping around because that's as good as it gets? $200 per person, per night? $300? $400? Thanks in advance. Travellingnewyorker Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
travellingnewyorker Posted May 10, 2017 Author #11 Share Posted May 10, 2017 $5700 per couple per week for a veranda sounds like a great deal compared to the $4000 per person for a week (in an outside/oceanview cabin) that I was eyeing! This is exactly the info I was hoping to collect, thank you! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stefan_Cruise Posted May 10, 2017 #12 Share Posted May 10, 2017 We paid € 2.999,-- per person for one week in the Med in May 2017! GTY veranda cabin including flight in europe! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RustyRollock Posted May 10, 2017 #13 Share Posted May 10, 2017 As with any cruiseline, there are deals to be had if you are willing to be reasonably flexible on ship, itinerary, dates, cabin, etc. If you can leave it until almost the last minute and speak to an experienced Seabourn agent rather than an internet bucket shop you might be pleasantly surprised. However, I should warn you that once you've had the Seabourn experience it's going to be very difficult reverting to what you've been used to so far! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stefan_Cruise Posted May 10, 2017 #14 Share Posted May 10, 2017 As with any cruiseline, there are deals to be had if you are willing to be reasonably flexible on ship, itinerary, dates, cabin, etc. If you can leave it until almost the last minute and speak to an experienced Seabourn agent rather than an internet bucket shop you might be pleasantly surprised. However, I should warn you that once you've had the Seabourn experience it's going to be very difficult reverting to what you've been used to so far! That is 100% right! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lincslady Posted May 10, 2017 #15 Share Posted May 10, 2017 Just to add that the location does make a big difference - for cruises round the Norwegian coast they are very expensive per day; in the Caribbean they are (comparatively ) inexpensive. If your main wish is to travel on Seabourn to try out the experience, a Caribbean cruise would probably be your best bet financially. Bear in mind that in holiday periods there are likely to be some children on board; less likely in Europe and in school term time. If that should matter! Although I am in the UK, I think the proportions of the pricing are similar to the US. Ours have gone up recently, thanks to the value of the £. As others have said, not having to sign for anything or being hassled to buy drinks etc., have your photo taken, and so on makes a huge difference to the feeling of relaxation - as well as no bill to pay at the end, other than tours, and no hustling for tips. Do hope you will try Seabourn - our favourite of the little 'luxury' lines by far. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wripro Posted May 10, 2017 #16 Share Posted May 10, 2017 TravelingNewYorker, Why don't you get yourself a good TA who specializes in luxury cruises and let him/her do the work for you? It won't cost you an extra penny and you'll have the benefit of experience since you obviously are not familiar with the luxury cruise market. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
travellingnewyorker Posted May 10, 2017 Author #17 Share Posted May 10, 2017 Thank you all for your feedback and comments, they were all valuable! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rachelfran Posted May 11, 2017 #18 Share Posted May 11, 2017 As with any cruiseline, there are deals to be had if you are willing to be reasonably flexible on ship, itinerary, dates, cabin, etc. If you can leave it until almost the last minute and speak to an experienced Seabourn agent rather than an internet bucket shop you might be pleasantly surprised. However, I should warn you that once you've had the Seabourn experience it's going to be very difficult reverting to what you've been used to so far! For what it's worth I did buy at an "internet bucket shop" and I booked in April for mid July. I started looking around in March. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RustyRollock Posted May 11, 2017 #19 Share Posted May 11, 2017 That's great. My point is that you're more likely to find bargains closer to departure date rather than booking many months in advance. Sounds obvious I know but it's important when comparing prices. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Techno123 Posted May 11, 2017 #20 Share Posted May 11, 2017 The only issue with booking last minute is that the cruise might be cheaper but the flights more expensive. Not an issue if you can drive to your port though. We find in the UK that a good time to book is just after Christmas/New Year as many of the cruise lines including Seabourn have 'deals' on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Luxury Posted May 11, 2017 #21 Share Posted May 11, 2017 If one os looking for a lesser priced cruise with Seabourn then a crossing or repositioning cruise is excellent value but it consists mainly of sea days. Sent from my iPad using Forums Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LEESRE Posted May 11, 2017 #22 Share Posted May 11, 2017 Also to note is if you did go ahead and book a Seabourn cruise then you can get a referral voucher from someone who has sailed with Seabourn before and you will get 400 dollars on board credit for the referee and yourself. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Host Dan Posted May 12, 2017 #23 Share Posted May 12, 2017 I agree with wripro. Find a good travel agent that specializes in luxury travel! They can provide offerings not available to other guests! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Able Seaman H Posted May 13, 2017 #24 Share Posted May 13, 2017 The other thing worth remembering which hasn't been mentioned thus far is that the standard cabin size on Seabourn is around 300 sq ft. That would equate to somewhere between a Junior suite and a Grand suite on Royal Caribbean. When you take that into account and the fact everything isn't plus plus the numbers start to make sense. I was staggered to see how much a meal in the speciality restaurants is now on RC. I can not emphasise enough how much of a different experience SB offers. You really are treated as an individual rather than cargo. Henry :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RustyRollock Posted May 13, 2017 #25 Share Posted May 13, 2017 Agree. So make the most of it because with Carnival now at the helm I predict that SB's brand and philosophy will suffer. In fact it's already begun... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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