Higher Seabourn Premium Worth It?

Have just compared pricing on two very similar 2015 Med. cruises, one on Seabourn and the other Silversea. The difference is over $2000 per person. I have sailed SS previously but never Seabourn. Those who have sailed both lines, can you tell me why it is worth over $4000 for a couple to sail Seabourn?

Just returned from Seabourn Cruise- FABULOUS!!!!

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My husband and I were on the Seabourn Quest - April 29- May 13- Gems of Western Europe- 14 day cruise.

It was one of the most amazing trips we have ever taken! This was our first cruise with Seabourn. It exceeded our expectations!

By the 2nd day we were greeted by all the staff by our names.

We had previously sailed on Silversea three times. We were always told Seabourn is a little better than Silversea. Well, Seabourn is in a different class than Silversea. It doesn't even compare.

First of all the food was EXCELLENT! I am from New Orleans so I am use to great restaurants and the food was THE BEST!!

I see how sometimes people on these boards complain about the food. I was honestly concerned after reading some of the forums before we left for the cruise. Speaking to other passengers on our cruise-

90% of the passengers never heard of Cruise Critic. I was told 65% are so of the passengers on our cruise were repeat customers. Most of the passengers that were repeats that we met have sailed Seabourn 7 times or more. They also told us they think Silversea is an inferior product and would not sail on them.

Back to the food. We always ate breakfast in the Colonnade. Besides the Buffet they have special order items that you can add to your breakfast. I even had Lamb Chops for breakfast- always asked for double cut! They were delicious. My husband said the French Toast was great! We loved seating outside at the Colonnade. If it was cool a few days- they had cashmere blankets to wrap yourself around. When you asked for expresso or hot coffee in 1 minute hot coffee would come. Amazing service every time!

We had room service for breakfast only once- when we had a very early tour. It was prompt and perfect! Every afternoon I would order from room service some snacks and within 10 minutes it came. The guacamole was delicious and they give you a huge bowl! The Shrimp on Room Service Menu were huge!

We ate lunch frequently in the outdoor Patio Grill. The Cheeseburgers were the best I have ever tasted. I always added grilled mushrooms and grilled onions. Seabourn is famous for their French Fries. They were FANTASTIC! Everyday they had choice of 2 pizzas that were being made fresh right in front of you! Delicious!! Of course they had lots of great salads and other grilled items. They had great freshly made delicious ice creams and sorbets - changing flavors everyday. Loved the Pistachio Ice Cream.The Manager of the Patio Grill would come over and make sure everything was fine. What incredible Service! ( We felt the hamburgers and pizza on Silversea were inedible!)

At the pool -waiters brought around delicious frozen drinks!

We always ate Dinner in The Restaurant ( Main Dining Room). Wonderful food choices every night. So many choices. Our favorite waiter( which we requested every night) would make suggestions and if he thought there were 2 great appetizers- he would bring out both. My husband loves fish and thought the fish courses were OUTSTANDING!

The filet which we always ordered double cut -size - was as good as best steak houses we have eaten in. ( Also had delicious peppercorn sauce to put over it). The filet is available every night on the " Classic Menu".

(We also felt the Steak on our last Silversea cruise was inedible).

If you want two lobsters - you can order it. If you want to special order something- just tell the chef 24 hours before - My husband special ordered a whole sea bass. They will do anything to please you. Just ask!

My husband loves desserts. Our waiter would always bring out 3 desserts for him to try!

The waiters work in teams and do a fabulous job.

Just an example of the efforts they make to please you- On the last night we wanted a table for 10. We went to the manager the night before to request it. All the tables of 10 were taken. So she said she would have the ship's carpenter come and make a new table of 10 to accommodate us. Now that is called AMAZING!

We didn't go to Restaurant 2- the specialty restaurant- but some of our friends we met did- and they said it was EXCELLENT!

We loved Seabourn Square! They had staff there 24 hours a day to help you with tours, internet or general questions. It was also a great place to go to read newspapers. They had little mini-computers with all the newspapers on them. And of course they had coffee, tea, desserts, and ice cream all day long.

Now to the staff and service. Seabourn staff work 4 months on and 2 months off. The staff love that arrangement. On Silversea I think the staff works 8-9 months per contract. So I think they are worn out. Also all the staff is from Australia, New Zealand, South Africa etc.-On Silversea it is mostly Phillippino . We found with the Silversea Waiters- if they didn't understand what you were asking- they were too embarrassed to ask you to repeat. So there was always major communication problems- resulting in problems in restaurants with your requests. The waiters on Seabourn were more polished and professional in everyway.

We felt the service on Seabourn in all the restaurants was far SUPERIOR to Silversea. Honestly, there was no comparision.

We found on Seabourn every staff member had the BEST ATTITUDE!

We liked that you don't need to make reservations for the restaurants. ( except for Restaurant 2) After touring all day- we could just pop in to the restaurant without having to plan in advance. ( that is why I wouldn't like Oceania- need to make reservations in advance and you are limited to how many reservations you can make in a certain restaurant)

Also we loved the passenger size of the ship. You get to know so many passengers and staff members on a smaller ship. Oceania is too large for us! We would not have had that same personal experience with the Staff.

Every night before dinner we would meet all our new friends in the Observation Bar- where there was music and the most DELICIOUS snacks-( especially that great guacamole and chips!) (Again Silversea snacks at the bars on our last cruise were not good).

The chef onboard our Cruise was Chef Martin. We thanked him at the end for the FABULOUS job he did.

Someone told us they had a Michelin Chef onboard our cruise that was observing and making suggestions to make the food even better. He said they are always looking for ways to make the food even more FABULOUS!

We had a Market Galley Lunch one day at sea. It was the most amazing buffet in the Main Dining Room and then you went into the galley where there was more food.

We actually never made it to any shows. We always stayed in the dining room until

11:00 P.M. because we ate dinner very late. But people who made it to the shows said they enjoyed them.

We would never go on any other cruise line. We are hooked now! Everyday of the cruise my husband and I would say" This is the most WONDERFUL EXPERIENCE." We didn't want it to end. We met the most interesting people from all over the world. Every passenger we met was so friendly.

Everyone on the cruise we spoke with all felt like we did - saying the cruise was FABULOUS!

In conclusion- most of the Seabourn Passengers on our cruise- don't read Cruise Critic, they love Seabourn and they wouldn't sail on any other line.

If you are looking for a 5 star experience ( like a Four Seasons experience) then Seabourn is the most FABULOUS cruise line out there. This cruise was one of the highlights of our lives!

We travel all over the world for our business and have stayed in the finest hotels- and this Seabourn Cruise was PERFECT in every way- Service, Food and Attention to Details!

How would we describe our Seabourn Cruise! MAGNIFICENT!! FANTASTIC!!! INCREDIBLE!!!

We will never forget it and can't wait to take our next Seabourn cruise.

If you want the BEST SERVICE, GREAT FOOD, and a WONDERFUL cruise experience then Seabourn is for you!!

Seabourn is superior. However, you will have to play the "chain smoker on veranda next door" lottery. If you are not a gambler, go with Silversea which does not allow smoking on verandas or cabins.

Have just compared pricing on two very similar 2015 Med. cruises, one on Seabourn and the other Silversea. The difference is over $2000 per person. I have sailed SS previously but never Seabourn. Those who have sailed both lines, can you tell me why it is worth over $4000 for a couple to sail Seabourn?

If they are similar, then I couldn't justify the extra $2000 pp. personally. I haven't sailed on SS, but that's a bit too much.

If they are similar, then I couldn't justify the extra $2000 pp. personally. I haven't sailed on SS, but that's a bit too much.

I have sailed on both, and I prefer Seabourn. However, considering a similar cabin category, same, or quite the same number of cruise days, and a similar itinerary, I agree I would not pay the $4,000 differential.

I've been on both...would go with the less expensive.....really seamless when considering food, cabins and service. I love Seabourn; however, also loved Silversea. Isn't it ridiculous to have to chose between the two best ships (my opinion) on the sea?

With that type of difference I would go with Silversea for that cruise but when you find one that is much closer in price or an itinerary that is offered on Seabourn and not on Silversea I would recommend sailing and trying out Seabourn.

Keith

I strongly prefer Seabourn. The answer as to whether a $4000 difference would be worth it depends for me on cruise length. If it was a 20+ day cruise, then breaking it down per diem I would probably go SB. If the cruises you're comparing are short ones, then no I don't think that $4000 is justifiable. So if the itinerary was right I'd choose SS on this one.

I wouldn't ever sail SS again after my bad experience, and to me it would not be a consideration, but if you are happy with SS...

I agree.2 sailings with SS and never again.The feeling is just so different.We like the service and the staff on SB.SS is much to stuffy for our taste.

Have just compared pricing on two very similar 2015 Med. cruises, one on Seabourn and the other Silversea. The difference is over $2000 per person. I have sailed SS previously but never Seabourn. Those who have sailed both lines, can you tell me why it is worth over $4000 for a couple to sail Seabourn?

If you could elaborate and tell us the ships,route and suite category we might be able to see why there is a difference in price.

Also have both cruises been priced by a travel agent

Thanks for the responses. The pricing was done by a TA and the itineraries are very similar. After looking more closely I do slightly prefer the SS itinerary so think I will end up there. On both boards there are a similar number of posters who love, like and hate SS and/or SB! I have sailed SS before and liked it enough but thought it would be good to try SB to compare myself but this time I think the itinerary will be the deciding factor.

I agree.2 sailings with SS and never again.The feeling is just so different.We like the service and the staff on SB.SS is much to stuffy for our taste.

How funny. Like you, I prefer Seabourn. However, I found Silversea much laid back, and not stuffy at all. This shows how different people assess the same things in different ways!!

Thanks for the responses. The pricing was done by a TA and the itineraries are very similar. After looking more closely I do slightly prefer the SS itinerary so think I will end up there. On both boards there are a similar number of posters who love, like and hate SS and/or SB! I have sailed SS before and liked it enough but thought it would be good to try SB to compare myself but this time I think the itinerary will be the deciding factor.

Wise choice given price and your observation about the itinerary.

I am sure another time you can try Seabourn.

Then you can decide for yourself which one you prefer. ITmight turn out to be one over the other or maybe you will like both.

In the end, if we all had the same tastes then maybe there would be half the cruise lines there are but what one person likes another one might not.

Keith

15 Seabourn, 3 Silverseas and one Regent (when the Paul Gauguin was theirs) pretty much tells the story for us. All 3 Silverseas (and the Gauguin) were very enjoyable but chosen solely on the basis of the itinerary and when we were able to get away - Seabourn doesn't do Alaska for instance and who else tools around Polynesia for 2 weeks calling at places you'd never heard of before you went.

The first responder above got it right. Better, albeit by just a little in a number of categories, in just about every way. Food, service, attention to detail, friendliness so if the itineraries are the same then you have to look at what the actual deal is on the price and with so many Seabourn suites on verandah upgrade for the larger ships that might make the difference. If its a 7 day Med cruise doesn't really matter which you're with as it's over so soon and you're ashore every day but if it's a 14 day with sea days then you'll notice the difference with Seabourn. If it's a small ship before they disappear forever then you'll get into ports that the others can't. Horses for courses really.

Having said that we'll do Silverseas again but it will be itinerary driven when we do.

Have just compared pricing on two very similar 2015 Med. cruises, one on Seabourn and the other Silversea. The difference is over $2000 per person. I have sailed SS previously but never Seabourn. Those who have sailed both lines, can you tell me why it is worth over $4000 for a couple to sail Seabourn?

It's not!....have sailed both, pretty much equal.rather have all the dinero in my pocket......just sayin

I am surprised to read that a SS cruise is cheaper than SB - generally I find SB to be the cheapest (and IMO best) of the luxury lines, but you are looking at a cruise a long time ahead. If you feel you can leave booking until a few months before, almost certainly the SB price will be much lower, especially if you go on a guarantee (OS or OB) basis.

I am on the same page as lincslady. And not for the first time, either. I have never seen a Silversea cruise with similar characteristics cheaper than a Seabourn cruise. Maybe Silversea is trying to be competitive pricing-wise?

Happy sailing!

I am on the same page as lincslady. And not for the first time, either. I have never seen a Silversea cruise with similar characteristics cheaper than a Seabourn cruise. Maybe Silversea is trying to be competitive pricing-wise?

 

Happy sailing!

Or Seabourn prices are going up as their capacity goes down.:eek:

I may be completely wrong about this (as I often am) and the OP said that the itineraries were similar so it really doesn't make sense. However, the SS cruise that apparently they are booked on -- according to the signature -- is 10days. The only SB cruise I could find with a similar itinerary at a similar time was 14. Maybe I'm not looking in the right place but if this was the comparison, there's your $2K.

I may be completely wrong about this (as I often am) and the OP said that the itineraries were similar so it really doesn't make sense. However, the SS cruise that apparently they are booked on -- according to the signature -- is 10days. The only SB cruise I could find with a similar itinerary at a similar time was 14. Maybe I'm not looking in the right place but if this was the comparison, there's your $2K.

Hmmmmm.........that is interesting. Maybe there was another itinerary of exactly the same number of days they were comparing and they changed their mind :confused:.

Yes, the med cruise is the one I am considering and I did a comparison based on a daily price and pro rated for a fair comparison. I opted to go with SS because the itinerary is much better for us. The comparable SB cruise is mostly Greek Islands. I didn't realize that at first. In comparing several other SS and SB cruises I found that SS consistently had better itineraries for my preferences but hopefully one day I will find a good SB cruise to try.

Then you made the right choice. Itinerary should always drive the decision since we travel to see places that interest us.

Then you made the right choice. Itinerary should always drive the decision since we travel to see places that interest us.

Mea Culpa... After multiple cruises with SB and Regent/Radisson/Crystal one of the things I've realized I look forward to are the other passengers on SB. At the end of the day when Im back on the ship Id rather deal with SB passengers than any other line.

For the $2k difference - for me SS had angry staff - they ruined the cruise. SS had terribad food (can't cook rice or pasta ***) So SB won on that. The crew was never 'angry' (tho tell Karl he's letting go of the dress code and you may see otherwise ;))

For me knowing that I won't have agro staff and can eat good food SB is worth the difference. That being said Id love to see apples to apples.

Emperor Norton,

Then you made the right choice. For yourself!