Seabourn Sojourn v. SilverSea Spirt-- A Long Overdue Review

I promised this review in August but haven't had a chance to write it until now.

In July we did a 10 day sail on the Sojourn, from Athens to Monte Carlo. This review compares this to a similar Western Med sail we did the prior year on the SilverSea Spirit.

I know this is the Seabourn board, but overall we felt the SilverSea product-- at least the Spirit-- was superior in most respects. (We can't speak to the smaller SilverSea ships, which seem to suffer from less kind reviews than the Spirit).

Layout: We much preferred the layout of the Spirit. It felt far roomier, and the quality of the furnishings is superior. The back of the ship in particular is very spacious and laid out in a manner which promotes relaxation, for example with very comfortable sofas and bed/pods to lounge on. In contrast, similar areas on the Sojourn are more cramped and seating is either sun loungers (with cheap padding) or round picnic style tables. There is also little or no service on the back of the Sojourn, just a cart of 'help yourself' beverages and towels. On the Spirit, you were waited on constantly, and brought drinks, canapés and a meal if you liked.

Food Quality: Seabourn wins this category. The caviar in particular is a real treat and is almost reason enough to choose Seabourn. SilverSea should take a lesson on this one.

Dining Options/Variety: SilverSea prevails in this category. On the Sojourn, we grew tired of eating in the MDR almost every night. We were not enthused about the other options. The Colonade has a cafeteria feel and layout, and its outside space is small and covered with a tarp, rather than al fresco like La Terraza, which is the similar dining venue on the Spirit. Restaurant 2 was a weak attempt at a gourmet style restaurant. The pool grill was just meh in terms of atmosphere. In contrast, the Spirit has several interesting options, including a supper club, two al fresco dining options (La Terraza and Hot Rocks), Le Champagne (a Relais and Chateaux experience) and a Sushi Bar... in addition to the MDR. While food quality was a little less than Seabourn, the dining options made up for this.

Service: Surprisingly, we found the service to be very spotty on the Sojourn. Some of the staff were quite good, while others were going through the motions. The Butler on SilverSea is an excellent amenity. Some on this Board seem to be confused about how to utilize this service. Our Butler was only two happy to serve as our personal assistant, handling all of our dinner reservations, special requests, laundry and anything else we asked. In contrast, the cabin attendant on Seabourn was essentially a maid who pointed iu to the phone to call room service when we asked if we could have canapés left in our suite in the late afternoon, or to have beverages re-stocked. We were disappointed on the first day when the maid informed us that we must be sure to leave our "make up the room" card on the door so that she can do her work as early as possible to be free to have her time off the boat. Don't they have a way to track when we leave the ship? The last thing I want is to have to be concerned about-- and told how to manage-- the attendant's schedule on my vacation. This was a far cry from SilverSea where our Butler was literally at our service. What a treat! On SilverSea, we purchased fresh fish in the market which the dining staff happily prepared. On Seabourn, it became an ordeal when we asked if we could have something which we purchased ashore simply cut up and plated by the staff. SilverSea also effortlessly arrange for a rental car in one port for us, whereas the Seabourn rep in the Square simply gave us a cell number to call, which of course did not work. In the end, another rep in the Square handled it 3 days later after we expressed frustration. Why they did not execute on this as asked the first time is inexplicable and in sharp contrast to SilverSea.

Excursions/Tender Service: This was executed much better on SilverSea. The port crew always had a beautiful and well stocked set up with cold water and fruit. On Seabourn, the water was often left in the boxes, and warm, and the set ups were dismantled by the crew 30 minutes before the last tender. We missed out on this service nearly every day because we would always return on one of the last tenders.

Nightlife: Far superior on SilverSea. We found the crowd to be more fun loving and casino/night club oriented. On Seabourn, the MDR is open only until 9pm, and we were actually turned away and told to order room service our first night when we arrived at 9:15pm. We usually prefer to eat late, European style, at 9:30ish. The early dinner crowd means that the casino and night club also close early. Too early in our opinion. On the Sojourn, they also had the SAME singer in the night club EVERY night, singing the same songs. This became very tiresome. We also love the Club Room on the Spirit, which, like the Spirit overall, has a very old world and elegant feel which we loved. There is no equivalent for cigars and cognac on the Sojourn, merely a box of cigars which sits on the bar.

Passengers: We found the passengers on SilverSea to generally be more interesting, more fun loving, more sophisticated and slightly younger (which surprised us, because we were expecting Seabourn to have a younger crowd). We tend to stay out late and get up early to enjoy the port, rent a boat or a car. We are in our VERY LATE 40's, and were easily among the youngest on Seabourn, but not on SilverSea where we felt near the middle of the pack age-wise.

On balance, we would choose the Spirit over the Sojourn, though we did enjoy Seabourn enough to go again if the itinerary suited us and the Spirit was booked or had a much less appealing itinerary.

I have not sailed on the Spirit, but I have sailed on Sojourn and had to go look up photos and compare a few of your points and see if the SS items were really as you described. After reviewing the photos of SS I don't see any difference on the following items

- The colonnade outdoor dining only has a "tarp" is a bit of stretch and SS looked to have the same covering for La Terraza

- Picnic tables? Never saw them on the Sojourn

- The Colonnade = cafeteria.

- I would have said something to the hotel manager if the suite stewardess was telling me about having to put out the sign so she could maximize her port time.

I will agree with your assessment that the service is lacking on the back of the ship and I was just saying to my friend that one of my frustrations as to why I don't enjoy that part of the ship for that exact reason.

I think the number of dining venues on SS is better, but you are also required to pay a few for many of those venues so an additional $40 per person per meal seems a bit of a nickel and dime game to me.

@Nolatranvelgirl- Thanks for your comments.

* La Terraza on the smaller SilverSea ships is covered. On the Spirit it is not. There is a VERY large outdoor dining area. much of which is open to the stars. If you look carefully at the video you posted you will see that two rows of tables under open sky, as well as the ones on the flanks. In contrast, the out door space of the Colonnade is quite small and virtually all of it is covered, and to me feels a bit claustrophobic considering that you are on a ship at sea.

* Picnic tables may be the wrong choice of word. Sorry. "Patio" table is really more accurate. They are large, generic white patio tables which seat 6-8 people, not unlike those which you can buy at Walmart. To my taste, these are quite down market and uncomfortable compared to the furniture in the back of the ship on the Spirit (and on the pool deck) which frankly, was luxurious and something I would have at home.

* I know you have not actually been in La Terraza, but the best way I can explain the difference is that in the Colonnade the buffet set up is THE centerpiece of the restaurant. As a result, the space felt like a down-sized version of what you would find on a large Carnival style cruise ship. On the other hand, La Terraza did not have this feel to me. Yes, there is a buffet set up, but somehow it was more discreet and the design of the space overall conveyed a more upscale feel in the restaurant…More old world luxury.

* I suppose we could have located the hotel manager, but it was within moments after boarding and we didn't want to make an issue in our first few minutes of the ship. Plus, we were more interested in seeing the ship and relaxing.

* I agree the small charge for certain dining venues is a nuisance and SS should simply do away with it. I suppose it didn't irk me too much because we had a shipboard credit from AMEX and they deducted it from that so we never really notice the up charge.

We will have to agree to disagree. This is not a tarp.

for comparison here is a stock image for La Terazza

Not sure why you thought these were Wal-Mart picnic tables. The majority of the tables at the patio were 4 tops and we quite enjoyed them

Here is a photo of Spirit Pool Grill which looks identical

I don't know whether it's a tarp, or not. But the point is that you can plainly see that on the Sojourn, the entirety of the outdoor dining space is fully covered. It is also quite small and cramped. Contrast that to the photo of the Spirit. You can actually sit under the stars at the back of the boat. Plus, it is a VERY spacious area (which actually includes additional tables to the left which are cut off in your photo). In fact, most of the restaurant is outside.

The patio tables I referred to are not the four tops at the pool grill. Those are useful there for dining. Rather, I refer to the ones at the back of the Sojourn, which are larger, and have no business being on the back of the boat (considering that there is no food service there). IMO, it is a cheap alternative to furnishing the boat well with high quality pods (see the ones in the video tour you posed of the Spirit) or high quality couches.

And, while I am thinking of it, the furniture on the balcony on the Sojourn was pretty ragged and rusted. They need to replace it.

You don't have to believe me, or agree with my view. I offer these observations not because I have any agenda, but because i hoped to make an honest comparison of both products and experiences. In my opinion, the look and feel of the ships are dramatically different, and the experiences are less (but somewhat) different, even though they are often compared.

Here is the outdoor deck just off of Seabourn Square. While they don't have food service per se, they do have a bar and all the nibbles from the barista. I recall grabbing a small plate of snacks and a glass of red wine one afternoon while I read a book out here.

Here is the back deck off the Club. These are the exact same tables as on the Patio Grill. Agree that there isn't food service out here, but once the waiters know you are sitting out there in the evening they are quite attentive. One of my most enjoyable evenings was sitting out here drinking wine late into the evening with some new friends. It was cool that evening so they brought us some of the yummy little throw blankets to keep us warm and some crisps and nuts for munchies.

I am not trying to be combative, but trying to show a balanced perspective with photos to your Wal-Mart and down market description to someone who may be reading this forum for the first time.

Thanks for posting that last set of pictures. They do help illustrate what I didn't love about the seating areas of the Sojourn. Specifically, I found it odd and uncomfortable to be sitting at a patio table on the back of the ship. I also found the area to be somewhat small and cramped, and the sofa style wicker seating to be of low quality. I much preferred to Spirit's set up and quality which was far more luxurious, spacious and "yacht -like.". I found a few photos to help people compare (sorry for the small size, but you can click on them to enlarge):

I wrote a review in May- after sailing for the first time on Seabourn- after having sailed 3 previous times with Silversea. After sailing with Seabourn- we would never sail with Silversea again- there is no comparison. Seabourn is far superior! You will see I made some comparisons of Seabourn and Silversea in my review.

Here was my review:

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 Filipino. 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 comparison.

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, which we have already booked!

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

Thank you Descartes1 for your review. I posted on the Silversea board, and saw your post here. I was on the Sojourn in late June-early July on a 10-day cruise, Athens to Monte Carlo (perhaps the same sailing as you). First time on Seabourn for me. Your comparison echoes my impressions exactly. The only difference is that I found the food and service on Seabourn less favorable than I think you did --it seemed somewhat hit-and-miss. There were some good meals in the MDR, but not always. I found the meals rather mediocre in the Colonnade most days, and the service not attentive. Service in the MDR was hit-and-miss also. One night, it was the worst I've experienced on any cruise ship-- one hour to get the first course; some not getting their second course until everyone else was long finished, entres arriving at different times, and many more gaffs. And worst of all, the service staff were rushing around and ignoring our attempts to get their attention for missing and wrong things. Never experienced something like this on Silversea. Must say, I was surprised that the whole Seabourn experience was not quite as great as the reviews led me to expect.

We've sailed both Silver Spirit and Seabourn Sojourn (and Quest, identical to Sojourn) several times.

Very interesting to read your review, because our experience in nearly all areas has been the opposite to yours. :D

I like the Spirit as a ship, even though there are a couple of design flaws that have been discussed to death on these boards so I won't go into them. But overall I definitely prefer the SB Odyssey class ships.

We do agree with you about the evening entertainment being better on Spirit. We're your age group.

We also agree about the lack of service on deck 5 during the daytime. We've commented on this in our questionnaires to SB. However on our last Sojourn cruise two members of the bar staff were very diligent about making sure they brought round trays of varied drinks and were more than happy to go and bring an alternative.

Evening dining on Spirit, while we appreciate being able to dine later than on SB, is spoiled for us by having to prebook all of the alternative restaurant venues. (It's been a couple of years since we were on SS so if this has changed since then I apologise).

On SB with the exception of R2 we're able to decide just before we go to dinner where we'd like to eat that evening. Dining al fresco is important to us on warm weather cruises, and SB offers more flexibility to do that. However, unlike you we do enjoy the Colonnade and Patio Grill now and again as alternatives to the MDR, so I understand you feeling that your choices were more limited.

On the subject of dining, during breakfast and lunch I can think of barely any differences between LT and the Colonnade with regard to how they're set up, and can't agree that the Colonnade is like a cafeteria !

My parents in law are great fans of Silversea and have a special wedding anniversary next year. They want to take several family members on Spirit to celebrate. I find myself unable to drum up any enthusiasm for Silversea since switching to SB, even for a "free" cruise, but I'm working on it!

Cruising is all about opinions, I have been on Silverseas and I also enjoy it, someone told me years ago that there is a credit card between them and in my opinion that is true, both lines try to give an excellent product and generally do. That said most people do have one line that they prefer, however I am sure if we compared a 14 day RCI cruise with a 14 day SB or SS cruise there would be a lot more differences.

One point the OP made that I personally do not agree on is the cabin stewardess regarding leaving the Make Up Room sign on the door. To us that was a great idea, she explained that if we would leave it outside when we leave the room she will then make the room up next for us, every morning we like to go down to the MDR for breakfast, every morning 45 minutes later we returned and our room was mint! To me that was a fabulous service, to the OP it was not convenient which I understand as her daily routine will be different to ours.

The bottom line on this is really that most of us will have a definite preference, depending on our personality and lifestyle. Also, one or two things which are off-putting can then make one more critical of everything else on the ship.

For these reasons, we prefer Seabourn - it fits our lifestyle better, and we have had a few off-putting happenings on Silversea which have probably made us more critical of that line. So, descartes 1, you enjoy Silversea, and we will enjoy Seabourn. We are all lucky to have the funds and good enough health to have the choice.

Cruising is all about opinions, I have been on Silverseas and I also enjoy it, someone told me years ago that there is a credit card between them and in my opinion that is true, both lines try to give an excellent product and generally do. That said most people do have one line that they prefer, however I am sure if we compared a 14 day RCI cruise with a 14 day SB or SS cruise there would be a lot more differences.

One point the OP made that I personally do not agree on is the cabin stewardess regarding leaving the Make Up Room sign on the door. To us that was a great idea, she explained that if we would leave it outside when we leave the room she will then make the room up next for us, every morning we like to go down to the MDR for breakfast, every morning 45 minutes later we returned and our room was mint! To me that was a fabulous service, to the OP it was not convenient which I understand as her daily routine will be different to ours.

Agree- win/win to leave the door hanger. I'm so glad she's doing the heavy lifting, I'm certainly happy to make it easier for her. And service is prompt.

What about Restaurant 2 as an alternative dining spot? Not mentioned as a option by OP. Still, whatever floats ones' boat is great (pardon the pun.) Both lines are good which is why I hate these lawsuit reviews (one line vs. another.)

Restaurant 2 was mentioned by the OP as an alternative option, but the OP was not too impressed with that one. Somewhere between the tuna tartare with popcorn and the waiter telling us to keep the menu turned over so we would be surprised by the next course, the OP and his wife decided 1 night was enough.

What about Restaurant 2 as an alternative dining spot? Not mentioned as a option by OP. Still, whatever floats ones' boat is great (pardon the pun.) Both lines are good which is why I hate these lawsuit reviews (one line vs. another.)

Henry,OP said that Restaurant 2 was a weak attempt at a gourmet style restaurant

These comparisons are only good for the person that posts and has had the experience,the four hundred plus others that were on the cruise will all have differing views.

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Restaurant 2 always seems to be the one area people can't agree on, either because they don't like being given a set menu, feel there is not enough to eat, don't like the variety of tastes, etc. We always find some who love it (we once were on a cruise where one couple ate there almost every night, not sure how they arranged that, they were not longtime SB cruisers but had the same table all the time) and some who will never even try it. Personally I like to dine there once or twice per cruise, and like the intimateness of it, however my wife is not a big fan.

Seems to me that much of the discussion is about the furniture and how much outdoor dining space is available.

To be honest, I don't see too much difference between the wicker chairs on Seabourn or the wicker chairs on Silversea. The wooden sun loungers do look nice but are they comfortable?

On dining venues, I have never found eating outside on Seabourn to be a problem and I have appreciated outside-but-covered when the temperatures have dropped or there is some wind. The addition of heat lamps meant that we could eat outside in the Antarctic and in the Baltic.

I do agree with the OP on Restaurant 2. I have never been a fan of this venue. I would prefer something a little more exotic like Asian for example. I also agree with the OP on the Seabourn veranda furniture. It is looking somewhat old and beaten up and it is not as comfortable as one might expect from a luxury line.

As to butlers ... I have never had any desire to have one. The current Seabourn arrangements work fine for me.

BTW all the balcony furniture on Sojourn was replaced 2 weeks ago.

BTW all the balcony furniture on Sojourn was replaced 2 weeks ago.

Excellent. We join her in three months.

BTW all the balcony furniture on Sojourn was replaced 2 weeks ago.

Thanks Dan. 6.5 weeks to go.

Awaiting docs and ready to do very happy dance :D It's been too long since we left Sojourn at the end of March

BTW all the balcony furniture on Sojourn was replaced 2 weeks ago.

It looks like Quest has new outdoor furniture as well (from Capt. Geir-Arne's Photo Gallery)

Captain Geir-Arne's Photo Gallery

Home > At Work (at sea) > 2014 10 11Oct- 25Oct Mont. to Ft. L.dale

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12d - 23Oct Charleston, SC

First container arrived - all crew in "full speed" - many more coming!

Also excellent as we will be on board the Quest in March and are hoping to use our veranda regularly - at least on the first half. Balconies on TAs are of somewhat limited value, we find!

I must say, looking at the photos (and the descriptions) that there appears to be remarkably little difference between those outdoor areas between SB and SS. Both cruise lines are producing a luxury experience for discerning travellers, and obviously many travellers will have their personal preferences. I prefer to take the line that I am very fortunate to be travelling in such comfortable and genial surroundings.

My apologies. I missed the reference to R2 by the OP.

Rather late to the meeting on this one but I wanted to comment on the tables around the pool hot tubs, deck 5 aft.

Great for playing cards, board games & so on.

We used that area a lot. The drinks service was more sporadic than around the main pool where if you think hard enough a drink magically appears but there is a self serve soft drinks station on the Deck 5 aft area, as there is deck 6 forward by the bow hot tub.

Henry :)