californiacruiseluvrs

I am glad at least one of you are happy with the pool/lounge furniture.  The problem is that although there are padded lounges they are few and far between, shabby and of Lowe's disposable quality.  Just saying - Seabourn could do better.  The coffee is definitely a topic unto itself for coffee connosseurs.  I've found the best to be Arts Cafe on Silversea and Cafe Baccio on Regent.  Certainly, some will beg to differ.  Even with the Seabourn Source app I find myself often waiting 5-10 minutes for my morning Joe.  Again, as stated a first world problem.  However, when you are paying $$$$$ for a luxury cruise experience lines for coffee should not be excessive.  😀Then again, isn't all coffee just beans with specialty beverages being a take on coffee, water and some kind of milk or milk like product? I think part of the coffee experience is about the power and control.  'I'll have a nonfat, no whip, extra hot, half cap, mochachino with 1.5 pumps of vanilla and room for a splash of oat milk in a double cup". 😂  Orders could be taken like on Silversea and a waiter can bring to where you are sitting whether to go or to consume in Seabourn Square.  The whole purpose of comment cards and commentary is so that guests - many loyal guests - can help management to improve an already incredible product.  One big thing I did fail to mention was the plastic water bottles.  These are vial and gross and have not encounted a guest who likes them.  Often times the water has a disgusting odor.  Concept is good.  However, the winner in this category is Regent and Oceania who has installed Vero water systems offering delicious still and sparkling water.  Crazy that when you think about it all water is just H20

I've always felt that Seabourn falls short in their poolside experience.  The lounges are exactly the same as Holland America, Carnival and Princess (bulk buying I guess), but more narrow.  Uncomfortable sling back without cusions.  After a short while of enjoying the poolside experience these incredibly uncomfortable lounges make the back ache.  By comparison Silversea, Oceania and Regent have delicious and luxurious poolside/deck experiences in large part due to their high end and very comfortable outdoor furniture.  Additionally, Regent and Oceania even adorn their cushioned lounges with another layer of luxury - logo sporting terry cloth covers.  Having just gotten off the Oceania Vista I am still remembering drifting off to sleep on deck on a heavenly lounge on a day at sea.  Apparently, Seabourn has or will be investing in new outdoor furniture.  Has anyone seen any new outdoor furniture including lounges with cushions on any Seabourn ship.  In fairness, the aft deck pool on Seabourn does have lounges with cushions, but lousy ones that are of cheap hardware store quality.  To some this may sound like a first world problem - because it is 😀 However, cruising is a first world pleasure, treat, and fortunate experience.  There are choices and there is competition.  In summary, there is so much I love about Seabourn.  I wish they would up their outdoor lounging and seating experience to an appropriately luxurious one found on competing lines.  Hotels market the comfort of their beds all the time.  What a concept if a cruise line were to market the luxurious comfort of the poolside and deck experience. Only other knock on Seabourn - Seabourn Square coffee experience poorly run and akin to a Russian breadline.  Other than that - virtually perfect product for me. 

We are going on the Vista on July 15th from Trieste.  Taking Black Lane from Venice airport.  I believe around $600 for two.

On board Silver Moon right now and we are sadly disappointed.  The staff is not friendly or engaging.  If they were many of the other shortcomings could be overlooked.  Friendliness does not cost Silversea money and their crew and their ability to engage and make passengers feel welcome is what would result in five star reviews and encourage passengers to return due to the fond memories created.  

Italian guy.  Sailed with him three times before.  Done with replying.  I gave my honest opinion and experience with the hotel director.  My review and comments were made for cruisecritic members and voyeurs wanting information about Sirena.  

Glad you all enjoyed the photos.  

Just an update...recently off of Seabourn Encore.  Internet was better than Odyssey class ships.  Not sure if this is because Encore is newer with better satellite or geographically related.  Definitely not fast enough to stream, but was able to utilize voice over WiFi most of the time with no problem which was very helpful as I have no choice, but to keep in touch with my business.  We are leaving next week on Ovation and the staff I know on board says WiFi is rather good.  I'm sure as a Carnival product they will roll out some form of MedallionNet throughout their brands.  We were on Ruby Princess in late November (fresh out of drydock) and initial stages of MedallionNet were installed.  Impressive system overall including keyless cabin entry, enhanced in cabin entertainment options, a phone app (with texting) and high speed WiFi.  I thought this was very well done.  At the end of the day I wish we could truly get away and not have expectations of being available 24/7.  Being connected 24/7 is unfortunate, but for many the anxiety of not being is worse - especially if you own your own business.  How nice it would be to truly be able to unwind and disconnect except for emergencies.  Perhaps one day when I retire...ahhhh.

We are Seabourn loyalists, but do try other lines as well. Last December we took Viking to the Caribbean. Observations: gorgeous ship!, outstanding service, amazing cabins and bathrooms, strange crowd (on our sailing), food was awful, WiFi amazing, best spa at sea. Despite the food - we would go again. Outstanding overall experience. Cannot really compare with Seabourn. Seabourn is uber luxury and I'm not sure where Viking sits, but very good.

Thanks for replies everyone! I have been in contact with a few of the officers on Ovation and they confirmed WiFi speed is much faster than other Seabourn ships. However, no word as to whether and when other ships in the fleet will get the upgrade. Seabourn still remains my favorite! A very special experience indeed.

We just returned from a 7-night Alaska sailing on RSSC Mariner after her dry dock. I won't be posting a formal review. We were very disappointed for the most part. Let me preface my comments by the following. Brand loyalty is usually built on brand consistency, experience and quality. For example, if you are in a Starbucks in Seattle or a Starbucks in New York you know you are in a Starbucks and there is brand consistency and quality which leads to the experience. This was my fifth Regent cruise. Having been on Explorer and wowed AND read about refurbishments of other ships in the fleet it was insinuated by Regent that they would be "Explorerizing" their other ships. Wrong!!!! I was on Mariner pre dry dock as well. The public areas are beautiful and redone quite nicely. However, epic failure with the staterooms. We chose one of the most expensive suites on the ship and were extremely underwhelmed and disappointed. The torn wallpaper and rusted door hinges were shocking. Sure there was the new bed and furniture, but certainly not well done. Lighting remained old, dark, uninviting and uninspiring. The biggest disappointment - bathrooms were untouched! Bathrooms should have been ripped and replaced. Instead they were left moldy and untouched - almost 20 years old! Unconscionable given the press release and claims made by Regent. Very much a bait and switch. We paid over $18k for one week and in addition to itinerary chose this cruise because of (1) our experience on Explorer and (2) the understanding that the Mariner would be (2) "Explorerized". Getting back to Starbucks. With any brand, but especially cruise lines and hotels there SHOULD be brand consistency. Regent has NO brand consistency when it comes to accommodations. So if you are going on any ship other than Explorer or Splendor and are familiar with Explorer - buyer beware! If you don't care about old moldy bathrooms and redone, but dated cabins go for it. If you expect consistency on par with Explorer you will be very disappointed. Food was outstanding. Internet speed impressive. Entertainment the worst I've seen. No vibe on the ship. Senior crew members were over the top wonderful! However, the rest of the crew was for the most part extremely disappointing, not well trained and frankly unfriendly if not flippant and rude. On all five Regent cruises I've found the crew members to be indifferent and often getting a return "hello" or a smile to be painful for these robotic and unhappy employees. A big issue - sorry if you need a safe space after I say this - is that Regent and Oceania have been hiring gobs of crew members not proficient in the English language and on these lines where English is the primary language this creates a huge service issue. Nonetheless, we had a fabulous time with great friends and seeing wonderful sites. Always make the most of any trip. My take away - in the true luxury cruise market Seabourn and Crystal win hands down. As a last aside, for fascinating reasons I can't figure out certain brands attract certain personality types. I find Regent passengers to be reserved, unfriendly, stuffy and not the fun loving type. By comparison Seabourn and Crystal seem to attract a crowd that is fun, young at heart and vibrant - regardless of age. In summary, Regent is not true luxury - more like true all-inclusive.

YES!!!! Do it! Been spending a bit of time on Seabourn recently. If the teens are mature and enjoy company of others, but not requiring tons of other teens (if any) it is a FANTASTIC option! Seabourn is an amazing line for all. Old school. Just returned last month from 14 days on Odyssey and there was single mom (widow) with two teenage daughters and they all LOVED it! We became very friendly. Seabourn is really special and I'm certain that the teenagers will have memories for a lifetime that will be so rich. Much more so than other lines.

SEABOURN - PLEASE LISTEN TO YOUR LOYAL GUESTS - WE WANT HI SPEED WIFI AND INCLUDED! So the Carnival Corporation (Seabourn parent) is rolling out high speed WiFi on Princess ships. They will have a band width that can accommodate 6,000 guests at once with ability to stream video, have Face Time calls etc. I really hope at least with the launch of Ovation that Seabourn uses this technology to ensure high speed WiFi is available on Ovation - soon to be newest ship - and launches on all other ships. Seems crazy to me that a mass market product like Princess should have hi speed WiFi before a ship of only 500-600 passengers with it's luxury relative Seabourn. Perhaps akin to Chevrolet offering a high tech feature before it becomes available with Cadillac. Makes no sense. Here's a link:

http://www.travelmarketreport.com/articles/Carnival-Corp-Tests-New-High-Speed-MedallionNet-WiFi-on-Princess-Cruises

I'm sailing May 23rd. Does anybody know if bathrooms are going to be ripped and replaced in the suites?

While I appreciate the innovative thinking of Seabourn by adding the retreat I think the experiment is a giant failure. I just returned from the September 14th sailing of the Encore. My impression - waste of space that could have been better used for all guests. Additionally, the cruise was wonderful! Home run with Encore. My only complaint - no cushions and terry cloth covers on the lounges by the pool like Oceania and Regent. This is cheap! The lounges are sling backs which become uncomfortable very quickly for sun worshipers like my wife and I. They are the same lounges used by sister lines Carnival, HAL and Costa. Grrrr!!! It's below Seabourn standards. They spend so much money on bedding - why not on lounges too? Just my two cents.

Hi Everyone! I'm the original poster. I've remained silent until now and enjoyed reading everyone's reply. Cruise Critic is great and allows cruisers to share information as well as honest opinions with other cruise enthusiasts. To clarify, we will cruise Oceania again and had a fabulous time on a terrific ship and line. I gave a fair, honest and reasonable review of the good, bad and ugly (not truly any ugly) as seen and experienced personally. People - you don't have to agree. You also don't need to get nasty. I posted an "opinion" about my experience. Unfortunately, in today's day and age people feel the need to be offended, defensive and find their safe place when they don't agree with another person's opinion. Some people even become despondent. Really not necessary or productive. I enjoy reading the opinions of others and am greatly appreciative of those who take the time to open up and share their impression of their cruise experiences. Thank you to all those who continue to contribute. Happy cruising everyone :D

I just returned from the Oceania Marina and posted the following review under "Reviews". I'm also placing here for those who are interested:

I write this from the perspective of a cruiser who has sailed with Oceania 7 times and been on almost 90 cruises. My cabin experience has always been a PH2 or PH3 on deck 10 or 11 on Riviera/Marina and deck 8 on the R Class ships. For reference and point of view purposes I have sailed on most major mass market lines. In recent years my taste has changed and strongly desire smaller ships with less passengers and a more inclusive experience where you are not nickel and dimed. Therefore, lines such as Oceania, Crystal, Seabourn, Azamara, Regent and Silversea have been strongly preferenced.

The condition of the Marina is tip top shape - especially for a ship built in 2011. Food remains outstanding. Cruising on Oceania is more akin to staying in a really nice floating hotel as opposed to a true cruising experience. Highlights not only include the dining room and specialty restaurants, but also tea time and the strings. I also believe Oceania and Regent have the best pool areas at sea.

Unfortunately, I feel strongly that Oceania has lost ground compared to the competition - so much so that we just booked our first Viking Ocean cruise as reviews seem to compare the two lines as apples to apples with Viking Ocean being the better apple. Unfortunately, Oceania's apple has become a bit rotten. Here's why:

Despite a beautiful ship and producing excellent food something is missing on Oceania and has been progressively more noticeable. That "something" is service and absolute lack of personalization. I've noticed on my last few Oceania cruises that the crew does not engage with the passengers and it is clear they are there to do their job and that's it. There is frequent talk in front of guests about "when my contract is up". No similes, no being addressed by name, no remembering preferences. In fact, for the most part no warmth. For example, my wife and I kept bumping into a social hostess we met at a captain's function the second day of the cruise and we would always say hello and try to engage. She would not give us the time of day. A social hostess! Another example -

this one from the top - the captain's cabin was just in front of ours and I would frequently see him in the corridor. It was painful for him to return a simple hello. Staff were regimented and inflexible. All decisions - no matter how minor - had to come from the top. There was no willingness or ability to even make small decisions to cater to guests on their own. For example, at the juice bar I asked for bananas, oranges and ice. The employee said he was only allowed to make what was on the preset menu despite all the ingredients and a blender sitting right in front of him. Sounds picky? Not really when every aspect of any small request is treated this way. The overall lack of flexibility and unfriendliness of the staff is unfortunate. Part of what makes cruising enjoyable is the staff. When the staff is miserable and stupidly rigid it impacts the overall experience. In summary - regarding the staff - they walked around like creatures from the Walking Dead and did not seem happy.

Unless you bought a drink package getting an honest drink is impossible on Oceania. All drinks are measured pours and quite stingy. Even the "doubles" are weak. A double top shelf (i.e. Kettle One or Grey Goose) martini costs north of $22 before tip is included. Bartenders have zero flexibility to think on their own and actually some are worried about their pours because they are "scrutinized" according to one. Remarkably, Celebrity - a mass market line - makes much more honest and better drinks without the measured pour.

Oceania shore excursions are consistently awful. I would not waste your money and instead visit sites such as tours by locals or Viator to arrange your own tours. Not only will you have a more customized experienced and skip out on painful bus journeys, but you will save a ton of money.

As an aside, I think Oceania would benefit from increasing their prices slightly and making drinks all-inclusive. They should get rid of O Life promotions and just make every sailing with included WiFi, beverages, gratuities and lastly not insult guests by requiring tokens for the laundry. Those inclusions coupled with some serious Ritz Carlton style customer service training would potentially put Oceania back in the running.

On all my previous Oceania cruises I booked future cruises. Not on this one. I am done with Oceania for the foreseeable future as I've tried other options and liked them better; hence the danger of trying other things as you might just like them better and change your spending habits. Sorry Oceania - what was once a fabulous product is just fair now when compared to the competition in the market.

My wife and I will be on the September 14, 2017 Encore sailing embarking in Barcelona and are quite excited. We have previously been on Odyseey and Sojourn. We also enjoy other lines such as Crystal, Regent and Oceania. In response to the members who commented about passenger rudeness you are absolutely correct! The reason I mention the other upscale lines is because over the years we have also cruised on most of the mass market lines. For some reason there is a psychotic mindset that takes over with some people when they book a high end line that they need to act or behave a certain way. Perhaps for others it's just that these lines attract those with a gross sense of entitlement and no graciousness. We just returned home yesterday from the Oceania Marina (Northern Europe) and I was blown aware and embarrassed by the rudeness of some passengers. No "please", "thank you", "can I please have", "I would like", "how are you?", etc. Instead we often heard "SIR, SIR!", "GIVE ME", "I WANT", "MY WIFE NEEDS". Wow! My family and I watched in horror as one crew member after another was harassed by the rudeness of nasty, angry and abusive guests. Unfortunately, like me, many of these guests were from the United States. Makes me want to crawl under a chair and hide. Seems to be a very prevalent problem. I wish passengers/guests - especially while on vacation - would realize how fortunate and lucky they are to be able to sail a line like Seabourn and treat the hard working crew with the dignity and respect they need. The other factor guests must realize is that the crew lives on the ships. Although they must always carry a smile because they are in the customer service business. Maybe they are not feeling well on a particular day, have a sick relative at home etc. Anyway, enough said, but I wish guests would be more kind and understanding.

Catlover54: YES! VERY fast. Even remote areas.

Bottom Line is that RCCL and Celebrity have WiFi which is so fast it puts WiFi at home to shame. Come on Seabourn!!! Seriously? Seabourn a "luxury" line and so many other mass market lines are Trumping them (sorry for analogy) when it comes to high speed WiFi. Let's face it - those who take Seabourn cruises are often business oriented and on longer voyages where being in touch actually is comforting and relaxing and not the opposite. It's being out of touch that makes a long voyage anxiety provoking for many of us. The technology is clearly available and Seabourn should invest in it and make it inclusive instead of nickel and diming. My understanding is that the charge for WiFi is so that it limits availability as to not clog the slow band width. Seabourn is an amazing product! In my opinion, if they would add comfortable lounges with cushions and terry cloth covers (like Regent and Oceania) by the pools and high speed WiFi for all they would be absolutely perfect. As an aside with the lounges - so many lines pride themselves on their bedding - how about priding themselves on poolside bedding/lounges? Sounds crazy, buy if you lay on a Seabourn slingback lounge by the pool for an hour your back aches. Sorry for digression from internet. Bon voyage!

Thanks again to everyone for replies. Sometimes I feel like a nut with questions on boards like mine about laundry, but I guess that is what makes us all cruise enthusiasts.

Okay...just my two cents. We've cruised quite a bit on Oceania and Seabourn. Both fabulous products and wonderful vacations. A bit different though. Certainly, less passengers or a greater passenger space ratio on Seabourn. So much can depend on actual itinerary, crew on board and fellow passengers. The vibe can change from cruise to cruise. Oceania probably wins a bit in the food department. However, my wife and I also find Seabourn excellent. There are some aspects of Oceania which are very polished compared to Seabourn such as amazing room service presentation on Oceania and Seabourn seems a bit Carnival like by comparison. One interesting difference is the pool area. Seabourn has the same damn' lounges found on Carnival and Holland America by the pools with no cushions and they always give us a back ache after only a short time of lounging. Oceania has very comfy lounges with cushions and terry cloth covers. This may seem petty, but the Oceania Marina and Riviera have sliding balcony doors which make accessing the balcony easier and seems to make for more balcony space. Seabourn ships have doors that swing out onto the balcony which makes dining on the balcony difficult if you wish to go in or out. On Seabourn crew you have never met seems to learn your name quickly and learn your special preferences. There is never a "no" on Seabourn. I think the crew would do anything for their guests. Oceania has a little more of a mass market feel, but we have encountered terrific staff as well - just not as polished as on Seabourn. The all inclusive nature of Seabourn is a game changer with a more inviting and engaging happy hour time in my opinion. I will say to have to choose between Oceania and Seabourn is a privilege and in my humble opinion you can't go wrong with either.

Such a crazy oversight that laundry was not considered in planning for Encore. I still find it fascinating that the mass market lines such as Carnival don't have laundry facilities, but the higher end luxury lines almost all have self-service laundry rooms as passengers expect these facilities. One would think that passengers who cruise on high end lines would prefer to be pampered and not do our own laundry, but I think just the opposite is true - especially on longer voyages. My wife and I like to always have clean clothes and are doing loads every few days. I guess it is a OCD of sorts. Haha. Anyway, not a deal breaker but strange nonetheless and I've probably wasted too much time commenting on this little new world problem. :halo:

Thanks for replies!

Does anybody know if Seabourn Encore has a laundry package since they don't have laundry machines? Just curious if there is some type of unlimited package that can be purchased.

We really like the Marriott Marquis pre-cruise in Miami. It's near Mary Brickell shops and restaurants and only about a $10 Uber ride to ship. Best, JG