Our first Seabourn Cruise

[Able Seaman H]

Well I came on here over a year ago and started prodding around with a view to trying out Seabourn. Veteran of many Royal Caribbean cruises I was intrigued to find out just what the differences were. We had, and indeed still do have a young daughter which added a bit of spice to the mix when gauging a response. If you want to break records in the Seabourn forum include the words children, smoking, formal attire and bread sticks !

 

We booked, paid our money and on December 17th Set sail for LA via the Panama canal. I've reviewed the cruise in the appropriate section so this isn't intended as a review of that cruise, more a series of observations from a former Seabourn outsider.

 

There is no one thing which sets Seabourn apart from other cruise lines, rather a series of sometimes quite small differences which combine to make an almighty difference. From the very first point of contact we knew we were in for a good time. No blowing whistles and shouting in the Port terminal, just polite smiling faces. Even the local policeman making sure everyone got parked up safely was pleasant.

 

Check in was a breeze, once onboard we had somewhere to sit by the pool and enjoyed a relaxing lunch. I'm glad we chose a warm cruise because it made best use of the many areas around the ship. Lots of space, no fighting for loungers or somewhere to sit. Towels freely available with no need to sign in or out. Bar staff who very quickly know you by name. In fact I was surprised just how many people knew my name. Ok, I'm quite outward going and the fact we had one of only 3 children on board made us stand out.

 

The freedom to dine wherever, whenever and with whoever you chose was superb. Sometimes we would dine with strangers, other times meet friends we had met on the cruise in the bar or at the entrance to the restaurant and share a table. Towards the end of the cruise we started getting invites for hosted tables which were enjoyable.

 

The food was stunning. We ate dinner in the main restaurant every night bar one occasion in Restaurant 2 and I have to say I'm staggered by some of the less than positive comments about the food. I ate some dishes on board which would grace the table of any restaurant in the world many of which charge the per day rate of our cruise merely for dinner.

 

Staff had a genuine friendliness which relaxed you right from the off. On first boarding the ship i was a little bit taken aback by the lines of staff greeting us, I didn't really know what to do or where to look. Did they know who I was? Were they mistaking me for someone else? Of course by the end of the cruise many were familiar names and faces, some were even team mates in the international beach volleyball championships.

 

The ship, although much smaller than we were used to had the same sense of freshness and modernity. It was nice not to have to allow 5 minutes to get from one venue to another and the lifts (elevators)..... Ahh yes, the joy of pressing a button and within seconds stepping into an empty carriage. You can not put into words the pleasure that brings a big ship cruiser.

 

Fellow guests were a veritable mixture of souls from around the planet. That first night when a I saw an elderly lady being escorted arm in arm by a young officer and the entire cast of singers, dancers and entertainment staff on the dance floor to add atmosphere and dance partners I wasn't sure I felt comfortable. I could almost hear them moaning about the passengers upon returning to their underground accommodation. But I was wrong. Seabourn is incredibly inclusive, everyone is made to feel welcome and whether hosting a table at dinner or dancing under the stars the performers seem genuinely happy with their lot.

 

We had a lot of contact with the entertainers which surprised me, I'd written off the entertainment prior to boarding. We were used to million dollar shows on board Royal Caribbean, how could Seabourn even begin to compete. Besides, we don't like show tunes and can't ballroom dance. Oh me of little faith. I enjoyed retiring to the Grand Salon after dinner to be entertained by a group of individuals who punched way above their weight. Sergii and Anastasia somehow filled the stage in spite of their only being 2 of them. similarly the singers and the band made a much bigger sound than the sum total of their individual contributions.

 

Some of the shows and the guest acts I preferred more than others but hey, welcome to life. They all added to the mix as did the solo musicians around the ship, Jamie on Piano (and vocals), Danny on guitar (and vocals).

 

So back to our fellow guests. Would we have anything in common, would we be shunned for bringing a minor on board? Yes, and no. We met some really great people may of whom I genuinely hope to see on board in the future. We laughed, we swapped stories and yes, we gossiped about some of the other guests a bit. Come on, who doesn't ? In the main there was a significant age difference between many of the people we met but you know I don't think it really made any difference. To some extent I think it added to our enjoyment. When you double your age and realise there is no chance at all you'll still be around you know life doesn't go on for ever so you'd better make damn sure you enjoy what's left of it.

 

I lost count of the number of people who asked Emily if she was enjoying herself. Before we set off we were told in no uncertain terms that Seabourn isn't for kids. Try Disney, stick with Royal Carribean, think about Crystal. All I can say is that I'm getting badgered by Emily to book the Capetown to Capetown cruise next year on Seabourn. Everyone is different children included. Whilst there wasn't a kids club staff and entertainers were lovely towards Emily. She's a good kid, scrubs up well and knows how to behave herself. She even knows steak should be eaten medium rare.

 

The only thing I would suggest is substituting alcohol for unlimited internet when booking kids on board. Emily paid exactly the same amount as an adult would have done, I think access to the internet would have gone a long way to making her experience perfect and would have been a fair trade off for the saving in booze.

 

Ports of call were so so, but that's the route we took rather than the Seabourn experience. We didn't see the marina in action which was a shame, we were looking forward to it, again one assumes the weather played it's hand there.

 

Seabourn really did deliver over and above our expectations in so many areas. We come away feeling part of the family and look forward to being welcomed on board again. It does take a little while to get used to the Seabourn way of doing things, at first it's almost a bit overpowering but once you get settled in life doesn't get much better.

 

So would I book another cruise with Seabourn? That's the ultimate judge of whether a cruise line are doing their job properly. A pair of future cruise deposits on file suggests yes :)

 

If anyone has any questions particularly people contemplating cruising with Seabourn for the first time feel free to ask away.

 

Henry :)

[nancygp]

Henry,

 

I just read you terrific member review and am now enjoying reading this post. so glad that you and your family had a stellar experience.

 

I haven't sailed a mass-market line in many years, actually only on a few occasions. I discovered Crystal about 10 years ago and my husband and I have loved each and every cruise we have been on. When we have the time to justify more than one or two cruises per year, we hope to give Seabourn a try. Based on what you posted and reading and hearing first hand from others, I'm sure we will really enjoy the Seabourn experience.

 

Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts.

 

Nancy

 

PS. Loved the video!!!

Edited January 7, 2014 by nancygp

[margbem]

Henry - you have encapsulated totally why we too love Seabourn. So very glad it was everything, and more, than you expected.

 

Margaret

[CateW]

We are thinking about a Seaborn cruise for next January, your post convinced me to give it a go. Thank you for your insightful experience!

[Pop-I]

Henry,

 

I just read you terrific member review and am now enjoying reading this post. so glad that you and your family had a stellar experience.

 

I haven't sailed a mass-market line in many years, actually only on a few occasions. I discovered Crystal about 10 years ago and my husband and I have loved each and every cruise we have been on. When we have the time to justify more than one or two cruises per year, we hope to give Seabourn a try. Based on what you posted and reading and hearing first hand from others, I'm sure we will really enjoy the Seabourn experience.

 

Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts.

 

Nancy

 

PS. Loved the video!!!

 

Am very interested in hearing about Crystal as it looks much more beautiful than Crystal and not that many more passengers than the larger SB ships. We adore SB, but not since the Carnival acquisition. SB was great when it was not owned by any large corporation, which is why Crystal appeals to me. So curious why you would want to switch to SB? Is there anything lacking on Crystal?

[Corony]

Henry

Great overview of your first cruise. All of your concerns were our concerns when we took our first cruise in January 2011 but your summation of a collection of small items vs anything major was exactly what we found. We now have over 70 days with Seabourn with a 28 day cruise in the books for next fall while still being under 50 with full time jobs. We too have read many posts about kids and although we don't have children of our own we believe there are no bad kids, just bad parents. Seabourn is by no means the cheapest line but at the end of each cruise my DH and I always agree it represents great value. Enjoy your next cruise and again thanks for taking the time to do such a great write up.

[sfocruiser]

We sailed on our first Seabourn cruise in November. One comment in your observation which my wife and I have said many times is that the Searbourn difference is not one big thing but many small ones.

 

Thanks for taking the time to share your experience.

[Emperor Norton]

Am very interested in hearing about Crystal as it looks much more beautiful than Crystal and not that many more passengers than the larger SB ships. We adore SB, but not since the Carnival acquisition. SB was great when it was not owned by any large corporation, which is why Crystal appeals to me. So curious why you would want to switch to SB? Is there anything lacking on Crystal?

 

FYI Crystal has at least double the number of passengers as the larger Seabourn ships (922 Symphony, 1022 Serenity).

[Emperor Norton]

SB was great when it was not owned by any large corporation, which is why Crystal appeals to me.

 

 

If you don't want to sail on subsidiaries of large corporations I don't think Crystal will fit your bill. NYK Lines (their parent) isn't exactly a mom and pop operation (which IIRC is a Mitsubishi company).

 

For reference Carnival corp brought in ~ 10 billion. Mitsubishi brought in ~ 249 billion.

Edited January 8, 2014 by baychilla

[rafinmd]

Henry,

 

I just read you terrific member review and am now enjoying reading this post. so glad that you and your family had a stellar experience.

 

I haven't sailed a mass-market line in many years, actually only on a few occasions. I discovered Crystal about 10 years ago and my husband and I have loved each and every cruise we have been on. When we have the time to justify more than one or two cruises per year, we hope to give Seabourn a try. Based on what you posted and reading and hearing first hand from others, I'm sure we will really enjoy the Seabourn experience.

 

Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts.

 

Nancy

 

PS. Loved the video!!!

 

Am very interested in hearing about Crystal as it looks much more beautiful than Crystal and not that many more passengers than the larger SB ships. We adore SB, but not since the Carnival acquisition. SB was great when it was not owned by any large corporation, which is why Crystal appeals to me. So curious why you would want to switch to SB? Is there anything lacking on Crystal?

 

I think you're misreading Nancy's post. She did not say "switch to Seabourne"; when you have time to do several cruises a year variety becomes more important than when you can only do one or 2. Her post makes perfect sense to me.

 

Roy

[nancygp]

I think you're misreading Nancy's post. She did not say "switch to Seabourne"; when you have time to do several cruises a year variety becomes more important than when you can only do one or 2. Her post makes perfect sense to me.

 

Roy

 

Correct Roy. I love sailing on Crystal and will try Seabourn at some point. I did not imply that I was switching to Seabourn. Seabourn sounds like a great fit for me and my husband and hope to try it one of these days.

 

Nancy

[nancygp]

FYI Crystal has at least double the number of passengers as the larger Seabourn ships (922 Symphony, 1022 Serenity).

 

Correct. However, even when a cruise is full, there are many singles so I have never sailed with 922 paxs on the Symphony. The most I've sailed with is around 800. Yes, that is close to double the capacity of the larger Seabourn ships.

 

Nancy

[nancygp]

Am very interested in hearing about Crystal as it looks much more beautiful than Crystal and not that many more passengers than the larger SB ships. We adore SB, but not since the Carnival acquisition. SB was great when it was not owned by any large corporation, which is why Crystal appeals to me. So curious why you would want to switch to SB? Is there anything lacking on Crystal?

 

I didn't imply that I want to switch to Seabourn. I continue to love sailing on Crystal but do want to give Seabourn a try in the future as I feel it would also be a good fit for me.

 

If you have any questions about Crystal or would like to know more about the Crystal experience, I suggest you post on the Crystal CC board. There are many of us on that board that will be happy to answer any questions for you.

 

Nancy

Edited January 8, 2014 by nancygp

[hoosier74]

Very nice trip report and a wonderful video.

 

There's been discussion about a trade off if you don't drink alcohol before (not sure if it was on this board). Though it seems to be fair, there are many things offered on ships that everyone doesn't use. For instance, we very rarely go to shows, so should we get to opt out of paying for the entertainers? Free internet, at various levels, is one of the perks for the Seabourn loyalty program, so on subsequent cruises, you'll get a break at least if that's what you choose. I'm glad your daughter enjoyed herself. Well behaved children are always appreciated.

 

Alcohol is fairly cheap for cruise lines, I would guess. (with the possible exception of some wines) I have been told that the most expensive thing in a drink in the tropics is the ice.

[shipcamein]

This always confuses me: We adore SB, but not since the Carnival acquisition.

 

It's been over 15 years, no? And a significant chunk of Seabourn was owned by Carnival even before that.

 

That's a long time for apples-to-apples, then and now.

[Emperor Norton]

Correct. However, even when a cruise is full, there are many singles so I have never sailed with 922 paxs on the Symphony. The most I've sailed with is around 800. Yes, that is close to double the capacity of the larger Seabourn ships.

 

Nancy

 

On the Harmony and Symphony it seemed everyone wanted to be in the Avenue Saloon at night ;)

 

Otherwise I thought they did a good job of keeping people spread out.

[wripro]

Great report, Henry. So glad you enjoyed your first SB experience.

 

Henry

[SuffolkLady]

Thank you for the great report, review, and video. We will shortly be embarking on our first Seabourn cruise, and it has been extremely helpful to read about your experiences..... In fact whilst I was reading your report this morning our lovely package arrived from Seabourn with our final tickets and luggage tags! So exciting, counting the days off now.

[Able Seaman H]

You have a real treat coming.

 

Seabourn is a big business owned by an even bigger business but at no point did we feel our experience was being watered down by corporate grey suits. In fact the mighty buying power and logistical string pulling of Carnival probably gave the whole cruise that little extra wow factor.

 

Turn up looking for a great cruise and all the ingredients are there. We were especially lucky in that we met some great people from all walks of life and ultimately they were what made the trip. Heated debate over a trivia question, chewing the fat over a pre dinner tipple in the observation lounge or crying with laughter over something and nothing in club after 1 too many sips of sweet sherry. Varied conversations over dinner, a bit of rivalry on the shuffleboard court, it just kept on going. Then there were deeper moments chatting about previous hard times or tribulations. I can't guarantee you will equal our guest list but everything else will be spot on.

 

Have fun.

 

Oh an in lieu of an amusement arcade they have 2 laundry rooms on deck 5 where you can play washing drying & ironing !

 

Henry :)

[frantic36]

Suffolk lady if you want a break from the "amusement arcade"...…laundry room:). Seabourn will do a whole bag of laundry for $50 even though you can stuff much more in the bag price wise. They came back two days later beautifully washed and pressed……you don't need to specify to press……clothes hanging and underwear wrapped in tissue paper in a cane basket. It might seem odd but it makes me smile and it isn't something I get to experience in my every day life.

 

Delicate items I would only send for dry cleaning.

[Able Seaman H]

We didn't watch much television whilst on board but another one of those little things that all added up were the free on demand movies in your cabin, sorry suite. The system worked very well, paused movies over a long period of time and there wasn't a huge delay in loading up the films. I suspect the box of tricks behind your TV has everything loaded on from the main hub elsewhere on the ship.

 

Although I joke about it the laundry was also a nice touch if you wanted a few bits cleaning. We were very close to it (physically cabin wise - I don't mean it touched our hearts emotionally), so it was really easy to just pop out there. Let it be known I even ironed a shirt myself on one occasion !

 

One story that did make me chuckle. I was walking past the laundry when a woman waiting for the drier to finish spotted a long term resident. "Oh Mrs X, I'm so glad to see you're on board and looking so well." "You won't remember but on our last cruise you saw me here and handed me a bag of your washing to do thinking I was crew, I did it for you and returned it to your cabin." Mrs X gave a rolling wave as our Queen might do and carried on her journey with a wry smile on her lips. One thinks it might not be the first time Mrs X has "mistaken" fee paying guests for staff and got away with it. Never underestimate little old ladies, they haven't lost their marbles they just keep them under wraps so as not to lose the element of surprise :)

 

Henry :)

[Pop-I]

I think you're misreading Nancy's post. She did not say "switch to Seabourne"; when you have time to do several cruises a year variety becomes more important than when you can only do one or 2. Her post makes perfect sense to me.

 

Roy

 

I do not have that luxury as I am not fully retired, and variety to me is not cruises; it is one cruise (or perhaps two a year) along with a safari, a bicycle tour, and cooking school in Italy.

[cruisecrazyone]

Congratulations on finding the magical Seabourn! I'm 68 and I have always said that the children who sail on Seabourn are much better behaved and more mature than I am. Champagne wishes and many more Seabourn days for you!

[2tsquared]

You have a real treat coming.

 

Oh an in lieu of an amusement arcade they have 2 laundry rooms on deck 5 where you can play washing drying & ironing !

 

Henry :)

 

Henry,

I -- too -- just read your Member Review and then found your posts on the Boards. Hubby and I are looking for a "change" and are considering Seabourn or Oceania. We have sailed Celebrity, most recently on the Equinox over New Year's, and Azamara in the Med a couple of years ago. The "Big E" was waaaay too big for our liking and thus my search into the smaller ships.

 

Your reviews are just what I needed to read, not to mention very entertaining! :D

 

Cheers!

tt

[Able Seaman H]

Henry,

I -- too -- just read your Member Review and then found your posts on the Boards. Hubby and I are looking for a "change" and are considering Seabourn or Oceania. We have sailed Celebrity, most recently on the Equinox over New Year's, and Azamara in the Med a couple of years ago. The "Big E" was waaaay too big for our liking and thus my search into the smaller ships.

 

Your reviews are just what I needed to read, not to mention very entertaining! :D

 

Cheers!

tt

 

Thank you :)

 

We had a quick cruise on Celebrity and have friends who swear by it. A very good product for what it is and I consider Murano one of the best speciality restaurants afloat. But ultimately it's a big ship as you say. Seabourn is in a different league.

 

All I can say is give it a try. If you board the ship looking to have a great time the staff will do everything in their powers to make it happen.

 

Go for a cruise longer than 7 days to really get into the whole thing and shake off the "first timer" stigma. You will also be able to forge better relationships with your fellow guests.

 

I would also suggest booking one of the larger ships. The small sisters clearly have their appeal but Sojourn, Odyssey and Quest are modern and large enough to make the transition from mainstream cruises less shocking. I felt they were just like what we were used to , but smaller !

 

I am looking forward to being welcomed back aboard. If I could press a magic button and have the same crew I would be delighted. We may have hit lucky with the passengers but I'm sure we will always find a few like minded souls to share a bite to eat with or give Bruno someone to mix drinks for in the Observation bar :)

 

We are back on Royal Caribbean in August with a huge family gathering. I know we are going to have a great time but a little part of me will be missing Seabourn. That quiet pool and hot tub area on deck 5 aft, the food, the staff and the sense of space even though the ship is huge, our cabin larger and our loyalty benefits considerable.

 

Henry :)