Maiden Voyage

[adoctor]

Well here we are again on Seabourn Pursuit making its way at a leisurely pace from Valletta to Citivechia.

After a couple of sub par trips post covid on Ovation and Odyssey and really hacked off by the cost saving culture that had infected the line we joined the sparkling new ship with some trepidation.Would the new smaller design work for us? Would the nickel and dimming still be there?

How would a ship designed for the extremes work in the med in a stuffy August?

I am delighted to report that after the first four days things are looking good.Here’s why:

1 The ship is an outstanding piece of design and is surprisingly elegant.

2 The staff are extremely proficient and motivated.I came on board expecting teething problems on its first voyage but apart from the odd exception the team on board have hit the ground running.

3 The food has improved significantly since last years endless menu recycling on Odyssey.Imagine the largest sword fish you have ever seen sitting on the Colonade counter with a French chef cooking freshly cut steaks to order.Today it was Grouper. Other tasty dishes have been prepared (Maltese sausages anyone?) but rest assured the favourites in the MDR ate still there.Yes it’s open for breakfast but not lunch so far.

4The challenge will be to maintain standards once the excitement of the new ship wears off but to me there seems to be a new attitude on board

I only hope this is a new dawn led by the new CEO and not just a flash in the pan alongside that delicious swordfish!

[kej1]

Thank you for the feedback!  Sounds like terrific news.  We are on pursuit for 30 days - Papeete to Guam and looking forward to it.  It will be our first cruise posy Covid, although we have been traveling by land.  It’s a bucket list fir my husband - particularly the Solomon Islands, New Guinea, and Micronesia for the WW2 history and sites.
We do hope the restaurant will open for lunch at least on sea days!  Any additional feedback is welcome - both pro and con.

[Shipless in Seattle]

9 hours ago, adoctor said:

Well here we are again on Seabourn Pursuit making its way at a leisurely pace from Valletta to Citivechia.

After a couple of sub par trips post covid on Ovation and Odyssey and really hacked off by the cost saving culture that had infected the line we joined the sparkling new ship with some trepidation.Would the new smaller design work for us? Would the nickel and dimming still be there?

How would a ship designed for the extremes work in the med in a stuffy August?

I am delighted to report that after the first four days things are looking good.Here’s why:

1 The ship is an outstanding piece of design and is surprisingly elegant.

2 The staff are extremely proficient and motivated.I came on board expecting teething problems on its first voyage but apart from the odd exception the team on board have hit the ground running.

3 The food has improved significantly since last years endless menu recycling on Odyssey.Imagine the largest sword fish you have ever seen sitting on the Colonade counter with a French chef cooking freshly cut steaks to order.Today it was Grouper. Other tasty dishes have been prepared (Maltese sausages anyone?) but rest assured the favourites in the MDR ate still there.Yes it’s open for breakfast but not lunch so far.

4The challenge will be to maintain standards once the excitement of the new ship wears off but to me there seems to be a new attitude on board

I only hope this is a new dawn led by the new CEO and not just a flash in the pan alongside that delicious swordfish!

Great to hear it’s starting off well. We get on in Manaus in October for an adventure all the way to Antarctica. Can you let us know the management on board as just curious who we might know (ie Captains, HD, F&B, CD & ACD)?  Thx Kent

[adoctor]

Captain :Stig Betten

CD’s :Eva Santiago and Ian Benjamin(they are married)

HD :  Stefan Drevlak

All doing a fine job so far 

[markham]

adoctor,

 

Thanks for the news on the officers and crew! Captain Stig and HD Stefan are friends. I trust you will enjoy the Pursuit as much as we did the Venture in June.

 

We visited the Silver Endeavour for an afternoon just before our Venture cruise, and I can say that in most categories the physical layout, especially the expansive outdoor spaces and people/access/facilities flow overall, the Venture is far superior.

 

They are now our favorite Seabourn ships, and we eagerly await the release of more itineraries. Have you heard about a near term release date? We hear early September.

Happy and healthy sailing!

 

[2SailingNomads]

Love Stefan definitely one of the best and also know him well.

[Ibis]

Glad to hear the initial good news from Pursuit. We board in Barcelona for transatlantic to Miami. Just wondering if a doctor or anyone else on board might give us an update since Pursuit  has been underway for about 10 days now. Thanks in advance for any additional information!

[Mr Luxury]

3 hours ago, Ibis said:

Glad to hear the initial good news from Pursuit. We board in Barcelona for transatlantic to Miami. Just wondering if a doctor or anyone else on board might give us an update since Pursuit  has been underway for about 10 days now. Thanks in advance for any additional information!

I join the Pursuit on Sunday. 

I'll send info 

 

[adoctor]

Departed the Pursuit on Sunday.The initial high standards on board continued for the 8 days.Some final observations:

1 Shopping with the chef is alive and extremely well.An array of Corsica’s finest produce and fish was sourced at the market adjacent to the ship.Snapper served in the MDR.It seemed that Seabourn have realised how important the food is to their competitive offering having badly lost their way post covid.

2 Apart from the turn down chocolates a complete absence of T Keller,not even family style in the Colonade.An attempt to offer Earth and Ocean in the Colonade was a pretty dismal failure.Unusually all the evening action was focused on the MDR and with a full ship capacity was an issue.I was aware that on at least two evenings late diners were sent to the Colonade which was pretty empty.

3 It would appear that Seabourn is attempting to create a sub brand “Expedition”.

I didn’t count the number of times The expression was used even though we were sailing on a non expedition itinerary and the impressive collection of Zodiacs remained firmly tethered on deck 9. It would also appear that they see this a way growing their revenues in the face of new market entrants like Explora.  An on board quote for a future cruise made my bloodshot eyes water even though it was billed as a discounted itinerary.

Memo to Seattle :is your brand big enough to segment in this way?.Are you confident the premium you are looking for is sustainable as competitors emerge?

4 In summary this was an outstanding cruise with a good itinerary, great food and a hard working and motivated crew..The captain ,HD and cruise directors were on top form.

 

 

 

 

 

[Covepointcruiser]

We really enjoyed Earth and Ocean in the Colonnade.   Sorry you thought it was a dismal failure.   When on the Venture we had dinner every night in the Colonnade that they offered Earth and Ocean ad will continue to do so on future Venture/Pursuit cruises.

[15Day+]

5 hours ago, Covepointcruiser said:

We really enjoyed Earth and Ocean in the Colonnade.   Sorry you thought it was a dismal failure.   When on the Venture we had dinner every night in the Colonnade that they offered Earth and Ocean ad will continue to do so on future Venture/Pursuit cruises.

We agree with you entirely. Earth & Ocean in the Colonnade worked for us on Venture last September and we look forward to it again in February.

[voyager23]

Being a non-expedition cruise, but still on an expedition ship, what is the dress codes for each of the nights?

[Ibis]

Could someone currently on board possibly help by sharing the revenue wine list for Champagne and sparkling wines available on Pursuit? Looking forward to boarding in Barcelona, September 10.  Thanks in advance!

[Mr Luxury]

13 hours ago, Ibis said:

Could someone currently on board possibly help by sharing the revenue wine list for Champagne and sparkling wines available on Pursuit? Looking forward to boarding in Barcelona, September 10.  Thanks in advance!

Hello,

Just boarded today.

Had a Ruinart Blanc de Blanc for dinner 

Crystal Rose tomorrow, Crystal the next day,Dom Perignon 2013 then a Blanc de Noir after.Don't mention the reds on offer.all good stuff.

Food and service is excellent 

What a first day.

Wonderful ship and crew.

[Ibis]

Those wines sound wonderful but for us it would be very helpful to see a list with prices 🙂 Thanks so much for any help possible! Also, we are wondering how important is it to honor assigned boarding times. We have been assigned 2:00 PM and had hoped to board a bit earlier. Is this related to room assignment? We are in a PH on deck 8. We will certainly adhere to assigned time if that is important on Seabourn but in our past experience on other lines it was normally of little consequence. Perhaps that is due to level in loyalty programs.

[Isklaar]

What is the situation with outdoor deck space and seating? It's really not clear from SB deck plans or the website. I see the small infinity pool and assume there is seating in that area, but don't see it anywhere else. I understand that these ships were built for expedition and active cruising, however I would like to sit outdoors in a quiet but public space (ie not just on my suite veranda) whenever the weather allows. What are the options? 

[Mr Luxury]

48 minutes ago, Ibis said:

Those wines sound wonderful but for us it would be very helpful to see a list with prices 🙂 Thanks so much for any help possible! Also, we are wondering how important is it to honor assigned boarding times. We have been assigned 2:00 PM and had hoped to board a bit earlier. Is this related to room assignment? We are in a PH on deck 8. We will certainly adhere to assigned time if that is important on Seabourn but in our past experience on other lines it was normally of little consequence. Perhaps that is due to level in loyalty programs.

I boarded at 12.15 when boarding opened.

There were two ladies that went to the terminal at 09.00 and were not allowed to board until 12.15 when shoreside operations were ready.

There was an announcement on the ship when all suites were ready.

That was about 13.15

Diamond and Diamond Elite board first when it opens but it was quiet and most boarded very soon after.

Edited August 28, 2023 by Mr Luxury

[Ibis]

Thanks so much!

[lincslady]

I see you are in Palma today, Mr. L.  No doubt you can see P and O Britannia, which  had a torrid time in the awful weather and is now having to unload some passengers and crew to be flown home as some of their lifeboats are damaged.  I guess you only arrived this morning, which is lucky.

 

You are obviously smitten with this new smaller ship - it seems to have maybe only the two restaurants, and I am wondering if there is any TK input in the menus.  Fancy Nelson still being around; it must be good to see some of the 'old' faces among the staff on board.  Looking forward to more news from this very different SB environment.

[DanJimmy]

On 8/15/2023 at 9:45 PM, adoctor said:

Well here we are again on Seabourn Pursuit making its way at a leisurely pace from Valletta to Citivechia.

After a couple of sub par trips post covid on Ovation and Odyssey and really hacked off by the cost saving culture that had infected the line we joined the sparkling new ship with some trepidation.Would the new smaller design work for us? Would the nickel and dimming still be there?

How would a ship designed for the extremes work in the med in a stuffy August?

I am delighted to report that after the first four days things are looking good.Here’s why:

1 The ship is an outstanding piece of design and is surprisingly elegant.

2 The staff are extremely proficient and motivated.I came on board expecting teething problems on its first voyage but apart from the odd exception the team on board have hit the ground running.

3 The food has improved significantly since last years endless menu recycling on Odyssey.Imagine the largest sword fish you have ever seen sitting on the Colonade counter with a French chef cooking freshly cut steaks to order.Today it was Grouper. Other tasty dishes have been prepared (Maltese sausages anyone?) but rest assured the favourites in the MDR ate still there.Yes it’s open for breakfast but not lunch so far.

4The challenge will be to maintain standards once the excitement of the new ship wears off but to me there seems to be a new attitude on board

I only hope this is a new dawn led by the new CEO and not just a flash in the pan alongside that delicious swordfish!

 

Thank you so much for sharing your experiences, @adoctor. We appreciate it. I'll be on Pursuit to Antarctica in December and am looking forward to it.

 

Are there any tips or any advice that you would like to provide in addition to what you have already shared?

 

Thank you so much, again.

Edited August 28, 2023 by DanJimmy

[highplanesdrifters]

6 hours ago, Isklaar said:

What is the situation with outdoor deck space and seating? It's really not clear from SB deck plans or the website. I see the small infinity pool and assume there is seating in that area, but don't see it anywhere else. I understand that these ships were built for expedition and active cruising, however I would like to sit outdoors in a quiet but public space (ie not just on my suite veranda) whenever the weather allows. What are the options? 

I've attached pictures from the Venture her sister ship.  There are 3 outdoor venues with seating.   You should have no trouble finding a place.

 

Outside the Colonnade .

The Captian was very keen on throwing a lot of parties.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Outside Seabourn Square

 

Outside the Club - Sky bar

 

 

[Mr Luxury]

6 hours ago, lincslady said:

I see you are in Palma today, Mr. L.  No doubt you can see P and O Britannia, which  had a torrid time in the awful weather and is now having to unload some passengers and crew to be flown home as some of their lifeboats are damaged.  I guess you only arrived this morning, which is lucky.

 

You are obviously smitten with this new smaller ship - it seems to have maybe only the two restaurants, and I am wondering if there is any TK input in the menus.  Fancy Nelson still being around; it must be good to see some of the 'old' faces among the staff on board.  Looking forward to more news from this very different SB environment.

Yes Brittania berthed near to us.

Also the biggest of the seas ship from RCCL.

No influence from TK whatsoever.

Fresh oysters are on the menu for a starter this evening.

Lobster,cod,duck,and lots of other things.

I'm having another visit to the  lub to see Nelson and have a cheeky sushi appetiser with a Tanqueray 10 and Fever tree tonic.

A match made in heaven.

The restaurant is such a nice room that I want to go for dinner there.

The Colonnade alternates with a themed evening and an E&O evening.

[Isklaar]

Thank you @highplanesdrifters.

I'm sure I saw the photos you had posted during your Venture cruise but I actually didn't have either of these ships on my radar until recently. Pursuit has some extremely interesting itineraries around Australia and Papua New Guinea next year. Plus the lower number of passengers is a big draw. 

[highplanesdrifters]

4 hours ago, Isklaar said:

Thank you @highplanesdrifters.

I'm sure I saw the photos you had posted during your Venture cruise but I actually didn't have either of these ships on my radar until recently. Pursuit has some extremely interesting itineraries around Australia and Papua New Guinea next year. Plus the lower number of passengers is a big draw. 

Agree!  Some great itineraries....finally. At least they shifted her out of the Med.   We are booked on Pursuit next September.   Guam to Santiago,  40 days, eeek.    We just did PNG and Australia on SS Explorer and loved it.  Can't wait to go back to the South Pacific on a gem of a ship.  The sister ships are so intelligently designed, especially for expedition. Add the food options and a killer obs bar, hard to beat.  No matter where you are on her you can be outside in moments to see what nature is dishing up. Outdoor area by Seabourn Square has your name on it. See you on board sometime. 😉

[Khareef]

4 hours ago, Mr Luxury said:

Yes Brittania berthed near to us.

Also the biggest of the seas ship from RCCL.

No influence from TK whatsoever.

Fresh oysters are on the menu for a starter this evening.

Lobster,cod,duck,and lots of other things.

I'm having another visit to the  lub to see Nelson and have a cheeky sushi appetiser with a Tanqueray 10 and Fever tree tonic.

A match made in heaven.

The restaurant is such a nice room that I want to go for dinner there.

The Colonnade alternates with a themed evening and an E&O evening.

Jacuzzis on deck 9 are pretty sweet although there is also a smoking area right there which might bother many