Attention to detail - Seabourn newbie just off Sojourn (long post)

[dgannett]

Hello-

 

My wife and I just finished a two week cruise on the Seabourn Sojourn (Lisbon to Lisbon with stops in Morocco, the Canary Islands, and Motril Spain - near Grenada). This was our first Seabourn cruise and I have to admit that it did not live up to my expectations in several respects. I realize that these observations are "first world issues" and understand that we are incredibly lucky to be able to cruise for our time away from work and our lives at home. However, at this price point, I expected our experience to be different. Here are some observations from our recent trip:

 

--Embarkation was efficient and we were on the ship within 20 minutes of arriving at our designated time. However, the key cards in our stateroom were incorrect. Unfortunately, we did not realize this until we had left the cabin, locking ourselves out. This resulted in a trip to Seabourn Square and a 25 minute wait in line to sort the issue out. The stationary and cards in our room also had the wrong names. There are only four cabins in our category (we were in a Spa Suite), so it should not have been difficult to have the correct cards in the cabins at the start of the trip.

 

--Drinks and alcohol were in one of the mini fridges in the room as requested and the welcome Champagne and flowers were a nice touch. However, the second fridge was empty and had the shelves placed outside of the unit. The on line description stated that the second fridge was to store healthy options such as water and juice. In addition, the second fridge was barely working with a temperature of perhaps 5 degrees below room temperature. The main fridge worked somewhat better after I adjusted the thermostat to it's lowest setting. It was also somewhat challenging to get the fridge refilled with the type of sodas that we had requested. I got the appropriate drinks from Seabourn Square, but shouldn't have had to make the effort.

 

--The on line description included a "spa concierge". Although we toured the spa, I never met a concierge and booking spa services was no different than what is offered to those not in a spa suite.

 

--This is the first cruise (my wife and I have been fortunate enough to have cruised about 35 times) we had been on where it was difficult to get in touch with our room steward. Other cruises had a number that we could call if we needed anything. There was no number that I could find to get in touch with our cabin attendants and we did not meet our stewards until the third day of the trip. Could this be due to the structure where tips are included in the fare paid?

 

--Overall, the food was very good to excellent; certainly better than our prior experience cruising with Royal Caribbean, Celebrity, Holland America, Norwegian, Viking river, and Princess. However, it was apparent that the staff were overworked. Often times drink orders did not come for 10 minutes or so, toast did not come when breakfast was served, salt and pepper and sweetener containers were often obstructed with clumped granules, and we sometimes had to ask twice for wine. It was obvious to me that the staff are working very hard and we recognized several individuals in our feedback to Seabourn. However, it seems that understaffing is having an effect on the final product.

 

--Thomas Keller was also a disappointment. Again, the food was quite good, however when we arrived the overhead speakers were playing a Rolling Stones song at high volume. This continued with some Led Zeppelin and Van Halen until another couple asked them to turn the volume down. My wife and I love classic rock, but were not expecting this at the TK venue. We ordered cocktails and asked that the wine be brought with the starters. I was surprised when the starters came out almost immediately with little time to enjoy our drinks. The waiter preparing the Caesar salad seemed to not be in the mood to talk when I tried to engage him in conversation while he was preparing the salad. Finally, my wife had to ask twice for additional wine on both nights we were there and I had to ask for my water glass to be refilled. Again, it seems that understaffing may be part of the reason for this.

 

--Overall, the ship is in good condition given that it has been in service for 13 years now. Some wear of carpeting and furniture was apparent, but not more than I would expect for an older ship. The planks on the deck for our cabin were somewhat uneven in places; this may have resulted in getting a toe caught if one was not careful. Otherwise, the aft balcony was spacious and had great views. I did not notice trouble with exhaust from the engines or excessive noise or rattling. 

 

--We went on two shore excursions booked through Seabourn. The excursion for Tangiers was very good and we were fortunate to have a very friendly and engaging guide. We made sure to recognize him by name and tip him extra at the end of the trip. However, the cost of the four hour tour was $120 per person. This seems excessive for a bus ride of no more than 2 km with the remainder on foot. The tour did include snacks and drinks at a hotel before returning to the ship. We had also booked the exclusive dinner and evening visit to the Alhambra for the stop in Spain. I had seen Seabourn's set up for an exclusive dinner at Ephesus with white tablecloths in a beautiful setting near the ancient amphitheater and thought that the event for the Alhambra would be similar. It turned out that dinner consisted of cold tapas and a lousy 2022 Rioja in the basement of a hotel near the Alhambra. The tour of the Alhambra was limited to Seabourn passengers, but was crowded as the four groups (about 25 people each) were not separated by the guides. We often were in the same room with many other people, making it difficult to get good pictures or to hear our guide. Apparently, many people complained about this and 30% of the price ($219 per person) was refunded to our account the next day.

 

--Sushi in the club was very good; I can see why this is so popular. Musical entertainment in the Club and Observation lounge was also good. The production cast had a couple of musical shows which were ok. I wasn't expecting much on a ship with only around 450 passengers. The guest entertainment consisted of a pianist and Motown group which gave two performances each. The pianist was quite skilled. The Motown group (Soulwaves) were excellent and one of the members did a stand alone show of Michael Jackson songs. He had been in a production in London's West end doing Michael Jackson and he was quite talented. The showroom unfortunately has several pillars obstructing the view from about 20% of the seats. 

 

--Seabourn Square is well appointed with comfortable chairs and a variety of books available. The coffee bar was popular and the cookies and sandwiches were delicious. The shops were expensive and I never saw anything on sale during the two weeks we were on the ship. 

 

Overall, we had a good trip and enjoyed our time off. However, at this price point, I was expecting more with respect to attention to detail. I'm happy to answer specific questions if desired. My thanks for reading through all of this..

 

Dave (Portland, OR)

[markandjie]

Great write-up, thanks for putting in the effort!

 

On the spa suites, I agree completely with your complaints. Seabourn staffs the room stewards by floor so the stewards for that floor (11?) have a split area to maintain. It means they're rarely available when you need them! While I love the secluded location of the spa suites we've decided never to book those again for this reason. 

[Mr Luxury]

1 hour ago, markandjie said:

Great write-up, thanks for putting in the effort!

 

On the spa suites, I agree completely with your complaints. Seabourn staffs the room stewards by floor so the stewards for that floor (11?) have a split area to maintain. It means they're rarely available when you need them! While I love the secluded location of the spa suites we've decided never to book those again for this reason. 

Agree,

Spa suites are in a poor location for service.

 

[dgannett]

A couple of other observations:

 

A Chef's wine pairing was offered one night during the trip. I had signed up for this, but am glad that my wife wanted to cancel. The cost was $195 per person. That is not insignificant for five glasses of wine, but I researched the offerings on the menu with what is available on line and the price was comparable ($172 on line - a very low mark up). I heard afterwards from others that the participating guests were seated in one section of the dining room at large tables and that it was difficult to hear the description of the wines at times. The dinner menu was very similar to the menu in the Restaurant, but didn't include the Beef Wellington. Again, first world issues here..

 

There were two guest lecturers who gave talks five or six times during the trip. They were both very knowledgeable with one who gave talks on geology and volcanoes and the other about European history and early explorers. The geology got a little heavy at times, but was appropriate for a week in the Canary Islands. The other speaker had been to many places including several trips to Antarctica. He presented interesting talks with a great fund of knowledge and a desire to have dinner with many courageous figures from history (Darwin, Captain Cook, Shackleton, etc.). Beer, wine, and soft drinks were available at the entry to the theater.

 

One nice aspect of the location of the spa suites is proximity to nearly every popular venue all located at the aft or mid section of the ship. Had trouble finding the Observation Lounge from that location.

 

Several repeat Seabourn cruisers that we spoke with felt that service had declined overall since COVID and agreed with my assessment of understaffing as well as the offered shore excursions. We spoke with four or five couples with a range of 3-7 prior Seabourn trips who unanimously described declines in organization and service. They were enjoying the trip, but it wasn't "the same as it used to be".

 

I'm not trying to knock Seabourn; just making observations from my first trip with them. We are booked for Venture in January for Antarctica and expect a different experience with the new expedition ship. I do admit though to booking a cruise with my TA just this morning; Viking Saturn in May of 2025. Maybe that summarizes our first Seabourn experience..

 

--Dave

 

[Vineyard View]

Thank you for taking the time to provide your experiences. I agree, it’s hard when we realize what first world problems we are comparing. 
We’ve sailed Viking a few times pre-Covid. We were in PV and with our first SB trip this year, we found the V3 we were in superior in many aspects (not the shower though!). We also very much enjoyed the ability to dine in the MDR on SB without the banquet like feel of much of the VO MDR.  While there are attributes of VO we like quite a bit, and certainly some we like better (spa area open to all, Promenade walking path, shower, more windows in common areas) we felt the product of SB was a step up. 
I am curious if you have travelled post Covid on Viking?  I have found that since then, the  PV (most comparable to Verandah suites on SB sq/ft) are higher in cost. Once I factor in included on SB for what matters to us, we find that SB is a better value. That said, if the included excursions on VO are of value (which they are not to us) then that will skew the outcome. 
It is always interesting how our lenses view the same experiences in different ways, but I always want to learn from others. 

[SLSD]

17 hours ago, dgannett said:

Hello-

 

My wife and I just finished a two week cruise on the Seabourn Sojourn (Lisbon to Lisbon with stops in Morocco, the Canary Islands, and Motril Spain - near Grenada). This was our first Seabourn cruise and I have to admit that it did not live up to my expectations in several respects. I realize that these observations are "first world issues" and understand that we are incredibly lucky to be able to cruise for our time away from work and our lives at home. However, at this price point, I expected our experience to be different. Here are some observations from our recent trip:

 

--Embarkation was efficient and we were on the ship within 20 minutes of arriving at our designated time. However, the key cards in our stateroom were incorrect. Unfortunately, we did not realize this until we had left the cabin, locking ourselves out. This resulted in a trip to Seabourn Square and a 25 minute wait in line to sort the issue out. The stationary and cards in our room also had the wrong names. There are only four cabins in our category (we were in a Spa Suite), so it should not have been difficult to have the correct cards in the cabins at the start of the trip.

 

--Drinks and alcohol were in one of the mini fridges in the room as requested and the welcome Champagne and flowers were a nice touch. However, the second fridge was empty and had the shelves placed outside of the unit. The on line description stated that the second fridge was to store healthy options such as water and juice. In addition, the second fridge was barely working with a temperature of perhaps 5 degrees below room temperature. The main fridge worked somewhat better after I adjusted the thermostat to it's lowest setting. It was also somewhat challenging to get the fridge refilled with the type of sodas that we had requested. I got the appropriate drinks from Seabourn Square, but shouldn't have had to make the effort.

 

--The on line description included a "spa concierge". Although we toured the spa, I never met a concierge and booking spa services was no different than what is offered to those not in a spa suite.

 

--This is the first cruise (my wife and I have been fortunate enough to have cruised about 35 times) we had been on where it was difficult to get in touch with our room steward. Other cruises had a number that we could call if we needed anything. There was no number that I could find to get in touch with our cabin attendants and we did not meet our stewards until the third day of the trip. Could this be due to the structure where tips are included in the fare paid?

 

--Overall, the food was very good to excellent; certainly better than our prior experience cruising with Royal Caribbean, Celebrity, Holland America, Norwegian, Viking river, and Princess. However, it was apparent that the staff were overworked. Often times drink orders did not come for 10 minutes or so, toast did not come when breakfast was served, salt and pepper and sweetener containers were often obstructed with clumped granules, and we sometimes had to ask twice for wine. It was obvious to me that the staff are working very hard and we recognized several individuals in our feedback to Seabourn. However, it seems that understaffing is having an effect on the final product.

 

--Thomas Keller was also a disappointment. Again, the food was quite good, however when we arrived the overhead speakers were playing a Rolling Stones song at high volume. This continued with some Led Zeppelin and Van Halen until another couple asked them to turn the volume down. My wife and I love classic rock, but were not expecting this at the TK venue. We ordered cocktails and asked that the wine be brought with the starters. I was surprised when the starters came out almost immediately with little time to enjoy our drinks. The waiter preparing the Caesar salad seemed to not be in the mood to talk when I tried to engage him in conversation while he was preparing the salad. Finally, my wife had to ask twice for additional wine on both nights we were there and I had to ask for my water glass to be refilled. Again, it seems that understaffing may be part of the reason for this.

 

--Overall, the ship is in good condition given that it has been in service for 13 years now. Some wear of carpeting and furniture was apparent, but not more than I would expect for an older ship. The planks on the deck for our cabin were somewhat uneven in places; this may have resulted in getting a toe caught if one was not careful. Otherwise, the aft balcony was spacious and had great views. I did not notice trouble with exhaust from the engines or excessive noise or rattling. 

 

--We went on two shore excursions booked through Seabourn. The excursion for Tangiers was very good and we were fortunate to have a very friendly and engaging guide. We made sure to recognize him by name and tip him extra at the end of the trip. However, the cost of the four hour tour was $120 per person. This seems excessive for a bus ride of no more than 2 km with the remainder on foot. The tour did include snacks and drinks at a hotel before returning to the ship. We had also booked the exclusive dinner and evening visit to the Alhambra for the stop in Spain. I had seen Seabourn's set up for an exclusive dinner at Ephesus with white tablecloths in a beautiful setting near the ancient amphitheater and thought that the event for the Alhambra would be similar. It turned out that dinner consisted of cold tapas and a lousy 2022 Rioja in the basement of a hotel near the Alhambra. The tour of the Alhambra was limited to Seabourn passengers, but was crowded as the four groups (about 25 people each) were not separated by the guides. We often were in the same room with many other people, making it difficult to get good pictures or to hear our guide. Apparently, many people complained about this and 30% of the price ($219 per person) was refunded to our account the next day.

 

--Sushi in the club was very good; I can see why this is so popular. Musical entertainment in the Club and Observation lounge was also good. The production cast had a couple of musical shows which were ok. I wasn't expecting much on a ship with only around 450 passengers. The guest entertainment consisted of a pianist and Motown group which gave two performances each. The pianist was quite skilled. The Motown group (Soulwaves) were excellent and one of the members did a stand alone show of Michael Jackson songs. He had been in a production in London's West end doing Michael Jackson and he was quite talented. The showroom unfortunately has several pillars obstructing the view from about 20% of the seats. 

 

--Seabourn Square is well appointed with comfortable chairs and a variety of books available. The coffee bar was popular and the cookies and sandwiches were delicious. The shops were expensive and I never saw anything on sale during the two weeks we were on the ship. 

 

Overall, we had a good trip and enjoyed our time off. However, at this price point, I was expecting more with respect to attention to detail. I'm happy to answer specific questions if desired. My thanks for reading through all of this..

 

Dave (Portland, OR)

Thank you for writing such a detailed analysis.  I want to make one comment.  We sailed on Ovation last summer and I found the service and professionalism of the crew to be at an even higher standard than before Covid.  We'll be sailing on Sojourn this next summer, so I will be interested in what we find.  My thought is that each cruise can be different and will depend on who is the chef onboard, who is the captain, and what crew are onboard at that particular time.  

 

One word about the refrigerators.  We were told when we first started sailing on Seabourn that these are not really refrigerators--but are chillers.  We were warned to not put food that needed to be refrigerated in them as they are not cold enough.  This was unsoliicted information (we never save food onboard), but I have remembered it.  I wonder if anyone else has been told this.  

Edited November 9, 2023 by SLSD

[kjbacon]

We are booked in a spa suite for next year so this is very concerning. Our first trip on Seabourn was lacking in the service of our room and now, we can expect it to be worse? Ugh!

[BeNice ToEveryone]

1 hour ago, SLSD said:

My thought is that each cruise can be different and will depend on who is the chef onboard, who is the captain, and what crew are onboard at that particular time.  

This makes perfect sense, SLSD. Thank you for - golly, I don’t want to say “stating the obvious” because that sounds sarcastic, and I’m being sincere - Thank you for stating that so succinctly and clearly. 

[Mr Luxury]

4 hours ago, kjbacon said:

We are booked in a spa suite for next year so this is very concerning. Our first trip on Seabourn was lacking in the service of our room and now, we can expect it to be worse? Ugh!

Always remember,saying nothing on a cruise can often get you nothing. 

Don't hesitate to speak up if something is not right.

I have never had a problem with resolving issues on a ship.

[markandjie]

36 minutes ago, Mr Luxury said:

Don't hesitate to speak up if something is not right.

 

Agree with this, though you might have to be quite direct with the staff. After we had issues early in our cruise getting our room serviced in a timely way my wife was quite clear in setting her expectations with the chief steward and we had no further issues. Nevertheless, we decided not to cruise those suites again. 

 

If your cruise is not until next year you may have ample time to switch your suite. If you keep it (and I do quite like the privacy and views from the spa suites), my recommendation would be to be very upfront about what you've heard and your expectations and I'm sure you'll be fine. 

[Covepointcruiser]

The Spa Suites are far removed from any other cabins.   On the small ships there is no elevator so you must walk up a winding staircase unless you use the chair lift.   Our cabins were serviced twice a day and we were happy.    We did not order room service but I am confident it would have been delivered if we asked.   The Ovation and Encore have elevators to the five spa suites but you are still isolated, once your room is serviced you won’t see your cabin attendants until evening turn down.    We saw our attendants on other decks but they were not servicing the other Penthouse Suites on the same deck.

[Mr Luxury]

Don't forget the spa suites on the smaller ships were an add on and were not on the original build.

There were cabanas and chairs where you could book a massage in that area.

In reality this space was never used except for crew parties. 

Sesbourn decided to put four suites there.

They are lovely looking over the stern of the ship but are a bit of a pain getting to them via the wooden staircase.

I wouldn't think that it was great for those who are not that mobile or fit.

 

[dgannett]

Regarding the selection of a spa suite-

 

If we were to cruise with Seabourn again, I would seriously consider booking this category again. The only downsides were the (relative) lack of access to service and the 1/2 spiral staircase for access from the spa. There is an electric chair on that staircase for disabled passengers. These cabins are pricey, but we enjoyed the space, large deck with great views, and extra large shower with a separate soaking tub. Location is excellent with most venues just downstairs. There would probably be more value on itineraries with several sea days of short excursions in port. We ordered room service twice and there was no problem with access for the staff. We left a note for our stewards ("please replace diet Coke, vodka bottle", etc.) and the requests were always fulfilled. We always had twice daily service (the staff on Sojourn went on break at 13:00, but that was never a problem). So, I think those booked in this category will enjoy the extra space and location.

 

I have not been on Viking post Covid. That is a good observation in that similar issues may be relevant for VO as well. We booked an ES2 category, so will likely be in the Italian restaurant or Chef's table most nights (I also don't like the MDR on the larger ships). The Restaurant on Seabourn was very nice; never waited more than 5 minutes for a table, always was able to get a table for two when requested. Also, the included excursions on VO consist mostly of local walking tours lasting up to 3.5 hours, so there is not much added value there. Who knows, we might try Seabourn again in the future depending on our experience with VO.

 

--Dave

[kej1]

Penthouse spa suites
 

We have also typically booked Penthouse Spa Suites since they were introduced.  We love them on the O class ships.  Don’t mind the staircase.  Love the views and the large outdoor area.  When we went to Antarctica on Quest 2017/2018 (over the holiday) we had a bit of a rough crossing the first night.  My husband and I don’t get seasick and in fact the rocking kind of helps me sleep.  But one of the couples on our floor was pretty unhappy so if one is bothered by motion and you are going to a place where that could be an issue it’s not likely a good choice.  But otherwise assuming you are ok with stairs ( we have never seen someone use the chair) they are lovely suites.  
 

Be aware that on the larger ships - Ovation and Encore - unfortunately the design is different.  You have an elevator but the view from the suite is minimal.  Instead of floor to glass windows across the entire back of the suite there is just the door and a narrow but long window.  Great views if you are outside but if it’s cold and rainy or hot and humid you can’t really enjoy the views from the suite like you can on the O class ships.  In fact we moved the furniture around to have a comfortable place to see out the glass that was there.  Still a lovely suite but we missed the views and prefer sailing on the smaller ships anyway.

 

In terms of service we’ve had no problems.  We have room service breakfast often and housekeeping while not there all the time became accustomed to our schedule and was great at reading our notes for requests.  Only caveat is we haven’t been on a cruise since the first leg of the world cruise in 2020.  We’ve been traveling by land.  But have an upcoming trip on Pursuit in one of their signature suites - also on a high floor in the back of the ship so hoping we enjoy it as much as the PSS.  
 

I’m happy to answer any questions should anyone have them but I think there is a good bit of information here from others as well!  I hope this is helpful.

 

 

[purpleally]

On 11/9/2023 at 9:25 AM, kjbacon said:

We are booked in a spa suite for next year so this is very concerning. Our first trip on Seabourn was lacking in the service of our room and now, we can expect it to be 

Edited November 10, 2023 by purpleally

[kjbacon]

Thank you, @dgannett and @kej1 that’s good to hear. We booked that cabin for the location and the layout. Love a spacious shower and a big aft balcony!

[kej1]

I’m sure you will enjoy it!

[mary_228]

On 11/8/2023 at 7:11 PM, dgannett said:

I do admit though to booking a cruise with my TA just this morning; Viking Saturn in May of 2025. Maybe that summarizes our first Seabourn experience..

 

I, too, will take my first Seabourn cruise, on Pursuit in December. I have high expectations because of the price point, which you mentioned. I had similarly high expectations for Viking Mars which we took in Europe last fall. Unfortunately, they were not met and we will not sail Viking again. Hopefully you will have the experience you desire.

 

 

[Nops]

Just off the Sojourn Trans-Atlantic from Lisbon to Miami. It was absolutely brilliant and well exceeded my expectations. The crew were magnificent and the customer service outstanding. I felt Seabourn had upped their food game, a particular highlight was breakfast on the Patio every morning. By day two my wife's grapefruit juice was waiting for her. A contributory factor may have been the low load of only 280 guests.

[JodiandFrank]

We are just off the Sojourn after a glorious 44 nights beginning in Monte Carlo.  We had a wonderful time and found the staff was extremely attentive to us.  I never had to ask for my coffee with almond milk after the third morning and at Trivia a glass of water with no ice appeared before me without asking.  The entertainment was wonderful, the food was tasty and the staff was always smiling and asking what we needed.  This was our fourth Seabourn cruise since Covid and we found the staff very well trained.  Our first Seabourn cruise was only in 2019 so I don’t know what it was like years before, but I can say that nothing is the same as it was years and years ago!  

[Covepointcruiser]

We are on the Ovation transatlantic right now.   It’s only day 2 but the service is excellent as always.   The TK restaurant was great as usual, the beef is amazingly good.

[lelak]

We just got back from our first Seabourn cruise--we've been many times on Old Crystal, Silversea, Regent, and Oceania (the larger ships).  We were on Quest and found almost all aspects to be excellent.  We did stay in a Spa Suite and really enjoyed it.  It took a few days to get synced with the two lovely cabin attendants, but after that we had no complaints.  Overall food quality and variety exceeded our expectations having read some negative reviews in this venue.  Service in all locations was excellent with staff going out of their way to greet us by name and spend time to make sure we were happy.  The F&B manager Giocomo and Head Chef Christophe almost adopted us given the amount of time they spent chatting with us.  Entertainment better than I expected given the size of the ship.  The 6 person production cast was incredibly good--singers almost good enough for Broadway or West End, the two dancers amazing, particulary Oksana.  The internet service was the best I've ever seen on over 40 cruises.  Easy to stream from all the normal sites.  I did speed tests several times and averaged 10 mbps download and 1.5 upload--that's at least land-based DSL quality.  I asked whether that was because they had Starlink installed and was told,  no they

hadn't.  If that was the case, they don't  need help from Elon!

 

We were very lucky that one of the ports was Bar Harbor and the ship brought on board a huge amount of fresh shellfish including lobster, clams, mussels, and oysters which were served that evening at a special buffet in the Collonade.  The next night we achieved something I've been trying to have happen for the last 30+ years of cruising--get lobsters properly prepared.  By that I mean simply boiled and delivered intact--no cracking or "cleaning" where the best parts, the green tomalley and red roe are removed.  Christophe and Giocomo made sure we got three lobsters in the Restaurant and we ate them properly as my grandfather taught me many years ago.  We put on a good show for nearby tables!  

 

There were a few negatives.  I am somewhat mobility limited and navigating the spiral staircase was a slow and careful process.  The stair lift was not working, which I think was inexcusable.  I did survive without falling.  Our suite was not properly cleaned when we first got in and the berries in a jar were moldly.  Those issues got fixed quickly.  It was never really clear what actual spa privileges we were owed.  In addition, the Source app needs a lot of work and some further beta testing.  For example, unintuitive way to check your onboard account.  I wish Seabourn (and the other luxury lines) would pony up to have a least ESPN on the TVs.

 

So bottom line is that we've added Seabourn to our short list of luxury lines for future cruises.  Even given the spiral stair case issue, we would book a spa suite again for its size and location (as others have mentioned, very convenient access to all restaurants, Seabourn Square, and the Club--only remote venue is the Observation Lounge).

 

 

[sfvoyage]

21 minutes ago, lelak said:

I am somewhat mobility limited and navigating the spiral staircase was a slow and careful process.  The stair lift was not working, which I think was inexcusable...  Even given the spiral stair case issue, we would book a spa suite again for its size and location

 

Are you aware that there is an elevator up to the spa suites on the Ovation and Encore (but not on the 3 smaller ships)?

[lelak]

Yes, although from what I have read the view isn't nearly as nice from those terraces.

[kej1]

View is nice from the terrace on Encore and Ovation.    The views from the suite are not as nice as there is not the same wall of windows.  Just a door and relatively narrow window.  So if in bad weather you don’t have the views looking out from inside the PSS suites on the encore and ovation.  We much prefer the PSS on Odyssey, quest, and Sojourn.