Encore in open water for the first time

A little glimpse of Encore on the open seas.

7IfSSvGxZMQ

Henry :)

Very clean lines! Looks beautiful

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A little glimpse of Encore on the open seas.

 

7IfSSvGxZMQ

 

Henry :)

Thanks for posting this Henry. It makes it all more exciting thinking I will be sailing on her in two months. For you it is even less time to wait.

Julie

She looks beautiful. I can't wait. December 4th is right around the corner.:):)

For some reason it looks top heavy. Maybe just the angle of the video

Looks like a bigger Odyssey class ship.

I'm sure there will be more updates and differences that will be more apparent onboard.

Duh..

That is exactly what it is, take the O class ships plans, add a deck for another 150 pax and another dining option, world class famous designer to make 2016 cool and you have next generation Seabourn. While we have only sailed on Seabourn, it's not quite next generation from some other lines, just saying, and I think Seabourn missed an opportunity to build a 375 pax ship to please the core base instead of going bigger like rest of Carnival.

There's a bit more to Encore than simply one more deck for additional passengers such as space for the additional crew.

The Ody class ships are 32,366 GT while the Encore is 40,350 GT. The Encore will be longer and wider, obviously.

From wikipedia, "MV Seabourn Encore is an upcoming luxury cruise ship under construction by Fincantieri of Italy for Seabourn Cruise Line. The first of a new class of ships about 26% larger than Seabourn's three Odyssey-class vessels, it will hold about 34% more passengers, based on double occupancy."

It's easy to find Ody class dimensions at 198 x 26 meters. Not so, yet, for Encore, at least for me, but I would welcome someone on this thread filling in the blanks!

Happy and healthy sailing!

Duh..

That is exactly what it is, take the O class ships plans, add a deck for another 150 pax and another dining option, world class famous designer to make 2016 cool and you have next generation Seabourn. While we have only sailed on Seabourn, it's not quite next generation from some other lines, just saying, and I think Seabourn missed an opportunity to build a 375 pax ship to please the core base instead of going bigger like rest of Carnival.

Well let's see what it's like once the dust settles.

The problem with going smaller is if you make it small enough to make a difference (which I'm not convinced 375 pax compared with the O class 450 pax is) then profitability becomes difficult.

It's a competitive market out there. Aiming for the über exclusive market reduces your audience dramatically and also introduces the issue of one mans idea of luxury being very different from another. At $2,000 per day or more people start getting rather demanding. Cruise ships aren't private charters.

Hitting that sweet spot between affordability and luxury will be the key to survival. Seabourn obviously feel a bit more capacity coupled with some additional amenities and options for passengers is the future.

The old guard reared on a diet of the triplets is not the future. You may not like to hear it but Seabourn needs to attract new blood. If they can attract the top 5% of mainstream cruise line passengers their work is done....

Henry :)

From the latest printed brochure: Odyssey class, 650 ft.long by 84 ft. wide; Encore and Ovation 690 ft. long by 92 ft. wide.

I also think that fewer than about 400 passengers is not going to feel financially viable for cruise lines, but more than 600 to me does feel too many - we were on a Regent ship recently with 700 passengers, and it did just feel like a 'normal' cruise ship as opposed to a sort of 'boutique' feel ship. Encore will virtually replace the little ships in passenger numbers, and Ovation will be 600 new ones to attract.

Thanks for the length and width details for Encore, Lincslady.

I wonder why Seabourn has not updated their website re Encore with the details available on the Ody class ships- whose details are available at Our Ships, Ships Facts.

Happy and healthy sailing!

Do you know where and how this video was taken? Somehow it does not seem to look like a real sea trial, but more of a marketing video which can be "engineered" to look real. I am not criticizing anything but just curious as to the details of the video. Googleing does not produce any similar results.

Well let's see what it's like once the dust settles.

 

The problem with going smaller is if you make it small enough to make a difference (which I'm not convinced 375 pax compared with the O class 450 pax is) then profitability becomes difficult.

 

It's a competitive market out there. Henry :)

Thanks for your reply, Henry.

We have 20 days booked on the Encore next year so I certainly am not discounting it, and in fact looking forward to being on-board and seeing how it turns out. The point I was trying to make is I think instead of deviating from the original "Yachts of Seabourn" approach that made Seabourn stand out from the competition, they are now moving towards a more main stream and bigger is better attitude, despite touting the product as ultra luxury. Of course luxury is different to everyone, but more people competing for the same resources is not IMHO how a vendor grows the cachet of luxury over time.

While the random 375 vs. whatever smaller number one could pick than O-class was simply a guess to make a compromise with those long time loyal guests who long for the little triplets (dare I say) clubby environment vs. the newer O-class less intimate one. And while our first cruise was on the Legend, we appreciate the additional features of the O-class ships and actually are part of the demographic you mention Seabourn has to go after. Being Diamond members and, if able to remain in good health over the years, have many potential years of sailing on Seabourn if they keep the product attractive - 1500, 2000 days on-board is not an unreasonable goal.

However, the competition is offering interesting and tempting alternatives - Scenic and Crystal new builds come immediately to mind - so I simply would like to see Seabourn offer something innovative as opposed to a bigger version of what they have now except with rounded corners. Plus with all the new capacity coming on-line over the next few years and new lines starting up, e.g., Virgin to name one, more capacity - meaning more employees - may not be the best approach if they cannot sail at 90% or more occupancy.

2 sailing nomads

How lucky we are to have such a choice.

Why not do like I have over many years and try all or most of the lines that you think will suit you.

Then you will really know which line is the best for you.

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2 sailing nomads

How lucky we are to have such a choice.

Why not do like I have over many years and try all or most of the lines that you think will suit you.

Then you will really know which line is the best for you.

 

 

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More is preferred to less ( cruise line choices ).

Does anybody know if the main restaurant can take all passengers at one time like the O class ships:)

No, the Encore main restaurant is no larger than those on the Ody class ships. It is the larger Colonnade, Patio and its specialty restaurants that offer diners space for alternative dining.

Of course how this works will be discussed soon enough during its inaugural season when passengers explore and become accusomed to the Encore.

Happy and healthy sailing!