Segmenters on a World Cruise

We're considering booking a 23-day segment of the Odyssey 2016 New World Exploration, which I gather is Seabourn speak for a World Cruise. I know on some cruise lines that "segmenters" aren't well received by those doing the full WC. While I understand the dynamics involved, I'm not sure I'd like to be treated as an outsider if I joined the party late in the game. Does Seabourn typically have this "segmenter" attitude in play? Does the WC contingent typically dominate the passenger load? Would love to hear real experiences from others who took a WC segment.

How is a Seabourn WC different from a regular cruise doing the same itinerary? Special menus, activities, events? Would a "segmenter" be aware of any differences?

I can definitely speak to this. We did 2 segments of the 2014 Seabourn Sojourn WC, and one segment of the 2015 Crystal Serenity WC. On Seabourn the important dimension, IMHO, is that the ship is small, so you get lots of chances to meet lots of people. Those on the full WC mix freely with all the others. You are simply thrown together in lots of small social venues. The socializing is constant, almost a bit much at times. But one never feels left out. There are a couple of special events for those on the WC, but just a few, so those on the segments do not feel excluded. Our experience on the Crystal Serenity was very different, partially because it is a much larger ship (1,000 passengers) and partially because the portion of passengers on for the whole WC was huge, somewhere between 60% and 70%. We did indeed feel left out and met very few people. I must caution that IMHO Crystal did a better job in the areas of enrichment and food. But we felt more at home and welcomed on Seabourn, met lots of lovely people, some of whom are still close friends. I would return to a segment or to a whole WC on Seabourn, but would avoid the WC on Crystal. Of course if the itinerary an price were right, I would go with either. Happy travels!

I understand your concerns as I shared them before our WC segment on Sojourn in 2014.

During our 14 day segment there was one special event ashore for the full WC guests but apart from that we didn't notice any differences. In fact, joining a WC more than 2 months into the voyage at the first big change over port, I felt that the full WC'ers were very keen to see some new faces when we embarked. We never felt excluded at all.

The only downside was that as segmenters, on booking we weren't able to select our own suite. I completely understand the reasoning behind this, and it wasn't too bad as we were able to specify that we would like a V5 or above. In the end we were allocated a perfect location on deck 6.

Overall the cruise was marvellous and ranks as our best yet on SB.

Three years ago we joined Quest for the Dubai to Venice final leg of her Inaugural WC. As Nigella says above there was great interest from those on board (since I think LA or even FL) in the newcomers and different topics of conversation to replace those from the past 60-70 days where some anecdotes were presumably taking on a slightly tired note!

As a couple who enjoy trivia we were positively fought over by teams who were losing some of their players in Dubai! The team we finally joined had racked up good scores on previous legs and (I like to think with worthy input from ourselves!) emerged as overall WC Champion team - meaning we then benefitted from receiving Seabourn Quest World Cruise polos and memorabilia even though only on board 21 days!

There were a couple of on-shore events for WC'ers including a gala dinner on arrival in Venice, but apart from those the treatment on board was the same for everybody. The crew enjoyed having some new names to learn, and some different senses of humour to deal with. I think the overall dynamic changed a little as many who disembarked in Dubai were from the US whereas a significant number of joiners were from UK, together with elsewhere in Europe and Australia.

As many have said on this and other posts it doesn't matter where you are from, where you embark or disembark, Seabourn crew always makes you feel you're the most important person on board, and most of the people you meet and share time with are charming, friendly and personable. Indeed, like us, you often go on to meet up again - on another cruise, or visiting them in their homes (or vice versa).

Happy segment cruising!

Seabourn is no longer doing World Cruises. Last one was on the Sojourn in 2014.

Seaborn may no longer offer "world cruises" as such but I would suggest that the lomg Jan-March cruise is pretty much the same thing.

If you know the former WC passengers you will see that they return year after year for the event. The Odyssey 77 day cruise starting on 4 Jan, 2016, LA to LA is such a substitute.

The differences, to me at least, are fewer benefits from Seabourn e.g. No "free" airfare, on board credits, no special events for these passengers and that the cruise duration is shorter than the former 100 days plus.

Happy sailing!

It sounds like Seabourn did very short world cruises. Regents were Jan - May/June.

Seabourn's 2014 WC was 116 days, Jan 4 - May 1. We were on for the first 34 days so can't speak to the experience of folks joining on later segments but we still keep in touch w/ people we met on that first segment who stayed on, as TV24 said the environment is so welcoming.

Thanks for these helpful comments about taking a segment of a WC. It's reassuring to learn that segmenters are welcome on Seabourn by both fellow pax and staff. We're now booked for the final segment of the 97-day 2016 New World Exploration on Odyssey.

Stamfordian, good score on the WC swag! I hope we luck out as you did with trivia partners.

 

As a couple who enjoy trivia we were positively fought over by teams who were losing some of their players in Dubai! The team we finally joined had racked up good scores on previous legs and (I like to think with worthy input from ourselves!) emerged as overall WC Champion team - meaning we then benefitted from receiving Seabourn Quest World Cruise polos and memorabilia even though only on board 21 days!

 

That trivia team sounds like the Polymaths...they won all 5 rounds of the trivia competition during that world cruise.

I did the last segment of the inaugural WC of the Odyssey in 2010. It was one of the best cruises, out of the 100+, that I have ever done. The full WC guests were fantastic. Friendly and welcoming to the people who boarded in Dubai.

I have read on other boards that WC guests do not seem to be welcoming to segmenters but my experience with Seabourn was the exact opposite.

I was part of a Trivia Team that had done pretty well as 4 people were on the FWC but when they welcomed a couple of Trivia fanatics our team won every day and there were a lot of sea days, so a lot of play. I think it was Marla and David who were the moderators. Great fun.

It was probably either Marla and Russ or Marla and Handre.

 

That trivia team sounds like the Polymaths...they won all 5 rounds of the trivia competition during that world cruise.

 

It was. Unfortunately we have never encountered any of them again on another cruise!

 

It was. Unfortunately we have never encountered any of them again on another cruise!

 

A bit of trivia on Seabourn trivia, if I may, I was the "captain" and "recruiter" of the Polymaths.

So where have you been for the past three years? Nick?

So where have you been for the past three years? Nick?

Ah!..you remember me... as a good trivia player you have a keen memory. We've done some more on Seabourn...Antarctica, was the last... as we prefer long cruising and try to minimize air travel, usually book the longest "end of season" Med cruise segment/s and piggy back them on a transatlantic-bound itinerary. Next cruise we're strongly leaning on, is the December Odyssey 32 day cruise, (Caribbean & Panama canal), from FLL to LA which fills an itinerary gap for us (the canal) and has very convenient start and end ports.

BTW, reconstituted Polymaths have won more trivia rounds since our WC and crushingly lost a round in Antarctica by one point. Feel free to use the name if you wish on your cruises and keep posting on CC as I enjoy reading your posts.

Hope we meet on Seabourn again.