Your "dream Seabourn ship"

I am posting this question on the different forums of the lines I cruise and am really keen to hear what you think. Perhaps some cruise lines will be much more inventive than others, we shall see. So please tell me, what would be added or subtracted from the current Seabourn ships to create your "dream Seabourn ship"? I don't mean free cruises, free flights, free anything, or brand new ships and cabins etc every day when you wake. No fantasy stuff. No magic. I just mean tweaks or changes or additions to what is already on offer. A sort of "build your own Encore" perhaps?

In another thread about chair hogs, Suite Travels made me realise that I would love to see the creation of a "Table of Shame" for pool chair hogs. After 30 minutes of absentee chair-hogging, your stuff is gathered up and placed on the "Table of Shame" - a table very prominently set up on the pool deck (in full sun so your book page-glue melts and your suntan lotion leaks) where the hogs have to go to re-claim their belongings under the full glare of the fellow travellers' disapproval. ;)

I am still working on the small refinements - perhaps necessitating a grovelling apology, perhaps a loud (but somehow not disturbing to others) klaxon of shame going off as repeat offenders approach the table just to ensure everyone looks over to see them, perhaps community tut-tutting etc etc - Yeah, I know it needs work :D

All in the hope that it would actually soon stop the chair hogging altogether, of course.

So come on, tell me what would you like to see on your "dream Seabourn ship". Unless, you are a persistent chair hog. In which case, don't talk to me at all. :eek:

Chair hogs on Seabourn? Nah too many chairs.

I might just encourage room service away from the room but that could get messy

The Little Sisters were my dream ships.

Now they are gone, what I would like to see (in priority order):

1. a 5% (say) increase in crew members. I don't like to see the hard working and generally wonderful crew run ragged and worked into the ground and I have had a sense of that on the last two sailings we have done. It would also help to tweak up the efficiency of service in the Restaurant and elsewhere.

2. The Sky Bar open in the evenings and into the night as it used to be on the small ships. It was our favourite venue for an after dinner drink and chat. I know the Patio Bar is open, but it is not the same thing by any stretch of the imagination.

3. The return of the Deck Barbecue

4. an upgrade on deck/veranda furniture

5. Proper formal nights (Standards, Darling, Standards...)

Oh.... and one more thing

Bring back the filipino bands.

As TK leaves me cold (maybe it will be better in a designated area when the chefs have all been forced into submission :D) what I enjoyed on Regent was the way their equivalent to the Colonnade (La Veranda) is turned into an Italian restaurant in the evenings. I adore Italian food and as Seabourn doesn't 'do' the speciality restaurants this would be perfect for me.

Flamin, i am with you on all points!

I also used to enjoy the little books at the end of cruise, with all passengers names and nationalities on.

I also used to enjoy the little books at the end of cruise, with all passengers names and nationalities on.

Doesn't this happen any more?

Doesn't this happen any more?

My experience is not on 7 day cruises but please correct me anyone

Not had any on shorter cruises for a while now

What a shame. I enjoyed "Googling" people once home and being amazed who had been on board!

More and better fitness equipment. Consider adding one or two BowFlex Max M7s and one or two Concept II rowing machines. Replace the poor quality Techno Gym equipment as doesn't compare to the quality of Precor and/or Life Fitness. Also, convert the Kinesis area to weight equipment area since the space is significantly under utilized.

Offer yoga/Pilates at a time that makes sense.

On our transatlantic earlier this year it was offered at 5:45 pm every day and was very poorly attended. If it had been in the morning, if have been there every day. Even in the afternoon I would have made a valiant effort. But to put it right up against dinner to leave no time for cocktails and very little time to shower and dress was ridiculous.

I'd also like to see more physical activity in general - morning water aerobics or a group walk up on 9 (I think it is Princess that does a 5k walk?). I remember Sophie leading Zumba every day when she was assistant cruise director.

1. in-room Nespresso machines or similar (would not cost too much) with different strengths of coffee and tea, like Europa 2 has

2. Softer or better padded deck chairs at the rooms and on the decks (would unfortunately cost more than the coffeemakers)

3. Don't close off the hot tubs at off hours (so you can sit in them when no one is around and look at stars -- at your own risk, of course)

4. I second the call for a slight increase in staffing in food venues during busy periods -- cost?

5. something simple, a pet peeve: have staff routinely check the salt shakers to see if they work and shake salt freely. Too often, on SB and SS, I encounter shakers where the salt is impacted from moisture and only the pepper shakes freely, then I either have to steal a shaker from a nearby empty table (not cool), have DH reengineer the shaker (have had odd looks when he does that), or call over busy waitstaff to get a new one.

Is #5 trivial enough? :) At least it would be cheap!

6. Everything else would be expensive, like softer Grand Salon chairs, softer suite sofas, upgrade in food, and some upgrade in entertainment at least part of the time (some classical)

Oh yes... nicer chairs by the pool would be awesome.

I'd like a larger bath towel (more like a bath sheet) in the suites.

3 or 4 padded hangers in the closet for delicates. (I always take the robes off the ones in the closet and use those but it would be great to have more.)

Automatic flushing toilets. I hate having to handle the lid (especially in the public areas) in order to flush the toilet.

[YOUTUBE][/YOUTUBE]

 

3 or 4 padded hangers in the closet for delicates. (I always take the robes off the ones in the closet and use those but it would be great to have more.)

Just ask your stewardess and she will bring as many as you want 😀👍

I would like a wider walk-in robe, perhaps delete the bath in a (large) percentage of the suites. (How many people use the bath onboard I wonder?)

I just use one of the hot tubs if I feel like a hot soak.)😀

I would like to see a hand shower attachment in the bath tub.

Why do those who do not use the bathtub think nobody else does ?:D

I would like to see a hand shower attachment in the bath tub.

 

Why do those who do not use the bathtub think nobody else does ?:D

dalliowner, I did write a PERCENTAGE of suites without baths.😜

I would like Seabourn to survey pax asking how many use a bath😀

There are a few things, but the over-riding one to me is new, or at least cushioned, deck loungers. The current ones are terribly hard, even for someone well-upholstered. It was the only thing where I thought Regent was better than Seabourn.

1- Better padded deck loungers. As Lincslady said, they are not comfortable.

2- New chairs for dining at the exterior section of the Colonnade. Last time on Odyssey I found them rather shabby.

3- A new brand of champagne as an improvement over Nicky Fooey. Easily done.

Happy and healthy sailing!

Ps- I do like my bath time.

Another vote for leaving the baths as is. If hate to see them taken out of any suite as the chance of getting allocated a no bath room on a guarantee rate (which I gamble on often) would increase. (And think of all the threads asking about these odds!)

I find the tub useful even when not soaking in it - as a place to line dry swimsuits or hand washing, for soaking feet after a long day out walking, even a place to temporarily park wet shoes or umbrellas on a rainy day.

I agree with everything Flamin June has said and definitely bring back the

wonderful bands we used to have along with their duo singers.