Seabourn vs. Crystal

Would the folks who have sailed on both Seabourn and Crystal (and who are not cheerleaders for either) kindly compare and contrast the two lines? I have sailed on Celebrity extensively and have sailed on SS which I absolutely loved. I prefer smaller ships and my primary interests in a cruise line are food, service, and lack of lines.

Thank you!!!

If you are traveling solo, Crystal. Ballroom style dancing is not to be found on SB. Specific questions will fetch a specific response.

If you do a search there are probably many threads comparing the two lines.

If you do a search there are probably many threads comparing the two lines.

Henry as usual excellent advice

I did a search on the Crystal Board and posted links there with two threads on the same subject.

I also posted some suggestions on how to research this.

Keith

Both are good but offer different things.

If you love Silversea and like smaller ships then I would think that Seabourn would be your choice.

If you want ballroom dancing then Crystal.

Singles are very well catered for on Seabourn as you will be invited to hosted tables which is fun but you can also decline without hesitation or bother.

Happy cruising

Hi Keith,

I did try to research it and couldn't find anything. If you can possibly dig up the links without too much trouble I would be greatly appreciative.

Thank you,

Steve

Thank you Mr. Luxury,

We are actually 2 couples in our late 50s (it pains me to even write that ...lol)

Hi Ivy,

There are indeed various threads with comparisons and you'll likely get a lot of information there.

My husband and I (49/55) have done several Crystal and Seabourn cruises (11 combined in the past eight years) so I can contribute only our personal views on the differences between the two lines.

First to what you say matters the most to you: food, service and lines. I can assure you that you will find both lines very comparable on all three fronts; excellent food and choices, excellent service and no lines. The devil is in the detail of course and depends so much on personal preferences. The following are my personal opinions:

Food - I give Crystal the edge, love the plethora of choice on the MDR menus as well as both specialty restaurants, as well as the consistency (there may be an ocassional miss but overall the meals are consistently great to excellent regardless of venue). I have yet to experience Thomas Keller's cuisine on Seabourn but I expect it will be a welcome addition from our point of view as we feel that Seabourn has been lacking that special something and R2 has never really wowed us.

Service - Personal, genuine and intuitive on both lines. The Lido guys on Crystal are fantastic and worth mentioning separately as they are the warmest face of Crystal. On the other hand, many crew members, including a couple of stewardesses and baristas we've had on Seabourn, have been the best ever. This extends to the officers; we have found Seabourn officers to be very approachable, always give timely information when needed. Overall, we feel just as welcome and well taken care of on either line.

Lines - no lines worth worrying about on either line.

The Ships - It's a toss-up depending on what matters most to you. For example, Seabourn's cabins are much more spacious, have big bathrooms with soaker tub and separate showers, also a walking closet. In this regard, Seabourn ships are superior. Seabourn also has a cozier ambience due to the size of the ships and one particular aspect most people love which is SB Square. The ships of course are all much newer than the Crystal ships and the large majority of the cabins have verandas.

Having said that, Crystal's ships hardly show their age as they are continously refurbished and are very beautiful. There are more and larger public spaces and venues, have the fabulous 360 degree promenade decks. The ships feel more spacious but not too big.

Entertainment and Enrichment - shows and special performers, I think Crystal has a definite edge, the lecturers we have found to be just as good on both lines. Crystal has a lovely piano bar; Seabourn has great Rock the Boat parties, Caviar in the Surf, etc. I think this depends highly on what kind of entertainment you prefer, to me is another toss-up.

Dining - Seabourn has open dining, Crystal has two fixed seatings plus Dining by Reservation. Again this one is up to you. For us, we like Crystal's system as it allows you to get to know your serving team and your tablemates and we like Seabourn because it is that much more flexible.

Smoking - allowed very limitedly of both. Never bothered us much but on Crystal you could find that the smokeless areas on the pool deck are on the side you don't want to be (i.e. no shade), while on Seabourn the Observation bar is off-limits to us after 8 pm when smoking is allowed. On Seabourn you could also luck out and have next door neighbours who smoke on their verandas limiting your enjoyment of your own.

There are many other aspects that could be compared but we love both lines and the only deciding factor for us is the itinerary.

Good luck with your choice.

Claudia,

Thank you for the cogent and thorough comparison.

Steve

Hi Ivy,

 

...also a walking closet..../QUOTE]

 

Think Claudia may have been struck with the curse of the spell-checker! I can assure you after a dozen cruises on Seabourn I have yet to return to my suite to encounter my wardrobe/closet pacing round the room demanding to know where I have been till that late. Now the wife, on the other hand....

hahaha. Thanks for the catch stamfordian. At least let's hope it was the spell-checker and not my brain :)

also just realized that I made it look like my hubby is six years younger than I. No siree, the other way around.

Having sailed both line in the past 2 years, I will offer my simple comparisons. I found the 2 lines comparable in the areas of service and a lack of lines. Excellent service on both and a complete lack of lines and crowds at all times on both. IMHO the food on Crystal was quite a bit better. You will find quite a bit of commentary on the recent hiccups on food quality on Seabourn on various CC threads. We experienced similar hiccups in 2014 on Seabourn. But I do note that you are a couple in your 50s...while you might think of yourselves as mature, you should note that the fellow passengers on Crystal are quite a bit older than on Seabourn. You are closer to the demographic on Seabourn.

Having sailed both line in the past 2 years, I will offer my simple comparisons. I found the 2 lines comparable in the areas of service and a lack of lines. Excellent service on both and a complete lack of lines and crowds at all times on both. IMHO the food on Crystal was quite a bit better. You will find quite a bit of commentary on the recent hiccups on food quality on Seabourn on various CC threads. We experienced similar hiccups in 2014 on Seabourn. But I do note that you are a couple in your 50s...while you might think of yourselves as mature, you should note that the fellow passengers on Crystal are quite a bit older than on Seabourn. You are closer to the demographic on Seabourn.

I'd give Seabourn points for daily soufflés, the trifle riffs on Crystal were good but the one little soufflé I had last week was awful. Wonderful problem to have!

If you are traveling solo, Crystal. Ballroom style dancing is not to be found on SB. Specific questions will fetch a specific response.

I travel solo and found Seabourn to handle things far better than Crystal. The main reason being the anytime anywhere dining on Seabourn. It's easy to meet people that day and dine with them that evening without having to monkey about with reservations. Further I prefer Seabourns hosted tables to say ballroom dancing ;)

Also interesting to see how many couples identify as solos.

Yes, but the world does not operate around you. The OP asked about ballroom dancing. Not what time Norton prefers to dine.

If you're solo, Crystal generally offers a MUCH BETTER single supplement than Seabourn.

The op that I'm looking at doesn't have nary a mention of dancing.

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The op that I'm looking at doesn't have nary a mention of dancing.

He asked in a different thread started prior to this one.

The op that I'm looking at doesn't have nary a mention of dancing.

 

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Yes, I see. Ivyleaguegent stated in his first post that his main interests in cruise lines were food, service and a lack of lines. And no mention of dancing in subsequent posts. Oh well.

He asked in a different thread started prior to this one.

Thanks, Jeni! I see the other thread.

Yes, but the world does not operate around you. The OP asked about ballroom dancing. Not what time Norton prefers to dine.

That's a bit harsh.

I thought the post offered valid and relevant information pertinent to the OP's opening question.

Since when has it been mandatory to have encyclopaedic knowledge of the various threads and sub forms?

Your humble apology is duely noted....

Henry :)

You certainly learn about people on these boards as well as what happens on a ship. [emoji2]

You can't go wrong with either. The clear advantage on Seabourn is cabin size. The clear advantage on Crystal is that there is a lot more to do. I would concentrate on whose itinerary you prefer and expect to have a wonderful time no matter which ship you sail on.

I've been on both - love both - can't remember the differences - always too drunk to remember:eek: I know Keith has said this many times before - try both and then decide which suits you better. I'm itinerary driven. If somebody else is making my bed, cleaning the bathroom, cooking, pouring the bubbly and getting me from point a to point b without too much thinking - it's a holiday and a great time will be had by all. In other words - I've had a hoot and a half on both.;)

I agree with all that has been said above. I do have a personal preference for Seabourn but would not hesitate to return to Crystal for a better itinerary.

Another thing to consider are days at anchor. While on board, the greater number of passengers was not an issue on Crystal, but I found myself very frustrated on tender days. There were waits up to one hour to get off the ship (between 9 and 10 am). After that it's more fluid (but in the summer months, much warmer).