Getting Down to Cases on the Sojourn

I am trying to convince my wife to give Seabourn a try but it's like pulling teeth. To keep costs down, I'm willing to book an Oceanview, but the reviews she's found of those cabins are not particularly complimentary. Then there is the food. So many reviewers note that the quality is not that good. Tastes differ but what should I conclude with so many negative comments?

Time is running short if we are to get a cabin. Can some of you recent travelers give a short commentary on Sojourn/food/service and any ideas on life in a forward cabin on deck four. We are not seasick prone, incidentally. She really is reluctant to spend fourteen days on an unfamiliar ship.

My advice is never to force the issue. If your wife is predisposed to not liking the food or the suite chances are that is exactly what will happen. Why put yourself through that?

It looks like your most recent cruising history has been on Celebrity, with some Princess and HAL in the past as well? Against that background, I think you will find the small ship experience of Seabourn quite different. Before I discovered Seabourn a few years ago, all my cruising had been on the larger ships too. Since trying Seabourn I have loved it so much that I have never returned to the big ships.

Of course what you and your wife value in a cruise may be very different to me.

I have never been on Deck 4 on Seabourn but I understand there may be some anchor noise if you are very far forward. I find the food to be very acceptable, and significantly better than anything I have had on Celebrity etc. It is the Seabourn service that really sets the cruiseline apart. It is personalised, genuinely warm, and really you are made to feel very special.

Our first Seabourn voyage was in an Ocean view and we thoroughly enjoyed it. Of course its always nicer to have a Verandah on a summer cruise, but its not a 'must' for us. We have only cruised Encore and Odyssey this year (the sister ship to Sojourn) but love the Seabourn food and have only once had a bad meal - that was a good 4 years ago now. We didn't much care for the menus on Encore but could never fault the quality. If you are unsure about it, is a 14 day cruise a good way to start? Would a shorter voyage perhaps be a way to put your toe in the water?

Even I know not to fight that battle. No matter the wife's gender, day five might be getting tough.

I find the food on Celebrity superior, on average, to what they have been seving on Sojourn. Mostly said to prove there are way too many opinions to hang a decision by what you read here.

We often book an oceanview suite - they are the same size as the verandah just with a large window and no verandah, the bathrooms and wardrobes exactly the same. I suppose the A ones which are very near the bow will have more movement, and certainly more noise from anchors when in a tender port - but not usually before 7 a.m., which for us would be no problem. Back of the As, effectively like the A1s, if you are choosing your suite. These suites have their own corridors, with suites only on one side, so if anything are quieter than the higher decks for passenger movements outside your door. I would expect and hope that you would find the meals and service on Seabourn better overall than the lines you have used before, and if you like more intimacy, having only 450 fellow passengers, but with plenty of space for everyone, would be an improvement. But probably less glamorous shows in the evenings, and certainly no climbing walls, bingo, and the like. But - the joy of not signing for any drinks is wonderful. If you do not do Seabourn excursions you can leave the ship with nothing more to pay.

I want to thank each and every one of you because each and every one of you has touched on at least a portion of the situation. My wife is quick to tell me "Carpe diem" but slow to carpe the diem, I'm afraid. :) This would have been the perfect cruise, as we will disembark the Eclipse on the day the Sojourn leaves , but even that leads to problems. Luminae versus Sojourn. Large versus small. We've spent more than two years on various ships ranging from the QM2 down to the Pacific Princess, all enjoyable cruises. I'm sure fourteen days on the Sojourn would be, too, but I guess it's not worth the chance. Guess I'll buy that Harley I've had my eye on :) Thanks again for some very good insights.

Your loss, IMO. But you will never find out unless you try. Hope you give it a try some other time.

Very often there will be promotions whereby you get a free upgrade from ocean view to balcony suite so keep an eye out. A good travel agent should also be able to get you around 10% off the published fare (excluding port fees, taxes etc).

As for poor reviews, keep in mind that many come from people who have spent hundreds of days on Seabourn and hark back to the days of tiny ships with little more than a hundred guests on board. Their benchmark will be Michelin star restaurants on dry land rather than mainstream cruise ships.

Once on board Seabourn try very hard to ensure you have a pleasant cruise going above and beyond where possible, Try asking the kitchen team to make you a bespoke meal on Celebrity, people do it all the time on Seabourn.

The suites on Seabourn will be vastly superior to a cabin on Celebrity, almost twice the size, and that makes a big difference, both in terms of initial impressions and on going enjoyment.

At the risk of ruffling a few feathers and I aim this observation in no particular direction some of Seabourn's clients have an unrealistic scale of expectation. Possibly Seabourn are victims of their own marketing but complaints around not having a particular niche foodstuff on board whilst cruising in the middle of nowhere is one that always makes me chuckle. Similarly some of the gripes surrounding service. If you speak to the people working on Seabourn ships as human beings and compliment when things go well you get treated like royalty.

I have often said if you can't enjoy a Seabourn cruise you have given up on life.

We enjoy a variety of travel experiences and find Seabourn consistently delivers excellence. Don't step on board with a particular rigid set of expectations, go with the flow and let Seabourn do what they do best rather than forcing them to play an unfamiliar instrument.

Henry :)

Very sound advice, Henry, and a good philosophy for life in general. Well said!

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As I have said before, every year I read that the food and the service have gone down hill but when I get on board I then find completely different .On our cruise this year we found the food to be the best yet and the service was as good as ever.

Nothing is going to be perfect on a ship for three weeks but any problems we have always found to be sorted very quickly.

looking forward to our next cruise in April next year already:D

As I have said before, every year I read that the food and the service have gone down hill but when I get on board I then find completely different .On our cruise this year we found the food to be the best yet and the service was as good as ever.

Nothing is going to be perfect on a ship for three weeks but any problems we have always found to be sorted very quickly.

looking forward to our next cruise in April next year already:D

Totally agree. We are doing our 3rd SB cruise in January and I thought our second cruise couldn't better the first one we went on... but it did. The food was even better than first time round.

We love the food, the choices, the ambience of the MDR and every now and then we throw in a Colonnade dining or Patio Grill just for a change. The only time I had a meal I didn't enjoy was when I ordered wrongly, there was nothing wrong with the food!

Bosoxl

Enjoy the Harley,just a thought

You could always leave the wife at home and have a fantastic cruise on your own.🕺

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Bosoxl

Enjoy the Harley,just a thought

You could always leave the wife at home and have a fantastic cruise on your own.🕺

 

 

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So he gets the harley and the cruise??? Not sure his DW will approve of that either.

The OP referenced to eating in Luminae, Celebrity's exclusive restaurant for suite passengers. Having sailed in both a Celebrity sky suite and Seabourn's standard suite - the Celebrity suite is far better. Larger area, bigger TV, much larger verandah, a butler, and a private club - Michael's. That said, a standard Seabourn suite is fine with us. On the other hand, we found the food, both in terms of quality and variety, to be disappointing in Luminae. The atmosphere was quite nice and the service was excellent. However, Luminae was only open for lunch during sea days. Seabourn food is/was far better.

Just one cruiser's opinion

The big difference between Celebrity and Seabourn of course is that the sense of space and being looked after extends beyond your cabin and a designated lounge. On Seabourn the whole ship is geared around suite guests.

You very soon come back to earth with a bump when using the facilities on a mainstream cruise ship. Lots of people, things geared around low revenue guests, over worked staff and essentially not enough space for everyone.

To compare Seabourn with something like Celebrity is almost impossible because they are so very different.

Very often there will be promotions whereby you get a free upgrade from ocean view to balcony suite so keep an eye out. A good travel agent should also be able to get you around 10% off the published fare (excluding port fees, taxes etc).

 

 

 

As for poor reviews, keep in mind that many come from people who have spent hundreds of days on Seabourn and hark back to the days of tiny ships with little more than a hundred guests on board. Their benchmark will be Michelin star restaurants on dry land rather than mainstream cruise ships.

 

 

 

Once on board Seabourn try very hard to ensure you have a pleasant cruise going above and beyond where possible, Try asking the kitchen team to make you a bespoke meal on Celebrity, people do it all the time on Seabourn.

 

 

 

The suites on Seabourn will be vastly superior to a cabin on Celebrity, almost twice the size, and that makes a big difference, both in terms of initial impressions and on going enjoyment.

 

 

 

At the risk of ruffling a few feathers and I aim this observation in no particular direction some of Seabourn's clients have an unrealistic scale of expectation. Possibly Seabourn are victims of their own marketing but complaints around not having a particular niche foodstuff on board whilst cruising in the middle of nowhere is one that always makes me chuckle. Similarly some of the gripes surrounding service. If you speak to the people working on Seabourn ships as human beings and compliment when things go well you get treated like royalty.

 

 

 

I have often said if you can't enjoy a Seabourn cruise you have given up on life.

 

 

 

We enjoy a variety of travel experiences and find Seabourn consistently delivers excellence. Don't step on board with a particular rigid set of expectations, go with the flow and let Seabourn do what they do best rather than forcing them to play an unfamiliar instrument.

 

 

 

Henry :)

As usual Henry I agree with everything you say. We love Seabourn especially the Encore, we have 2 cruises booked for next year. Can’t wait[emoji7]

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I also agree with Henry's comments and advice and we are looking forward to our second voyage on the Encore in June 2018!

I also agree with all comments. However I don't agree with wasting energy on trying to convince someone who is predisposed to not liking something that they will indeed like it and why they should. If someone has an issue with SB before even boarding then don't go. It will save a lot of marital stress.

Bosoxl

Enjoy the Harley,just a thought

You could always leave the wife at home and have a fantastic cruise on your own.🕺

 

 

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And how would that turn out if you did that to your lovely wife?

And how would that turn out if you did that to your lovely wife?

Funny you should mention that [emoji6]

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Funny you should mention that [emoji6]

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But have you still got the Harley?:D

Just to complete the story, my wife wouldn't do fourteen days on Seabourn but jumped at the chance to do ten days on Regent in February. So off we go. Actually, fourteen days would have meant twenty five days in a row in the Carib. A bit much, I have to agree. I'm glad I didn't stop looking, and I'm glad she's happy, Mr. Luxury. :)

It's funny how we are all different. For me the shorter the cruise the less I enjoy it. With longer cruises the hectic transitional days at the start and end form a smaller proportion of the overall experience and both staff & guests are able to settle down. They understand each other's subtle nuances more.

My favourite cruises are back to back where if you missed something the first time round you can catch it the second time. You also get a fresh mix of fellow guests to converse with.

To others all that would probably be sheer hell :)

Henry :)

The problem with back to back cruises is that one day in the middle is totally chaotic