So What Would It Take For You To Be Totally Pleased?

I am new to Cruise Critics and it has been a total eye opener for me. To be truthful, my husband and I did take a look at it before we took our first Seabourn cruise on the Encore in September. We read the less than generous reviews and had to do a bit of talking to ourselves to not feel down about our decision to take that voyage. As it turned out, all was fine and we had a wonderful time.

Still, I come back here and read lots of complaints and about how things are not like they used to be. I think we all understand that the three smaller ships that everyone seemed to love are no more for Seabourn. And, it appears that the Encore and the Ovation are the direction the cruise line is going. Doubtful that we can change that.

But, beyond size of the ship (and the Encore is beautiful), what does it take for you to have a near perfect experience? For some, it seems that it takes the ship having the kind of tea they prefer, or less steak on the menu, or less salt in the food, or better complimentary wine or champagne, faster or slower service, different dinner hours, etc. etc.

But, I would like to hear from all of you who are more experienced cruisers, what it would take for you to have a very memorable experience?

Here's my list: 1. A spa menu choice at each meal--fresh, healthy food that would not add to my waistline.

2. Slightly better excursions--with smaller groups.

You know I read all of these posts about how it has gone downhill, or they are cutting corners of it is not like it used to be and I scratch my head. After 16 years exclusively cruising on Seabourn (except for some expedition cruises) I find very little change for the worse. Yes, I do miss the intimacy of the small ships but I have made peace with the fact that those days are gone. If anything I can come up with a number of little things they have added in the last 16 years rather than taken away. For instance when we first cruised they did not offer a dessert wine on the house wine list. Now of course they always have a Sauternes. And not that it really matters to me but only in the last few years have they started providing little travel bags with toiletries the night before you disembark.

The one thing I do miss that they were able to offer on the small ships that they cannot do on the big ones is table side prep of certain dishes in the Restaurant - such a. Steak tartare. And I would like it if the brought back the buffet at tea time instead of passed scones etc as it often seems that by the time the server gets to us the scones are all gone (which may not be such a bad thing). Also iI really don’t like the “new” system for signing up for Shopping With the Chef. If there is so much demand and that they feel it is unfair for those of us who know about it and used to sign up the day we boarded then make it a paid excursion. And finally I would say the biggest “change” I would like to see is to please see that staff are trained to nicely but firmly and consistently see that passengers adhere to the very minimal Dress Code. And I am really not talking about just jeans or collared shirts as has recently been debated on the recent dress thread but rather exercise gear at breakfast, coverups and bathing suits at lunch and shorts and T shirts in the Obs Bar at night.

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I totally agree We have sailed Seadream,Azamara and now are only doing Seabourn All lines were great there is just something about Seabourn that keeps us coming back Of course there are always small lmishaps things can be better etc but life is not perfect

SLSD,

If you want better excursions with smaller groups do private excursions. They are far superior. The group is as small as you want it to be and you set the agenda so they will be as good as you design, Plus most of the time they cost the same or less than ships's excursions especially if you share with another couple.

And please don't worry about the one argument people use against them, that the ship won't wait if you are late. I have taken hundreds of private excursions over my years of cruising and have never once missed the ship. Guides are very aware of the need to be back on time and you can tell them what time you want to be back. Beats the hell out of sitting on a bus waiting for the one inevitable straggler who boards late saying he/she "lost track of time."

Well, nothing is ever perfect when humans are involoved, but I've had some truly great cruises with Seabourn where I'd be struggling to say what I'd change about them!

Experiences are subjective. One of my absolute best cruises had port changes, cancellations and pretty bad weather. But overall it was great. That said, there was someone else on the cruise who was posting on CC during the cruise and they hated it. They were having issues that I wasn't having and it was hard to recognise that we were on the same ship at the same time. But we were!

Conversely, I've had one pretty bad cruise on SB. There were a few of us posting on CC during that one, the majority had the same experience as me but one or two other posters were telling us we were being 'whiners' and that our complaints were unfounded. We were pretty much made out to be lying about how poor the food service and quality were. On my return home I did complain about the cruise and thought I was done with SB. (The problem there is that I don't see an alternate cruise line that would fit me as well as SB does). However, the way SB acknowledged and owned the issues that had been encountered during that cruise did impress me and persuaded me to give them another try. I'm glad that I did.

I do think the food quality isn't quite the same as it was on my first SB cruise, but I've only been cruising with Seabourn for a few years. Also, I think Seabourn has cut crew numbers too. Service is still friendly and enthusiastic but at times it's apparent to me that there just are not enough crew members.

So, my next SB cruise is in a little less than four weeks. I'm very much looking forward to it and hopefully will be making another booking or paying an open deposit onboard as usual. (Although I did forget last time !:o)

I would suggest that the OP try the roll calls for smaller private excursions. One of the attributes of SB is the smaller port stops that don't always require excursions. I love to just walk off the ship for a few hours instead of boarding a bus.

One of the things I missed that SB eliminated was the Galley lunch buffet day, but I just read that they reinstated it! Maybe the customer feedback has some weight.

I happen to like the new ship , I like the larger veranda outside of the Colonnade. I like the TK grill lounge as well....

There really isn't much I'd change about Seabourn, and that's a good thing.

Wripro, On our first cruise on Silversea, we did all private excursions except for one and in Rome before our cruise, we did private guides. We just didn't do it on our September cruise. We WILL be planning some private excursions on our upcoming cruise in June 2018 and will be asking this group WHICH ports would best lend themselves to a private excursion.

Chairsin, There WAS a buffet at tea time on the Encore for our September/October cruise. There were also passed scones in a rolling cart and they never ran out. My husband always chose to have a scone. The waiter offered to bring me whatever I wanted from the buffet, but I told him I was happy to walk over and choose for myself from the offerings. I loved the crustless cucumber tea sandwiches and the smoked salmon on crostini.

Kevnsworld, I LOVED the large veranda off of the Colonnade. Lunch there was a high point of each day. It was leisurely and relaxing. We also enjoyed the TK Grill Bar and had our before (and sometimes after) dinner drinks there every evening. These two venues are one reason we are reluctant to sail on one of the smaller ships. We would miss them!

What is the new policy about shopping with the chef?

Kevnsworld, I LOVED the large veranda off of the Colonnade. Lunch there was a high point of each day. It was leisurely and relaxing. We also enjoyed the TK Grill Bar and had our before (and sometimes after) dinner drinks there every evening. These two venues are one reason we are reluctant to sail on one of the smaller ships. We would miss them!

The smaller ships also have a nice veranda off the Colonnade and a TK Grill.

Used to be when you boarded you asked at the Square when and where and signed up. Last couple years you have to wait until you see it listed in the Herald one or maybe two days in advance and then immediately try to sign up. The problem is it makes it difficult to plan.

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Roxburgh, I was referring to the TK Grill BAR, not the restaurant itself. The Encore has a bar right off the TK Grill and it was my favorite place on the ship to have a drink. AND, I loved the pianist/singer there. It is a cozy bar and I would hate to take a SB cruise without it! Also, the veranda outside the Colonnade is quite large--and it was never difficult to find a table there.

I don't care that much about the ship - a long as my cabin works, as long as the food is OK, as long as my fellow passengers don't fart in public or dribble at the dinner table. All that matters to me is that the ship keeps to the itinerary because that's why I choose one cruise over another. A missed port is a serious disappointment. A spa menu doesn't even rate 0.01% on my scale of importance.

Not spa menu, but a spa item (meaning healthy, lower calorie etc) on the menu. We choose our cruises by itinerary also, but recognize that any port could be deleted for most any reason--so we go deciding to be satisfied with the itinerary as it turns out.

My essentials are:

Staff polite, friendly and efficient. When things are ordered like a hot drink at breakfast, or a breakfast item it comes promptly.

Bar service on open decks to be available at all reasonable times and without waiting more than 5 minutes for drink to be delivered.

Plenty of free gym classes and a variety.

A balcony.

Sunshine!

I am sure that the new ships, having the best crew, will cover most of my desires and most of the complaints I have read about have been about the Odyssey.

Wripro, On our first cruise on Silversea, we did all private excursions except for one and in Rome before our cruise, we did private guides. We just didn't do it on our September cruise. We WILL be planning some private excursions on our upcoming cruise in June 2018 and will be asking this group WHICH ports would best lend themselves to a private excursion.

Glad to hear it. Always the smartest way to go imo.

My wish list, and we are willing to pay for it:

1. Lots of space per passenger on a well-maintained, properly air-conditioned and safe ship with decent internet

2. No need to fight or scheme to find a place to lounge, to comfortably dine in a civilized manner while being treated respectfully, and ability to easily find a place to sit and listen to music while being appropriately watered with the two carbon fragment concoction of my choice

3. excellent food per price charged, served at appropriate temperatures, and with reasonable and realistic wait times customized to the passengers' after dinner plans if he so requests

4. not having to fight to get drink and wine refills of my choice, i.e., a desire not to be ignored because management has chosen to undertrain and understaff their workers as much as they can get away with

5. not being treated as a second or third class cruiser because:

a. I am in a cheaper suite without a butler

b. I am not personally known to staff as a big cheese

or well-known cheesette or schmoozer

c. I am a solo female ( when that is the case, i.e., as my travel companion arrangements, not my gender, vary)

Fletcher, I also prefer absence of farting and drooling of fellow pax, but that is rare and is actually manageable. When a relatively youngish looking DH and I ( I am a bit of a cradle robber) were oddly seated at a "stroke table" on SS on embarkation a couple years ago, one gent was drooling (post-surgery) and the other had expressive aphasia ( post-CVA) and a few other related problems. But we still had a memorable evening, as they and their wives were able to communicate in their own way anyway (we heard cruise ship pirate stories, world travel adventures, tips for better on board service, etc.) Cruising is like the proverbial box of chocolates and people watching and wondering about them and their unique stories is one of my favorite activities.

Itinerary changes can be disappointing, e.g., we missed out on Falklands due to a Kirchner connuption, but if life on board is ok, we are still happy.

Catlover54, I love your list! We were not "special" cruisers on the Encore, but feel that we got special service. That is what we all want on SB.

A cycle training room linked to Zwift.

A gym packed full of weight equipment is all well and good but the reality is very few people know how to use the stuff. Running machines get used because everyone knows how to run or walk but it can get a bit tedious.

Everyone knows how to pedal a bike but like a running machine it can be boring going nowhere. These days you can link your training with other people around the globe and realistically cycle together in virtual worlds. You benefit from drafting when in a pack, feel hills as the machine automatically tightens up and get a great work out.

The one downside with Zwift is it requires a decent internet connection which on a ship could be a problem but there are alternatives which use pre-loaded graphics and routes. You don't get the same pack experience but still a vast improvement on plain old going nowhere.

The same technology can be used on the running machines as well (Zwift offers running or cycling).

I also like the thought of one or two healthy options in the dining room. I've promised myself melon for desert every - well most meals on Sojourn in December :)

Henry :)

On the subject of 'healthy' items on the menu, am I going mad or did SB at one point have lower calorie menu choices highlighted? I keep all of my Heralds and past menus but am unable to check them currently as they're in storage. But I do seem to remember, on one cruise at least, seeing this. It was only on the MDR menu.

I would be interesting in knowing, Isklaar. I DO know that at one time Silversea had this kind of choice on their menu. When I took my Silversea cruise some years ago, I chose the "spa" choice on the menu every night. These were complete meals with a meat or fish and vegetables, beautifully served and quite delicious. I hear that SS no longer has this choice--and I wish SB did.

I would be interesting in knowing, Isklaar. I DO know that at one time Silversea had this kind of choice on their menu. When I took my Silversea cruise some years ago, I chose the "spa" choice on the menu every night. These were complete meals with a meat or fish and vegetables, beautifully served and quite delicious. I hear that SS no longer has this choice--and I wish SB did.

Ah. I could very well be thinking of SS. I had a couple of cruises with SS about 6 (?) years ago and then moved over to SB, never to return. I bet I'm thinking of SS menus.

Interesting Isklaar. Why did you switch over to SB and not ever return to SS?

Interesting Isklaar. Why did you switch over to SB and not ever return to SS?

My cruises were on Silver Spirit and I was keen to try a slightly smaller ship. I wasn't sure about Whisper and Shadow as I preferred a newer ship and thought they may be too small. Ditto of course Cloud and Wind which are older and smaller still. Plus the food and service had deteriorated.

When I first tried SB I did intend to return to SS at some point. But once I'd tried SB it felt a much better fit for me. My partner and I aren't able to cruise together as often as we'd like due to business commitments, so I frequently travel solo. SS has the better deals for solo travellers but I found the SB guests to be friendlier and the overall ambience much more sociable.

The food on SB, at the time, was a huge step up from what SS had been serving.

The only things I liked better on SS were the more formal dress code - I'm over that now :D - and having a full promenade deck on the ship.

I've only sailed on the O class ships with Seabourn and for me they're the perfect size.

And to be fair to SS, I must say that recent reviews and comments on CC appear to show a considerable improvement in food quality, so it seems I just hit a bad patch with them.