Very harsh review of Legend....

[margbem]

...in Members' reviews section. It doesn't sound like the Legend I know and love. Any comments from anyone who was on the same cruise?

[ravenclaw]

Brutal review for sure..and in an Owners Suite too.

[LaPaloma]

...in Members' reviews section. It doesn't sound like the Legend I know and love. Any comments from anyone who was on the same cruise?

 

I just read it..and believe a small portion of it. When I looked at the hours that they were complaing..I feel that alcohol might have played a part in dissatifaction..just a guess. Soiled carpets and sofas at this stage prior to overhaul..possible. Food bad...I find VERY hard to believe. As for cleaning ones own toiltets..and empty ice buckets...HM should have been called...but...empty ice buckets takes me back to my original thought of too much alcohol consumption..who knows. I is just that such a severe critic seems unjust for the Legend. Oh yes, complaints about plastic on deck...have they ever heard of the dangers of broken glass on deck? Lola

[Jim Avery]

Boy, am I glad my recent trip on Spirit was nothing like this review. I find it hard to believe it could be that bad but I guess there are bad days. We also had a black ring in the toilet. Appeared to be possible charcoal granules. I know our bath was cleaned, and spotlessly, every day by Rosemary but the black ring reappeared after the first flush. Must be part of the sanitary system.

[mbpaul]

I agree with Jim. We were on the Spirit on the September 18 cruise and it was night and day different from what is described in this review. Complete opposites. I just cannot believe there is that much difference.

[highcbob]

The review right below that one is also on the negative side. I just hope the small sisters are not catching the dreaded Odyssey 'disease' as far as food and service.

[GrannyLorr]

Just read both thse reviews....I think the first writer should think themselves very lucky that I wasnt their stewardess....they would probably still be swimming!! ;) Just loved the quote from the second review "I expected to be on a mostly U.S. ship, not a European ship.....our social values are just not that compatible. Seabourn is a U.S. company!"....what is that saying? ignorance is bliss?? Just plain ignorant I think......

[Jim Avery]

Granny, please don't blame us all for an obviously stupid persons comments.:D We loved the international mix on Spirit 2 weeks ago. US residents were the minority with 77 out of 205. Isn't that the point of overseas travel.??

J.

[GrannyLorr]

Granny, please don't blame us all for an obviously stupid persons comments.:D We loved the international mix on Spirit 2 weeks ago. US residents were the minority with 77 out of 205. Isn't that the point of overseas travel.??

J.

 

~some~ people should just stay home!! Believe me its not limited to those from the USA....found plemty of them here too.....

 

but to think Europeans have the cheek to actually board a ship in Europe!! Thats about the most stoopid comment I have ever read! :rolleyes:

[Always Cruising 2]

I cannot help roll my eyes at comments like this. Never in the 200+ days I've sailed Seabourn did I ever here, "tables of 6 only, company policy" or "the galley is closed". Makes me wonder how these guests treated the staff to be getting service like that. Maybe they didn't get the memo that states if you treat the staff with respect and courtesy, you will get whatever you desire...especially in an Owners' Suite! There's a name for people like this, it's "new money".

[commodoredave]

The review was obviously written by someone with an axe to grind. Sure, a few bad things can occur during a cruise. But if you politely advise the hotel manager during the cruise -- which Seabourn asks passengers to do -- most if not all negative issues can and will be promptly addressed.

For example, DW and I recently returned from a 12-day Norwegian Fjord cruise aboard the Seabourn Sojourn. The food, service and ship were wonderful and it was one of the best cruises we have ever taken (and we have done 53). However, we had one minor problem during the cruise which we reported to the hotel manager. He called us, thanked us for letting him know, and fixed it immediately. That's one of the many reasons why we love Seabourn.

[Stevmead]

Many of the reviewers comments ring true. We are 4 time Seabourn cruisers in the last 3 years. Most recent, a 7 day Caribbean on the Legend last December. Very unsatisfactory experience. All our cruises have been on the Sisters" and each time the experience (along with the price) has declined. Soon we fear the S, L & P will be not the Sisters, but the Step-Sisters, as management focuses most of it's attention on the larger ships with higher profit margins. Love the small ships, hope I'm wrong. We're on the Sojourn 11/11, 14 day to South America. We'll see.

 

BTW, I'm not "New Money".

[cands]

I cannot help roll my eyes at comments like this. Never in the 200+ days I've sailed Seabourn did I ever here, "tables of 6 only, company policy" or "the galley is closed". Makes me wonder how these guests treated the staff to be getting service like that. Maybe they didn't get the memo that states if you treat the staff with respect and courtesy, you will get whatever you desire...especially in an Owners' Suite! There's a name for people like this, it's "new money".

 

I have experienced the 'table for six' issue on Pride. It is for pre-booking of a table only.

Say you want to join a group of friends and decide to book a table for 7:30. If there are six or more of you, you can do that.

 

If there are 4 only, they will not take a booking.

This is fine, as all you need to do is turn up with 4 and be seated. We have never had any problems requesting a table for 4, or two for that matter.

 

Cheers,

Steve.

[room010]

Yet another almost unreadable 'stream of consciousness' review/rant :rolleyes: I gave up half way through.

 

A good friend of mine is a Seabourne 'regular' and she says that standards have definitely slipped in the last couple of years and corners have been cut to reflect the difficult economic climate. However, she is willing to make (some) allowances because overall it's still a great cruising experience and she's the kind of lady who understands that it's more effective if you ask politely, rather than demand aggressively, when something needs to be fixed.

[Seabourn-nail]

For those of you who (also) have trouble in finding the review (it took me a while) I will give you the link here.

Unbelievable.... both reviews!

Of course we were not there and sometimes I experience an issue as well, but normally that will be sorted out soon thereafter.

The "thing" about Europeans on an American ship really is the limit!:confused:

Marja

[Seabourn-nail]

Sorry.... the member review about the Legend can be found here:

http://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/getreviews.cfm?action=ship&ShipID=88

 

Have a nice day!

Marja

[lifelover]

I am astounded by some of the comments in both of those terrible reviews. I don't want to get into an "us" versus "them" scenario, but I must say that, as Americans, my husband and I enjoy the crossings particularly because the clientele is SO international. We have loved meeting so many gracious Europeans.

Once, we tacked on a short Caribbean cruise at the end of our crossing. We had not anticipated the difference in guests. The Caribbean portion was full of Americans and unfortunately, we found them very demanding and not very appreciative of the wonderful Spirit staff we love. I know that when you are on a longer cruise, there is opportunity to develop a more personal relationship with the staff. But I was dissapointed and embarassed because these people were from my own country and I did not like what I saw. Enough said about that. It was a bad surprise and we will not book the short Caribbean cruise again.

 

My other comment concerns the little sisters. We are relatively new to cruising, having been on four crossings, two on the Legend and two on the Spirit. We're hooked now and have three more crossings booked. They are all on the small ships. Each time I consider trying out one of the new, larger ships, I change my mind and stay with the 200 passenger size. I hope that it is not true that Seabourn is beginning to ignore the smaller ships and spend most of its time and money on the newer ones. We so enjoy the intimacy of these smaller ships. I want to continue. I must say that I haven't seen any changes to indicate this. We sail in November on the Legend and I'll report back. But I'll tell you upfront, I find it difficult to say negative things about our Seabourn family. I find that if I am onboard and something isn't right, I mention it then, in a kind respectful manner, and it is corrected. Other than one terrible experience with the excursion desk staff, I have found that the Seabourn crew bends over backward to say yes to all requests onboard.

 

Ginger

[CLOU]

I'll add my two cents having just gotten off the Legend in the middle of September. It was our second Seabourn cruise and our first on one of the Sisters. While she was showing some wear, that was understandable since she was due for drydock. However, we were very impressed with the service and the food. I am not surprised that Seabourn regulars see some slippage in service and food. We used to sail Regent and one of the reasons we switched to Seabourn was the quality went noticeably downhill. I think all lines are doing some cost cutting. However, overall, we were very impressed and very happy with our Seabourn exeperience and will continue to sail on Seabourn. While not perfect, very few things in life are.

[SandyK1968]

I lurk but rarely post on here, but reading that review made my blood boil.

 

My guess it that there are few regular Seabourn guests who are not used to the finer things in life...even if some of us are still of an age when we're working for a living to achieve those things... to produce a review with this level of blatant bias smacks of either someone who is simply unused to the good life ( and its occasional pitfalls) or one with a most ill placed grudge.

 

I suspect the former given the reviewer/s insistence of letting us know how much it cost ...we know, we, on here, sail Seabourn and keep coming back for more.( Did he pay that or was he pushed up...I often find that new guests get better upgrades that the regulars!)

 

That is not to say that I view all past cruises with rose tinted glasses; we have had our problems on board and with Miami, but I have never once disembarked not wishing to get straight back on. What surprises me so much about the review is the apparent vitriol...I simply cannot equate this experience with my own.

 

Little sisters, you may be getting on a bit, but for me , you've felt like home since the first time I embarked, but , heh, vive la difference...I guess I won't be meeting that reviewer on my next trip and I can't say I'm sorry.

[writer100]

I agree with GrannyLorr--always a good idea--that the reference to non-American passengers is a case of blatant bias. (On the other had, some Europeans are irritatingly frequent violators of no-smoking areas on board.) Still, one of the reasons for taking a European cruise is, I would think, the opportunity to meet people from different countries and cultures.

In fairness to the earlier (negative) reviewer, his linkage of price paid to disappointment is, at least on its face, entirely fair. To wit, the more you pay, the more you may expect in affirmative experiences.Maybe, just maybe, the OP's list of grievances is valid--at least given his level of expectation. I note that all reviewers--and I will prove no exception-- relate to reviews in terms of their own experiences. If your experience on Legend was memorable, the reaction to criticism can be fiercely protective. Yes, I think Seabourn provides a really enjoyable experience.But we have suffered an inattentive and undisciplined stewardess, and also been pampered by a wonderful one. It is difficult to get meat cooked medium rare. The wine poured in the mdr is sometimes among the cheapest available.Yes, there are service glitches here and there, and sometimes a facility does get overcrowded with impatient passengers.(Although on Legend there is, or was, a maitre d' from Brittany who controlled the breakfast chaos with a firm hand.)

A cruise is another possible way to broaden human experience. No need to treat it as a religious experience, and revile apostate commentators.

I am now girding for a backlash, and consulting my Roget's for appropriate counter insults.

[margbem]

Good to hear all the positive views from everyone. I couldn't believe what I was reading, and it would be interesting to see other reviews of other lines written by the same person. Maybe he/she is never satisfied. What a terrible way to go through life if you are always looking for the bad in any situation. I wonder if he/she reads these boards or just decided to write the review and then leave us all wondering!

 

We will continue to be loyal to Seabourn (even though it is 12 months til our next cruise on the Spirit) because we have found somewhere to be spoiled and looked after, something we didn't find on other cruise lines.

[wripro]

I always respect a person's right to his opinion and have many times posted that I feel some people defend their preferred cruise line with all the aggressiveness of a grandparent whose dear little angel might be criticized for playing the wrong notes at a piano recital. And I too have experienced a miss in service here and there, both on the triplets and the Odyssey. However, it seems that this review could not possibly have been written by a fair and balanced person. It just doesn't seem like he was on a Seabourn ship. Maybe he just dreamed the whole thing.

[Shipshape Commodore]

As someone who is a regular cruiser and a Seabourn fan I find some of the comments, about the Legend reviews, such as those below, both vitriolic and extremely rude.

‘I feel that alcohol might have played a part in dissatifaction’

‘Just plain ignorant I think..’

‘an obviously stupid persons’

‘about the most stoopid comment I have ever read’

‘Maybe they didn't get the memo that states if you treat the staff with respect and courtesy’

‘obviously written by someone with an axe to grind’

‘Yet another almost unreadable 'stream of consciousness' review/rant’

‘guests who are not used to the finer things in life’

I don’t think the above comments add anything to either the quality of Seabourn cruises or the type of people who frequent the ships. I believe that everyone has the right to criticise a cruise. Most people are capable of drawing their own conclusions both from good and bad reviews. We do not need vicious comments on negative reviews to influence us.

I love Seabourn, sailing in November, but not these comments.

Perhaps Dan could set a standard of comment below which we should not go.

[Stevmead]

As someone who is a regular cruiser and a Seabourn fan I find some of the comments, about the Legend reviews, such as those below, both vitriolic and extremely rude.

‘I feel that alcohol might have played a part in dissatifaction’

‘Just plain ignorant I think..’

‘an obviously stupid persons’

‘about the most stoopid comment I have ever read’

‘Maybe they didn't get the memo that states if you treat the staff with respect and courtesy’

‘obviously written by someone with an axe to grind’

‘Yet another almost unreadable 'stream of consciousness' review/rant’

‘guests who are not used to the finer things in life’

I don’t think the above comments add anything to either the quality of Seabourn cruises or the type of people who frequent the ships. I believe that everyone has the right to criticise a cruise. Most people are capable of drawing their own conclusions both from good and bad reviews. We do not need vicious comments on negative reviews to influence us.

I love Seabourn, sailing in November, but not these comments.

Perhaps Dan could set a standard of comment below which we should not go.

 

True loyalists mandate only positive reviews/comments. Those with differing opinions must have a sinister agenda.

[Always Cruising 2]

As someone who is a regular cruiser and a Seabourn fan I find some of the comments, about the Legend reviews, such as those below, both vitriolic and extremely rude.

‘I feel that alcohol might have played a part in dissatifaction’

‘Just plain ignorant I think..’

‘an obviously stupid persons’

‘about the most stoopid comment I have ever read’

‘Maybe they didn't get the memo that states if you treat the staff with respect and courtesy’

‘obviously written by someone with an axe to grind’

‘Yet another almost unreadable 'stream of consciousness' review/rant’

‘guests who are not used to the finer things in life’

I don’t think the above comments add anything to either the quality of Seabourn cruises or the type of people who frequent the ships. I believe that everyone has the right to criticise a cruise. Most people are capable of drawing their own conclusions both from good and bad reviews. We do not need vicious comments on negative reviews to influence us.

I love Seabourn, sailing in November, but not these comments.

Perhaps Dan could set a standard of comment below which we should not go.

 

 

People have just as much right to comment on reviews (good or bad), as you do to scold us on our "rude manners"