Seabourn Sojourn - nice ship, shame about the food

[philipb]

Just back from a long 33-day voyage aboard Seabourn Sojourn.

 

I have posted a full ship review:

 

http://www.cruisecritic.co.uk/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=112268

 

For my comments on the wine offerings go to:

 

http://cruiseforums.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1474110&page=25

[brucory]

Thanks for your review and for sharing your interesting comments and observations about the food and beverage situation on the Sojourn. What a great attitude you have to not let it spoil such a wonderful itinerary!

 

I will be looking forward to hearing how things are on your Silverseas trip in your next review and how they stack up comparatively!

 

Again, thanks for sharing.

 

:D:D:D

[cwisleman]

Sounds incredible. Hope others on this cruise will comment as to their opinions

[DUHCAR]

Just back from a long 33-day voyage aboard Seabourn Sojourn.

 

Good report!

 

We are trying Seabourn for the first time next year. When I read an ever-increasing number of comments about the lowered quality of the food and wine, I'm starting to regret my decision. The choice was made on the basis of reputation, but I fear this was gained pre-Carnival. We did one HAL cruise and thought the food was similar to a hotel convention, and their wines were terrible. We poured their Seahorse wine down the drain. Imagine sailing off of NZ and not having lamb because they ran out of frozen Colorado lamb! That forced us to "upgrade" to Seabourn, but I really do not want to be paying Seabourn prices for a Carnival experience.

 

My question to all: what high-end cruise line still delivers? Maybe not the right forum to ask this, but many of you have been on other cruise lines.

 

As we get older, cruising may form a larger part of our travel plans, but if cruise lines can't match the food and wine experience of our land travels, they will be used sparingly.

[lincslady]

I just put a piece really referring to this thread on the Seabourn house wines, though it applies to both.

[SistersInFun]

Loved reading your review- you were spot on!! Hello to all the great CC friends we met on board-would love to sail with you all again anytime, anywhere!

Cant wait to read about the Philips next voyage!

 

 

 

Just back from a long 33-day voyage aboard Seabourn Sojourn.

 

I have posted a full ship review:

 

http://www.cruisecritic.co.uk/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=112268

 

For my comments on the wine offerings go to:

 

http://cruiseforums.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1474110&page=25

[oregon50]

We were on same cruise + one segment. Your conversations with Marco convince me to agree in general terms about the food. I remember writng on here "be careful what you wish for" when so many seemed so happy to bid adios to Charlie Palmer. We opened 2012 with a month aboard Quest, and a big difference was noticed between the two cruises for food.

After two days of your upcoming Whisper voyage, it is a safe bet that you are going to wish to be sitting within my sight on Quest.

 

If you knew what the average per person fare was during your segments, you would wonder how they could afford what they did serve for food.

[beargal]

Your review is so much more eloquent than I could do but I must say I totally agree with you on the food.

My husband and I were on the Sojourn crossing in March and just finished the Quest crossing this month. Previously we had cruised on all three sisters. We noticed in March and it was certainly reinforced this month that the food was not as flavorful and tasty as we had remembered it as being on the little sisters. Even the much loved bread sticks and twice baked goat cheese souffle no longer seem to have much flavor.

We ended up only eating dinner in the main restaurant 4 times on a 13 night cruise. One area of difference between the two ships is that the dining room staff on the Quest was much more responsive to the passengers than on the Sojourn. On the Quest we did not have one issue with the food coming as ordered or waiting an endless time for refills on iced tea. The Quest crew greatly exceeded the standard of the Sojourn dining room crew. The food seemed to have the same issues though.

We were so disappointed by Restaurant 2 on Sojourn that we did not even bother this time to dine there.

We greatly enjoyed the Colonnade most of the time. The Tuscany Marketplace was much better on the Sojourn. We enjoyed the Thai and Indian nights very much on the Quest. The Quest crew was fantastic.

I am sad to hear that the menus are the same on all the ships now as I was hoping the food issues were only on the larger ships and if we went back to the little sisters we would enjoy the food again. I had also thought I had read on CC previously that with Charlie Palmer leaving the ships chefs would have more leeway as to the menu and local foods. Sad to hear that is not the case either.

Enjoyed your review very much as we experienced the same high and lows as you did.

Rebecca

[lincslady]

Just a thought PhilipB - although I imagine some of the powers that be at Head Office do read these posts, have you actually sent a report to them? Maybe Richard Meadows if you can find an email address, and perhaps also Guest Relations, and Seabourn Club, who I have found in recent months to be helpful and fairly quick to respond.

 

They would see if they look at the various comments under this and the house wines thread that many old hands who still love Seabourn do have issues regarding these topics, and also with service sometimes.

[philipb]

Just a thought PhilipB - although I imagine some of the powers that be at Head Office do read these posts, have you actually sent a report to them? Maybe Richard Meadows if you can find an email address, and perhaps also Guest Relations, and Seabourn Club, who I have found in recent months to be helpful and fairly quick to respond.

 

They would see if they look at the various comments under this and the house wines thread that many old hands who still love Seabourn do have issues regarding these topics, and also with service sometimes.

 

Yes, a letter to Mr Meadows will be winging its way 'across the pond' before Christmas!

[KirkNC]

Thanks for the review!

[philipb]

Thanks for the review!

 

Hope you found it useful!

[Roxburgh]

Thank you for your review which I found most interesting.

 

We were on Odyssey last January and then again in September. While I appreciate your review was about Sojourn, our experience in January would also support your review. However, we noticed a significant improvement between January and September and our latter experience in the main dining room was very good. So clearly something happened on Odyssey to remedy some of the issues that we had found.

 

This leads me to wonder if the problem is the chef and/or the management team on Sojourn rather than Seattle. Long experience of corporate life tells me that head office are always a convenient scapegoat and especially when they are far away.

 

I agree with your comments on the Patio Grill and Restaurant 2. I am not a big fan of R2 mainly because I am more of a meat and potatoes guy. It may be very good but it doesn't work for me. I do like the Patio Grill but, at dinner time, I generally go there for the lamb chops.

 

We will be on Odyssey again next month and I will certainly be attentive to the food in the light of your comments.

[cwisleman]

Thank you for your review which I found most interesting.

 

We were on Odyssey last January and then again in September. While I appreciate your review was about Sojourn, our experience in January would also support your review. However, we noticed a significant improvement between January and September and our latter experience in the main dining room was very good. So clearly something happened on Odyssey to remedy some of the issues that we had found.

 

This leads me to wonder if the problem is the chef and/or the management team on Sojourn rather than Seattle. Long experience of corporate life tells me that head office are always a convenient scapegoat and especially when they are far away.

 

I agree with your comments on the Patio Grill and Restaurant 2. I am not a big fan of R2 mainly because I am more of a meat and potatoes guy. It may be very good but it doesn't work for me. I do like the Patio Grill but, at dinner time, I generally go there for the lamb chops.

 

We will be on Odyssey again next month and I will certainly be attentive to the food in the light of your comments.

 

WE were also on the Odyssey in the same months and totally agree with comments regarding a noticible improvement

[MiniSchnauzer]

The food, selection and portions were much better with Charlie Palmer.

[lincslady]

I tend to agree with Roxburgh that the quality of the cooking and service in the dining room is very dependent on who is the main Chef on board at the time - we have had extremely good food and service on Sojourn and Spirit, and sometimes chaotic service and less good cooking on Odyssey. This latter was with a Chef who was certainly very accomplished when he did a demonstration, but who did appear to be rather self-important, and I suspect was not good at leading a team.

 

However, it does come down to Seattle to make sure that they appoint the sort of Chef who will run a happy and efficient galley, and if necessary not renew the contract of those who do not.

 

As I believe there are at least two Chefs for each ship, I do not feel I am being unkind to anyone in particular by making this comment, but I suspect Head Office will be aware of who are the less satisfactory Head Chefs.

[seasider09]

Having endured the following cruise to philipb I can only congratulate him on the accuracy of his review. I was a returnee after 4 years and frankly now look like being a permanent escapee.

 

The operation of the ship had Seattle's control stamped all over it with particular emphasis on financial issues. Even the Captain's announcedments indicated that all his operational decissions had been made by or inconjunction with Seattle.

 

For example the Chef was clearly talented but he admitted the menues were not in his direct control which resulted in mass catering standards. Although this does not excuse the amount of cool food served. It is ironic that the hotest food consistantly provided was from the open deck Patio Grill even in adverse weather conditions. This was no doubt due to the fact that each serving was individually prepared to order.

 

Compared with similar lines the only asset which Seabourn has is it's outstanding staff but judging on how they are worked there is a danger they may soon decide enough is enough.

 

Once again thanks to philpb leaving me free to getting on with sorting out my suite final account which at best can only described as an estimate.

[Les Picantins]

Years ago I worked for a vacation resort chain that was reputed for it's food. At the beginning of each season, the F & B manager was given a budget that had to last 6 months. While there were certain pre-set standards and pre-ordered containers of food supplies shipped from the mainland once a month, all of the local purchases were in his command. He would purchase different quality product based on the weekly resort rates. The guests that paid high season rates generally ate better than the off season guests. The weather was also a factor. When it rained, the food consummation almost doubled therefore digging in to the budget.

 

If this is the way that Seabourn operates, that could explain why there are so many different opinions about the food served on board. On our last cruise the food was perhaps not as remarkable as on our previous voyages but it was good overall.

[philipb]

Having endured the following cruise to philipb I can only congratulate him on the accuracy of his review. I was a returnee after 4 years and frankly now look like being a permanent escapee.

 

The operation of the ship had Seattle's control stamped all over it with particular emphasis on financial issues. Even the Captain's announcedments indicated that all his operational decissions had been made by or inconjunction with Seattle.

 

For example the Chef was clearly talented but he admitted the menues were not in his direct control which resulted in mass catering standards. Although this does not excuse the amount of cool food served. It is ironic that the hotest food consistantly provided was from the open deck Patio Grill even in adverse weather conditions. This was no doubt due to the fact that each serving was individually prepared to order.

 

Compared with similar lines the only asset which Seabourn has is it's outstanding staff but judging on how they are worked there is a danger they may soon decide enough is enough.

 

Once again thanks to philpb leaving me free to getting on with sorting out my suite final account which at best can only described as an estimate.

 

Thanks for the post seasider09. I'm sorry that the poor quality continued on your cruise (the one following ours) - despite 'our' chef having been putt off the ship at Montevideo! But as you say the new chef was still stuck with those awful Seattle dictated menus and, presumably, the same galley crew. Someone on our cruise suggested that it was the multinational crew in the Galley that was part of the problem. But your experience backs up my review. Incidentally I felt that 'our' chef should have been given the sack, but someone said he was being transferred to the Quest. Pity them!!!

 

A few days before the end of our cruise a F&B 'troubleshooter' was sent from Seattle (that's how bad the problems were). A chap by the name of Kevin Huxham. He was supposed to try and sort out the problems in the Galley. Any idea whether he stayed on board for the duration of your cruise?

[electra2008]

We did 19 nights in Sept and I was so disapointed in the cruise.

Mainly the food, your review says it all. It was so repetitive my husband ate the "always available" Steak almost every time we ate in the Colannade and he is not a steak man. Like you we only ate in The Main D R twice as it was not worth the wait! The best meals we had were in the grill by the pool,but as you said having to wrap up in a in an inadequate blanket was not ideal.

The wait staff had no idea on the correct way to serve. As for catching an eye they were very good at never looking. Too many just bustling around instead of being assigned a specific task. As to clearing tables I could not believe my eyes,they swept the crumbs off the table onto the floor hitting the seats most times and then not dusting the seats off!!

The afternoon tea was quite nice but one day someone different must have made the scones and they were really good, cannot be said for everyday that I went.

As to the Square if you did not get there early enough there was never anywhere to sit, it was soooo crowded. The line up and wait for a coffee was always long. Never once in the nearly 3 weeks did anyone ask if I wanted a drink, other than at a meal or a bar. So I could not understand the posts I had read during my research that said you could not sit down for someone offering a drink.

We returned to UK on the QM2 Brittania class half the cost of Seabourn, the food was excellent the service so much better. We ate in the buffet a fair # of times and that was similar to the Colannde.

The deserts on QM2 were really "to die for" the sort that I was led to believe were the norm on Seabourn.

The cabin was almost the same size as Seabourn only a shower, but that suited us fine, the cupboaard layout was much better.

Even though there are many more people on QM2, because it has so many public areas, it never felt crowded.

I do not think we will be travelling on Seabourn again.

[wripro]

I just got off the fifteen day cruise following the OP's 33 day sailing. Obviously, since I was not on his segments I cannot compare but I do understand that there had been a big problem in the kitchen and therefore the chef was replaced for our cruise. Did that solve all the problems encountered? No. BUT I have to say that with some exceptions I found the food to be quite good and in many cases, excellent. In fact, in my many cruises on Seabourn I found it to be among the best. True, it helps to be a seasoned Seabourn sailor to know how to take advantage of the options so that many nights we had special orders which were superb. This was augmented by one of the best staffs who were always there to make sure nothing was amiss. I do agree that some things could be improved but I have to say that in general, I was very happy, more so than on my two previous Odyssey cruises. And I always like to keep things in perspective. No cruise line imo offers better food on a consistent basis. As for comparing reality to what it says in the brochure, can anyone tell me any business that lives up to its hype?

[cruiseluv]

wripro , phillip, and others recently on Sojourn:

 

A question on Sojourn about a different subject: did you use the internet while onboard? If so, could you comment if it was any good? Is there wifi in the cabin/ public areas?

 

Thanks for any comments!

[philipb]

wripro , phillip, and others recently on Sojourn:

 

A question on Sojourn about a different subject: did you use the internet while onboard? If so, could you comment if it was any good? Is there wifi in the cabin/ public areas?

 

Thanks for any comments!

 

No problems - you can use wifi in your cabin/public areas. The speed is slow as usual but this is because of the satellite link, a feature common to all cruise ships.

[Nicho99]

Good report!

 

We are trying Seabourn for the first time next year. When I read an ever-increasing number of comments about the lowered quality of the food and wine, I'm starting to regret my decision. The choice was made on the basis of reputation, but I fear this was gained pre-Carnival. We did one HAL cruise and thought the food was similar to a hotel convention, and their wines were terrible. We poured their Seahorse wine down the drain. Imagine sailing off of NZ and not having lamb because they ran out of frozen Colorado lamb! That forced us to "upgrade" to Seabourn, but I really do not want to be paying Seabourn prices for a Carnival experience.

 

My question to all: what high-end cruise line still delivers? Maybe not the right forum to ask this, but many of you have been on other cruise lines.

 

As we get older, cruising may form a larger part of our travel plans, but if cruise lines can't match the food and wine experience of our land travels, they will be used sparingly.

 

I already know that I am going to get some resistance on my comments from die hard Seabourn fans. But the food we had on Crystal Serenity back in May on the wonderful Atlantic crossing was absolutely superb. Every day was an adventure when reading the dinner menu. Comments like, 'wow....can't wait to try that!' were common. Best Dover Sole I have ever had....and yes de-boned at the table. Oxtails with a mouth watering Cabernet sauce reduction was to die for. Sushi and sashimi was as good as any great Japanese restaurant on shore from Silk Road. The superb Prego offered spot on Italian cuisine. The once a cruise grand buffet put the garden galley buffet (or whatever they called it) to shame. It wasn't just a rehash of what you got daily from the Colonnade. In short I felt every venue was superior to Seabourn....again just my opinion

 

I know the downfall of Crystal is two seating dining. But we dine at 6-6:30pm at home, so what's the problem? The ships have around a 1000 passengers each...again a problem for some. I found them no more crowed and many more quiet spots than Seabourn. Another downside is you have to book Penthouse category to match the beautiful and spacious veranda cabins. That is where Seabourn shines. But price it out.....'the juice might be worth the squeeze!'

 

Hope this helps.

[DUHCAR]

I already know that I am going to get some resistance on my comments from die hard Seabourn fans. But the food we had on Crystal Serenity back in May on the wonderful Atlantic crossing was absolutely superb. Every day was an adventure when reading the dinner menu. Comments like, 'wow....can't wait to try that!' were common. Best Dover Sole I have ever had....and yes de-boned at the table. Oxtails with a mouth watering Cabernet sauce reduction was to die for. Sushi and sashimi was as good as any great Japanese restaurant on shore from Silk Road. The superb Prego offered spot on Italian cuisine. The once a cruise grand buffet put the garden galley buffet (or whatever they called it) to shame. It wasn't just a rehash of what you got daily from the Colonnade. In short I felt every venue was superior to Seabourn....again just my opinion

 

I know the downfall of Crystal is two seating dining. But we dine at 6-6:30pm at home, so what's the problem? The ships have around a 1000 passengers each...again a problem for some. I found them no more crowed and many more quiet spots than Seabourn. Another downside is you have to book Penthouse category to match the beautiful and spacious veranda cabins. That is where Seabourn shines. But price it out.....'the juice might be worth the squeeze!'

 

Hope this helps.

 

Thanks for your reply. I didn't think anybody was going to.

 

I know that my father and sister like Crystal. But their formal nights seemed a bit much for me and they used to charge for wine.

 

I'll try Seabourn first next year, and then maybe Crystal after that.