Thinking about a Seabourn cruise. . .

[perlgirlnj]

I am currently looking at Baltic cruises for summer 2014. We are very itinerary-driven, and there are some nice 7 day cruises that would enable us to add on days at the beginning and end to get a little more out of it. The other cruise that I'm considering is an Azamara 10 day that obviously is longer but has 2 ports that don't interest me. I've sailed AZ before so I know what I'd be getting into.

 

Can anyone highlight the pro's and con's of Seabourn vs. Azamara? Food? Formality/dress code? Passengers? Ship size? (I mean beyond what i can figure out by reading the statistics, obviously.)

 

We are in our early 50's, American, love fine food & wine, art & culture. We're not much for on-ship entertainment. We would probably book our own excursions because of our art-heavy interests.

 

The cabin categories are a mystery to me. I've always looked for mid-ship cabins away from activity and between other decks that have cabins on them. And we've always booked verandahs. But some of the options I'm being shown are right near activity or elevators (not my preference) or far forward or odd configurations. It seems like we have to go up quite a few categories to get what I'm used to, and at much greater expense. Is it worth it to do so or are all the cabins good? And is a verandah necessary for a Baltic cruise in June or July--or is it a waste of money?

 

I'm asking a lot here but I'm kind of flailing. Hope you guys can help me fill in some of the blanks.

[wripro]

I'll try to answer some of your questions.

 

First of all, if you do a search I'm sure you can find comparisons between Azamara and Seabourn on these boards. There have literally been hundreds if not thousands of comparisons between lines, or what I call the lawsuit threads....one line vs. another.

 

As far as cabin location is concerned Seabourn is different from Azamara (and most lines for that matter) in that all the cabins or suites are located forward and all the public venues are located aft. This is unlike Azamara which has entire decks devoted to cabins and other entire decks devoted to common space. Obviously you can still get midship suites on Seabourn and like other lines they will be more expensive. But do remember that the basic suite in Seabourn is larger than even the sky suites on Azamara (365 sq. ft vs 326) and MUCH larger than the regular cabin on Azamara which with verandah is still only 216 sq. ft. So to get a comparable space on Azamara you will be paying at least as much as on Seabourn.

 

I assume you are planning on a cruise on one of the larger newer Seabourn ships since you are asking about verandahs. Whether you need one is entirely up to you. They are nice to have but Seabourn ships are small enough so that an outdoor space is never far away. You can certainly save some money by not having one. If you decide to go for a verandah the thing to know is that categories V1 and V2 on Deck Five have verandahs that are half steel and half glass so when you're sitting in your suite you will not be able to see the sea. You need to go to a V3 in order to get an all glass verandah. Again whether that is worth it is up to you. Even in a non verandah suite the interior space is identical.

 

Ship size: Azamara ships are 30 thousand tons and carry 684 passengers. Seabourn O class ships are 32 thousand tons and carry 450 passengers so you can see there is lots more space per passenger. Dress code is all casual on Azamara whereas on Seabourn it is a mix of casual, elegant casual (jacket required) and probably one formal optional night where a jacket and tie are asked for but not required. All restaurants are included on Seabourn, no extra charge as there is on Azamara. And all alcohol is included including most premium brands.

 

My advice would be to give Seabourn a try. It's a great cruise line with great food and service. The Baltic is a perfect itinerary to do that imo.

[JaneBP]

I have many days on Seabourn, both big and little sisters. I also have countless hours reading and posting on CC. I really do not remember any complaints about elevator noises. Yes, there may be a few, but I doubt very many. Which ship are you considering?

[Chairsin]

Not only does Seabourn carry fewer passengers in a ship roughly the same size but the ratio of crew to passengers is substantially higher on Seabourn -- 330 crew for 450PAX versus 408/694 on Azmara. So if service is important to you that is a consideration.

[perlgirlnj]

The itinerary we are looking at is on the Seabourn Quest. I'm sure the elevators aren't themselves noisy; it's the sound of people talking going in and out of the elevators or while they're waiting for them. This frequently bothers me at hotels, not just on cruise ships. This is generally why I like to choose locations that aren't near elevators, stairs, or public places. The first set of comments above are very helpful in terms of understanding why all the cabins that were coming up were forward. Do you feel movement in the front of the ship? Or hear anchor/docking noise?

 

I also appreciate the differentiation between V1, V2, and V3. Are there any other things to keep in consideration?

 

Any other pointers? I like hearing it all; it helps provide clarity. Thanks!

[JaneBP]

Generally the only time I have found there might be some others waiting for the lift is after dinner or when a show is over. Still a rare occurrence, in my opinion. Perhaps someone else will comment on their lift experiences?

[perlgirlnj]

Generally the only time I have found there might be some others waiting for the lift is after dinner or when a show is over. Still a rare occurrence, in my opinion. Perhaps someone else will comment on their lift experiences?

 

My concern isn't having to wait for the lift--I generally take the stairs, anyway. It's the sound of people talking as they enter or exit the lift, like at the end of a show when I may already be sleeping.

[woofer]

You won't hear a thing. No comparison Btwn the two experiences- it's like Dom Perignon vs a Andre sparkling wine champagne wannabe-

[lincslady]

Just a quick correction - on Seabourn formal optional nights a jacket IS required, certainly in the dining room, but not necessarily a tie. But no longer necessary to have a dinner jacket or dark suit.

[lincslady]

Just a quick correction - on Seabourn formal optional nights a jacket IS required, certainly in the dining room, but not necessarily a tie. But no longer necessary to have a dinner jacket or dark suit.

 

I should have added that Seabourn tend to have more 'elegant casual' (jacket required) than 'casual' evenings (jacket not required). On a longer cruise, say 14 days, there are likely to be 3 casual nights, 2 formal optional nights, and the rest jacket required. My DH now takes 2 jackets, one more 'formal' and the other a casual cotton/linen one. This may not apply so much for, say, the Caribbean.

[wripro]

Most passengers on SB are quiet and you won't hear much loud talking but of course, there is no guarantee unless there is a Whisperer's Convention on board. You take that risk on any public vessel.

 

If you book an A category or even a V1 which is very far forward you may hear some anchor noise in tender ports. I'd suggest going more midship.

[perlgirlnj]

Thank you everyone for the info and feedback. CC is an invaluable resource and its members are so helpful. I think we're going to keep looking because the smoking policy doesn't thrill me. Years ago we were on a ship where someone near us smoked on the verandah (legally, so no right to complain). We found it really detracted from our enjoyment of the verandah, aside from the other public places where smoking was allowed. I heard that Crystal is changing their smoking policy for indoor spaces for 2014, btw. We'll have to see what everyone's policies are when we're ready to make the leap into the higher echelons. Thanks again.

[wripro]

I wish you luck finding a cruise line with no talking, noise, or smoking. Please let us know what you come up with.

[perlgirlnj]

I wish you luck finding a cruise line with no talking, noise, or smoking. Please let us know what you come up with.

 

I'm assuming (hoping) that you meant this tongue-in-cheek and you have given me a chuckle. That would seem to be a tall order, wouldn't it?

 

If you meant it seriously, well, I have nothing to add other than we've enjoyed our previous 9 cruises and am sure we'll enjoy the next ones too.

[Hobar]

The itinerary we are looking at is on the Seabourn Quest. I'm sure the elevators aren't themselves noisy; it's the sound of people talking going in and out of the elevators or while they're waiting for them. This frequently bothers me at hotels, not just on cruise ships. This is generally why I like to choose locations that aren't near elevators, stairs, or public places. The first set of comments above are very helpful in terms of understanding why all the cabins that were coming up were forward. Do you feel movement in the front of the ship? Or hear anchor/docking noise?

 

I also appreciate the differentiation between V1, V2, and V3. Are there any other things to keep in consideration?

 

Any other pointers? I like hearing it all; it helps provide clarity. Thanks!

 

Book a Penthouse suite. The only ones who pass through that floor are officers so no passenger traffic. There is also a longer hallway to get to the bed and you can close the bedroom door. Never heard a sound However I did hear my neighbor's drawers but not loudly and not often.

[Mr Luxury]

Book a Penthouse suite. The only ones who pass through that floor are officers so no passenger traffic

 

Only other guests from the other penthouse suites on that floor

 

I think the op needs to charter their own yacht to be sure of their surroundings

[stamfordian]

However I did hear my neighbor's drawers but not loudly and not often.

 

I'm not sure we really want to go there.....

[perlgirlnj]

Only other guests from the other penthouse suites on that floor

 

I think the op needs to charter their own yacht to be sure of their surroundings

 

Honestly, is there no politeness and civility here? I'm sorry I asked the questions I asked, now knowing I would be made fun of. This started out being a nice , helpful group. I'm disappointed in the direction this thread has gone. I knew cc could get snarky but this is my first encounter with it, and frankly, it feels petty and mean. Would these be my fellow cruisers? No, don't answer, I don't need to hear more like this.

[turnip eater]

I'm not sure we really want to go there.....

 

That made me laugh:D:D:D:D

[lincslady]

perlgirlnj - believe me, there are just one or two on the Seabourn board who love to take a rise out of everyone. The others are usually helpful and sometimes humorous, but not snarky.

 

However, I did enjoy the comment about the 'neighbours' drawers' - not sure if this has the same meaning in other countries as in the UK (an oldfashioned name for a female undergarment)

[turnip eater]

Honestly, is there no politeness and civility here? I'm sorry I asked the questions I asked, now knowing I would be made fun of. This started out being a nice , helpful group. I'm disappointed in the direction this thread has gone. I knew cc could get snarky but this is my first encounter with it, and frankly, it feels petty and mean. Would these be my fellow cruisers? No, don't answer, I don't need to hear more like this.

 

Please don't that comment personally.......Mr Luxury insults everyone:rolleyes:

 

It's his 'humour'

[Mr Luxury]

I wish you luck finding a cruise line with no talking, noise, or smoking. Please let us know what you come up with.

 

I think that wripro also found the op's needs a little too much:rolleyes:

[Tillylovesseabourn]

To add my five cents worth here. I think OP will find Crystal worse if he/she is concerned about smoking,as there are far more smoking areas, bars and rooms at the moment. So OP should consider this with the other lines.

 

Also I don't really think the food quality is a good comparison either, I think that for one to achieve the quality of SBs fare,OP would have to be paying extra every night to eat in the Azamara speciality restaurants.

[kietzmanbc]

And here is what I can provide for you from our experience, now keep in mind this was our first cruise so I have no comparisons.

 

We had a front cabin, the ONLY noise we heard was the occasional door slam (no control over this anywhere on the ship) and the anchor when we were at a tender port. It only happened twice, so we were not concerned about it.

 

If you had a port intensive cruise I am not sure that upgrading to a higher level suite would make any difference as you would spend little time in your room. I would always like a balcony but I like to eat breakfast outside with room service when we travel so this is just a personal preference.

 

We were on the Seabourn Odyssey and I was actually amazed at how quiet the elevators were even when in the elevators. So I am not sure this would be an issue unless "right" beside them.

 

Also because there is not a lot of passengers (max 400) there does not tend to be a lot of elevator traffic in my opinion. And it goes in waves, befoe the show there will be a wave and after the show at 10:30.

 

Our experience was that the crowd is a bit older than your stated age group, so it is not really noisy in general.

 

As for attire, this is something of note. We wished that there were more options for no jacket required for men. There were 3 nights on our 18 days of no jacket required with 3 formal nights. Please don't take this the wrong way, but my husband dresses well, we had our formal things (he even brought a tux), I had all my cute dresses for evenings, but I do not think jackets should be required all the time. It was very hot everywhere we were and it just seemed a bit excessive, I felt sorry for him. How about dress pants and collared shirt. Oh and he brought jeans, but would not have felt comfortable wearing them anywhere. Anyways, it was just our opinion.

 

The food was fabulous, they did an excellent job of changing the food everyday so you did not get bored.

 

Wine served with dinner was always a pairing that they did, if you did not want either and you stated that you would prefer a cab over a pinot noir, they would gladly get that for you. There are also wine packages that were reasonable if you wanted nicer wines. Champagne flows freely everywhere.

 

We booked most of or excursions seperately and would continue to do so. Private guide is the way to go.

 

Good luck, we loved our trip with Seabourn.

[Chairsin]

And so have you put down your deposit for a future cruise?