From Seabourn to "mainstream" (Celebrity or Princess)

[Emperor Norton]

Forums are nothing actual service is 3xve r ything

 

Sent via squirrels and a rotary phone

[bahrain_not_dubai!]

Expectations, expectations, expectations. That is the key to happiness!

 

As it has already been said, both the George V in Paris and the Hilton can offer satisfying experiences, if your expectations are adjusted accordingly. If you pay £1,000 a night at one property, it would be unfair to expect the same of a property that charges £100 a night. Similarly, a Celebrity voyage would not be up to the quality of Seabourn. Then again, it is likely you would be paying considerably less than you would for corresponding accommodations on Seabourn. Read plenty about the Celebrity experience, and try to enjoy the experience for as long your expectations are adjusted, there is nothing stopping you from having a great experience. I would strongly suggest Celebrity over Princess, for it is generally considered to be a more 'upmarket' product, and can be 'luxed up' more easily. I would suggest a suite cabin, which would unlock a range of perks (somewhat akin to 'Club' rooms at hotels), as well as a healthy dose of speciality restaurants. The beverage package Celebrity offers can also take care of your drinking needs.

 

On the other hand, if you would rather stick to the luxury lines, then Silversea, Regent and Oceania offer Alaskan voyages.

[Godot]

Last year we did South America on the Sojourn. This year we joined a group of friends on Celebrity Reflection. We were on the Reflection last week.

 

As most have said, it's all about expectations. Seabourn is a much nicer experience overall, but you pay for it.

 

Observations -

I would definitely pay for the suite on Celebrity, even without the extra perks. We were in Aqua class, which is still a standard room. It's tight, and there isn't a lot of storage.

 

Dining - Buffet wasn't great, we mostly went there to grab some cheese as a pre-dinner snack on the balcony. MDR for lunches was okay, not crowded, food was entirely forgettable. Blu for breakfast and dinner was actually quite nice. Had a number of very nice meals, and the service was outstanding (better than on Sojourn). We didn't try any of the other specialty restaurants. 2 couples in our group did go to the MDR for one formal night, and had no desire to return.

 

Relection was nice, clean, well run. Captain was very visible and came through the restaurants a couple of times during dinner. I found Reflection to be louder and busier than Sojourn. The other big difference is that on Reflection it constantly felt like you were being sold something

 

I much prefer the Seabourn experience, but if my friends were planning another Celebrity Cruise I wouldn't be opposed to it.

[Emperor Norton]

jenidallas you wonder what other cruise lines are like?

We are wondering the same thing but from the other side of things by moving up to a luxury cruise line as we have only cruised Holland America, Princess, MSC and Royal Caribbean and now we are moving up to Seabourn. Its a bit frightening for us to be on a Seaboun cruise for the first time wondering about dress codes, how to cruise with other passengers who have cruised with Seaborn many times and who seem to know all the crew, the correct way to hold the knife and fork, wondering what we are going to do wrong, etc etc :D

 

Its easy. Most of the people are easy going and fun to talk to (especially the regulars at the Sky Bar - imo). On my last cruise there was a first timer to Seabourn who had only been on Carnival and RCCI previously. After imbibing a little water of life he found out that people wouldn't bite your head off or ignore you just because you haven't circumnavigated the globe several times on Seabourn. The dress code part is easy. Relax, have fun, and remember the hardest part should be leaving at the end of the cruise as you'll probably not want to get off.

[Patti22]

Thecat123,

You will find Seabourn passengers very friendly and open to meeting new friends. We met a couple on the pier in Peru and cruised with them again this summer to the Baltics.

As for dress and which fork to use, I believe the normal rules apply. Seabourn is not "stuffy." I wish you a great cruise.

[Thecat123]

Thecat123,

You will find Seabourn passengers very friendly and open to meeting new friends. We met a couple on the pier in Peru and cruised with them again this summer to the Baltics.

As for dress and which fork to use, I believe the normal rules apply. Seabourn is not "stuffy." I wish you a great cruise.

 

Now you have frightened me again :)

I think what you are saying is its like when I first took the wife business class on a plane she now will not fly cattle class anymore so therefore all the other shipping lines will now be out of the question after cruising with Seabourn :D

We are really looking forward to boarding the Quest on January 4th :)

[marchanxiety]

You have hit the nail on the head!

[cruiserchuck]

We would recommend Celebrity over Princess. We have sailed twice recently on Solstice class ships in Aqua class, and enjoyed the cruises very much. We sailed once on Seabourn over 10 years ago, and thought it was outstanding. We also sailed once on Princess, and felt it was far inferior to Celebrity.

[Itasca]

Alaska is my favorite cruising ground. I have sailed Regent, Crystal, Princess, and Holland America. For a first cruise, I would suggest a 7day RT on HAL from Vancouver with Glacier Bay on the itinerary. Add in the Tracy Arm excursion and you hit most of the scenic hotspots in southeastern Alaska. Book a Neptune Suite with access to the Neptune Lounge. The Seattle based itineraries have to shoehorn in an extra stop in Victoria that changes the port times. Also they stay on the ocean side of Vancouver Island. If you really want to see Victoria, add a day trip before or after the cruise.