Just returned from 10 day Sojourn cruise

[CLOU]

I just returned from 10 days on the Sojourn – Monte Carlo to Barcelona. This was our 6th Seabourn cruise. I thought I would post some random thoughts and updates. We very much enjoyed the cruise, but a few things to comment on:

 

- They are still giving out Seabourn bags. We got ours the first day -it was waiting for us in our cabin.

- There were still the soap choices, although the Hermes was replaced by something different. When our shampoo, conditioner, etc. ran out, they were replaced by the larger sizes, normally given in the larger suites.

- The Herald is down to one two-sided sheet of paper. I did not feel we were missing any information. I think in the past a lot of the additional space was taken up by spa ads and graphics.

- The complimentary wine was very poor. I must disclose that I am a big wine drinker. On past cruises I have been able to find a few of complimentary wines that were acceptable and stuck with those. On this cruise, while I still found a couple of wines I could drink, they were even lower in quality. When you consider the options out there, Seabourn could definitely find better wines in the same price range.

- The food was okay, but not great. I noticed a slight dip in quality and fewer choices. However, I don’t expect fine restaurant quality.

- Service was quite good (with a couple of minor lapses). Very few people addressed us by name, and those were mostly crew we remembered from prior cruises. However, that is not really important to me, as long as the service is attentive. A couple of crew members addressed me by my husband’s name (we have different last names) but I am used to that. We did notice that there seemed to be a lot of crew who were new to Seabourn and learning how things worked. Many of them seemed to fit right in, although a few seemed to have a hard time and I am not sure they will make it in the long run.

- The guitarist in the club played a lot of lot 60’s to early 80’s music which suited the crowd fine. However, he had a limited vocal range, and should have stuck to songs within the range. The funniest thing about him is that my husband and I would try to guess what other artists he would play. We thought he might play a Gordon Lightfoot song, but we never thought he would play “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald’ about a ship sinking – which he did.

- There seemed to be less organized activities on the ship, but that might be because there was only one sea day. The marina day was cancelled due to rough seas. Caviar was served in the pool on the last night.

- The perennial smoking question – there were a few smokers, but I was never really bothered by smoke except when I chose to sit at a smoking table by the Sky Bar to chat with another couple (smokers) we had befriended.

- A very strange happening at the end of the cruise. We returned from dinner on our last night to discover our suit hangers were missing. I reported this to Seabourn Square, who said our stewardess probably took them, since they are to remove all non-standard hangers (but before we are done packing?!). Our stewardess claimed it was a colleague who was helping her, but I suspect she was just embarrassed. At any rate, they were returned in time for us to finish packing.

 

I think this sound more negative than it is intended. We very much enjoyed the cruise and put down an pen deposit for the next one. Just noticing some changes. That’s all for now. If anyone has specific questions, I would be happy to answer them.

[Harvey2442]

Disappointing to read some of the negatives particularly as wines seemed to have improved of late. Seems you cruise was enjoyable but a bit lack lustre. With the much higher per diem rates quoted for 2015 Seabourn is going to have to up their game to justify the hike and cost cutting in some areas will only lead to more negatives appearing

[Les Picantins]

On our last night on the Sojourn in July, the mattress pad had disappeared!

[jenidallas]

- The guitarist in the club played a lot of lot 60’s to early 80’s music which suited the crowd fine. However, he had a limited vocal range, and should have stuck to songs within the range. The funniest thing about him is that my husband and I would try to guess what other artists he would play. We thought he might play a Gordon Lightfoot song, but we never thought he would play “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald’ about a ship sinking – which he did..

 

Was it Danny? I heard it on my last sailing and it surprised me too!!!

[PaulaJK]

CLOU

 

Thank you for posting your observations/experiences.

We were on Sojourn in mid August, Barcelona to Athens and had the same impression re: wines, food and limited activities. Since we had previously visited many of these ports it was a significant disappointment that the dining room was closed for lunch. This in combination with the extremely limited entertainment in The Club has led us to cancel our early 2015 cruise. Also, SB is making longer announcements, It was impossible to sleep through the nannyish--- the ship is clear, wear your hat, sunscreen, drink water,etc announcements by the CD..

 

Unlike yourself [& perhaps because we were on board in March'14] we were mostly greeted by name. We found the staff energetic, happy and eager to please.

 

I enjoyed our cruise but no longer found it in the luxury class. I sincerely hope that SB will upgrade its offerings as we would like to continue sailing iththem.

[lincslady]

Just one point Paula. It is not Seabourn who are making longer announcements on board, it is the individual Cruise Director. One or two are as you describe, always telling you what to do, but most are either almost non-existent on the loudspeaker, or have the sense just to make important announcements. Luck of the draw.

 

I never expect much in the way of activities on full port days, but we have been I guess lucky in recent cruises that the dining room has been open - maybe just for an hour - for both breakfast and lunch. Never more than a few tables occupied. Again, like the announcement situation, I think it is decided by on board staff - chef/maitre'd perhaps?

[CLOU]

The singer was Ben, so it seems various singers do not understand the impropriety of the song.

 

Our cruise director was Jan. She did not give paternalistic advice every day, but she did give a quote of the day, some intended to be funny others inspirational. we found them to be neither, but some seemed to enjoy them.

 

The MDR was open for breakfast every day, but no one ever seemed to be in it. We ate at the Colonnade. It was never open for lunch except for the galley lunch on the sea day.

 

I know my thoughts were mostly on the negative side, and I definitely saw some downhill sliding from my last cruise (I think I see a little movement in that direction on each cruise) but I still don't think there is a better option out there for us. We used to sale Regent (starting when it was still Radisson) and we left that line when it continued to go downhill, in our minds, and Seabourn got balconies at the same time (a must for my claustrophobic husband). Regent went "all inclusive" shortly after that which made it s non-starter since I rarely take ship's excursions and the prices went way up. Plus, Seabourn as it is now is still better than Regent was the last time I sailed with them which was about 6 or 7 years ago, at least for me but everyone has there own preferences.

[PaulaJK]

Linslady

 

I just wanted to add that the Restaurant Mgr told me that closing the MDR for lunch was a 'company' decision...but who knows.

 

I prefer the quiet CDs!

[Martita B.]

Thank you for your reveiw of the Sojourn sailing.

Did you happen to meet and visit with "Miss A?" She boarded last Dec. ~and I think she'll stay until Nov/Dec. Also, at the Club night is she acepting "most days award?" I haven't been in touch with her for sometime due to my health issues.

Thanks again ~happy cruisin'

Martita B

[T&C Fulham]

"Also, SB is making longer announcements, It was impossible to sleep through the nannyish--- the ship is clear, wear your hat, sunscreen, drink water,etc announcements by the CD.."

 

Not on the Quest last week. A brief one from the CD in the morning explaining which deck was being used for departure. A brief one from the Captain when setting sail in the evening mainly to explain the expected weather.

 

However, we did stop mid ocean to investigate an abandoned life raft and both gave us an interesting and full description of what was happening.

 

Tony

[PaulaJK]

Tony, I am happy to learn of your experience and will lay ours at the feet of the CD [as linclady also indicated]. As CLOU noted, some enjoy this, others don't. We also had enthusiastic exhortations re: caviar in the pool and the epicurean event...and many disembarkation announcements. This can be a slippery slope. Either the line has a no announcement policy or not. Of course events such as mechanical dysfunctions, medevac and life raft searches are exceptions to the rule.

 

We just disembarked Crystal. When the ship arrived early [e.g. 8am] there was simply a chime, no announcement. If the ship arrived later in the day, there was a simple 2 sentence informational. Disembarkation was as quiet as a monastery.

 

Of course, I respect that various people feel various ways about this.

[T&C Fulham]

"We just disembarked Crystal."

 

How was it? I realise I should look up all the SB v C threads - but in a sentence or two?

 

Tony

[oregon50]

Thank you for your reveiw of the Sojourn sailing.

Did you happen to meet and visit with "Miss A?" She boarded last Dec. ~and I think she'll stay until Nov/Dec. Also, at the Club night is she acepting "most days award?" I haven't been in touch with her for sometime due to my health issues.

 

She is on Quest and not taking the bowl.

[Martita B.]

oregon50

Thanks for Miss A's "jumpin' ship" info ~all she needs is another Tiffany gift! :D

Happy sailings

MB

[Able Seaman H]

I would imagine a port intensive med cruise is very different from cruises with several days at sea.

 

It must be difficult when so many people get off the ship leaving skeleton numbers. There is also the risk of people turning in early at night knowing they have a long day of exploration ahead of them which usually starts at the crack of dawn.

 

 

Henry :)

[PathfinderEss]

Thanks for your thoughts....

[schooltchr]

We were on a Med cruise this past spring where it rained for 11 out of 14 days, obviously impacting the entire cruise experience. Not one meal outdoors....it was freezing. It was the cruise directors JOB AND RESPONSIBILITY to boost morale of the passengers, which was very low. Jan was apathetic, ill equipped, uninterested, unsympathetic and clearly THE WORST CRUISE DIRECTOR we've ever encountered. She did nothing, she didn't care. Every person complained. When do you see an entire ship of people reading in the lounge all day at 11:00 mumbling it is depressing.? She was lousy.:mad:

[lincslady]

I suppose this has to be the same Jan we have met several times on Seabourn - perhaps not for 2 or 3 years. She (a rather older attractive lady) was charming, friendly and did all one could expect as a Cruise Director. Very sad to hear this if it is the same person.

[LEESRE]

I suppose this has to be the same Jan we have met several times on Seabourn - perhaps not for 2 or 3 years. She (a rather older attractive lady) was charming, friendly and did all one could expect as a Cruise Director. Very sad to hear this if it is the same person.

 

I am sure this cannot be her, we think she is one of the best CD's we have had on our Seabourn cruises.

[Roxburgh]

We have sailed with Jan twice and thought that she was very good.

[Martita B.]

I've sailed with Jan for many years (13) and I believe she is simply tired. Usually her husband Dan is aboard with her. He plays a saxaphone and use to be in the Seabourn band ~I guess they still own a home in Las Vegas and she will probably retire soon.

Jan Stearman has been one of the best Cruise Directors on the high seas.......she and adorable David E. Bless their hearts, as it's quite a job to please everyone.

Martita B

[medroots]

Thank you for your reveiw of the Sojourn sailing.

Did you happen to meet and visit with "Miss A?" She boarded last Dec. ~and I think she'll stay until Nov/Dec. Also, at the Club night is she acepting "most days award?" I haven't been in touch with her for sometime due to my health issues.

 

She is on Quest and not taking the bowl.

 

They frequently acknowledge her by name at Club Night and will mention her # of days on board without the presentation. They also do special presentations when she reaches certain milestones. For people doing back to back cruises, once they are announced as having the most days on board and presented with a gift, they move on to the next person/couple for subsequent Club Nights to acknowledge others for their loyalty.

[Martita B.]

Good friends of mine, the Cass's from the UK have the most days aboard Seabourn.They are a lovely, very down to earth, sweet couple.

Happy Sailings

Martita B.

[jagi]

Perhaps this was another Jan.

 

The Jan I've sailed with several times was outgoing, quite charming, able to come up with fun activities for the passengers whenever there was an unexpected sea day. She was always around chatting with the passengers.

[Martita B.]

Jan Stearman has the best personality of a true, gracious lady that I've ever met!! Sweet, thoughtful, extremely talented (fabulous voice) and very professional ~~Seabourn is most fortunate Jan is with "their team."

Martita