What to expect from Seabourn

[Djonemore]

Hey everybody. I'm new on the luxury side of cursing. I've always cruised with family, friends to have fun see tropical places.. as you can see from my previous choices. I was looking into luxury cruising I want something different then the giant fun ships, and thought about Seabourn. I understand luxury cruising is different then say party/getaway cruises.

My question is exactly what is included with a Seabourn cruise, and what to expect?

 

- Matt

[Chairsin]

No charge for wine/liquor, no tipping, no extra dining charges, no shuttle charges, etc. in other words your wonderful cruise experience will not be interrupted by constant nickel and dining. The ships are all suite ( all with separate bathtubs and showers, double sinks, walk in closets) with no inside cabins. And while there are a few premium suites with some nominal perks there is no class system -- basically it is the democracy of luxury. Because of the smaller number of passengers lines ( for tenders, to board, at buffets) are nominal to nonexistent. The food is very good and your fellow passengers are usually interesting well traveled people. But for me the biggest luxury of Seabourn is the wonderful personalized service. The crew, IMHO, are what make Seabourn special.

[Djonemore]

Thanks for the response Chairsin!

I really do like the sound of all that, for me seabourn will be expensive but I do want to try something different. When I come back from the typical large cruise line vacations I felt like I had a great time but not relaxed. I need something to disconnect me and do absolutely nothing. :D

[Chairsin]

You are welcome. I will tell you that for many of us one you go on Seabourn it is hard to look at other cruise lines. In our case one wonderful cruise 14 years ago on Seabourn has turned into hundreds of equally wonderful days on board since.

 

I don't know what cruise you are looking at but with Seabourn your days and nights, even on the port intensive cruises we favor, can be as busy or ax relaxed as you like. So if relaxing is your sim you can certainly do plenty of that on board being pampered by the crew.

[Roxburgh]

Large rooms. Even the smallest rooms are big (around 300 sq. ft.) and configured as a junior suite. Most rooms have a veranda.

 

All inclusive. No signing for drinks, coffees, no tipping, take what you want from mini-bar, etc.. 'Standard' drinks include beers, decent wine, champagne, single malts like Glenmorangie, Remy Martin cognac, etc.. (There is extra bill for the Spa, Internet, the Shop, Tours and if you buy wine off the premium list).

 

Outstanding service.

 

Choice of four restaurants. No extra fees for any of them and food is generally very good.

 

Choice of four bars plus a coffee bar.

 

Generally (though not always) no kids.

 

Usually, the other passengers are interesting and fun to be with.

 

Smaller ships mean you can get into smaller ports and away from the mega-ships.

[English Tim]

One of the great benefits is that we feel that we are walking around our holiday home, as opposed to a large hotel with endless corridors.

 

Nothing is too much trouble in this friendly private club.

[farbster]

Hi,

 

I have not yet been on Seabourn (sailing July 2016), but I have been on 3 Silversea cruises...

 

The cruise ships are much smaller and it is easier to see the same people and make friends.

 

The nickel and diming isn't there. If you want a drink (soda or otherwise) by the pool, you're not signing anything.

 

I would imagine that the average age of the passenger is a little older than non-lux ships.

 

Smaller ships also lend to some more interesting ports for a number of reasons. One, the passengers have already been to Barcelona 5x or Nassau 4x, so they need to find ports that are new to interest them. Also, with a smaller ship, you can go places the large ships can't handle.

 

If you can swing the bill, give it a try!

 

If you're a first time passenger with Seabourn, look at the referral coupon thread here.

[MARIANH]

Yes all the good things other posters have mentioned but there is an Achilles heel if you you are smoke intolerant.

 

The Seabourn permissive smoking policy allows pax to smoke on their balconies. Should these be near to yours you will be exposed to second hand tobacco smoke.

 

Now this may not matter to you or indeed you may welcome the freedom to do likewise. However if not you should be aware that this may impact on the enjoyment of your cruise.

 

Just posted in the interest of balance.

[Catlover54]

Yes all the good things other posters have mentioned but there is an Achilles heel if you you are smoke intolerant.

 

The Seabourn permissive smoking policy allows pax to smoke on their balconies. Should these be near to yours you will be exposed to second hand tobacco smoke.

 

Now this may not matter to you or indeed you may welcome the freedom to do likewise. However if not you should be aware that this may impact on the enjoyment of your cruise.

 

Just posted in the interest of balance.

 

There were very few smokers on my "newbie" Odyssey cruise (and below is a link to my review of that cruise in September 2015), but there were some. They mostly did not bother me much when I encountered them in their segregated public areas (on SB or elsewhere) but I realize some people do not want to get exposure to even a little smoke. If your neighbors are chain smokers who are always on their decks and you are downwind of them, you might be bothered.

 

http://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=513703

[Chairsin]

Yes, good to make sure people know about that in advance of booking -- caveat emptor!

[Emperor Norton]

Yes, good to make sure people know about that in advance of booking -- caveat emptor!

 

Since that was brought up we shouldn't forget to mention the dress code may be a little different;)

 

Also with regards to the food, you can have pretty much whatever you want if you give the staff 24 hours notice. The Caviar in the surf/pool/deck event can be interesting (especially in places where it's actually in the surf). The only announcement you'll hear on an average day is the captains noon update.

 

A potential downside that I've noticed is that if you're not good at keeping yourself occupied you may find the line a bit boring. While there are things to do every day it's not like other lines where there's potentially too much to do.

 

A family friend ran a business but it was taking its toll on him. He looked stressed out and tired all the time, even when coming back from trips to here and there. He was finally convinced to try a luxury cruise (different line but similar level of service to Seabourn). When he came back he looked like a totally different person, rested, relaxed and no longer had a frantic worry about him.

[Chairsin]

Yes, all good points. As I noted we favor port intensive cruises thus ship activities or lack thereof are a nonissue. More than two days in a row where I could not hop off the ship and wander around would drive me crazy. But I also know many like your friend that love sea days. To each his own.

[Thecat123]

Is Seabourn really more expensive?

We did our homework for our trip to Antarctica and found that Seabourn was a very good price as everything, well most things. were included as compared to other shipping lines we looked at

We learnt very quickly one doesn't make throw away comments as Seabourn will do their best to organise it for you. An Australian was sitting at the next table to us in the dining room jokingly asked for Corned Beef with Colliflower Sauce and two days later there it was. He was only joking

Also don't forget your referral coupon if your a first time cruiser

We will be going with Seabourn again

[Able Seaman H]

As has been said already when comparing prices you need to be looking at a Junior / Grand suite on the mainstream cruise lines. A basic Seabourn cabin is a very different beast to that found on the usual suspects.

 

As for what to expect? Well for us it's being treated as human beings. Embarkation isn't the usual scrum. You have lots of space to yourself, no fighting for sun loungers or waiting for lifts (elevators). You press a button & one arrives.

 

Everyone has a can do attitude even down to the concierge on deck 7 in the square. No queuing for ages only to be told no, you sit at a desk and they want to help.

 

When reading some of the posts on here you do have to remember that some people have lost their perspective. Hundreds of days cruising premium lines mean they almost look for faults. Similarly if something changes they are in uproar when a new cruiser wouldn't know any different.

 

People smoke on mainstream cruises as well as luxury cruises. The entry threshold means your fellow guests tend to be a more pleasant bunch although there are still a few who upset the apple cart. There's even one poster on here who insists on bringing a child onboard !!!

 

On our first SB cruise I was expecting there to be a catch. Did "premium brand" mean Gordon's gin was charged for? Seabourn's premium is Louis XIII cognac so there is no catch. Far from trying to ration the staff are at pains to ensure you are well taken care of. It gets to the point where they read your mind :)

 

Entertainment isn't the same as the mainstream big boys but for what it's worth I think the entertainment staff on SB punch above their weight. Cabaret style rather than big production shows. You get to meet all the performers afterwards in the club or around the ship.

 

We board looking to have a good time and SB makes it very easy. Choice of destination will have a big influence on your experience as will duration of cruise. I would suggest 2 weeks rather than 1.

 

Henry :)

Edited December 15, 2015 by Able Seaman H

[lincslady]

If you hate smoking and the possibility of having a smoker next door in a balcony suite, my advice would be to go for an A or, better, A1 window suite. Exactly the same suite size, just with a fairly large window and no balcony. And obviously less expensive for your first experiment with a small luxury line.

[ab21au]

Admittedly I have only done 2 cruises but on both there has been very few smokers onboard. I know there is alway a chance of getting a smoker next door and there are those that are more sensitive to smoke than me (and I hate it too) but I think some go overboard (pardon the pun) about the smoking.

 

On my cruises I worked out there was a 1 in 30 chance of a smoker next door. Then they have to be an inconsiderate smoker for it to be an issue.

 

I guess what I am saying is that the odds are with me being ok and I would never take it into consideration when booking. Just my opinion.

[lincslady]

Suggest you come back to this SB forum before booking - there are quite a lot of little things it is good to know before actually booking, and also that you get a Cruise Agent who is used to dealing with the luxury lines, rather than booking direct with Seabourn.

[frickwg]

One thing makes Seabourn stand out for me. In the 21st century world of poor service everywhere, all the time, I stopped asking the airline stewardess, hotel check-in desk, or the taxi driver for anything and learned to just “shut up,” “put up,” and "wait on hold" for whatever came my way. But on Seabourn, as the bible says, “Ask and ye shall receive!”

 

When I went back to Seabourn after about a year I had to consciously remember to ask (politely) and it generally appeared. Want diet Pepsi not Coke? Ask. Want a sandwich at the square before they are put out late morning? Ask. Want a blanket on a cool night by the patio grill and none are sitting out? Ask!

 

 

Hey everybody. I'm new on the luxury side of cursing. I've always cruised with family, friends to have fun see tropical places.. as you can see from my previous choices. I was looking into luxury cruising I want something different then the giant fun ships, and thought about Seabourn. I understand luxury cruising is different then say party/getaway cruises.

My question is exactly what is included with a Seabourn cruise, and what to expect?

 

- Matt

[MrsWaldo]

 

People smoke on mainstream cruises as well as luxury cruises. The entry threshold means your fellow guests tend to be a more pleasant bunch although there are still a few who upset the apple cart. There's even one poster on here who insists on bringing a child onboard !!!

 

 

Henry :)

 

There used to be 2, but the other kids have grown up and still love Seabourn...

 

In 6 days we board Shadow , fingers crossed it lives up to SB

[ab21au]

Want a blanket on a cool night by the patio grill and none are sitting out? Ask!

 

Recently in Canada / New England this happened to us several nights out on the deck, only difference is we didn't even have to ask. The crew were so attentive they picked out DW and offered to go get blankets.

[SKP946]

[quote name=MrsWaldo;48511853

 

In 6 days we board Shadow ' date=' fingers crossed it lives up to SB[/quote]

 

Please write a comparison with Seabourn on your return and post it here Mrs.Waldo.

Have a great time :)

[cruiseej]

You all have done a fine job of discussing the many benefits of Seabourn. But Matt, the original poster, actually asked about something different which everyone has apparently overlooked:

Hey everybody. I'm new on the luxury side of cursing.

 

Now, this is something I, too, would like to learn more about, because although I curse somewhat frequently, I know absolutely nothing about luxury cursing. Is there a whole different language the wealthy use, or does it have to do with the manner in which the curse is delivered? :D

 

Eric

[frantic36]

You all have done a fine job of discussing the many benefits of Seabourn. But Matt, the original poster, actually asked about something different which everyone has apparently overlooked:

 

 

Now, this is something I, too, would like to learn more about, because although I curse somewhat frequently, I know absolutely nothing about luxury cursing. Is there a whole different language the wealthy use, or does it have to do with the manner in which the curse is delivered? :D

 

Eric

 

LOL.......well spotted and definitely an interesting question. I have lots of sea days coming up on my next cruise so I will try and do a survey for you.:D