If you could change one thing, what would it be?

[Tillylovesseabourn]

Basandsyb,

Dress code - happy for no formal nights, but a casual jacket is nice in the main dining room, a bit more casual (no shorts or horrid track suits) at

Collonade and pool deck is fine. We have to dress for business and a bit of relaxation of these rules helps with the

 

 

 

Whilst i appreciate your comments, most of us who work have to wear business attire daily, but one would hope that this wardrobe would be very different from what you would wear on a SB cruise. Relaxing the code to jacket required for dinner in mdr is fine, if it is adhered to.

I only say this because in the years i have been sailing SB,over fifteen now, i have seen the erosion of the dress code and non adherance to it. It is now to the point of seeing people in the club with no shoes on and shorts and t shirts. Along with this standards slip elsewhere.

[Eward]

The forced guest interaction events are pedestrian - better suited for Carnival's adolescent crowd on other brands.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app

[Laylam]

(If I am allowed two bites at the cherry) EVERYBODY would say "PLEASE" and "THANK YOU". Day 6 of the current cruise and I am constantly amazed by what sound like barked orders (no PLEASE), BUT, then I will often hear a gracious, "thank you very much". Is this a cultural thing, some figure a "thank you" is all that is needed??????

[FKGirl]

(If I am allowed two bites at the cherry) EVERYBODY would say "PLEASE" and "THANK YOU". Day 6 of the current cruise and I am constantly amazed by what sound like barked orders (no PLEASE), BUT, then I will often hear a gracious, "thank you very much". Is this a cultural thing, some figure a "thank you" is all that is needed??????

 

I am constantly horrified by the number of people that cannot be bothered to say please or thank you. It's just not that hard.

[Kevnzworld]

I hope Encore has a better gym.

The thing I would change on existing ships besides the obvious ( smoking ) would be:

Better and more varied breakfast food....

I miss the big brunch buffet in the restaurant....

[difranco]

The area that irritates me the most is hand sanitization or the lack of it by fellow guests. On three Seabourn cruises last year only 10% of guests entering the Colonnade for breakfast or lunch made an effort to hand sanitize. This issue became more concerning when guests then ignored tongs and proceeded to man handle the buffet whilst cross contaminating other guests. The most extreme moment from last year was the guest who picked up a biscuit at the desert station took a bite and replaced it on the platter. Priceless !

Hoping for better behaviour this year.

[markham]

And following Laylam's comment, what about that booming voice I heard this month at Odyssey's Colonnade, as follows:

 

"Where's MY coffee!?"

 

...towards a waiter station and to no one in particular.

 

Bless. Bless 'em all.

 

Happy sailing!

[malcliz]

Padded Sunbeds on the pool deck.

[Techno123]

The area that irritates me the most is hand sanitization or the lack of it by fellow guests. On three Seabourn cruises last year only 10% of guests entering the Colonnade for breakfast or lunch made an effort to hand sanitize. This issue became more concerning when guests then ignored tongs and proceeded to man handle the buffet whilst cross contaminating other guests. The most extreme moment from last year was the guest who picked up a biscuit at the desert station took a bite and replaced it on the platter. Priceless !

Hoping for better behaviour this year.

 

I have got to admit to being a non hand sanitiser. I prefer to visit the washroom just prior to entering the colonnade and scrub my hands thoroughly with soap and water which is far more effective than the hand sanitiser I then use the towel to open the door so as not to touch the door handle! The sanitiser leaves hands very tacky and should, in any case, be used on clean hands. It is not an alternative to hand washing.

[Windstar27]

Have the beds/mattresses changed in recent years? I don't recall any discomfort during my first two Seabourn cruises, in 2012 and 2013. But last summer, the bed on Sojourn was very hard. I'm finding the same on Odyssey now. I have requested a mattress topper. I have never had to do this at a hotel.

[Catlover54]

Have the beds/mattresses changed in recent years? I don't recall any discomfort during my first two Seabourn cruises, in 2012 and 2013. But last summer, the bed on Sojourn was very hard. I'm finding the same on Odyssey now. I have requested a mattress topper. I have never had to do this at a hotel.

 

The bed on Odyssey in my PH suite 912 last September was horribly hard (as was the sofa), harder than on any cruise I have been on. When I wrote my CC member review after the cruise , that was the one thing I was quite critical of, though the stewardess did eventually show up with a topper. It was so hard I was tempted to sleep on the soft couches outside SB Square instead of in the suite, but they had lights and peppy music blaring there into the wee hours. I know I am more sensitive than most because I have a musculoskeletal condition, but generally I found most of the furniture on SB Odyssey too hard, though stylish, and on SS everything was softer.

 

Anticipating more hardness, I have pre-reserved a topper for my Quest trip in July (and periodically check to make sure they still have it on my reservation, so they don't say they are "out" when I ask for one if it is not there when I arrive). Just in case, I will be packing an inflatable camping Thermarest, which is way better than nothing in a pinch.

 

I am also encountering harder beds in more and more luxury hotels. I had to go buy a Thermarest in a store while staying at the Cape Grace Hotel in Cape Town a few months ago before my Europa 2 cruise, the bed was just too hard. The Thermarest carried me through a couple nights on the ship until I decided I wanted a topper there too, though it was not as bad as on SB. The problem with the toppers is that they induce sweating, plus my side and DH's side were then asymmetrical. Best would be if they had softness-adjustable beds, like Sleep by #,but those are expensive.

 

I think it is a trend in hotels and on cruise lines, to have harder beds, as it takes longer for them to become concave, which people would complain about, thus saving costs.

[2SailingNomads]

Totally agree with Ka Honu regarding OB smoking and appreciate his adherence to the allowed spaces. But I would like to see smoking banned from verandas as an inconsiderate neighbor can restrict my access to the veranda I paid for. Also I am not in favor of a relaxed dress code, dressing decently - unlike some slobs I observed on our last cruise who were seated in the MDR wearing sneakers and workout pants at dinner - should not be an issue for folks who can afford to sail on Seabourn.

[Les Picantins]

I ditto the in room Nespresso machine (as I usually bring my own).

 

I also DITTO the ban on smoking. That request has been actively made for several years now, but has been, unfortunately, falling on deaf ears so I don't see it changing anytime soon. I find it hard to believe that they will ban a passenger who has paid several thousands of $€£ from smoking and at the same time provide staff and crew with a designated area to smoke (as many of them do). We could also argue (and have argued) that we have paid several $€£ to sail and would like to be able to breathe fresh air and enjoy our verandas etc.....

 

I would like to add to the list of things to change - the house champagne from N.F. to another brand. This subject has also been discussed on this board.

 

And I would also like to add - a file of reviews from past passengers regarding excursions that present passengers can consult while on board, or before boarding (to be consulted on line). I have been on some wonderful excursions in the past, but I have also had some real disappointments on tours. As a result, I hesitate 3 times before booking excursions and am probably missing out on some wonderful visits, but am too gun shy to take the risk. Since some of my horrible (yes - horrible) experiences are still being offered, I have a bit of a faith issue with the destinations experts.

 

This file of reviews could be as simple as the star system used on Tripadvisor, or Nordstrom or Amazon. I've seen excursion reviews on Cruise Critic, but it is too general.

[tv24]

We agree with the comments. We have nearly 200 days with Seabourn and have gone to other other lines as a result of the smoking policy. We don't mind the separate area near the sky bar for smokers, but really, indoors, at night in the Observation Lounge!! This is not permitted in any public building in

Australia or most places around the world.

 

On one cruise a chap with a cigar was almost petulantly lighting up whenever he got a chance and didn't care where he was seated. Complaints saw nothing done and on occasions senior staff sat down and had a smoke with him under the guise of having a quiet word. The bar staff said Mr So and So had over 800 days and could do anything. Interesting rationale by Seabourn to pander to one guest at the expense of many more who are the future of the line.

 

Block parties, yes a tad trite. Why oh why at 6pm when you are getting ready for dinner? If you have just come back from the pool, you run the gauntlet to your room - head down. Doesn't really worry us if this is how people like to meet but surely an Epicurean type night would be better. At least you could be showered and dressed. What we can't understand is they are usually at the same time as a sail away!! More sail away parties and no block party!!! There have been so many lost opportunities. We have done a lot of sailing in French Polynesia and the sail away atmosphere is fantastic. I think another problem with the work to rule hours of the entertainment staff. Perhaps they need a few more.

 

Dress code - happy for no formal nights, but a casual jacket is nice in the main dining room, a bit more casual (no shorts or horrid track suits) at

Collonade and pool deck is fine. We have to dress for business and a bit of relaxation of these rules helps with the holiday feel.

 

We continue to be amazed that Seabourn doesn't GET the smoking concerns. It's been going on for years. Thank you Ka Hona for being one of the considerate people.

 

We observed the same special treatment on our long Seabourn cruise. One woman was pampered as a smoker in the Observation Bar supposedly because she was a frequent customer. This to the detriment of dozens and dozens of others, less frequent, but who added up to lots of collective days on board. We certainly felt like second class passengers, not able to comfortably enjoy the Bar while one special person smoked away. Very odd.

[softsands]

We observed the same special treatment on our long Seabourn cruise. One woman was pampered as a smoker in the Observation Bar supposedly because she was a frequent customer. This to the detriment of dozens and dozens of others, less frequent, but who added up to lots of collective days on board. We certainly felt like second class passengers, not able to comfortably enjoy the Bar while one special person smoked away. Very odd.

 

I think Seabourn does the math and it's all about managing risk around customer flight. How many existing and prospective customers has Seabourn lost as a result of their smoking policy? Until we walk the walk, why would Seabourn bring the hammer down on a lucrative customer's ashtray?

 

I admit to being a talk the talk-only guy, wish smoking would go away, however, if it doesn't, I still continue to use the Seabourn product hoping I can mitigate exposure to second hand smoke when aboard.

[mpclaw]

I would turn the lights down a tad in the MDR and a softer couch would me very much appreciated.

[mpclaw]

I would turn the lights down a tad in the MDR and a softer couch would be very much appreciated.

[wingit]

Speaking of lighting...the lighting at the Observation bar is ridiculous. Up until 8:00pm they have the lights turned way up. It's not cocktail hour mood lighting for sure. Several people that we know of(as well as us) asked that the lights be dimmed. The answer was no. Not possible.

[PaulaJK]

-no smoking in Observation Lounge

-upgrade the dress code and enforce it

-add a few more activities

-upgrade entertainment

-padded pool deck loungers

-more varied Colonnade offerings

[Mr Luxury]

-no smoking in Observation Lounge

 

-upgrade the dress code and enforce it

 

-add a few more activities

 

-upgrade entertainment

 

-padded pool deck loungers

 

-more varied Colonnade offerings

 

 

Put the prices up so that quality can be kept.

[lincslady]

Put the prices up so that quality can be kept.

 

At present there have been lots of price reductions, certainly for this year in the Med. Could it be that people are unwilling to travel because of the various sad happenings in the area?? So I feel pretty sure that price rises are not going to happen for a while.

 

If it is genuinely one thing we are supposed to mention, then obviously smoking on balconies and in the Observation Bar. If allowed another, I agree about the hard deck loungers - the best feature of our not otherwise brilliant cruise on Regent last summer was the comfortable loungers.

[Mr Luxury]

Yes indeed the prices are being reduced as they generally are and especially for Med cruises.

There will be a bit of uncertainty about some areas in the region from some travellers especially those from across the pond.

[Emperor Norton]

Odd I find the Alaska cruises to be over priced, especially with the IMO poor port choice and lack of Glacier bay.

[Mr Luxury]

They are of course a recent addition for Seabourn to sail in Alaska again after a long break,perhaps they are chancing their arm and seeing if they can get top dollar for these trips.

[Tillylovesseabourn]

-no smoking in Observation Lounge

-upgrade the dress code and enforce it

-add a few more activities

-upgrade entertainment

-padded pool deck loungers

-more varied Colonnade offerings

 

Paula, you have just listed exactly the changes i would love to see!