Retreat on Seabourn Encore

[eliana]

Deck 10 overlooking the pool, a big half loop on deck 5 and of course lovely treadmills in the vastly improved gym.

 

H.

That is just not good enough. We like to walk outside when possible and the gym treadmills are inside. Deck 5 is very difficult for walking. Able Seaman I generally enjoy your posts but why have you become an apologist for the recent shortcomings of Seabourn. Something is clearly going wrong at their top management level.

[wripro]

I find it incredible that people on this forum feel qualified and able to dictate to others how they should spend their time on board.

 

If someone wants to use the Retreat let them. They aren't harming you in any way or spoiling your vacation. Let the crew worry about dealing with guests, I've seen plenty of examples of unreasonable behaviour and unreasonable demands from people who this forum would embrace and who don't use the Retreat.

 

As we are regularly reminded on here Seabourn monitor revenue like a hawk so if somewhere is under performing or losing money it won't survive. If it remains then one must assume it's wiping its nose. If you don't like it then don't use it and vote with your feet. 34 days on Encore including some hefty sea legs and we didn't avail ourselves of the facilities but I know a couple of people who did and think nothing less of them for doing so.

 

 

 

Henry :)

 

Henry,

 

I don't know why you find it incredible when people on these boards feel perfectly comfortable trying to dictate how others dress.

[Mr Luxury]

Oh Henry,very droll.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

[frantic36]

Henry,

To me, it's about the sacrifice of deck space for walking and the loss of what there could be up there- a large area for deck sports as there are on the other Seabourn ships- on a ship with 150 more passengers than the Odyssey class ships but with less outdoor deck space for recreation. And also the direction that Seabourn-Holland America management appears to be taking by commissioning this "Retreat" (retreat from what?) and restricting access to most of deck 12. Whatever happened to Seabourn's relaxed and egalitarian roots where everyone had run of the ship?

 

 

And about the "big half loop on deck 5" this is narrower, lower and shorter than what is found on the Odyssey class ships. Encore's deck 10 overlooking the pool offers what? 12 or so deckchairs in total, no shelter from sun and wind. No area for walking. Sorry, but this is window dressing. Glad about the treadmills though for the extra 150 passengers.

 

Happy and healthy sailing!

 

Markham, I agree with your points about reduced deck space on Encore due to the restrictions on Deck 12. My husband prefers to walk outside, though will use the treadmills if really bad weather. Deck 5 and deck 10 are okay if he walks early, before 6am. Too bad if we have had a late night till after midnight and he gets up later.

 

I know they masked up an area on Deck 5 on our cruise for shuffleboard, but if that becomes permanent that could reduce walking space further.

 

When they allowed people to walk around the periphery of The Retreat for part of the Dubai to Singapore cruise it was great. Maybe they could compromise and block the area off between the time of 8am - 5pm or 9am - 6pm.

 

Julie

[RustyRollock]

I wouldn't object to the Retreat so much if it was free and available to anyone on a first come, first served basis. I suspect that even then there wouldn't be people queuing to get in because the whole concept and design is flawed.

[frantic36]

I actually am not concerned if people want to spend their money to use the Retreat. What I do object to is by not allowing people to utilise the area outside of the retreat to walk around, Seabourn is effectively reducing the overall public space on the new ships as compared to the Odyssey class ships.

 

I did walk around there a couple of times before it was blocked off and I couldn't tell you who or how many were there. I would think the majority sailing on Seabourn could afford using the Retreat if they wanted to so won't feel the need to gawk at those using it. If that was the reason this area was blocked off.

[RustyRollock]

Agree. It shows a fundamental misunderstanding of what Seabourn customers (or this one at least) like about the brand. Everyone is equal and we don't need to "buy" special privileges or treatment.

[koalapanda]

Inclusivity not Exclusivity is why loyal Seabournians keep coming back.

[Techno123]

Totally agree Koalapanda.

Was just having a mooch on the blog as I wanted to see what R2 will look like as the Odyssey should have been transformed by the time we board in th summer and there was this little comment at the bottom :rolleyes:

In keeping with Seabourn’s all-inclusive rates, there is no additional charge to dine at The Grill.

[marama]

Totally agree Koalapanda.

Was just having a mooch on the blog as I wanted to see what R2 will look like as the Odyssey should have been transformed by the time we board in th summer and there was this little comment at the bottom :rolleyes:

In keeping with Seabourn’s all-inclusive rates, there is no additional charge to dine at The Grill.

 

 

 

Is Odyssey having a refit?

[Techno123]

According to Markham she is going in for her R2 refit in May.

[markham]

The only refit confirmed change that I know of is the Odyssey's refit of R2 into the TK dining room. I had asked Seabourn Club and they referred the question to Guest Services. Maybe there are other changes afoot such as new carpeting or furniture?

 

We look forward to our next Seabourn cruise this August which will be Odyssey.

 

Happy and healthy sailing!

[Techno123]

It looks like we may have made a wise choice to stick with Odyssey until Encore's 'teething problems' have been addressed.

[ab21au]

It looks like we may have made a wise choice to stick with Odyssey until Encore's 'teething problems' have been addressed.

 

I will let you know, I hope I don't wish to be back on the Odyssey. ;) We board the Encore the same day you board the Odyssey. Actually I am looking forward to comparing the two ships.

Edited April 17, 2017 by ab21au

[oregon50]

All of this is our business as we are loyal, long-standing, fare-paying customers. I hope that's ok.

 

Unless you own a life altering portion of CCL, it really is not your business. Go somewhere else if you don't like it. As individual passengers we are pretty low on the totem pole of importance. Charters and group bookings will always knock you off your pedestal of a high day count. And your high day count dwarfs anybody sailing the first few times. All things are not totally equal among passengers on board.

 

The company is aware of the many design issues. Some to be corrected, some cannot. Retreat is not a design issue. It's a sales issue and will correct itself. I cannot see how deck 12 would be a suitable walking area. And if you are on deck 11, do you want people walking or bouncing balls overhead? There will never be a suitable outside walking area on this ship.

[lincslady]

It may not be - literally - 'our business', but it will be interesting to see how many changes are made to Ovation which could be ascribed to feedback from Encore passengers. Will there be any changes to the Club; the use of the deck space behind the TK grill; even the Retreat, not forgetting a passenger laundry. Time will tell.

[Techno123]

It is interesting how we all perceive things.

 

Our first Seabourn cruise was on Odyssey five years ago and many posters on this board were lamenting the changes and the huge increase in numbers of passengers in comparison to the 'little sisters'. I suppose we were the' new blood' at that point and were blown away by everything she had to offer but particularly the sheer understated elegance and amazing service.

 

 

It would appear that Encore and Ovation are being aimed at a new demographic so if Seabourn can keep the inherent ethos, particularly with regards to service then we still have the 3 'middle sisters' to 'fall back on' if we don't like what the big girls have to offer.

[lincslady]

We did travel on the little sisters, and were apprehensive about the Odyssey class. However, the only real design fault we could find was the sightlines in the Grand Salon, which were fine on the little ones. I am afraid I tend to think that there are more problems (and I believe the sightlines are still as bad) in these two new ships, and while we do not have to travel on them, maybe, just maybe, the increase in prices for cruises has something to do with the huge expense of the new ships, and also perhaps whatever the great Chef may have cost Seabourn? Or is this being too simplistic. Probably, I am not a 'money person'.

[Techno123]

Perhaps it is now more about 'bragging rights'? - alleged top chef, alleged top Italian designer neither of which have necessarily transferred across to the high seas, and what they should have focussed on was using people who know how cruise ships need to be designed taking into account feedback from their customers.

[RustyRollock]

I think there's a new culture within senior management and they just don't "get" the luxury cruise market and why people choose it. They don't understand it's about understated yet impeccable service, quality not quantity and not having to prove anything. It's not about paying extra for special privileges, exclusive facilities and celebrity chefs. Or maybe I'm too British about these things.

 

We will be back on the Odyssey in October for the Lisbon-Miami transatlantic and after our recent Encore experience it will be interesting to compare and contrast.

 

Edit to add: Totally agree with Techno.

[markham]

Oregon50,

 

If you are familiar with the Odyssey class ships you know that access to deck 11 for golf putting, golf nets and shuffle board, and walking areas to the sun loungers above the Observation Bar do not interfere with the cabins on deck 10.

 

In order to salvage more space for outdoor recreation I hope that Seabourn disbands the Retreat so that the deck space is available for everyone. This will help restore the sense that Seabourn offers an egalitarian experience as it does on the Odyssey class ships and as it made its brand with the little sisters originally.

 

To me, the Retreat is a poor attempt at impressing the impressionable on Holland America, Royal Caribbean, Celebrity and other mass market brands. It's failed already as a concept on Seabourn. It's time for the management to admit as much.

 

Happy and healthy sailing!

[rols]

It's failed already as a concept on Seabourn. It's time for the management to admit as much.

 

Not sure you can say that yet. I haven't yet seen a lot of stories about the usage level, earlier in this thread it was suggested it was a ghost town, then it appears it was very popular. If Seabourn adjusts the staffing as-needed then it probably doesn't matter much (to Seabourn) how used it is. When it is, it pays for itself, when it's not, it sits idle. Probably the worst of all worlds is when one cabana is rented (which gives me a great idea for our next cruise),

 

Don't get me wrong. I think the entire idea of it is abhorrent and whoever dreamed it up should be strung up over the pool and used for target practice, but I'm not yet sure how much it needs to fail, to fail.

[eliana]

The Encore will reach the Med in a couple of weeks moving for the summer to port intensive cruises with precious few sea days. It remains to see what use will be made of the retreat in these circumstances. My hunch is that it will disappear never to be seen again, together I hope with the Seabourn execs who designed it and have no concept of what Seabourn is (or used to be) about.

[markham]

Another suggestion for the Retreat in the spirit of returning the space to deck sports is to make it available to everyone gratis but with sun loungers shaded and partly shaded so as to complement the sun loungers in full sun

forward on the same deck, deck 12. Or maybe a 50:50 split between recreational usage and loungers. That would go some way towards making the deck space per passenger closer to the Odyssey class ships which set the standard.

 

And about suggestions on this board not being of interest to Seabourn and others, well, that's absurd. If you look at Seabourn Club membership benefits you will learn that Silver and above members have Seabourn Club Advisory Membership. This means that Seabourn encourages participation by loyal customers in terms of the way it conducts its business. It's an attempt to make it our business, so to speak.

 

Happy and healthy sailing!

[Techno123]

We board the Encore the same day you board the Odyssey. Actually I am looking forward to comparing the two ships.

We may yet bump into each other during check in, in Barcelona. I will be with the man lugging the huge yellow suitcase containing his beloved bike :D