Live from Seabourn Encore - Bali to Sydney December 2018

[ClefsDor]

Thank you again, Stickman for taking the time post while you're on holiday. Very much enjoying reading about your daily activities and your impressions especially in comparison to Crystal. Sorry to hear about the service issues - sounds like they definitely have some sorting out to do in that department. Judging from the pictures the afternoon tea food presentation and even the tea cups and saucers appear very pedestrian and doesn't match the elegance and sense of occasion of afternoon tea on Crystal. I do like the sound of a deck party for sail away and this is one thing I wish Crystal would do more of. Looking forward to reading more whenever you have the time and bandwidth to post.

[ellbon]

Thank you fir the afternoon tea pictures. Always had the food brought to my table.  I am ok with the cups but like the food to,come to me. I still like to know about the coffee bar.

 

so far rhe food looks good.

[Stickman1990]

37 minutes ago, ellbon said:

Thank you fir the afternoon tea pictures. Always had the food brought to my table.  I am ok with the cups but like the food to,come to me. I still like to know about the coffee bar

 

They do bring scones and cream and jam around on a trolley at afternoon tea time - the rest of the food is at the self service buffet at the rear of the lounge 

 

There is an excellent coffee bar in Seabourn Square - great coffees and a selection of food (probably not as much as the Bistro - and no Portuguese tarts) and a limited range of wine and beer

 

I do enjoy the Seabourn Square - it’s a combination of the library, the bistro, the front desk and a nice lounge - I think it’s a great concept and an ideal layout 

[Stickman1990]

This is a serve of caviar as appetiser last night

? Really? I needed a microscope to find it! 

 

Edited December 6, 2018 by Stickman1990

[Isklaar]

Thanks for your update Stickman. 

 

The presentation of some of the plates is poor, IMO. Not up to the standard usually (previously?perhaps this is the Brave New World)  seen on SB.

 

Disappointed but not terribly surprised to read about service issues. I've found that the service overall has slipped in the past 3 years. Possible reasons for this have been done to death here on the board and I won't go into it again here. Besides, Seabourn ought to  have sorted it by now. 

 

Anyway, I do hope that you're still able to enjoy the rest of your cruise.

 

Btw, you probably already know this but if you enjoy caviar you can order it at any time and they bring a larger portion than the appetiser size above. At least they used to - it's been nearly a year since I was on SB and fear that there may have been some changes during that time.

[Stickman1990]

Todays Herald and menus - I’ve worked out these are highlight menus as there are more dishes available in the restaurants 

 

 

[Stickman1990]

Komodo looks like Jurassic Park although a lot less lucious than the last time we were here in 2014 - and I’d like to get out on the Seabourn zodiac, looks like fun

 

 

 

 

[ellbon]

6 hours ago, Stickman1990 said:

 

They do bring scones and cream and jam around on a trolley at afternoon tea time - the rest of the food is at the self service buffet at the rear of the lounge 

 

There is an excellent coffee bar in Seabourn Square - great coffees and a selection of food (probably not as much as the Bistro - and no Portuguese tarts) and a limited range of wine and beer

 

I do enjoy the Seabourn Square - it’s a combination of the library, the bistro, the front desk and a nice lounge - I think it’s a great concept and an ideal layout 

Thank you. This is what I have been asking. The Bistro the best coffee bar area I have ever seen so I knew it could not be topped. Once in a while I like afternoon tea but this seems sad. I want all the food to come to me like in the UK etc. strangely enough never tea the nice tea on C but might have to try it. More sea days. I tend to   Get afternoon snacks at the Bistro and  bring up a drink to it or had a drink in cabin.

[ellbon]

On 12/4/2018 at 3:14 AM, Stickman1990 said:

This one for a Cwaze / Scott from the Crystal forum - sadly these disappeared from Crystal a few years back - the tradition lives on at Seabourn

I miss these not seen since Celebrity. I carry candy with me.then buy more. I order late cookies some nights.

Edited December 6, 2018 by ellbon

[ellbon]

7 hours ago, Stickman1990 said:

This is a serve of caviar as appetiser last night

? Really? I needed a microscope to find it! 

 

Really! I rather buy some abd have it served correctly. Not even sure what is in the plate with it.

[Isklaar]

34 minutes ago, ellbon said:

Really! I rather buy some abd have it served correctly. Not even sure what is in the plate with it.

 

 

You can have it served correctly anywhere on the ship at any time of day. No charge. This is an example of an appetiser in the restaurant, it's not the regular caviar service.  

[MightyQuinn]

Thanks for your updates Stickman.  The joke was on me when I saw your pics labeled "some dishes from Thomas Keller and the Laundry".  I thought you were giving a nod to the French Laundry.  LOL, it was the actual laundry! 

I gotta say that the food presentation looks rather lackluster, almost to the point of being sloppy.  I hope Encore steps up its game and shows you they can (and should) do better.  That said, afternoon tea on SB has always been a rather sad affair, such that we were one and done.  It's more of an afterthought than an elegant event. 

As Isklaar mentioned, you can have a proper serving of caviar on demand in any venue.  With advance notice, you can have it with blinis rather than the standard issue Melba toast.  And do try to have pre-dinner cocktails in the Club to enjoy their fantastic appetizers.  They're plated and served and are so much nicer than the self-serve options in the Observation Bar.  At least, that's the case on the Odyssey-class ships so I hope Encore would be the same. Continue to enjoy!

[machotspur]

3 hours ago, ellbon said:

Really! I rather buy some abd have it served correctly. Not even sure what is in the plate with it.

 

We're back on Seabourn next month after a few years away.

 

Things sure appear to have changed. I would never have thought of an innovative breakfast dish, as shown in the photo, of Scrambled Egg & Hash Brown, with an olive and a spot of mayo on it     

[KenzSailing]

Stickman,

 

Thank you for your detailed posts.  (That is you, Terry, isn't it?)

 

Would you say the bar at the TK Grill, with its piano player, is the space most analogous to the Avenue on Crystal?  If so, is it a place where some folks spend a while, or mostly just queueing for the associated restaurant? 

[ellbon]

3 hours ago, Isklaar said:

 

 

You can have it served correctly anywhere on the ship at any time of day. No charge. This is an example of an appetiser in the restaurant, it's not the regular caviar service.  

Thank you! I love having the service  on board. One way to sue my OBC

[Stickman1990]

Thursday 6 December

 

We had breakfast in the Colonade and again say in the same area so we got our server who knew our order of tea and 2 poached eggs for me. Then we had lunch in the Colonade on the rear deck and enjoyed hot dogs and some Nelson Sauvignon Blanc from Mahana - I’m afraid very little appealed to our taste from the buffet although the pork belly roast was very nice but my cardiologist would beg to differ I suspect

 

In the morning I had sat for 2 hours chatting with another couple who share the same travel agent as us and has been on the Crystal San Fran to New York cruise in August (we had not connected then) - they live in Airlie Beach in North Queensland and we will be visiting that port on this voyage. We enjoyed our cruising and lifestyle chat and agreed to chat again 

 

Golf was held in the afternoon and a number of new players came along - we had fun and it was nice that there was a new winner - so that’s 3 days and 3 different winners which is great 

 

Danielle Beck, the Assistant Cruise Director   performed a Classical Cabaret - classically trained she showed her versatility with a range of traditional and popular songs. We were very happy to enjoy this pre dinner show and look forward to hear next one 

 

Sushi for Dinner  - We had decided earlier that day to dine her and took a couple we have met who were reticent about dining there in the evening but agreed to try it (they later told us it was their best meal so far so no regrets). We wanted to find around 7 but this was a busy period for them with the first wave of guests finishing meals so we asked for a table of 4 for 7.30 - you can’t reserve but Momoe the hostess said she would note our request and I felt confident that in line with a Japanese approach this was pretty much a commitment to make sure something was available. I told her we loved Japan and the genuine Japanese staff and we laughed that for tonight we were “visiting Japan” and we exchanged a few Japanese phrases and laughed out loud together - the hostess with the mostest. We went to Thomas Keller Grill bar and enjoyed listening to the pianist and had cocktails. We returned at 7.30 and sure enough our table in a private alcove area was ready (I think they knew we might be a little loud (with laughter and banter) and gave us “the naughty corner” :-) (my words) so we wouldn’t disturb others. This restaurant provide an excellent range and once again the Japanese staff shone through. Mimoe and her team made us welcome and we joked we were visiting Japan. Our evening and the sushi and sashimi were one of the highlights of the cruise so far. Sushi is an understated small specialty restaurant serving a good range of cold sushi and sashimi dishes in the evening. We asked them to bring a selection including yellow tail, seaweed and California rolls. We received a great range (many of which I forgot to photograph as we were so keen to sample them. Now it’s not Umi Uma (Nobu) but it was a strong offering and I wish we could have the serving staff of Sushi and the dishes of Umi Uma (including the Japanese chefs). We will definitely be returning 

 

Then we went to see Bernard Walz a pianist perform. We’ve seen him on Crystal before but I think his show was different this time. My wife, who is a better judge of ability in this area than me said it was an excellent show and I did enjoy it (but did have a little nap). We have the Grand Salon sorted now , knowing where to sit to avoid the Poles which are dotted around the room. We enjoyed cocktails from Marina who we had met on day 1 in the Retreat and are happy to see her as she is chatty and professional with her service

 

As we have clocks moving forward overnight I decided a relatively early night was due and I retired early

 

Friday 7 December

 

I awoke at 5am (new time zone) and was wide awake so got up and relaxed in Seabourn Square - the newspapers were still printing and the shared iPads for press reader access were charging so I just sat and read today’s sea day programme and chose what I would do - as you will see from the Herald there is plenty to choose from including Seabourns signature  Caviar in the Surf (which on this occasion will be the pool) where officers serve guests caviar and champagne from the water - I’m up for that!

 

This evening there is a block party - where guests come out from their rooms and meet their neighbours over drinks bought around by staff - I guess we’ll join in and there’s a first time for everything

 

The laundry opened at 6am and I was first in with my load - 5 free washing machines is a rarity on Seabourn I suspect....

 

So by 6.15 I am sitting in the Square with my printed Australian paper, a coffee and my feet up on the recliner watching the sea go by - life is good 

 

I do miss the deck 7 promenade on the Crystal ships as walking is my preferred exercise - but I’m sure there are routes I could find on Encore to allow me to walk and get my steps up. Maybe tomorrow morning I’ll work that one out :-)

 

It would be remiss not to mention the Cruise Director Ross who is very good - visible around the ship and actively involved in leading a number of the activities - I am writing this while watching him instruct a group of 14 ladies learning line dancing - he does this under his persona of Rodeo Ross :-) 

 

The line dancing class he runs lols like a lot of fun and the participants learnt 3 dances today  and I enjoyed watching them perform the last one - lots of Yea haying and fun was had

 

This afternoon he leads the craft group which has around 10-12 ladies doing needlepoint kits provided by Seabourn or their own projects or knitting. Ross is going a piece for his grandmother. Today he bought along some small kits with a Christmas theme

 

No golf putting today - it was Baggo by the pool - a lot of our golf group participated in this fun event - getting a beam bag into a couple of small hole targets is harder than it looks - but when you do it’s very satisfying

 

The highlight of the morning was the Caviar in the Surf event - it was held on the pool and cocktails were served including an interesting one I tried and liked - A French 77 which is Prosecco with Gin and Bourbon - very tasty and quenching. I had three servings of caviar (good generous servings). This is certainly a well executed and memorable event from Seabourn. I think they “own” the caviar thing and this event seals that 

 

Then it was Trivia time - our group did better today - I think in the Top 5 teams on cumulative score over the 2 days so far. I thought teams of 10 would be too unwieldy but that’s not the case and we managed well. It’s a popular activity and a new team was formed today 

 

We went for lunch in the Colonade - we sat outside aft which is a nice covered area so there is some shade. My wife has a hot dog and I wanted a salmon burger - it wasn’t on the menu but a burger was and a salmon fillet - so our server organised for a bun and fillings and a salmon fillet - problem solved. Now that’s the sort of service I expect and it didn’t disappoint today 

 

In fact there’s a definite improvement evident today in terms of service in many of the venues - staff are more visible and proactive - drinks refreshed, recognition of preferred drinks from water type and wines - a pleasing improvement 

 

I’m sitting at afternoon tea at the moment near the craft group who work while enjoying a tea. They have someone cooking Crepes for guests as a special today

 

We’re just off the coast of Indonesia and Timor and there is cell coverage so I’m taking the opportunity to post an update 

 

 

 

 

[Stickman1990]

A selection of photos from Sushi last night, a rare sight of 5 empty laundry machines (you had to be there at 6am...), the daily programme, for a sea day and the ice cream / gelato bar

[Stickman1990]

The Caviar event in the pool, you didn’t have to get in the pool to get your caviar

The drinks and cocktail list from the Observation Bar (like Palm Court) - both included and extra cost items 

 

Edited December 7, 2018 by Stickman1990

[Stickman1990]

12 hours ago, KenzSailing said:

Would you say the bar at the TK Grill, with its piano player, is the space most analogous to the Avenue on Crystal?  If so, is it a place where some folks spend a while, or mostly just queueing for the associated restaurant? 

 

Yes the closest match - but not the “lively atmosphere” of the Avenue but a nice spot to listen to some piano and enjoy a cocktail. You don’t need to be dining at TK to drink there and there’s certainly groups enjoying a drink only - it’s quite a large area - probably close to the capacity of Symphony’s Avenue

[Stickman1990]

13 hours ago, machotspur said:

Things sure appear to have changed. I would never have thought of an innovative breakfast dish, as shown in the photo, of Scrambled Egg & Hash Brown, with an olive and a spot of mayo on it     

 

That dish was served in the Restaurant in Formal Night - you wouldn’t want to be relying on it for breakfast 🙂 - you’d starve!

[Isklaar]

13 hours ago, ellbon said:

Thank you! I love having the service  on board. One way to sue my OBC

 

Hi ellbon, it's included. There's no charge for it so no need to use your OBC.

[DCCruiser57]

A new twist - in nearly 500 days, I have never seen a premium wine by the glass list.

[machotspur]

On 12/7/2018 at 8:50 AM, Stickman1990 said:

 

That dish was served in the Restaurant in Formal Night - you wouldn’t want to be relying on it for breakfast 🙂 - you’d starve!

 

Yes I did realise that. My post was an attempt at UK 'tongue in cheek' humour, hence the 'wink' Emoji at the end .

 

Notwithstanding this Mrs Machotspur and I are so grateful for your excellent postings. We are boarding Ovation next month so your report on Encore gives us a great deal of really useful advance insight.

 

Thank you so much.     

 

 

[crystalfirstimer]

Thanks so much for your very detailed day by day of your cruise. With 12 Crystal cruises under my belt, it's hard to try another line. We have been considering Seabourn and your review is helping to flesh out the details for us. Enjoy your wonderful cruise!! 

[Stickman1990]

Friday 7 December

 

We initially thought we’d dine at the Asian Food Market buffet in Colonade but despite the lure of a suckling pig there was little else that appealed to the 4 of us so we moved to The Restaurant - we enjoyed a nice meal and equally importantly the service was a marked improvement - good wine presentation including offers of alternates to try and regular top ups. The photos can tell you our tables dining choices which included a caviar based Thomas Keller appetiser, Panko king prawn and for me roast chicken breast - and a little test in that I asked for a baked potato which didn’t appear on the menu and it was provided without the blink of an eye - and was lovely with lashings of butter. I finished with the soufflé which was light and tasty

 

The turnaround in service is almost unbelievable - a great improvement around the ship in bars and restaurants. Staff are beginning to address us by name and know our preference - which is good after 5 days. We did discover there was a major crew change in Bali and while I don’t agree that standards should slip while crew find their feet perhaps that was the reason for intitially poor service. We hope it continues 

 

There was no show last night as there was a movie shown in the theatre at 9pm - it didn’t appeal and as clocks moved forward another 30 minutes to Darwin time we took the opportunity for an early night - that 5am start and a busy sea day did take its toll. There was also a pool party at night with the live band playing and cocktails served. They really do take advantage of the pool area and the lovely hot weather we are enjoying (it’s actually a bit too hot in terms of humidity)

 

Saturday 8 December

 

I was in the Seabourn Square enjoying my recliner and the Australian newspaper and a pre breakfast coffee by 7.30am while my wife slept in. The sea day again offers a good selection of activities and we will enjoy many of them as we cruise towards Darwin to arrive tomorrow 

 

Today our programme was a busy sea day full of activities - I started with a lecture on Darwin  then onto the Golf putting competition which was held out by the pool - the change of venue mustn’t have suited my game as I was back in the pack today. Then onto Trivia where our team came third and cumulatively I think we are fourth overall. Then a relaxing lunch on the aft deck where I had another salmon burger

 

After lunch we played musical trivia with most of our team from regular trivia regrouping in the Observation lounge - we came second so the challenge is to lift our game next time. It was a lot of fun with the pianist, Gavin, from the Thomas Keller bar playing the tunes and Ross and Daniella singing backup vocals and performing dance routines - they are a great pair of entertainers. I then had a relaxing hour in one of the recliners in the Square. At 5.30pm I attended the Australian party in the Club - it was well attended and once again Ross our CD was an excellent host - they served the traditional and drinks including cans of Fosters (which by the way hardly anyone in Australia drinks but are synonymous with Australian culture - I noted from the can that it was actually brewed in Europe

 

Some friends have gone off to a Bernard Walz piano concert at 6pm, which was apparently very good and we met up for dinner at The Restaurant at 7pm which as the early show had just finished was a very popular time for people to dine but we were greeted by name and our group of 4 were seated quickly

 

Dinner was excellent - we had the same table as the night before and the same wait staff - Stoyanka from Bulgaria who is a great example of attentive, friendly and efficient serving staff and a wine waiter from Peru who offered the standard wines and found us alternatives when one didn’t appeal to my taste, I also met our Assistant Maître d who explained how they organised the restaurant and service - they remembered our preferences and looked after us very well and communicated a slight delay in service due to a backlog in the galley. I enjoyed escargot which were cooked in butter and were tasty, a filet mignon and finished with a chocolate soufflé with mint  sauce 

 

We then went to the 10pm late show by Sydney Soprano Emily Garth who I believe is a regular guest artist on Seabourn. For those who might know her she is currently expecting a child and this will be her last appearance before getting married and “retiring”. She has an excellent voice and performed a wide variety of songs from artists as diverse as Doris Day through to traditional opera selections 

 

After a quick tour of the bars to see what was happening in each I decided to have an early night - things were pretty quiet in the Observation Lounge and the TK Grill bar but there were a good number dancing in the Club Lounge 

 

Sunday 9 December

We arrive in Darwin early and will all need to attend a Border Force processing which will begin around 9am then we plan to take the complimentary shuttle into town and visit the Botanic Gardens and some of the other local attractions including a food market (if it’s open) And maybe the museum which I’ve heard good reviews of 

 

The caviar apoetiser with other things underneath - Thomas Keller inspired 

 

 

Suckling pig pig in the Colonade

 

 

My favourite sides - Creamed spinach and a roast potato 

 

 

Souffle of of the day 

 

 

Ice cream - not mine!

 

 

Classic Roast Chicken breast 

 

 

The presentation of of the soup is interesting - a base of items on the plate with the soup added 

 

Edited December 8, 2018 by Stickman1990