Questions on the Ovation

[seniorladycruiser]

My husband and I are booked on the Ovation and leave at the end of August.  We have not been on Seabourn since the triplets were sold and I do have some questions about the larger ships.  We would have preferred going on the 400 person ships but the itinerary we wanted was only on the Ovation.

 

So would like to know if Seabourn still does hosted dinners and have the galley lunches.  These were always so enjoyable.  Also, if some of you could post your thoughhts aout sailing on the new cruise ships as compared to the little sisters?

 

So looking forward to being back on Seabourn in August.

 

Thank you.

[SLSD]

Yes, the Ovation has hosted dinners.  If you are interested in them, let guest services know and you will probably be invited to several.  

 

We did not have a galley lunch on Ovation when we sailed on it, but I think they have resumed them on all SB ships.  Our galley lunch on Sojourn was yesterday.  

 

We never sailed on the little sisters so will leave that comparison to others.  As there was the Odyssey class ship in between (Odyssesy, Sojourn, and Quest) and you have not sailed those, I'm sure the differences will seem a lot more pronounced to you.  

[koalapanda]

3 hours ago, seniorladycruiser said:

So looking forward to being back on Seabourn in August

 

Your excitement to return is all you need. Seabourn service and style endures since you last cruised on Seabourn.

We have sailed Seabourn Legend, Odyssey and Encore, we love them all. To us the size makes no difference, each ship has it's special atmosphere, beautiful, comfortable decore and amenties . Delicious Galley lunches were enjoyed on Legend and Odyssey . Hosted diners are a wonderful way to meet staff and crew an make new friends on all seabourn sailings.

ENJOY.

 

[rols]

You'll certainly see some changes if the last ships you traveled on were the triplets, however even on the latest Seabourn ships you'll find lots familiar. Seabourn, when they made the Odyssey class, took a lot of what was good about the triplets and built a bigger, newer ship around it. Then with Encore and Ovation they took that ship and bolted on a new deck. 

Things you'll find new, Seabourn Square, a wonderful space, the TK grill which is entirely new on the Ovation and on the Odyssey class is a converted R2 which itself was drawn from the 'Restaurant 2' concept on the triplets. Seabourn continues to try to keep up the highest standards of service, it will be interesting to hear, once you've sailed, if you feel they have managed it. 

The galley lunches went away but recently came back again; we've never been that keen on the conga-line-in-the-kitchen but a lot of people enjoy them. 

There are definitely still hosted tables, although we realized after returning from our last cruise we didn't receive one invite, even at our 100 day mark, despite almost always taking them up previously and enjoying them. We put a note on our feedback about it. So if you like them it may be good to head down to Seabourn Square early in the cruise and ensure you're not overlooked. 

You'll definitely have a great time, Seabourn is still Seabourn and the new ships, even if they don't have the quirky charm of the triplets, are beautiful, well-thought-out vessels. 

[brittany12]

Personally, I do not get all the nostalgia over the demise of the  old triplets. While small at around 200 passengers, and intimate, these ships were old, and showed it. Cabins and bathrooms were on the small size too and had no balconies except a few had the little Juliet ones. The pool was a good 100 feet away from the deck chaise seating area, and had only an up and down ladder to get in and out. Some people with decreased upper body strength could not manage to handle this and consequently could not use the pool.. The breakfast/lunch casual restaurant was tiny.  So was the bar. Yes it was intimate, everybody knew your name, and devotees swore they would never go on the new Triplets, but the new Odyssey Class  at 450 Passengers outshone these ships in all ways. May Windstar customers  enjoy them. As for the two newer ones the O and E,  with virtually the same footprint and only slightly more tonnage,  because of the new deck squeezed in,  this means another 150 passengers jockeying for deck chairs and using the same size pool, and basically the same dining space in the MDR and bars. Yes the Keller Grill is larger and there is the smallish sushi place open for lunch. While touted as beautifully decorated and more modern, give me the O,  Q and S.

[seniorladycruiser]

Thank you all so much for your replies as they have been very helpful.  I know have a better uderstanding of the difference between Seabourn's O class and their new ships.  Sounds like my fit would be the O ships.  That being said I know we will have a wonderful time and enjoy the itinerary and the ship.

 

Nan