Just back from Odyssey

[tizwiz]

We have been home for a week and now that we are back into the routine and the unpacking and washing have been done, I thought I would write down some thoughts on our experiences on Odyssey. This was our second cruise on Seabourn and our first experience had been absolutely wonderful. In fact ever since that first Seabourn cruise, I have told every one who would listen, that Seabourn was the best cruise line to go on. We have also cruised on Regent, Silversea, Oceania, Windstar, and Scenic and are currently looking at two itineraries with Crystal, but this time we were very keen to do Seabourn again because of our first experience with the line.

Our cruise was from Rome (Civitavecchia) to Barcelona 12-19 October and we arrived in Rome a couple of days early to do some specific sightseeing we hadn’t managed on previous Rome trips. We stayed outside the city of Rome not far from the airport and enjoyed a trip to Ostia Antica which is the ancient sea port of Rome. It is a huge site and the ruins of the town are as well preserved as anything at Pompeii or Herculaneum. However it is also lovely and quiet with far fewer tourists than those other ruins, so you can take your time and look at things more closely. The weather was gorgeous and our hotel arranged a return private transfer so everything was easy and relaxed. In the evening we had a simply superb pizza at a local restaurant. They cost less than €8 each! Delicious and a bargain. 

The next day we had another private transfer arranged by the hotel to the port. We arrived at about 11.45. Our bags were dealt with immediately and we went to check in. There were several people already there before us and check in had not yet started, so we found a seat and waited less than 10 minutes before being invited to join the queue to start checking in. This moved very fast and we were on the ship and in the Colonnade eating lunch by 12.15. Very impressive and absolutely no stress or hassle. We were told on check in that suites would be ready by 2pm but in fact they were ready by 12.20. So once we had eaten lunch we went to the suite and started unpacking because the luggage had also arrived. Full marks so far. The suite was lovely and our stewardess (Sanela) was an absolute delight. She was so friendly and nothing was too much trouble. 

There were a few problems in our suite and we think this is probably down to the ship needing a full refurbishment. It was certainly showing wear and tear in certain areas. With regard to our suite there was quite a bit of rust showing on the balcony and the balcony handrail was in need of a good rub down and varnish. One of the chairs had a foot missing and consequently wobbled a lot. The headrests did not stay put because the Velcro fasteners didn’t work anymore. We found this was the same on a lot of loungers on the ship. The screen between the adjoining suite was loose ( more on that later). The shower control had a loose grub screw and was in imminent danger of falling out into the drain and more worryingly the control to stop you turning up the water too high by accident was missing. There was just a hole where it should be in the control dial. We reported these issues twice and they were dealt with after a couple of days. The suite was spacious and well furnished. The bed was not as comfy as others we have experienced and the towels in the bathroom whilst fluffy, were just smallish bath towels not the bath sheets that I remembered and which we get on other cruise lines. When I mentioned this I was given larger bath sheets. We met another couple who had issues with their air conditioning. It was either too cold or too hot and although they sent someone to fix it several times, it proved impossible. So the couple asked for it to be turned off because it was preferable to being too cold or too hot. This must have been an issue for a while in that particular suite. I did have to report a very soiled public ladies toilet to staff on the first night. I have never had to do that before on any cruise we have been on. Worryingly a few days later I had to do this again about another toilet. So some maintenance/ housekeeping issues. 

We mostly chose to share a table or were invited to hosted tables in the Restaurant and we always met wonderful and interesting people. The only exception to that was in the Observation bar one night after dinner where we encountered some less than friendly fellow passengers. But they were a very small minority and were easy to avoid thereafter. And so our very leisurely cruise continued. The second night we ate at the Thomas Keller grill. The food was good but not great. The service was wonderful and attentive but the tables were so close together you couldn’t help joining in with conversations around you. This was ok and always friendly but if you wanted a quiet or romantic dinner then the ambiance was all wrong. I was really looking forward to this meal as a highlight, but it was ordinary really. I think the main restaurant was just as good if not better. But that is just a personal opinion obviously.  We also booked the Colonnade on the night they did the chicken dinner. This was a major disappointment. The plates were cold and the food only just warm. The chicken, whilst juicy, was quite tasteless. It needed some herbs and seasoning in the coating to give some flavour. Not even as good as KFC! And what are those grits about? We did not do the Earth and Ocean dinner because by the time we got around to having a free night to go there, it became closed every night. Probably down to the weather or the temperature at night on deck - not sure. Anyway we missed that experience. We ate in the Colonnade for most breakfasts and lunch. Hot items were never hot - only luke warm. Perhaps they are hot at the beginning of service and as we used to go mid way through the opening hours everything may have cooled off under the heat lamps. But it was a big let down. The themed lunches were ok but I was not keen on the British food one. I had fish and chips and the fish batter was soggy and not crisp, the chips were hard in the middle and the mushy peas were just mashed garden peas which were undercooked. And again the food was only just warm. Service was also a bit slow and it seemed that there were not enough staff around on many occasions. One lady at our table wanted the special of the day but for 10 minutes could not get anyone to take her order. So she gave up and got herself a salad. We had breakfast in the Restaurant one morning which was ok but they did not have what we wanted even though it was on the menu and this was only the second day of the cruise. Service was very slow. Another couple that morning complained very loudly to the wait staff and then to the manager who came to deal with the problem. They said they had been waiting for 30 minutes to give their order.

One thing that Seabourn does very well is special requests. I love scallops but prefer them for an appetiser rather than as a main course. If I ask for a main course to be made into an appetiser for me they always do it willingly. We also asked the staff in the restaurant to slow down the delivery of our courses when we ate alone as we prefer to have time to talk between courses. They were very accommodating and came to ask us if we were ready for each course before they asked for it to be prepared. We really appreciated that attention to detail. My husband asked for baked Camembert cheese and French bread one lunchtime and it was provided and he asked for black cherries every day for breakfast. Again they were made available without having to ask each day.

We only used the pool deck for lunch a couple of times and found it a bit disappointing. The fries were excellent but the pizza was not good enough. A bit of a soggy crust and again not hot enough even though it had just been cooked. The hot dogs were ok but we did not try the burgers. Room service was prompt and the food was good. Sometimes they were slow to return or failed to pick up the trays even when we rang to ask them to come. But I suspect that is down to being busy and again perhaps a reduction in staff available. The coffee bar in Seabourn Square had some lovely biscuits, cakes and sandwiches. The coffees were good and the baristas were very friendly. But again the coffee was never really hot. 

The ports of call were interesting. We did not do any excursions but instead just walked around ourselves. The shuttle services provided were excellent and always dropped you off centrally. Our favourite ports were Ajaccio, Palamos and Palma. In Toulon we were treated to the French Mediterranean fleet doing manoeuvres in the bay. We had a birds eye view of the aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle from our balcony so that was a bit of an unexpected sight. 

The weather was lovely most of the week. Warm and sunny during most days except for one day which was a bit grey and rainy. The wind got up that day and it was quite rough sailing that night. The Mediterranean can be quite challenging when a storm comes through. We had a problem with the loose balcony screen with the wind and we asked them to fix it as we would not be able to sleep with the noise it was making. They did this very promptly and we did not think anything of it until the next morning when I went on the balcony first thing to look at where we had docked. I had nothing on my feet and I immediately leapt back as I had stood on metal slivers that were all over the decking from the repair to the screen. They had forgotten to clear them up. Fortunately I did not cut my feet and when we reported it they were quite horrified and immediately sorted it out. 

One thing we were  not happy with was the captain. Obviously he did a fine job on the bridge but although we had tannoy messages from him we never saw him at all, except for the first day when he was at the next table to us in the Colonnade for the embarkation lunch. Even then he didn’t engage with passengers. We had an invite to the members cocktail party from him but he did not attend. Lots of people commented about it. It is the first cruise I have been on where the captain has behaved in this way. All other officers and staff we encountered were lovely. We went to both shows by the classical guitarist and enjoyed them very much indeed.

Disembarkation was quick and efficient and we were soon at the airport for our flight home. Barcelona airport has to be one of the worst I have been to. After the serenity of the cruise it was a bit of a shock! 

So in conclusion we had a lovely relaxing cruise but it was not as good as our previous Seabourn experience. The staff were wonderful and deserve 10/10. They are obviously well trained and they are so friendly and helpful. On balance, it was as good as other cruises we have been on but it was no better. We would cruise Seabourn again but not necessarily as a first choice.  I was so looking forward to being reunited with the best of the best, but some standards seem to have slipped a little unfortunately. 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited October 27, 2019 by tizwiz
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[Catlover54]

Thank you for your balanced review.

It sounds like the Odyssey I remember from a few months ago, though with more things broken.

[Navis]

Thank you for the review.  I must say, as a first time Seabourn cruiser on the Odyssey next March, I find this concerning.  Some if these things are not at all what I would expect from a luxury line.  Didn't the Odyssey just complete a dry dock this spring?

[raphael360]

I’m currently on the Quest now. Everything is perfectly perfect (same as my last 14 SB cruises). I can honestly say, having been on all 3 O ships, I can’t tell the difference between them except, I believe Odyssey has an auto door opener on deck 9 pool side and Quest has the frogman. 

[firsttimers68]

Hmm, I'm a bit concerned now! We are on Odyssey in December and it will be our 3rd Seabourn cruise. I really hope things improve!

[raphael360]

30 minutes ago, firsttimers68 said:

Hmm, I'm a bit concerned now! We are on Odyssey in December and it will be our 3rd Seabourn cruise. I really hope things improve!

I will also be on Odyssey for 21 days in December and this will be my 15th SB cruise.  I haven’t see any of the problems OP reported in over 230 days on SB on any of their ships (except for the head rests on the balcony chairs).   With that said: “worry if you must, enjoy you will”. 

 

[saminina]

1 hour ago, raphael360 said:

I’m currently on the Quest now. Everything is perfectly perfect (same as my last 14 SB cruises). I can honestly say, having been on all 3 O ships, I can’t tell the difference between them except, I believe Odyssey has an auto door opener on deck 9 pool side and Quest has the frogman. 

Can you take a look at your facial tissue and let us know if it is the same as your previous cruises?

[Mark56]

What was your favorite port to visit?

 

 

[tizwiz]

I would think I would have to say Ajaccio in Corsica. We certainly feel that is one of the places (but probably the whole island) that we would like to visit again.

To those who were a little worried by my review - please don't be. We would cruise with Seabourn again. If you are booked for a future cruise you will enjoy yourself. I was just highlighting how we thought things had altered from the perfect cruise we had last time. I have given a review directly to Seabourn on the issues we encountered. If they don't follow it up and ask me for further details then I may be more concerned.

[galeforce9]

Interesting review, particularly as we had some similar concerns on Odyssey exactly a year ago and expressed these whilst on board to the Hotel Director.  We were prepared to give the ship another (final?) chance and so in  around three weeks we try again.  Let’s see what we find.   Out of interest, which Seabourn ship was your first cruise on? 

Edited October 27, 2019 by galeforce9

[tizwiz]

We were on the Spirit. We cruised from Venice to Rome and I nearly handcuffed myself to the cabin because I did not want to leave. I hope things go well with your future cruise. I will be interested to read your review.

[galeforce9]

9 minutes ago, tizwiz said:

We were on the Spirit. We cruised from Venice to Rome and I nearly handcuffed myself to the cabin because I did not want to leave. I hope things go well with your future cruise. I will be interested to read your review.

Thanks. Spirit was our first and favourite Seabourn ship and we were fortunate to sail on her a number of times. 

[LEESRE]

"galeforce9 so in  around three weeks we try again.  Let’s see what we find"

 

Snap!

[robertmartha]

Galeforce

 

As a possible newbie on SB and on the Odyssey - would be very interested in your feedback and experiences in the near future. When are you sailing and where ?

 

Bob

[oceanviewer21]

That sounds like Emilian Cygan.