Our Holland America vs Seabourn experience.

[whogo]

We debarked the Quest after our 21 day San Antonio to Buenos Aires Antarctica cruise as I blogged here: https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2724452-the-grouch-on-seabourn-quest-january-12-2020-san-antonio-to-buenos-aires-via-antarctica/#comments

 

I posted this comparison on that thread, hope it is acceptable here:

 

We really are not the right kind of people. Our dress never reached the “casual elegance” level, except on formal night, when it reached the casual elegance level. The Quest was head and shoulders above any other ship we have sailed. I doubt we will sail Seabourn again, the value is not there for us. The included alcohol, smaller ship, better food, better service and better overall cruise experience are not worth the thousands of dollars extra. If we sail the Norwegian fjords, Alaska, or Asia, we will probably sail a mainstream line. There is a chance that a unique itinerary would bring us back to Seabourn.

 

The Quest was the best value for Antarctica landings for us. The smaller expedition ships cost as much, were only ten or twelve days round trip from Ushuaia, and the ships were less stable. The Quest was about four times the lowest price I saw for the Zaandam's 22 day Antarctica sail by and about one third more than a Neptune Suite thereon. We could not be happier than we were with the Quest.

 

I noted these differences between our Holland America cruises and our Seabourn cruise:

The toilet flushed the first time every time.

There were no buckets set around to catch drips. Yes it rained.

There were plenty of waiters, bartenders, and other staff. I could not attend a lecture or show without being offered a drink.

Seabourn had canapés instead of hors d'oeuvre and offered them regularly.

Dining room tables were set with a full array of high quality flatware.

Sailors, waiters, and stewards did not all come from the Philippines or Indonesia.

Tea was served in china teapots. Afternoon tea was loose leaf.

The room stewards were women.

We had a floral arrangement in our lowest category balcony cabin.

The table cloth was crumbed before dessert.

Sick sacks were set on waste baskets near elevators instead of being presented in racks when seas were rough.

There was live music suitable for dancing before and after dinner.

There was a piano bar in the Observation Bar every evening.

Dinner plates were frequently presented and cleared by two servers in unison.

We never had so many crew members know our names.

Hosted tables were more available, even for those of us in the cheap cabins.

Dining tables were more spread out.

The smaller Quest did not seem to handle rough seas as well as bigger ships we have sailed. It was not just our bow cabin to blame.

Colonnade (buffet) waiters brought our drinks and special requests.

Staff had a better grasp of English. Some of the waiters were from England.

There was no dining room doorman, the hostess was in charge of the candied ginger.

There was no Grolsch Beer.

Waiters dropped more dishes than I remember hearing on a cruise before.

Guest services (the front desk) provided accurate information.

Pancakes and waffles were heavier and tougher.

I saw no mention of a priest or Roman Catholic Mass.

I saw no mention of a Christian service. (The Herald listed a guest hosted sabbath service.)

There was no wrap around promenade deck.

Bar waiters stood in the Grand Salon during performances, trays level, waiting for someone to want another drink.

Specialty coffee, soda, and alcoholic drinks were included in the cruise fare.

Service was more polished. Staff was deferential without being unctuous.

Cabin light switches were sensibly arranged, the switch nearest the door was for the lights nearest the door, the switch farthest from the door was for the lights farthest from the door.

Cabin hall doors and bathroom doors stayed where they were put, did not automatically close. A door left ajar stayed ajar in calm seas.

Seabourn provided free access to a number of newspapers via the PressReader app.

Seabourn Square had larger format newspapers with more content, WSJ, NY Times, Financial Times, USA Today.

Caesar salads were prepared table side in The Grill, as were sundaes.

Real candles were lighted on The Grill tables.

There were more lectures than I have ever seen.

There was a bridge lecturer/hostess/whatever you'd call her onboard this 21 day cruise.

 

[SJSULIBRARIAN]

I enjoyed reading your blog and your comments on your Quest cruise. Thank you for doing it.

[puppycanducruise]

I enjoyed reading your thread on the Seabourn forum.

Thank you posting your comments.

[kazu]

Very much enjoyed your blog.

 

Thanks for posting a synopsis of your Seabourn experience here for everyone 

[StLouisCruisers]

I plan on reading the blog but want to say I enjoyed all the comments provided above about your impressions of the differences between your Seabourn and Holland America cruises.  We have cruised Antarctica on Seabourn and Princess so far, and will be trying Holland America there in January 2021.  I am so grateful we had the Seabourn experience there, though, and I will never forget it.  

[tjcox9]

Regarding Mass, on the previous 24 day South Georgia and Antarctica cruise, there was Mass held daily and Jewish services were also provided. I'm sure this is because it was over Christmas and Hannukah. This was our third Seabourn cruise and the first time we had noticed this. I don't recall there being an interdenominational service though.

[Tom O.]

A comparison between Seabourn and HAL is sort of like a road test between a Rolls Royce and a Chevy.

Sure the Rolls is a lot nicer, but is it worth the extra cost? Getting a Chevy is the smarter choice, but for those who have the means, why not get the Rolls?

[DivotMaker]

This was a very enjoyable read, thank you.

[ski ww]

Thanks for posting your comments of the comparison between the two lines,

.

[VennDiagram]

Thanks so much for your summary!  I particularly appreciated these comments (because they speak to little annoyances I experience 😉 )

 

4 hours ago, whogo said:

Dining room tables were set with a full array of high quality flatware.

 

4 hours ago, whogo said:

Cabin light switches were sensibly arranged, the switch nearest the door was for the lights nearest the door, the switch farthest from the door was for the lights farthest from the door.

 

Edited February 3, 2020 by VennDiagram

[Krazy Kruizers]

Thank you

 

I enjoyed reading your comparison between the 2 cruise lines.

[Hlitner]

Loved the OP's post.  Last summer we took our first Seabourn cruise (Sojourn), partially because of our frustration with the big fall off in quality on HAL and some other mass market lines.  We thought that Seabourn blew away HAL in just about every aspect.  But the value issue does remain.  I still remember my first evening on the Soujourn when we enjoyed pre dinner French Champagne.  I asked the bar tender for some caviar and in a few minutes a waiter appeared with a large platter with lots of excellent caviar and all the fixings.  None of this incurred an extra charge.  Our next cruise is on the Westy where we will try to put any comparison out of our mind.

 

Hank

[Jimbo59]

How much did it cost (per day)?

Are gratuities and internet access included?

What else that Holland America charges extra for does Seabourn include?

[St Pete Cruiser]

Thanks for posting.  As one who has never cruised with Seabourne, I would expect much of what you found to be the difference.

 

On longer HAL cruises, we have generally been pleased to share conversations and experiences with well traveled people.  I'm not sure we would feel as comfortable on the smaller and more upscale lines.

[Dunelm]

I am sure you had a fantastic experience; however, I tease my husband that he has no taste (after all he married me); however, he will have one glass of wine only occasionally, and so any cruise line that offers free alcohol is an absolute waste of money for us.  I enjoy wine and champagne, so I am not like my husband, but I never drink a lot.  The one experience we had with free wine was on an Azamara cruise.  The first night at dinner, the tables for two were very close, and a very elderly couple sat beside us.  They began to talk, and all was well, but slowly but surely after they had downed several glasses of wine, their speech was slurred and they both began to sink down into their chairs.  We left before they did, hoping that someone would help them to their state room.  We would have offered, but I think they would have been offended.  Maybe they sobered up before moving.

[*Miss G*]

Thank you for the link to your trip report.  I enjoyed it immensely!

[Mary229]

Thank you. That  was a delightful review.  

[StLouisCruisers]

I've read your blog front to back and enjoyed it so much.  It brings back many fond memories of our very favorite cruise.  

 

I'm puzzled at why there was so much china breakage, though.  A new crew member trying to find their sea legs?  😉

[Hlitner]

4 hours ago, Jimbo59 said:

How much did it cost (per day)?

Are gratuities and internet access included?

What else that Holland America charges extra for does Seabourn include?

It varies depending on the cruise and promotions.  But our 14 day cost us about 400 per person/day.  That price got us a suite with balcony and included just about everything except excursions.  In fact, we had trouble using our OBC since it was not needed.  Keep in mind that it is a different experience.  There are no lines, no crowding, no fighting for a deck chair, etc.  Gratuities are always included, but Internet is extra unless you can snag it as a booking perk.  You would never pay for anything like specialty coffees, teas, booze, etc.  

 

By the 2nd day the hostess at the Lido was greeting nearly everyone by name.  I asked to have some cognac added to my cabin mini bar (included) and came back to the cabin to find a liter bottle of Courvoisier VSOP.  My only complaint is that we could not order a full hot breakfast delivered to our cabin.  But I imagine if I had talked to the Concierge...even that could have been arranged.

 

Hank

[whogo]

5 hours ago, Jimbo59 said:

How much did it cost (per day)?

Are gratuities and internet access included?

What else that Holland America charges extra for does Seabourn include?

I will not get into specifics of what we paid. Cruise prices are available online.

 

Gratuities are included. Internet is not, but we received a surprise 600 free minutes for reasons unknown, enough for our needs. Shops, casino, and spa are not included.  I think there are a few liquors or wines that you have to pay extra for. Our only expenses were for shore excursions and postage. We ended up with $350 redeemable credit.

 

We paid $80 rental before our cruise per pair of boots for our Antarctica zodiac excursions.

 

An orange waterproof parka with a puffy inner jacket was included in our fare, brought them home, may never use them. We also received a thumb drive of photos, video, and a cruise log plus "Antarctica Peninsula: A Visitor's Guide". https://www.amazon.com/Antarctic-Peninsula-Visitors-British-Survey/dp/0565094653/ref=sr_1_2?keywords=antarctic+peninsula&qid=1580779133&s=books&sr=1-2

 

We never ordered room service, heard a woman rave about her breakfast, amazed that eggs were hot and tasty.

 

Should have added a couple more Seabourn vs HAL items.

There are no day of the week elevator mats.

Buffet scrambled eggs seem to be made from fresh, whole eggs. They were delicious.

 

 

 

[molemaui]

15 hours ago, whogo said:

We debarked the Quest after our 21 day San Antonio to Buenos Aires Antarctica cruise as I blogged here: https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2724452-the-grouch-on-seabourn-quest-january-12-2020-san-antonio-to-buenos-aires-via-antarctica/#comments

 

I posted this comparison on that thread, hope it is acceptable here:

 

 

 

 

Thank you! Great comparison. We enjoy the premium lines where there is value (i.e. good price) because the food and service are so superior. 

 

Except for Oceania which I feel is the best for us (casual, great food and service), We'll continue most of our cruising on HAL/Celebrity. Translation-able to take more cruises per year. 

[StLouisCruisers]

We used room service for breakfast quite a bit and DH got bacon and eggs, toast, etc. a lot.  Always good and hot.  The way they set up your dining table in your room with tablecloth, condiment tray, even the flowers in your cabin.  So civilized compared to a buffet.

 

I use my puffy jacket given to us by Seabourn all the time.  We just took the puffy jackets and orange waterproof parkas along for our Antarctica journey last month on Princess.  It was really cold so we needed them.  

[mancunian]

We have sailed on HAL 17 times and still like it.  We have been on both Seabourn and Silversea but would go on neither again.   Firstly I think the very expensive fares are down mainly to the free alcohol and as we are single glass of wine it can never be good value for us.   Nor to be honest did I think the food that good.

 

We liked Seabourn and apart from above would not object to going again, but definitely not Silversea.

 

We do however like both Oceania and Viking.  Just come back from our first Viking cruise and very impressed.  Both these lines are possible for you if you want to upgrade from HAL.   Viking gives you free wine at lunch and dinner which is quite sufficient for many people plus included speciality teas and coffees.  it was also the most attractive ship I have been on except for Marina and Riviera which are also excellent designs.

 

[StLouisCruisers]

I remember only one meal on Seabourn that we didn't like.  The rest of the meals were great in our opinion.  I loved the Galley Market Lunch!  That was a real highlight for us.

 

Due to the high cost of Seabourn we don't cruise them every time.  Just extra special itineraries so it's a real treat when we do go.

[SilvertoGold]

OP:  delightful, mature, comprehensive and interesting review.  Thanks very much for taking the time.  I am off to read your blog now.