Seabourn has a new President

[Catlover54]

On 3/1/2023 at 11:07 AM, margbem said:

Breaking news, Seabourn has a new President…

Carnival Corporation-owned luxury cruise line Seabourn has announced Natalya Leahy is to take over from Josh Leibowitz as president.
Leahy has spent seven years with Holland America Group, most recently as chief operating officer including operational oversight of Seabourn, sister lines Princess Cruises, Holland America Line and P&O Australia, and land operations.
Leibowitz is to leave “to pursue new opportunities” the company confirmed in a statement, adding that Leahy would report to Holland America Line president Gus Antorcha “as part of a structure to build on the benefit of shared services”.
Antorcha said: “Seabourn has earned a top position in the luxury and expedition cruising space, and Natalya’s expertise, background and proven track record in delivering results is ideal to build on that success.
“With her leadership and the introduction later this year of our second purpose-built expedition ship, Seabourn Pursuit, I am confident in the future growth of Seabourn.”
He added: “Josh’s leadership in navigating the [pandemic] pause and return to service proved valuable for Seabourn’s future.
“We appreciate his contributions and wish him well. This business has a bright future with the best in all-inclusive, luxury cruising and now expedition voyages. I look forward to seeing Natalya bring her passion and talent to Seabourn’s success.”
Leahy said: “It’s an honour to join the extraordinary Seabourn team and partners who take personal pride in curating transformative, enriching, one-of-a-kind Seabourn moments.
“We have built unmatched luxury experiences at sea that provide life expanding moments for our guests. I am excited to support and work with our trade partners as we continue to surprise and delight our guests in ways they would never imagine.”
Prior to joining the cruise industry, Leahy held leadership roles with Procter & Gamble and Coca-Cola.

 

 

Just disembarked the Ovation on Saturday after two weeks on board. Never heard as many people complaining. It got quite depressing. I keep meaning to write about our cruise but it might end up just being a list of disappointments.
 

 

 

 

 

Many people on the SB forum don't like hearing about pax disappointments (Saminina and a few others excepted, including new cruisers).  They will often tell you that you 'did it wrong', [e.g., whatever approach you had to resolving a problem was wrong], that you are a glass-half-empty guy, that you were on a 'different [insert ship name, e.g., here, Ovation'], that what you were disappointed about is trivial and unimportant, etc., that one should have pity on the staff these days because they try so hard [when they do], that "Covid" requires tolerance, that people are suffering in Ukraine and we have first world problems, etc.

Even some people who haven't cruised for four or more years on any luxury line, much less SB,  don't like hearing about negative stuff.  CC is supposed to be a happy place (just like the FB forums that are run and censored by the lines, where the rules are that negative comments will be removed). 

I think it just creates cognitive dissonance (e.g., they feel that if they paid so much money for a product perceived by some as mediocre -- even though opinions can vary about things like, say,  whether or not  a 45 minute wait for an appetizer is objectively or subjectively luxury or not -- their selection must be an awesome product for everyone, so la-la-la-everything-is-wonderful and hands over ears is a good approach, after all, life is short.)

 

I'd love to hear your opinion, but many don't want to, so it may be rude to express it on the forum.  Write an official CC review instead.

 

 

 

Edited March 4, 2023 by Catlover54
Typo

[frantic36]

9 hours ago, Catlover54 said:

I think it just creates cognitive dissonance (e.g., they feel that if they paid so much money for a product perceived by some as mediocre -- even though opinions can vary about things like, say,  whether or not  a 45 minute wait for an appetizer is objectively or subjectively luxury or not -- their selection must be an awesome product for everyone, so la-la-la-everything-is-wonderful and hands over ears is a good approach, after all, life is short.)

 

And others like myself find people like yourself and @samininaclaim people like myself aren't worth listening to because we are just cheerleaders and also must have no discerning taste since we enjoyed our cruise.

 

My point  being your claim of being dismissive of others opinions works both ways in the negative and positive camp.

[lincslady]

Since few of us actually know other posters personally, it is hard to judge whether you feel they are always happy bunnies who accept everything, or grumpy miseries who complain about the slightest problem - or somewhere in between.  Although those who post often do give some clues.  Pointless to take too much notice of one individual report, and easier to make your own judgment if there are several reports which seem to agree with one another about whether a cruise was overall a good one or a disaster.

[Mr Luxury]

16 minutes ago, lincslady said:

Since few of us actually know other posters personally, it is hard to judge whether you feel they are always happy bunnies who accept everything, or grumpy miseries who complain about the slightest problem - or somewhere in between.  Although those who post often do give some clues.  Pointless to take too much notice of one individual report, and easier to make your own judgment if there are several reports which seem to agree with one another about whether a cruise was overall a good one or a disaster.

I know Julie and her husband Keith.

Julie posts and says what she sees and I have had no reason to think that any of her posts are other than spot on,good or bad.

[LouChamp]

Aloha. Seems to me that is the cruise industry they keep recycling the same insiders around and around the various lines. Like some posters said, they are primarily bean counters nowadays and really don’t have a pulse as to what the guests want nor expect. The days of really providing superior service and cuisine is fading as they are all in debt. Sad but that is reality and if we decide to sail have to accept that reality. Just my opinion.

[Techno123]

It would be interesting to hear if people who regularly sail on the more mass market ships are also unhappy meaning that standards have slipped across the board and whilst ------------ (insert your luxury cruise line of choice) has 'gone downhill', in comparison to others it is still pretty good.
 

Personally, I am looking forward to sailing on Ovation in the summer. I am going in with eyes open and probably not expecting it to be as amazing as our very first cruise which happened to be on the Odyssey, but I still expect it to be pretty good in comparison to sailing on one of the (much) bigger ships. We also sail on RSSC Explorer later in the year so I will be able to subjectively compare the two. Our first Silversea cruise isn't until 2025 so things might have all changed again by then 😁

[lincslady]

Certainly almost all of those who sail on P and O  UK are generally not happy with current standards.  A few have tried Saga, and mostly very much approve - though that is hardly mass market in any sense.

[Mauzac]

57 minutes ago, lincslady said:

Certainly almost all of those who sail on P and O  UK are generally not happy with current standards.  A few have tried Saga, and mostly very much approve - though that is hardly mass market in any sense.

 

That's interesting.  P&O really wouldn't appeal, and for me Saga just has connotations of being for the more elderly than me.

But maybe I am sounding like my dear old Dad who, in his nineties, talked about 'the old people'  like he wasn't one!  😂

[lincslady]

The question was about mass market, and I admit I don't bother  looking on the big US lines forums.

[saminina]

On 3/2/2023 at 2:21 AM, Mr Luxury said:

 

The crew on the ships know what we want that is those that have not left to join Viking,Windstar,Scenic and the like.

Am I the only person that  enjoys sailing with familiar faces among passengers and crew?    The recent holiday cruise on Sojourn had a near zero count for passengers and very few crew. Two incompetent crew members in responsible positions affected our happiness.   I don't blame the person hired to entertain in observation bar for accepting the gig.   She had a free ride with her new husband.  I put the blame on the person that made the call to hire her.  He knows her skill level.   Yes, it's Christmas season and any piano player worth 5 USD has land based bookings.   Being stuck with her for the third time really did put the stake in doing another SB trip.  

 

I know my posts generally can be read as negative.   Interaction with crew members known for years is basis of my happiest memories of recent SB cruise.  The banter, and serious conversations priceless.

[Mr Luxury]

1 hour ago, saminina said:

Am I the only person that  enjoys sailing with familiar faces among passengers and crew?    The recent holiday cruise on Sojourn had a near zero count for passengers and very few crew. Two incompetent crew members in responsible positions affected our happiness.   I don't blame the person hired to entertain in observation bar for accepting the gig.   She had a free ride with her new husband.  I put the blame on the person that made the call to hire her.  He knows her skill level.   Yes, it's Christmas season and any piano player worth 5 USD has land based bookings.   Being stuck with her for the third time really did put the stake in doing another SB trip.  

 

I know my posts generally can be read as negative.   Interaction with crew members known for years is basis of my happiest memories of recent SB cruise.  The banter, and serious conversations priceless.

Your posts read as negative.

Who'd have thought it. 

[Mr Luxury]

6 hours ago, lincslady said:

The question was about mass market, and I admit I don't bother  looking on the big US lines forums.

Yes,one day there will be a dress code thread.

[Mahogany]

On 3/2/2023 at 4:02 AM, Mr Luxury said:

Handre is indeed land based and in charge of Entertainment and talent booking at corporate HQ

He regularly visits all of the ships now.

Ah, there was a time when my choice of itinerary included Handre being CD.

[Mr Luxury]

2 minutes ago, Mahogany said:

Ah, there was a time when my choice of itinerary included Handre being CD.

Yes,he is a dear friend and a favourite for many over the years.

 

[Catlover54]

11 hours ago, frantic36 said:

 

And others like myself find people like yourself and @samininaclaim people like myself aren't worth listening to because we are just cheerleaders and also must have no discerning taste since we enjoyed our cruise.

 

My point  being your claim of being dismissive of others opinions works both ways in the negative and positive camp.

 

Please direct me to the post where I "claim" that people who like their experiences on SB  "aren't worth listening to" or that you "must have no discerning taste."   That's a very strong, insulting, and inaccurate accusation, especially since it makes no objective sense. 

 

My point in post #26 to Margem  was that many  people who really like SB a lot and  who post here are generally   unreceptive to hearing negative comments about others' experiences (even when positive experiences were also described).  Many here, for whatever reason, prefer not to consider , that *people's experiences on SB can vary* and that some things can be very good and other things not so good, depending on the passenger's prior experiences, specific wait staff dealt with, personality, expectations, etc.

Newbies generally like to hear different perspectives, so this distortive characterization of my detailed trip reports and contributions, and also of Saminina's comments, is not helpful, and unfortunately reinforces the opinion I expressed to Margbem that a list of disappointments will not be well-received here and he should therefore just go straight to an official review (I unfortunately left out that he should also give SB feedback on his final review , very important, even if they typically won't acknowledge the feedback). 

Since my comments repeatedly seem to offend you  (indeed, I cannot recall a single comment I have made about my experiences on SB that you clearly enjoyed reading about, not even the  land trips and photos, much less specific wonderful experiences on the ship I described, so why bother),

I have previously suggested that you place me on an automatic "do not view this member's posts"  status, i.e., block me,  which CC allows, and then you wouldn't  have to be exposed to the apparently unhealthy irritation of my posts.

Meanwhile, I prefer to continue to at least glance at all posts, because I gain information from many of them (even if your opinion is that I believe your posts are not worth listening to).  I have taken detailed notes for future reference about some of the private excursions you have done, and I thank you for posting the details about them.  I also thank you for posting photos, and know that is a lot of work.

 

Edited March 4, 2023 by Catlover54
Typo

[frantic36]

On 3/4/2023 at 9:08 AM, Catlover54 said:

they feel that if they paid so much money for a product perceived by some as mediocre -- even though opinions can vary about things like, say,  whether or not  a 45 minute wait for an appetizer is objectively or subjectively luxury or not -- their selection must be an awesome product for everyone, so la-la-la-everything-is-wonderful and hands over ears is a good approach, after all, life is short.)

 

 

Here you are Catlover. Your claim that someone like myself who is being positive about a cruise has cognitive dissonance because they refuse to accept that they have spent money and wasted time and money on it so they put on rose coloured glasses. I find this insulting.

[SLSD]

I read critical posts with interest and always want to hear exactly what people experience on their Seabourn cruise--whether positive or negative.  I can guarantee that when we finally sail in June, I will report back my honest take on our experience.  

 

At the same tiime, things that are important to some cruisers, may not be important to me.  We all can have somewhat different expectations.  I think that is very clear from reading many of the threads here.  

 

We are going on our cruise expecting things not to be as they were pre-pandemic.  We won't like it if service is lackluster and staff is untrained.  But, we are hoping for best.  

 

As an aside, I have a friend who is/was a very frequent cruiser (mostly Silversea, but some SB and Crystal as well).  She always looked forward to each cruise and booked quite a few of them each year.  After several years, she told me that the experience just wasn't that special anymore.  I do think it is possible to become a bit jaded.  I'm not suggesting that this is an issue with any of you--but is something to consider.  

 

I agree that Saminina's posts often seem. quite negative.  I regret that we did not meet even though we were on the same Kobe to Vancouver cruise way back in 2019.  I would be curious to know what Saminina thought of that cruise since I would at least have some same cruise experience.  

Edited March 5, 2023 by SLSD

[saminina]

We had conversation in Observation Bar.   That cruise was memorable and very much opposite  the two taken on SB during 2022.   I have overdosed on cruising and will enter a rehab facility later this year.  Must finish what has been booked thru December.

[saminina]

I wanted to edit, but bit too late.    After typing, the November crossing on Silver Dawn was cancelled.  That leaves two to go, one of which is cashing in milestone award on SS Endeavor.   The other is trying out Explora during October.   So, with SB and SS the final two cruises were on awards and we finish even.   Felling better already!

Edited March 5, 2023 by saminina

[SLSD]

5 hours ago, saminina said:

We had conversation in Observation Bar.   That cruise was memorable and very much opposite  the two taken on SB during 2022.   I have overdosed on cruising and will enter a rehab facility later this year.  Must finish what has been booked thru December.

You knew who I was, but didn't identify yourself.

 

It was a memorable cruise.  But, I haven't read your critique of how SB performed there.  

Edited March 5, 2023 by SLSD

[texanaust]

20 hours ago, SLSD said:

I do think it is possible to become a bit jaded.  I'm not suggesting that this is an issue with any of you--but is something to consider.  

This.  I don't know how people spend months on Seabourn or (insert cruise line) and don't become jaded.  I was well and truly sick of Encore after three weeks last summer.  That being said, I think it was a combination of the guest makeup (mostly one weekers) and a deterioration of the main dining room food (and lack of opening at breakfast/lunch). 

 

However, we did a SB suez canal 18 night several years ago and could have stayed on for another 18, so it really depends.  

 

[Mr Luxury]

2 hours ago, texanaust said:

This.  I don't know how people spend months on Seabourn or (insert cruise line) and don't become jaded.  I was well and truly sick of Encore after three weeks last summer.  That being said, I think it was a combination of the guest makeup (mostly one weekers) and a deterioration of the main dining room food (and lack of opening at breakfast/lunch). 

 

However, we did a SB suez canal 18 night several years ago and could have stayed on for another 18, so it really depends.  

 

Each cruise is a different experience.

[SLSD]

3 hours ago, Mr Luxury said:

Each cruise is a different experience.

It is!  And the atmosphere on the ship can be totally changed by passenger make up! 

[Mr Luxury]

5 minutes ago, SLSD said:

It is!  And the atmosphere on the ship can be totally changed by passenger make up! 

Especially those pesky seven day folks 😁

[SLSD]

5 hours ago, Mr Luxury said:

Especially those pesky seven day folks 😁

Yes, we have had experience with them.  I had typed out a longer response earlier, but somehow it evaporated.  Probably just as well...