Upgrade / upsell offer and lots of questions, first time on Seabourn

[alexandria]

DW and I are booked on the March 24 TA on the Quest from Miami to Las Palmas and received an upgrade offer from our TA yesterday to move from our Veranda suite to a higher category suite ranging from a Penthouse Suite to the Wintergarden Suite.  While we are experienced cruisers, we are new to Seabourn so have quite a few questions that I haven't been able to find clear answers to online.  Thanks for helping us sort our our options.

 

1.  I have read that the curtains along the frosted glass walls separating the bedroom area in the Penthouse and Spa suites from the remainder of the suite are fairly sheer.  On the other hand, I saw a video tour of a Penthouse Spa Suite posted online a year ago and those curtains didn't appear sheer (although they were open so it was hard to tell for certain).  I am a very early rise while my DW prefers to sleep longer, particularly on vacation so I don't want to disturb her by turning on lights in the suite.  Can anyone confirm whether those curtains will block the majority of any light in the suite?

 

2.  Am I correct that Penthouse Suites and above have the Nespresso maker?  Is there half and half in the stateroom or can it be requested? 

 

3.  I see that the Spa Suite includes some additional amenities, such as juices, waters and more healthy snacks/fruits in your stateroom and complimentary use of the Spa Serene area (which I understand includes the thermal loungers, sauna/steam bath/Laconium and outdoor spa deck with loungers).  Is that accurate?  How busy is that area, particularly on sea days (we have nine of those)?  I read here that the stateroom attendants for the Spa Suites also service staterooms on another deck.  I couldn't tell from the comments whether that was just an observation or if there were service lapses as a result.  Any thoughts?

 

4.  A number of the available options are either at the bow of the ship (like the Signature Suites) or the aft (Spa Suites).  While I know that nobody can predict weather and sea conditions for our sailing, any opinions on the location of those for a transatlantic sailing (west to east)?  Since the ship will have to make 15 knots/hr on average to reach our first port on time after leaving Miami (if my math is correct), I imagine the balconies on the bow cabins will be unusable for the most part. 

 

5.  There is one owner's suite that is midship (731) but I can't find much information about that stateroom.  How does the size and layout of that owner's suite compare to other suites onboard?

 

6.  On the videos and photos of the Wintergarden suites, I wasn't able to see a vanity table with side lighting.  I also am having a hard time seeing the size of the shower (it appears from video tours that there is a massive tub in the bath but a circular shower that may be smaller than found in penthouse and other suites).  I also understand that noise from furniture on the pool deck directly above can be an issue.  Can anyone shed light on these things? 

 

7.  According to the Seabourn website, the Penthouse Suites and higher receive a complimentary Stream Wi-Fi package.  Is the reliability and speed of that package markedly different than the Surf Wi-Fi package?  However...

 

8.  The upgrade letter to our TA reads, in part:  "On all sailings promotional or suite amenities are based on the non-discounted category paid, not the upgraded suite category."  I know that the complimentary transportation post-cruise is not included with a paid upgrade, but otherwise, what specifically does that language mean?  Does that mean that we will only receive the amenities associated with our current Veranda booking and not the other suite amenities (like complimentary Spa Serene access with a Spa Suite or the upgraded Wi-Fi)?  On the other hand, the Seabourn information on the Wi-Fi packages reads "Guests receiving a complimentary upgrade into a Penthouse or Premium suite will not automatically receive the Stream package."  So I'm not clear how to read the language in the upgrade letter. 

 

Surely they don't intend to remove the Nespresso machine from upgraded suites since that isn't included with the Veranda suite category!  😮😉

 

9.  This is a complete shot in the dark, but since most of the amenities on Seabourn are included with all stateroom categories, I'm curious how experienced Seabourn folks value the upgraded suites?  I'd be interested in your opinions on what you would pay (per day) to move from a Veranda to a Penthouse, Penthouse Spa, Owner's, Signature or Wintergarden Suite.  I just am not sure how to "value" the offer we received (or if that is even possible).  Can we afford to upgrade?  Absolutely.  Will it be worth it?  That is the condundrum! 

 

Thanks all for your help and your prior threads and posts on Seabourn.  We are looking forward to our first voyage with them in March!

[midwife]

Alexandria, thanks for posting these questions. I would like to know also. We leave in 3 weeks and have just accepted and paid for an upgrade to a Penthouse. I didn’t realise that some of the perks from these suites would not be available to us. 
Hope you can get some answers soon. 
 

[highplanesdrifters]

On the Quest avoid 600 & 601. Anchor noise significant. The front windows open to the public deck.  They have a one way coating but it is still rather creepy when folks are looking in.  You'll only make that mistake once. 😉

 

If you Google the specific suite, you can often find numerous videos of that suite. Perhaps you have already found some. Use the category name, not the suite number. Remember that the Quest, Sojourn,  and Odyssey are sister ships. Rooms and spaces will be very similar.

 

Specific questions about what is or isn't included can only be answered by the cruise line.

 

In general suites near the bow will have the most motion, aft, less so.  Center, significantly less.

 

Good Upgrades get snapped up fast.

[Love dubai]

All amenities other than the transport are given to an upgraded suite.

Verandah cabin is 28 square metres whereas a Penthouse is 40 and a Penthouse Spa is 62-64. The middle ship Owners suite is 60.

 

Penthouse Spa is very different from a Penthouse but note on Quest there is no elevator to these suites. The outside serene area rarely has anyone on the outside beds. They tend to know who are in the Spa suites and will ask anyone who isn’t to move or pay for a day pass,

 

None of these in any way compare to the Wintergarden Suite which is 117. Stayed in many times and have never found an issue.

 

As last poster said, if good upgrade price these will go fast 🥹

 

[Isklaar]

Wintergarden - I book it specifically when I need it (for the space) so can't comment on a paid upgrade. I am very noise sensitive and do find that I'm aware of noise from the pool deck. It has been a big enough disturbance that I will probably not book it again. A quick word with Guest Services hasalways led to less noise but I still hear it. 😳 That said we have at least one poster here on the board who is a WG regular and she has no complaints about noise from above. The shower is a good size, the bathroom is great. Balcony is superb. I can't think of any amenities that make the WG 'worth it', for me the only reason is the spaciousness. 

 

I'm usually more than happy with a deck 6 ( or deck 8 ) veranda suite, would prefer to save my money if offered an upgrade and enjoy another cruise instead. 

 

My experience in the WG is only on the O class ships, not E class or expedition ships.

Edited December 14, 2023 by Isklaar

[Cantara24]

1 hour ago, highplanesdrifters said:

On the Quest avoid 600 & 601. Anchor noise significant.

FYI ... not an issue on a trans Atlantic

[markandjie]

5 hours ago, alexandria said:

Can anyone confirm whether those curtains will block the majority of any light in the suite?

Most suites have very good blackout curtains. The regular verandas also have another set of curtains mid-suite that allows an early riser to go to the sitting area and open the curtains even without disturbing the person in the bed. I don't believe the spa suites are quite that good in terms of keeping light out of the bedroom if the balcony curtains are open.

 

5 hours ago, alexandria said:

Am I correct that Penthouse Suites and above have the Nespresso maker?  Is there half and half in the stateroom or can it be requested? 

 

Yes and yes.

 

5 hours ago, alexandria said:

Is that accurate?  How busy is that area, particularly on sea days (we have nine of those)?  I read here that the stateroom attendants for the Spa Suites also service staterooms on another deck.  I couldn't tell from the comments whether that was just an observation or if there were service lapses as a result.  Any thoughts?

 

Yes you have access and personally I've never known it to get particularly busy. I'm one of those who feel that it's harder to get what you need from your room attendant when staying in the spa suites, but I do think utilizing written notes and just being very clear on expectations solves 90% of the issues.

 

5 hours ago, alexandria said:

Can anyone shed light on these things? 

 

We've been fortunate to stay in WG in each ship class. It's a fantastic suite in every way. We sleep with a noise machine so can't comment on early morning noise from the pool deck as I never recall hearing any (different from launching zodiacs on Venture...those hydraulic lifts cut right thru the noise machine). The shower is plenty large on all ships. I don't specifically recall a vanity with side lighting on the Quest-size ships, but do know only on Venture did DW complain about the makeup station.

 

5 hours ago, alexandria said:

Is the reliability and speed of that package markedly different than the Surf Wi-Fi package?

 

Two big differences: 1) you can have up to 4 devices, and 2) you can use sites like youtube and photo upload sites that consume more bandwidth. Those are usually blocked on the surf plan. Otherwise it's a pretty identical experience IMO.

 

5 hours ago, alexandria said:

So I'm not clear how to read the language in the upgrade letter. 

 

Aside from the transportation thing you mentioned, to my knowledge the only thing you don't get when upgrading is credit in your Seabourn "frequent flier" account for 2 points per night instead of 1 point per night. Stream package, spa access, etc is all at the suite level regardless of how you got it. At least that's our experience having upgraded 4-5 times.

 

5 hours ago, alexandria said:

Can we afford to upgrade?  Absolutely.  Will it be worth it?  That is the condundrum! 

 

We have frequently upgraded, but not every time. We've had a great cruise every time. So there's that.

 

Two general thoughts: I would be willing to upgrade either where I highly value more space (eg, when we're traveling with others and want a gathering place, or when we might want to have a party in our suite like we did in Alaska for our son's 10th birthday), or when I want to get to a more central part of the ship to minimize the impact of rough seas. Only you can judge the value, but our recent upgrade to WG was only 30% more than our base V1/2 fare...that was a steal!

 

OTOH, when we upgrade we typically spend more time in our suite and less time in common areas of the ship. It means we don't get to know as many other passengers or interact with the staff quite as much. Some of this is because we have a gathering place, some because with better amenities we don't need to go elsewhere (eg Nespresso vs Seabourn Square), and some because I think on a base level we feel the need to justify the upgrade to ourselves. Silly, I know, but a real thing at least for us.

 

So I think upgrades cut both ways and aren't necessarily a clear cut must do either way. The Seabourn experience in a basic room (and in Greenland over the summer we were in a V1...the only people lower or more forward than us were the invited lecturers!) is soooo good that on some level when we upgrade (like to WG for Antarctica) I feel like we actually miss out on some of what makes Seabourn great.

 

As always, YMMV.

[alexandria]

Thanks for the replies thus far, they have been very helpful!  My travel agent was also able to get some of my questions answered, additionally I was able to find a few tidbits on other questions by digging deeper into some prior reviews and online videos. 

 

We went ahead and booked a Penthouse Spa Suite upgrade.  While it wasn't the "bargain basement" priced upgrade that some others have reported on other sailings, with nine sea days in a row and the possibility of cool or inclement weather on a late March transatlantic sailing, we decided it was worth the expense to have more "moving around" space in our stateroom.  The Spa suite is about 100 sq ft larger than a Penthouse Suite (and nearly as large as the mid-ship Owner's Suite), the shower looks as larger (or larger) than all of the other suites other than the Wintergarden, it has a great soaking tub, the aft balcony is huge, the location of the Spa Suites appears to provide for a great deal of privacy when that is desired and the in-room and spa amenities provided with the Spa Suites seem to be a nice bonus.

 

We ruled out the Signature Suites and all of the forward Owner's Suites as we didn't believe we would see any benefit from the location or the balconies of those staterooms on this early spring transatlantic.  I suspect it would likely be too windy and cool to enjoy forward-facing balconies on the nine sea days and those staterooms are likely to most feel any effects of rough seas we may encounter.

 

While the Wintergarden Suite looked spectacular, the upgrade cost for that was about double the cost of the Penthouse Spa Suite and we just didn't see that as being a good value (not to mention the fact that my wife very much preferred a stateroom with a well-lit vanity mirror). 

 

Seabourn did confirm what I suspected about the upgrade amenities (and as noted by markandjie)...when upgrading you get all of the amenities associated with the upgraded suite except private car transfer, extra OBC for premium suite bookings and bonus Seabourn Club points when booking a Penthouse or higher suite category.

 

Thanks again all!  Fair winds and following seas...

 

[jozi]

On 12/14/2023 at 12:33 PM, Cantara24 said:

FYI ... not an issue on a trans Atlantic

Except at ports at either end.  Also can be rougher seas.

[Bronwyn]

As you have now gone for the Penthouse Spa suite, this info is not so relevant this time around, but might be useful to know anyway.

 

We sailed in a Penthouse Suite on Odyssey (915) for 6 weeks across the Pacific earlier in 2023. The curtains in the bedroom are semi-sheer, they provide privacy from someone in the lounge area looking in, but they do not block out all the light. Also, the glass doors which open from the bedroom onto the hallway have no curtains; they have an etched design, but that doesn't block out light.

 

We enjoyed the space and the layout overall (the separated toilet, the walk through wardrobe etc) but that curtain/block out issue was a bit of a pain. Having said that, we have booked again in 915 on the Quest this coming January.😀

[lelak]

We just stayed in a Penthouse Spa Suite on Quest and in almost all respects it was great.  The curtains separating the bedroom from the living room are completely opaque--no issues with

light from the living room bothering the bedroom.  Don't take the "extra healthy juices" thing

too seriously, but your room attendants will get you anything you want.  The four spa suites are

isolated which is mostly a good thing and they are extremely convenient to all the dining

and public areas expect for the observation lounge--elevators are just down the spiral staircase, so you are both isolated and near even though that sounds a bit contradictory.  It might take you a day or two to train the cabin attendants when they should clean your room.  It might take you most of the cruise to figure out how to work the somewhat non-deterministic lighting controls!  The room has both an espresso machine and a tea kettle.

 

The only  major negative is that while in theory there is a stair lift for the spiral staircase it didn't work

at all during our 14-day cruise and I got the feeling that it hasn't been operational for a long time.  I have some mobility issues so had to be very slow and careful navigating the 15 steps.  If you or yours have serious mobility issues you need to make sure they have actually fixed the stair lift or the Quest PS won't work for you.

 

 

[alexandria]

Thanks, lelak!  Fortunately, my wife and I are able to get around without issues and rather prefer to take the stairs when cruising for the exercise and to avoid bringing home extra pounds.  And I'm not talking about souvenirs in our luggage or British currency!  But I can see that not having a working stair lift would be a significant issue for those who have difficulty walking or navigating a spiral staircase.  I hope that didn't cause you any lasting difficulties or diminish an otherwise enjoyable cruise experience!  🙂

 

I found a photo here on CC in the Quest review section (https://www.cruisecritic.com/cruise/seabourn/seabourn-quest/photos) that showed the "healthy" juices in the second mini-fridge.  All of the ones whose brand I could identify have high fructose corn syrup as their second or third ingredient, so I'm not sure how "healthy" those are.  Hopefully they'll have some unsweetened options including vegetable juices or "diet" fruit juices.  Perhaps either I or our TA will reach out to Seabourn pre-cruise and discuss that with them.

 

Is the balcony still furnished with padded loungers, sofa and chairs as well as a dining table as I have seen on some older photos of the spa suite balcony, such as the photo below?  

 

Did you use the spa amenities (thermal loungers, steam room/sauna, etc) and if so, any feedback?  Were you in one of the two middle spa suites or a corner spa suite?  Did you take any photos of your suite that you'd be comfortable posting?

 

Thanks again!