If I've sailed on Odyssey and Sojourn, will I like Encore or Ovation?

[AlexsDogPound]

We absolutely love Odyssey and Sojourn and the small intimate feel of both of the ships. Is there a noticeable difference in the size of Encore or Ovation?

The increase in passengers? Waiting for tenders? 

 

Thank you all for your input.

[jjs217]

Will I like Encore or Ovation? Yes

Noticeable difference in size? No

Increase in passengers? Yes, not noticeable

Extra waiting for tenders?  Maybe, not noticeable

[LEESRE]

We have never had to wait for a tender on Encore, you have to remember that Encore and Ovation have an extra deck and they also have a Retreat, which we love. The Solis restaurant is far bigger also and they have a bar at the entrance to Solis, again we think is far better.

We didi not notice much of a difference to the other ships re number of passengers, the only thing was on sea days the pool area seemed more grouded.

[brenecke]

We also love the Odyssey class ships.  Sailed on the Ovation class for the first time in June.  I did notice the increase in passengers.  Perhaps it was because a very large number were first time Seabourn customers and they were having some issues adjusting. They overwhelmed the Colonnade and it was like a rugby scrum whenever they had outdoor entertainment or food.

 

It was an odd itinerary with lots and lots of tendering.  Only had long wait times two days when rough seas caused them to move tender operations from one side of the ship to the other, so not passenger related.

 

Was it an enjoyable cruise?  Yes, with caveats.  Will I try to find itineraries that suit on the Quest and Sojourn? Yes.  However, I suspect that I will end up on Ovation or Encore most of the time as they now represent over 50% of the non-expedition fleet.  Sigh.

[imcpa]

IMO, the best part of Ovation and Encore is the gym.  It is MUCH better on Ovation and Encore.  I have cruised on Odyssey, Sojourn, Ovation and Encore (and will cruise the Venture next month).  I would cruise on any of them in the future but prefer Ovation and Encore because the gym is so much better.

[Isklaar]

I find the size of the Odyssey class ships to be perfect. I did not enjoy Ovation and am in no hurry to cruise on it or Encore again.

Ship felt too big yet overcrowded, not enough outdoor space during a warm weather cruise, pool deck packed like sardines and unable to get a spot there, Or on deck 5.  MDR not big enough and we were turned away on formal night as it was full. That has never happened over hundreds of nights on Sojourn/ Quest/Odyssey.

Extra space in Solis (TK as it was then) is a positive and especially I am sure now it has the outdoor terrace. But overall it is a resounding no for us both.

Should add ours was a fully booked ship on a Holiday cruise. May not be so bad if not at capacity.

Edited August 13 by Isklaar

[AlexsDogPound]

Thanks everyone for your input.

[brittany12]

Here's the thing. The 3 Odyssey class ships and the two newer ones have basically the same footprint. The two newer ones, Encore and Ovation, with some necessary added weight, though have another 150 passengers squeezed into that new deck, but the ships themselves  are not much wider or longer than the 3 smaller ships. That makes for the congestion in and around the  basically same size pool and on the pool deck, competing for chairs in warm weather cruises, and the larger people presence in the only slightly enlarged Colonnade and restaurant. Solis is much larger. And of course there is the Retreat.

[Hlitner]

We have not noticed much difference between the two sizes of ships.  The layout is very similar.  I do like the larger alternate restaurant (now Solis) on the larger vessels because it is in a more expansive space with a very nice bar (usually with a pianist).    The only time I notice the extra folks is when getting morning coffee/cappuccino at Seabourn Square.  Instead of waiting in line behind 2 or 3 folks on the small ships, on the Ovation we might have to wait behind 4 or 5 :).

 

Hank

[BobMartha]

Only 3 sailings under our belt - 2 on Odyssey and 1 on Ovation. Would sail on Ovation again in a heartbeat. It just "felt" roomier - dining room, GYM, TK - just overall felt larger.

 

Bob

[stan01]

Not mentioned yet, but surprisingly smaller Sojourn and Quest have more Penthouse suites than larger Ovation and Encore.  So if you prefer PH suites that's one consideration.  There's a dedicated Sushi restaurant on Ovation and Encore, plus the larger Solis and gym.  One more deck so another flight of stairs to climb for exercise.  Probably a little more competition for pool loungers and Observation lounge prime seating on the bigger ships.  Overall they are pretty close.

[2SailingNomads]

On O class ships MDR can accommodate all pax. E class can't so on formal night late arrivals may have to wait.  I like the Solis bar on E class but not the retreat which is the anthesis of what Seabourn was when we started on the Legend.  Prefer the layout of the Colonade on the E class ships.  

[SLSD]

In my opinion, which may differ from others, I think you would like Encore and Ovation.  We have sailed on both classes of ships.  We DO prefer the dining room of the O class ships (don't like the plastic ceiling on Ovation and Encore--and the room seems noisier).  At the same time, there are a number of things we prefer about Ovation and Encore.  Number one--the ships are prettier in our view---especially the Observation Lounge which has a more attractive decor--especially around the bar.  It is a bit gloomy on Sojourn, and lighter/brighter on Encore/Ovation.  Next, the Solis restaurant on the O class ships is VERY small--and cramped.  If you are seated at a table for two, you may be mere inches (on both sides) from the next table.  It is akin to dining with others.  SO--you have to hope that you find the diners at the next table to be pleasant and even fun to talk to--even if you don't know them.  We were fortunate last night at Solis to be seated. next to very congenial people we had already met.  

 

Next, the Observation Bar on the O class ships can get quite crowded before dinner.  If you don't arrive in time, there will be no place to sit.  The pressure is taken off of the Observation Bar on Encore/Ovation as there is another bar--outside of Solis.  It is a lovely bar with generous seating.  You can go there even if you are not dining at the restaurant that night.  AND, the Solis restaurant on Encore/Ovation is spacious AND includes an outdoor area. 

 

We have never noticed Ovation/Encore being crowded (except for indoors at the Colonnade and we avoid that).  If given a choice, we would sail Ovation/Encore instead of O class because of the extra bar space and the large Solis restaurant AND the Sushi restaurant which the O class does not have. 

 

As a caveat here, I will tell you that we are NOT pool loungers.  We avoid sitting in the sun, but do enjoy dining around the pool--but not everyday.  

[Isklaar]

5 hours ago, 2SailingNomads said:

On O class ships MDR can accommodate all pax. E class can't so on formal night late arrivals may have to wait. 

 

We weren't even given the option to wait, they just flat out turned us away!

 

Our experience on that cruise overall was not up to the usual SB standard, not just because of the ship's size. I accept that our general disappointment with the cruise may have perhaps unfairly contributed to our dislike of the ship. 

[Mauzac]

For us, there are for and against with both.  However, if we had to choose identical cruises on either the O class ship or Ovation/Encore, we would choose the smaller ships.  But that may be because we started our Seabourn 'journey' on the smaller ships and the first 7 cruises by coincidence, not choice, were on them.

 

I prefer the ambience of the Solis restaurant on the smaller ships.  But having said that, the bar in Solis on the larger ships with a pianist is lovely.  Although we haven't been on a larger ship since it became Solis, it will be lovely to dine outside there.  

[kej1]

We much prefer the smaller ships - sojourn and quest.  We like the smaller number of passengers, and in the MDR and on the patio it does not seem as crowded.

i agree that the extra space and bar for what is now Solis ( we have not  been since the new restaurant was added) on the Ovation and Encore is a positive, and the addition of the Sushi restaurant with more choices than sushi in the club is another positive.  However we will always prefer the smaller ships when looking for a cruise. 

[brittany12]

In retrospect, it's really a shame that when Seabourn decided, and Carnival management approved, to build the Encore and Ovation, the decision must have been made to keep the costs down and, unlike competitors, not build a significantly larger footprint-ship to adequately house, feed, and overall comfort... in all venues... the extra 150 passengers they were allowing onboard so that the feeling of being crowded, in certain venues and at certain times, would not take place. The length and width of the bigger two ships is not much greater than the smaller ones, with the new deck squeezed in, so usable space for passengers in the DR and pool/pool deck is not much greater.

[AlexsDogPound]

We are definitely pool people, so the extra 150 passengers might be too many to fight for pool chairs which is one reason we left the mainstream ships years ago. We also don't do sushi so unless the itinerary is one we just can't pass up I think we will stick with Sojourn and Quest.

[markham]

If you are used to the pace of the Soj and Quest then you may be in for a rude awakening on the 2 bigger pax capacity ships. Specifically, the pool area during the summer months.

 

We just disembarked the Encore in Piraeus after 2 weeks in sunny and hot Greece and Turkey. The pool deck was as crowded and noisy as any college Easter break at Daytona Beach, for those of you who can imagine that. Ok, maybe it’s fine for the “hey you guys!” crowd you will encounter standing around with their drinks in the pool all day when they’re not in the jacuzzis, and you would find on many ships this time of year. Which is obviously the reason/justification for The Retreat, with its 14 or so 2-person cabanas and dedicated loungers, for those who want to pay up for and get some peace and relaxation! Otherwise maybe just forget the whole thing. 
 

Buyer beware! Know that Seabourn costs more per day than anywhere in Daytona Beach. For the summer months on these 2 ships make sure you have lots of port days/few sea days and/or book The Retreat before the place sell out. 
 

Happy and healthy sailing!

[Vineyard View]

We’ve only sailed (with SB) on Quest last year. We loved our experience. We had planned on rebooking her next year, but schedules changed in the Spring with her, so we have booked Ovation late Mar/early Apr next year in the Mediterranean. Reading this has me a bit concerned. Based on weather history, it ‘should’ be pleasant, and not hot. Certainly that is somewhat unpredictable. We enjoy hanging around the pool on a sea day, or a self chosen partial sea day. We found Quest pool area was quite busy last year late May/early June. With an additional 150 people, I hope we have the opportunity to enjoy that area. 
 

Your post, Markham, is exactly what we would NOT enjoy. I want to believe that is partially due to sailing in high summer season…..and I wonder if that doesn’t happen during those levels of heat, on any ship, to a certain degree? IDK. But that would not have been anything close to what DH and I look forward to on our vacations. 

[brittany12]

You're not going to have pool deck problems late March/early April in Med. Still quite cool.  But the MDR and Collonade may present seating  problems at mealtimes with 150 extra bodies.  

[Vineyard View]

Thank you for your response brittany12. I wasn’t, when booking, counting on pool deck problems at that time of year. We generally travel in May so I hadn’t given it much thought prior to this thread.  I do hope to enjoy some time there if the weather cooperates!
 Good to know about mealtimes so that we can plan accordingly with evenings - most of the time we were in the MDR on Quest (aside from TK), and while we weren’t always seated at our favorite stations, we found ourselves well taken care of. We are not generally late meal times at dinner, so I guess we will get a feel for how it flows and adjust from there. 

Edited August 19 by Vineyard View

[highplanesdrifters]

I'm also in the small ship camp. Encore was a disappointment.  The itinary might have been a factor. We were on a 21 day eastern Mediterranean which was really three 7 day trips.  Lots of partying, pool hogs, and zero enrichment. Pool is too small for number of passengers.  We were only able to have dinner at the sushi restaurant once due to the queue every night.  I will echo others, Ross is amazing and we did find ourselves dancing till all hours on occasion.   When in Rome.

 

As for the restaurant, we were turned away a few times. First time I noticed that there were two larges tables of 8....empty.  I asked if we could sit there. Surprisingly yes was the answer. Service was slow. Second time we didn't bother.

 

While it's not in the Never Again camp it is surely in the Probably Not camp.

Edited August 19 by highplanesdrifters

[brittany12]

 

Scary thought for me is that with sale of Odyssey, this may be the future business plan  for  the Seabourn unit from its Carnival master. Get rid of other two smaller ships Quest and Sojourn in its fleet, almost as old as Odyssey, focus on inadequately sized 600 passenger ships Encore and Ovation plus continue to expand expedition ship business. No other new cruise ships, unlike exponential growth of Silversea fleet, and no new ship building plans on horizon of which I'm aware. New ships take years to accomplish anyway. 

[lisa6191]

FWIW, we have only sailed with Seabourn once, on Encore in the Med in October. We did not find it crowded anywhere, but of course nothing to compare it to except mass market lines. No problems at meals or on the pool deck, and the weather was absolutely gorgeous for the whole cruise. We were told the ship was at full capacity. No kids or partiers on this cruise. So maybe it’s just luck of the draw? Our next cruise is a TA on Ovation in November, so I am curious to see how that compares.