Expectations vs Reality

[SLSD]

I was just reading a thread on a Seabourn Facebook group from a new Seabourn cruiser on Sojourn.  She boarded Sojourn the day we disembarked after 28 days on the ship.  She is on day four now and is very disappointed.  She mentioned three things:  1.The failure to get hot water for tea after asking for it several times.  2. a tough steak. 3.  a shuttle at one port that did not have the turnaround schedule she had been told.  For these three reasons, she is very disappointed in Seabourn.  Since we are just off the same ship,  I read her comments carefully realizing that sometimes things happen that can put you in a bad mood and make you think the day is not going well.  We've all requested something on a ship that comes way too slow--or not at all.  We've all had tough steaks from time to time and the shuttle buses are often a mystery to me.  (I'm happy when they surprise me as being right on time--which they usually are.). 

 

On our recent Sojourn cruise, I had some very tough beef short ribs at Earth and Ocean.  Since this is a dish I make for us a number of times a year, I know they are supposed to be flavorful and tender.  The short ribs I was served at Earth and Ocean had neither of these qualities.  I should have sent them back, but because I was not going hungry (at all), I did not.  I probably should have said something--just in the nature of feedback.  At the same time, I did not let one sub par entree color my opinion of Earth and Ocean.  I had SO many delicious meals there.  I also had a sub par tuna nicoise at Solis.  I still like the restaurant and choose to remember the great dishes I had there.  

 

I'm sure that one of the toughest jobs Seabourn has is managing expectations.  And, to make this even more difficult, everyone has different expectations.  Last year, on our two week Ovation cruise to Norway, my favorite person I met on the cruise,  was very unimpressed by Seabourn.  She told me it was just a food and booze tour--and the food was not that good.  She was outraged at how expensive the excursions were--and felt that ocean cruising was a very superficial experience.  (Meanwhile, we were taking excursions--some of them quite long--and loving everything we saw.). It is POSSIBLE that my friend's experience was colored by the fact that her luggage and her husband's luggage was lost by their airline and never made it to the ship.  They had not packed enough in their carryons and had to spend a lot of time shopping for clothing in the ports.  

 

I recognize that not everything goes perfectly on a Seabourn cruise ship.  I could post all kinds of negative things--and make people think I am a real complainer.  For example--I am a bit grossed out by the acrylic wineglasses at the Pool Bar.  They are seriously over the hill, do not clean up well, and I find them unappetizing.  But, I keep that kind of thing to myself (usually) because so many other things are going well.  

 

We cruise to go places and always recognize that the places we go on Seabourn would be hard to reach on our own.  Sure, we could go to some of them, but not all of them on one trip without a lot of trouble and logistical somersaults.  We were very pleased with our cruise, recognized how hard the crew was working, and how many wonderful experiences we had.  We ate a lot of great food, were entertained, met nice people, gazed at beautiful views and just generally enjoyed ourselves on a beautiful ship.  

 

No two people have the same cruise even when on the same ship.  What one person enjoys, may be meaningless to someone else.  What tastes great to me, may not be something you enjoy eating.  So--I am just thinking about the expectations we have when we cruise Seabourn--and how to manage our expectations when faced with the reality of our experience.  

 

 

Edited August 27 by SLSD

[alexander51]

We’re Seabourn fans with nine of their cruises notched on our belt. None have been perfect. A restaurant service glitch, a dish I didn’t like, a needed cabin repair, a bad excursion, bad weather, itinerary changes, accidental gluten, etc etc: even Covid! But we’ve learned to ask the crew for help, reorder from the menu or even go to a different restaurant (once), call for maintenance (a broken refrigerator was replaced in an hour) and get reimbursed for truly bad excursions. We have ordered more than one appetizer or entree, grazed at more than one venue (dessert looks better over there than here) and gotten items (baked potato) not on the menu. Friends have ordered special meals for our shared table, and they exceeded expectations. When there is frustration, we don’t silently stew or berate powerless wait staff, we voice concerns to a maitre’d or the hotel director. The people with shoulder stripes or fancier uniforms.They bend over backward to make it right, and sometimes the apologies are so profuse it can be embarrassing.

 

Most of the time the cruise is wonderful, our obvious happy place. Yet we ALWAYS meet at least one couple that is profoundly unhappy. Sometimes there is a genuine serious problem, sometimes they are going through a rough life patch, and sometimes they are on the wrong cruise line (Seabourn is small, boutique, quiet, more educational) or wrong vacation. Not everyone likes Disneyland, or Las Vegas, or Yellowstone, or an European land tour. Or Seabourn.

 

One problem is that the travel industry over promises. The ads are of elegant models and perfect weather, helicopter views, bubble baths, and casino winners. The cost is significant. Seabourn has sometimes rashly promised “intuitive service” or “we try to never say no.” This when they are servicing more than 200 cabins and serving more than 1,200 meals a day. Someone is going to drop a plate or mangle an order. But we think the standard is remarkably high and the crew remarkably cheerful.

 

But if a guest is still disappointed, of course they should take their money elsewhere. We’re returning for a tenth cruise.

[SLSD]

27 minutes ago, alexander51 said:

We’re Seabourn fans with nine of their cruises notched on our belt. None have been perfect. A restaurant service glitch, a dish I didn’t like, a needed cabin repair, a bad excursion, bad weather, itinerary changes, accidental gluten, etc etc: even Covid! But we’ve learned to ask the crew for help, reorder from the menu or even go to a different restaurant (once), call for maintenance (a broken refrigerator was replaced in an hour) and get reimbursed for truly bad excursions. We have ordered more than one appetizer or entree, grazed at more than one venue (dessert looks better over there than here) and gotten items (baked potato) not on the menu. Friends have ordered special meals for our shared table, and they exceeded expectations. When there is frustration, we don’t silently stew or berate powerless wait staff, we voice concerns to a maitre’d or the hotel director. The people with shoulder stripes or fancier uniforms.They bend over backward to make it right, and sometimes the apologies are so profuse it can be embarrassing.

 

Most of the time the cruise is wonderful, our obvious happy place. Yet we ALWAYS meet at least one couple that is profoundly unhappy. Sometimes there is a genuine serious problem, sometimes they are going through a rough life patch, and sometimes they are on the wrong cruise line (Seabourn is small, boutique, quiet, more educational) or wrong vacation. Not everyone likes Disneyland, or Las Vegas, or Yellowstone, or an European land tour. Or Seabourn.

 

One problem is that the travel industry over promises. The ads are of elegant models and perfect weather, helicopter views, bubble baths, and casino winners. The cost is significant. Seabourn has sometimes rashly promised “intuitive service” or “we try to never say no.” This when they are servicing more than 200 cabins and serving more than 1,200 meals a day. Someone is going to drop a plate or mangle an order. But we think the standard is remarkably high and the crew remarkably cheerful.

 

But if a guest is still disappointed, of course they should take their money elsewhere. We’re returning for a tenth cruise.

I like the way you express this--more eloquently than I could.   You see it like we do.  I need to get better at ordering more than one starter or entree and not feeling guilty about it if I want to try more than one thing--or if one item does not measure up.  This only happened three times n 28 days!  

Edited August 27 by SLSD

[Robisan]

1 hour ago, SLSD said:

She ... felt that ocean cruising was a very superficial experience. 

~~~

We cruise to go places and always recognize that the places we go on Seabourn would be hard to reach on our own.

I find both of these things are true. Perhaps the most frustrating thing about cruise tourism is the very short time in any location. There's a world of difference between seeing someplace for a few hours vs experiencing it for a few days (or more). If you drop in someplace for 6-8 hours and then sail away in a 6-star cocoon, have you really experienced the place? Additionally, 17:30 all aboard -- which means you must aim to be back between 16:30 & 17:00 to be safe -- is constraining and annoying, especially at ports where it does not take a full overnight to reach the next port. So, I get calling it superficial.

 

On the other hand, there's no doubt cruises have enabled going to places I otherwise would never see, however truncated the time and experience there may be, and to see many places in one trip without multiple baggage handling and transit arrangements. You have to go into it with a realistic expectation, take the good with the not so good. Unless you have virtually unlimited time and resources, there's no perfect travel experience that doesn't require some trade-offs and inconveniences.

[SLSD]

17 minutes ago, Robisan said:

I find both of these things are true. Perhaps the most frustrating thing about cruise tourism is the very short time in any location. There's a world of difference between seeing someplace for a few hours vs experiencing it for a few days (or more). If you drop in someplace for 6-8 hours and then sail away in a 6-star cocoon, have you really experienced the place? Additionally, 17:30 all aboard -- which means you must aim to be back between 16:30 & 17:00 to be safe -- is constraining and annoying, especially at ports where it does not take a full overnight to reach the next port. So, I get calling it superficial.

 

On the other hand, there's no doubt cruises have enabled going to places I otherwise would never see, however truncated the time and experience there may be, and to see many places in one trip without multiple baggage handling and transit arrangements. You have to go into it with a realistic expectation, take the good with the not so good. Unless you have virtually unlimited time and resources, there's no perfect travel experience that doesn't require some trade-offs and inconveniences.

I totally agree.  A good example is Bergen Norway.  We barel scratched the surface with our visit there last week.  I wish Seabourn would plan some overnight stops in cities like Bergen.  We could have done so much more there.  

[Robisan]

16 minutes ago, SLSD said:

I wish Seabourn would plan some overnight stops in cities...

As I've mentioned before, I'd gladly trade fewer port stops for longer stays in each port, especially on longer itineraries. On the few occasions where lines do have overnights they play that fact up in their marketing, yet include overnights so few times.

 

Maybe someone with more industry knowledge can explain it, because I struggle to see the downside of this for all-inclusive lines*. Longer port stops means lower fuel usage/costs per itinerary and lower F&B costs because many guests will opt to dine locally. Additional port fees just get passed on. A mix of port overnights (or two nights!) and sea days in between would be perfect itineraries IMHO, yet there's virtually nothing like this available. Or maybe I'm an aberration and there isn't really a market for this type of offering. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

 

* I understand that for non-all-inclusive brands getting guests back on board spending money on upsell F&B every night is important, however don't see how that applies to all-inclusives.

[Corony]

Perfectly written SLSD. We have almost 200 days on Seabourn and like most of us we have better days and worse days while on board. When you look at any given day there are endless individual interactions with various crew and fellow guests that shape our opinion. Although it would be great to have every meal exceed our expectations that’s just not realistic. We have always taken the approach to filter out some of the negative things we run into and look at the overall experience we have during a cruise. As others have mentioned when something goes significantly wrong there is a system for recourse. It would be nice to see more overnight stops during some itineraries but I’m not sure what affects this logistics wise. I appreciate you giving some persepctive to having a balanced overall view of cruising. 

[notjaded]

Interesting topic, SLSD.

 

I tend to have pretty high expectations about things, but have learned from my earliest days on Cruise Critic to have low expectations of the cruise experience.,,

 

...Especially food. I'm really delighted when Seabourn or other lines actually serve me food that is equal in quality to food I can get at my local restaurants. It is rare that this happens, but I don't expect it so I'm not disappointed.

 

I do expect a clean cabin and great housekeeping service, and mostly I get it. On my last two Seabourn cruises in PH cabins, there were remarkable service failures that I brought to the attention of management. They were corrected, and great cruises were experienced.

 

Looking forward to my next Seabourn voyage in two weeks!

 

 

[diebroke]

I sometimes ask myself the musical question (to paraphrase Henry Higgins in My Fair Lady;) "Why can't everybody think like me?"

Then I sober up & realize that if they did, every place I went - every cruise I took, would be over-crowded & over-priced.

Then I begin to appreciate different tastes.

[tv24]

Thanks for this topic, SLSD:  Let's start by ditching the label "ultra luxury."  What does that mean?  What is Ultra anyway?  So people arrive expecting 6-star experience.  When did we ever abandon 5-star as the ultimate?  And then the real experience does not meet their expectations. That has certainly happened to us.  So we had to step back and actively make fun of the whole "ultra-luxury" moniker, as well as "exclusive."  There are so many things about this that make me want to vomit.

 

Nevertheless, Seabourn fails to deliver so many times.  We had this experience during our 103-day Grand Voyage, which, sadly, was not very Grand.  And Seabourn does this weird dance of trying to solicit feedback which results in a lot of activity and phone calls, but no real changes.  We had the weird experience of receiving a phone call from Guest Services asking us how our cruise was going so far.  It arrive on day 90 of our 103-day cruise, too late to make any meaningful changes.  So we gave constructive feedback which resulted in a flurry of phone calls but no real changes.  It left me feeling a victim of "ultra luxury," lots of superficial efforts to make one feel happy, but no substance.

 

So I love Seabourn and have booked another cruise.  We will return again and again.  But our expectations will be managed.  And the corporation needs to be more truthful and realistic, whatever that means, or many passengers will not return, thinking that they have beenl lied to.

[SLSD]

5 hours ago, notjaded said:

 

 

I do expect a clean cabin and great housekeeping service, and mostly I get it. On my last two Seabourn cruises in PH cabins, there were remarkable service failures that I brought to the attention of management. They were corrected, and great cruises were experienced.

 

Looking forward to my next Seabourn voyage in two weeks!

 

 

We have not had significant service failures regarding housekeeping.  I did have to remind our attendants to give us clean drinking glasses at first.  After that, they were provided each day if glassware had been used.  In addition to cleaning our suite, we were provided ice in our ice bucket each day as well as bottles of Evian water--as well as many other little things that added to our comfort and enjoyment.  

[SLSD]

2 hours ago, tv24 said:

Thanks for this topic, SLSD:  Let's start by ditching the label "ultra luxury."  What does that mean?  What is Ultra anyway?  So people arrive expecting 6-star experience.  When did we ever abandon 5-star as the ultimate?  And then the real experience does not meet their expectations. That has certainly happened to us.  So we had to step back and actively make fun of the whole "ultra-luxury" moniker, as well as "exclusive."  There are so many things about this that make me want to vomit.

 

Nevertheless, Seabourn fails to deliver so many times.  We had this experience during our 103-day Grand Voyage, which, sadly, was not very Grand.  And Seabourn does this weird dance of trying to solicit feedback which results in a lot of activity and phone calls, but no real changes.  We had the weird experience of receiving a phone call from Guest Services asking us how our cruise was going so far.  It arrive on day 90 of our 103-day cruise, too late to make any meaningful changes.  So we gave constructive feedback which resulted in a flurry of phone calls but no real changes.  It left me feeling a victim of "ultra luxury," lots of superficial efforts to make one feel happy, but no substance.

 

So I love Seabourn and have booked another cruise.  We will return again and again.  But our expectations will be managed.  And the corporation needs to be more truthful and realistic, whatever that means, or many passengers will not return, thinking that they have beenl lied to.

I agree with what you are saying---the ultra part seems a bit misleading.  At the same time, we have never taken a a cruise on a line that was not in the "luxury" category.  Our only other experience has been Silversea.  Last summer, we met some cruisers taking their first "luxury" cruise after taking cruises on the other lines like Princess.  I remember talking to them at  about day three and they were amazed at the difference.  Since I personally cannot compare, that is all I have to go on.  Another cruiser told me to never take a mass cruise line or I would be very disappointed.  

 

We did receive a call on about day two from Guest Services asking us how our cruise was going.  That was a bit early in our 28 day cruise to make an assessment.  I did contact Guest Services when necessary about certain things--and they always came through for us--sometimes with a bit of nudging. I've found it always helps to be super polite when asking for anything--which I'm sure is something everyone knows to be.  

 

We will never take a 103 day cruise because I KNOW I would become dissatisfied (jaded).  I simply cannot eat the kind of food Seabourn serves (even though it is good) for more than about a month.  It is "eating out' for a solid month--and I find that hard.  Also, the repetition in the menus would get to me.  That's actually a funny statement to make because the food I prepare at home is a LOT more repetitious.  The difference is that I am the one doing the meal planning and cooking and I'm doing it strictly to please ourselves.  

Edited August 28 by SLSD

[Mauzac]

I read your first post @SLSD and thought crikey, I hope you are not referring to me!  We were on that cruise, our luggage was lost but we did get it back after 6 days, and more importantly we loved it all, even with the stress of having nothing to wear!  The scenery and excursions were wonderful.

 

As far as complaining, in 10 or more cruises, I have only ever had one 'issue' with SB and that was as we disembarked.  It never got sorted but we've moved on from it because we love our SB cruises too much.  Yes, of course, we've had a couple of niggles from time to time, but they are so inconsequential, I can't even remember them!  (Apart from when my husband got stuck in the shower when the door really wouldn't open, they were immediate in their response and didn't join in with my giggling, he did cover up with a towel I popped over the top by the way!)

 

I will say... all I would like is... anyone who is not happy, please take your grievance to the relevant officer or crew member and leave the rest of us out of it!  You have to realise that complaining to other passengers whilst they are having a fine time, is really unfair and has an impact because I don't want a downer on my cruise 

[Mauzac]

p.s.  Meant to add, I think the app with the feedback option is great.  We once put something very minor on there, and within hours someone rung us. 

[SLSD]

12 hours ago, alexander51 said:

sometimes they are on the wrong cruise line (Seabourn is small, boutique, quiet, more educational) or wrong vacation. Not everyone likes Disneyland, or Las Vegas, or Yellowstone, or an European land tour. Or Seabourn.

 

The friend I mentioned in my first post here (and who I really like a lot) is a perfect example of what you say. here.  She and her husband were on the WRONG vacation--for them.  Last year, they went on a very detailed unhurried safari in Africa--an extensive tour.  They are planning an independent driving tour of Iceland soon.  They prefer an immersive experience.  Seabourn and ANY cruise ship does not suit them at all.  And losing all their luggage on top of not like the cruise experience led to them being very unimpressed with SB.  Even so, we enjoyed their company and I keep up with them to this day.  

 

If you have never been on a cruise before--and you are considering Seabourn---take a short 7 day cruise to locations you have always wanted to see.  Then, you can make a determination if cruising and/or Seabourn are for you.  

Edited August 28 by SLSD

[Nachosdelux]

Frankly, there are some people that never seem to be satisfied.

 

There are others that are "serial" complainers.

 

And others with unrealistic expectations.

 

I have had good cruises and wonderful cruises, but never one that I would call disappointing.

 

[Fortunate 2 travel]

This is a very helpful thread.  DH and I booked our first SB Ovation cruise for summer 2025.  It’s 20 days to celebrate a big anniversary.  We are so excited for it that we booked a cruise late 2024 in the Caribbean for 11 nights.  We are new to SB but not to cruising and decided we are ready for a smaller ship experience.  

 

We are well traveled, both cruise and our own land arrangements.  What DH and I enjoy about cruising is that we have been able to sample places.  Some we make an effort to return to, some not so much.  We always comment on how some people should really just stay home.  Nothing in life is perfect.  Sometimes we have had the best experiences when things go a little sideways.  

 

 

 

[margbem]

Interesting comments from SLSD as to how things can “colour” opinions. We sailed on Azamara and were talking to the Hotel Director one evening about guests’ feedback sheets. He said that if a cruise had poor weather it greatly affected opinions about everything else.

[Nachosdelux]

5 hours ago, margbem said:

Interesting comments from SLSD as to how things can “colour” opinions. We sailed on Azamara and were talking to the Hotel Director one evening about guests’ feedback sheets. He said that if a cruise had poor weather it greatly affected opinions about everything else.

 

we have friends (their first cruise in the last 20 years) on a Regent cruise in Alaska this June (newer ship) and they complained non-stop when they got home - about the poor weather. (said they would never cruise again)

 

a few weeks later, they could not stop talking about how wonderful it was, and they wanted to do another!!!

Edited August 28 by Nachosdelux

[Vineyard View]

We started out on mass cruise lines back when ships were smaller. I believe that made a difference. I also believe their service levels were higher then. That said, there were times when a meal didn’t quite cut it, or other things. 
We sailed Carnival once.  Friends/family chose that one and on multiple levels was a one and done. We then sailed HAL back in the day with the old Ryndham. It was lovely. Being in a Neptune suite didn’t hurt, but it was different, and well done.  It still had missed opportunities. 
Along comes all the build bigger strategy and selling off of small ships. It was time to move on. 
In 2013 we sailed our first river cruise and thoroughly enjoyed it. Viking announced their launch of Oceans that year, so we were on their inaugural cruise for 29 days. Absolutely, there were hiccups. Absolutely wonderful memories as well. No regrets. Sailed several times with Viking. In Europe they have been repeating many of their itineraries year after year…..nothing really called us, been there done that, and we were tired of the price increases to include their advertised ‘included excursions’….so we started looking for our first post-Covid cruise. 
We sailed Quest last year and it was an adjustment to transition from 930 pax to 450…..but a welcome transition. We, as always, try to DIY as often as possible. The two ship excursions we booked reminded us of why, even on Seabourn. One was so bad, that I think most people, including us, reach out to SB with our concerns. We received a partial refund as OBX, and that seemed fair to us. One evening in MDR my main wasn’t enjoyable. I mentioned it and a quick recommendation was made with a fairly quick response. We enjoy nice wine. If they weren’t pouring one that attracted us, they offered other choices (we had the wine list delivered early in the cruise) without hesitation. I enjoy a nice Cognac, and after the first night in MDR they had a bottle readily available to pour one post meal, whereas the first night they had to locate some. Our room service had some hiccups - our steward had become ill, so we shared our preferences to the new team, and it was handled well. We enjoyed our first Seabourn experience enough we booked on board. FCC made some, shall I say, misinterpreted claims and post cruise we involved our TA. While it was a long drawn out exercise, It was resolved to our satisfaction. Due to medical this year we had to cancel, and due to Quest Spring itineraries changes for next year, we had to regroup. We are now scheduled for next Spring on Ovation. We are really looking forward to our experiences. 
My point in all of this is that if we expected absolute perfection on any of our travels (including international or national road trips), we would be unhappy travelers. It’s called life. And it’s damned short…..so I am looking forward to our next SB trip, our next planned road trip, and even our next large family gathering…..knowing there will be hiccups along the way during each! 
 

Great thread SLSD. 
 

[tv24]

20 hours ago, SLSD said:

I agree with what you are saying---the ultra part seems a bit misleading.  At the same time, we have never taken a a cruise on a line that was not in the "luxury" category.  Our only other experience has been Silversea.  Last summer, we met some cruisers taking their first "luxury" cruise after taking cruises on the other lines like Princess.  I remember talking to them at  about day three and they were amazed at the difference.  Since I personally cannot compare, that is all I have to go on.  Another cruiser told me to never take a mass cruise line or I would be very disappointed.  

 

We did receive a call on about day two from Guest Services asking us how our cruise was going.  That was a bit early in our 28 day cruise to make an assessment.  I did contact Guest Services when necessary about certain things--and they always came through for us--sometimes with a bit of nudging. I've found it always helps to be super polite when asking for anything--which I'm sure is something everyone knows to be.  

 

We will never take a 103 day cruise because I KNOW I would become dissatisfied (jaded).  I simply cannot eat the kind of food Seabourn serves (even though it is good) for more than about a month.  It is "eating out' for a solid month--and I find that hard.  Also, the repetition in the menus would get to me.  That's actually a funny statement to make because the food I prepare at home is a LOT more repetitious.  The difference is that I am the one doing the meal planning and cooking and I'm doing it strictly to please ourselves.  

The repetition of the menus was a big issue for us on our Grand Voyage.  Our stategy was to enjoy lunch in port as much as possible.  That was great, but still.  And I do not recommend that you experiment with a mass market line.  We've done that a lot, and I have no regrets, but those experiences are not Seabourn, and that is the best that I can say.  As to this particular set of posts, my concern remains the unattainable expectations that too many cruise lines set with their various ads and promotions.  The mass market lines do the same thing.  For instance, Cunard typically promotes itself as "luxury."  Cunard is OK, but luxury it is not.  More like a Marriott Courtyard Motel.

[Lilly55]

6 hours ago, tv24 said:

 The mass market lines do the same thing.  For instance, Cunard typically promotes itself as "luxury."  Cunard is OK, but luxury it is not.  More like a Marriott Courtyard Motel.

I agree with your comment re Cunard.

Had heard many comments on Seabourn re Cunard Queens Grill and thus booked a Q1 suite.

 

I didn’t think our expectations re Cunard were too high - accepted wouldn’t like size of ship and would miss Retreat but also found standards within accommodation and food to be very low - give me Seabourn any time 😀

[texanaust]

46 minutes ago, Lilly55 said:

I agree with your comment re Cunard.

Had heard many comments on Seabourn re Cunard Queens Grill and thus booked a Q1 suite.

 

I didn’t think our expectations re Cunard were too high - accepted wouldn’t like size of ship and would miss Retreat but also found standards within accommodation and food to be very low - give me Seabourn any time 😀

I find the food in Queens Grill far superior to anything Seabourn and Silversea offers.  A completely different experience with true fine dining.  QG is like what Seabourn used to be 20 years ago.  YMMV.

[Lilly55]

1 hour ago, texanaust said:

I find the food in Queens Grill far superior to anything Seabourn and Silversea offers.  A completely different experience with true fine dining.  QG is like what Seabourn used to be 20 years ago.  YMMV.

Can only say Cunard “true fine dining” was unable to cook meat medium rare and we found it to be theatre rather than good food and we did raise our issues daily 😀

 

Only dish cooked well was the crepe suzette.

 

I personally have never encountered “true” fine dining on any ship but then I don’t expect that - that is what I pay Michelin star restaurants for - no ship charges enough for that or has low enough covers to produce it.

 

At Core again in London last night - £1000 for 2 - would class that as “true fine dining” and would recommend 😀

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Nops]

On 8/27/2024 at 11:05 PM, SLSD said:

I was just reading a thread on a Seabourn Facebook group from a new Seabourn cruiser on Sojourn.  She boarded Sojourn the day we disembarked after 28 days on the ship.  She is on day four now and is very disappointed.  She mentioned three things:  1.The failure to get hot water for tea after asking for it several times.  2. a tough steak. 3.  a shuttle at one port that did not have the turnaround schedule she had been told.  For these three reasons, she is very disappointed in Seabourn.  Since we are just off the same ship,  I read her comments carefully realizing that sometimes things happen that can put you in a bad mood and make you think the day is not going well.  We've all requested something on a ship that comes way too slow--or not at all.  We've all had tough steaks from time to time and the shuttle buses are often a mystery to me.  (I'm happy when they surprise me as being right on time--which they usually are.). 

 

On our recent Sojourn cruise, I had some very tough beef short ribs at Earth and Ocean.  Since this is a dish I make for us a number of times a year, I know they are supposed to be flavorful and tender.  The short ribs I was served at Earth and Ocean had neither of these qualities.  I should have sent them back, but because I was not going hungry (at all), I did not.  I probably should have said something--just in the nature of feedback.  At the same time, I did not let one sub par entree color my opinion of Earth and Ocean.  I had SO many delicious meals there.  I also had a sub par tuna nicoise at Solis.  I still like the restaurant and choose to remember the great dishes I had there.  

 

I'm sure that one of the toughest jobs Seabourn has is managing expectations.  And, to make this even more difficult, everyone has different expectations.  Last year, on our two week Ovation cruise to Norway, my favorite person I met on the cruise,  was very unimpressed by Seabourn.  She told me it was just a food and booze tour--and the food was not that good.  She was outraged at how expensive the excursions were--and felt that ocean cruising was a very superficial experience.  (Meanwhile, we were taking excursions--some of them quite long--and loving everything we saw.). It is POSSIBLE that my friend's experience was colored by the fact that her luggage and her husband's luggage was lost by their airline and never made it to the ship.  They had not packed enough in their carryons and had to spend a lot of time shopping for clothing in the ports.  

 

I recognize that not everything goes perfectly on a Seabourn cruise ship.  I could post all kinds of negative things--and make people think I am a real complainer.  For example--I am a bit grossed out by the acrylic wineglasses at the Pool Bar.  They are seriously over the hill, do not clean up well, and I find them unappetizing.  But, I keep that kind of thing to myself (usually) because so many other things are going well.  

 

We cruise to go places and always recognize that the places we go on Seabourn would be hard to reach on our own.  Sure, we could go to some of them, but not all of them on one trip without a lot of trouble and logistical somersaults.  We were very pleased with our cruise, recognized how hard the crew was working, and how many wonderful experiences we had.  We ate a lot of great food, were entertained, met nice people, gazed at beautiful views and just generally enjoyed ourselves on a beautiful ship.  

 

No two people have the same cruise even when on the same ship.  What one person enjoys, may be meaningless to someone else.  What tastes great to me, may not be something you enjoy eating.  So--I am just thinking about the expectations we have when we cruise Seabourn--and how to manage our expectations when faced with the reality of our experience.  

 

 

I think that you are spot on with your comments. Since discovering cruising on a 2018 Quest trip to the Antarctic, we have found a product in Seabourn that suits us. We know for a fact that it would not suit other of our friends. SSLD is absolutely right it would be remarkable if in a three to four week cruise everything was perfect. We take the view that if we have a significant problem (only happened twice in seven cruises) we bring it to Seabourn's attention. Without exception has been dealt with elegantly in a way that surpassed our expectations.

 

My wife is not as mobile as myself (she says I just love jumping about), so Seabourn gives her a luxury experience and me the chance to go leaping about. I would comment that the more experience we have had cruising the more pleasurable it has become. You learn the little secrets, the secret breakfast spot on Sojourn, not being worried about ordering off piste, when to avoid and when to embrace the Colonnade etc.....

 

There does however seem to be a group of passengers who delight in finding fault, what I find interesting is that almost all of them seem to make on board future bookings, so it cannot be too bad. Of course there is room for improvement, but this must always be seen in the light of logistical constraints, for instance fresh fruit is always going to be challenging in the remoter environments that the expedition ships venture to.

 

To conclude, Seabourn suits us, at a price that we consider reasonable, and in some cases exceptional value. The service is excellent and often very personal without being obsequious. We cannot wait for our Pacific crossing in March 2025 and are only sad that we are missing our annual Trans-Atlantic trip this Autumn for medical reasons.