I often get this question from clients, "What does an ultra-luxury cruise offer that “the other guys” don’t? My one word answer? "ALOT!"
Since our travel agency specializes in luxury cruise travel, we sail on all of the luxury and ultra-luxury cruise brands so we can advise our clients and help them find the perfect cruise line and ship that fits their personality, travel style and (of course) budget.
I’m writing to you from our suite on Seabourn’s Encore as we sail through the Mediterranean Sea. We've just spent the past 12 days enjoying ports of call in Greece, Italy, Montenegro, Croatia and Albania. We take lots of notes so we can give our clients up-to-the-minute information on the ships, itineraries, service, food, packages, spa, pricing, amenities, and the ports of call. With that in mind, here are some of our observations about the ultra-luxury line Seabourn:
#1 Embarking and Disembarking was a breeze. During our 14 night Eastern Med cruise, there were a number of passengers joining the ship or getting off the ship every 7 days. I met a couple at the pool who had already been on the ship for 19 days and another couple who had just joined the ship in Dubrovnik. Seabourn has a well-organized and very smooth process – no lines, no stress. We boarded the ship int eh morning and sat down with our Guest Services rep for a few minutes who checked our passports and gave us our card keys. Easy peasy.
#2 We never stood in line….ever. With only 600 passengers aboard, we never stood in line for a meal, to get off the ship, to get on a tender, to attend a show or lecture.
#3 Seabourn’s customer service is absolutely top drawer. On embarkation day, the Captain and some senior officers met us and welcomed us as we boarded the ship. By the morning of Day 2, crew members were calling us by name. When you are thousands of miles away from home, it feels really nice to have the crew call you by name. Also on embarkation day, our Suite Host and Suite Attendant introduced themselves to us by arriving in our suite in their lovely uniforms with champagne and a silver tray with treats and gifts. Wow. I am including a picture because it was the most lovely “welcome aboard” we have ever had.
#4 Everyone has a suite and a private veranda. Each suite has a 2-member team (the Suite Host, who acts as a butler, and the Suite Attendant) caring for you day and night. It’s fabulous. All the suites are mid-ship and forward, and all the public areas (restaurants, theater, spa, gym, all bars except the Observation Bar) are all aft to make the most of the great views.
#5 We never took out our wallet or signed a bill on the ship - except for our spa treatments and shore excursions. All of our food, entertainment, drinks, and gratuity is included. We did choose to tip those who delivered our breakfast in bed a couple of bucks- but it’s not required or expected.
#6 The food was extremely good and all included. The Seabourn Encore boasts 5 dining venues: The Restaurant (their main dining room), the Colonnade (a buffet for breakfast and lunch and menu dining for dinner), Solis (an elegant specialty dining room that requires a reservation but no fee), Earth and Ocean at the Patio (open air, pool side dining), and a Sushi restaurant. You can also get specialty coffees and treats at The Square and, of course, in-room dining. All complimentary.
#7 Our ship was the only ship in port most of the time. If you have been on a Caribbean cruise recently, you known what it feels like to arrive in port and see 4-6 huge cruise ships already in port. Of course, that means 10,000+ passengers all crowding into that small port. In almost all of our ports, we were the only ship there. It was so nice to walk off the ship and go into town or on an excursion without having to deal with large crowds or traffic jams.
#8 While other cruise lines seem to be scaling back services and charging more, Seabourn seems to be doing more and holding the line, price wise. Our suite was cleaned by our attendants (yes- 2 of them) twice a day. On my husband’s birthday, they decorated our suite and the Executive Chef presented John with a beautiful (and delicious) birthday cake. Our minibar was stocked daily with our favorite beverages (all included) and Seabourn offers high value promotions on a regular basis, putting them in the same price range as many premium brands (such as Celebrity, Holland America and Princess) but without the additional fees for specialty dining, drink packages and gratuities.
#9 We enjoyed fascinating guest speakers. We listened to an interesting presentation from an expert who works for UNESCO; she discussed how UNESCO World Heritage sites are chosen and presented information on several that we would see on our cruise. We also enjoyed listening to the official photographer for the Royal Family who shared stories of his decades photographing the royal family members and his formal and informal pictures from King Charles Coronation and Kate and William’s gorgeous wedding. The informal pictures were my favorites.
#10 Seabourn is masterful at the “surprise and delight.” Of course, the ship is gorgeous and the service is all designed to pamper and spoil you. However, just when you think you have experienced the best Seabourn has to offer, they do something new to surprise and delight you- like the time we returned after dinner to find our Suite Attendant had drawn me a bubble bath- complete with red rose petals, music and romantic lighting….wow. Or afternoon we were sailing away from the Greek island of Zakintos (where they filmed a few scenes from Mama Mia), they had a “Mama Mia sail away party” on the pool deck- everyone was singing along and dancing to the music. So fun. Or the time the captain announced “It’s Marina Day!” Marina Day is when they drop anchor, open up the back of the ship to be a swim platform and drop speed boats, kayaks, and other “floating toys” for the passengers to enjoy. John and I rode “the coach” a floating toy pulled by the crew in a speed boat. I thanked the crew and told them how much fun we had, but how I wish I had brought a camera so I could show our grandkids how their Nana was so brave to do that. Later that night, we returned from dinner to find a picture of us “on the couch” that the ship’s doctor had taken of us, she had printed it out and sent it to our room with a handwritten note. Wow….
So now another big question- how much does it cost to sail on Seabourn? Great question, glad you asked. On first glance- it looks expensive. But- when you look at ALL that is included in the price, and you find a good sale, it is very competitive with the premium brands.
For example, with a high value sale currently going on, you could have an all-inclusive, suite with a veranda, aboard the ultra- luxury Seabourn Venture- Sept 27, 2024 – 10-day sailing from St Johns, Newfoundland to Barbados with stops in San Juan, The British Virgin Islands, St. Kitts/Nevis, and Martinique- prices starting at $3147 per person, double occupancy. Seabourn is fabulous for giving you that yacht-like, ultra luxury cruise experience as you sail to fascinating ports and pristine destinations.
Call, text or email soon to discover more about Seabourn…remember, your next adventure awaits. 😊