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Seabourn Encore - The Retreat


cruising kirby
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The Retreat remains a dumb idea and definitely “not Seabourn” if you know and have appreciated the cruise line’s egalitarian roots. However, the line’s management sets itself out as knowing better than the vast number of loyal and seasoned passengers who have complained that this waste of space on Encore impinges on outdoor space which is already far less per passenger than is available on the Odyssey class ships. To say nothing of the $350 per day charge to roost in one of its cabanas.

 

If I were on Encore and/or planning to be on Ovation which incredibly gets its Retreat in May too, I would be more than peeved if I could not use the deck 12 forward sun loungers. If you do plan on cruising on these 2 ships I would encourage you to check it out! I mean really... Who was the ship built for anyway?

 

Time will tell if and when The Retreat on both ships are shut down and removed and then given over to deck sports or other all-passenger access usage.

 

Happy and healthy sailing!

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When we board Ovation in June, I will check out the Deck 12 forward sun loungers (as we did on the Encore.) If they are roped off again, I will call guest services and inquire as to whether they are available for passengers to enjoy. I will report back--perhaps not in real time---as I tend to unplug while on vacation.

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When we board Ovation in June, I will check out the Deck 12 forward sun loungers (as we did on the Encore.) If they are roped off again, I will call guest services and inquire as to whether they are available for passengers to enjoy. I will report back--perhaps not in real time---as I tend to unplug while on vacation.

 

Thank you - i'd appreciate that.

 

As is often the case Seabourn London office were unable to answer the question when asked by our TA yesterday !

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Thank you - i'd appreciate that.

 

As is often the case Seabourn London office were unable to answer the question when asked by our TA yesterday !

Seabourn offices in the UK and US generally do not know what goes on aboard any of their ships.

What happens at sea stays at sea.

The Retreat remains a dumb idea and definitely “not Seabourn” if you know and have appreciated the cruise line’s egalitarian roots. However, the line’s management sets itself out as knowing better than the vast number of loyal and seasoned passengers who have complained that this waste of space on Encore impinges on outdoor space which is already far less per passenger than is available on the Odyssey class ships. To say nothing of the $350 per day charge to roost in one of its cabanas.

 

If I were on Encore and/or planning to be on Ovation which incredibly gets its Retreat in May too, I would be more than peeved if I could not use the deck 12 forward sun loungers. If you do plan on cruising on these 2 ships I would encourage you to check it out! I mean really... Who was the ship built for anyway?

 

Time will tell if and when The Retreat on both ships are shut down and removed and then given over to deck sports or other all-passenger access usage.

 

Happy and healthy sailing!

 

When we board Ovation in June, I will check out the Deck 12 forward sun loungers (as we did on the Encore.) If they are roped off again, I will call guest services and inquire as to whether they are available for passengers to enjoy. I will report back--perhaps not in real time---as I tend to unplug while on vacation.

 

 

Sent from my SM-G955F using Forums mobile app

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It will be interesting to see if I find them roped off again--or accessible to passengers at large. I have to admit that I did not pursue this issue during our voyage after finding them roped off (along with the Retreat) on the second day of our cruise. There were many other places to enjoy being on the deck. But, this particular area (even though there is not pool or hot tub attached ) was attractive.

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Ah, the memories flood back, about the inaugural Encore cruise last year. That was when I discovered that you cannot walk up the stairs from the pool deck to the top deck and then cross forward to the sun loungers of Encore. Why? Walking past the enclosed Retreat might somehow upset and/or disturb the punters within! Hence, the “No Entry” signs. It’s thereby a staircase to nowhere.

 

Of course, you can walk up stairs and across the top deck forward on the Odyssey class ships. Since there is no Retreat nonsense.

 

By the way, there are far more sun loungers on the Ody class ships forward, top deck than on Encore and soon Ovation.

 

If you are on these 2 ships you can take the forward elevator to their top deck 12. You will walk into the Retreat area and you can see if anyone ANYONE is in there, and then make a right turn and around to the forward area of the deck where there are a few sun loungers. I hope, for your sake, that they are available to you without paying an additional fee. That would be too much!

 

Happy and healthy sailing!

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Ah, the memories flood back, about the inaugural Encore cruise last year. That was when I discovered that you cannot walk up the stairs from the pool deck to the top deck and then cross forward to the sun loungers of Encore. Why? Walking past the enclosed Retreat might somehow upset and/or disturb the punters within! Hence, the “No Entry” signs. It’s thereby a staircase to nowhere.

 

Of course, you can walk up stairs and across the top deck forward on the Odyssey class ships. Since there is no Retreat nonsense.

 

By the way, there are far more sun loungers on the Ody class ships forward, top deck than on Encore and soon Ovation.

 

If you are on these 2 ships you can take the forward elevator to their top deck 12. You will walk into the Retreat area and you can see if anyone ANYONE is in there, and then make a right turn and around to the forward area of the deck where there are a few sun loungers. I hope, for your sake, that they are available to you without paying an additional fee. That would be too much!

 

Happy and healthy sailing!

 

Thank you for this.

 

We are not aboard for another 10 months so a lot could change.

 

My plan is - armed with my email from Seabourn central office I will be contacting the Hotel Manager to advise him that we will be using the public loungers on Deck 12 and to ask him the route he would like us to take to access these.

 

It looks like the obstacles to access that have been put in place may make for a nice quiet deck area. We may even bring a picnic :-)

Edited by machotspur
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My plan is - armed with my email from Seabourn central office I will be contacting the Hotel Manager to advise him that we will be using the public loungers on Deck 12 and to ask him the route he would like us to take to access these.

 

It looks like the obstacles to access that have been put in place may make for a nice quiet deck area. We may even bring a picnic :-)

 

I like your idea of a picnic. :D

 

Our cruise in July is on Encore. We were on the inaugural but decided to give her another chance. Our cruise is port intensive but maybe on one port we could try your picnic idea. If we do I'll let you know how it goes.

 

Julie

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I like your idea of a picnic. :D

 

Our cruise in July is on Encore. We were on the inaugural but decided to give her another chance. Our cruise is port intensive but maybe on one port we could try your picnic idea. If we do I'll let you know how it goes.

 

Julie

 

Hi Julie

 

We'd very much value your observations on this, from your Encore trip in July (along with SLSD's kind offer of feedback on the Ovation cruise in June).

 

Of course the report would be much enhanced if you could include pictorial evidence of the grand picnic you were able to organise on Deck 12 sun deck :). I am sure you could easily outdo any pitiful attempt by us Poms !

Come on - you know you Aussies will never duck a challenge ;)

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  • 1 month later...

Well Seabourn clearly hasn't given up on The Retreat yet. We're cruising in August and just received a mail today suggesting we 'Plan a special retreat' during our upcoming cruise and book in advance. The benefits are breathlessly listed, a little disingenuous I thought that they include 'complimentary premium wine selections' and 'caviar service' as those are available shipwide anyway. The 'extra' benefits for your $249 (on a sea day) do include a chilled bottle of bolly (just the one however) and $50 spa credit.

 

It doesn't give the port day pricing, or tell you if the bolly and spa credit still apply. They now, it seems, also have a full-voyage package price about which you can call to enquire.

 

Would have been nice if they'd moved on already and were starting to think like Seabourn, hopefully email blasting 'The Retreat' is the beginning of the end.

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Well Seabourn clearly hasn't given up on The Retreat yet. We're cruising in August and just received a mail today suggesting we 'Plan a special retreat' during our upcoming cruise and book in advance. The benefits are breathlessly listed, a little disingenuous I thought that they include 'complimentary premium wine selections' and 'caviar service' as those are available shipwide anyway. The 'extra' benefits for your $249 (on a sea day) do include a chilled bottle of bolly (just the one however) and $50 spa credit.

 

It doesn't give the port day pricing, or tell you if the bolly and spa credit still apply. They now, it seems, also have a full-voyage package price about which you can call to enquire.

 

Would have been nice if they'd moved on already and were starting to think like Seabourn, hopefully email blasting 'The Retreat' is the beginning of the end.

 

We are on Encore in July and I got the same email.

 

I have written a return email which I will send to guest relations tomorrow explaining how The Retreat has impacted on the amount of public open space especially for those who like to exercise by walking outside. We are only booked on the Encore this time because we are on a short, port intensive cruise so we can walk on land and we like the itinerary.

 

I have little hope they will listen, but I will send the email anyway.

 

Julie

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We are on Encore in July and I got the same email.

 

I have written a return email which I will send to guest relations tomorrow explaining how The Retreat has impacted on the amount of public open space especially for those who like to exercise by walking outside. We are only booked on the Encore this time because we are on a short, port intensive cruise so we can walk on land and we like the itinerary.

 

I have little hope they will listen, but I will send the email anyway.

 

Julie

 

I like that - I shall follow your lead.

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Lovely! Which cruise are you on in August?

 

As tempted as we were, on a hot balmy Med day, i’d rather book the spa than the retreat!

 

We're on Barca-Barca 18th August. No sea days for two weeks (boohoo we actually like them) but there are a couple of ports on the itinerary which will probably not survive breakfast. Even on those days we fail to negotiate the gangplank I don't see us going to the Retreat. The pool deck will probably be a retreat most days at least before midday.

 

Anyone else on this cruise, come join us one day, we'll order caviar and club sandwiches and I'm sure we can all chip in for a bottle or two of bolly. Any wag who writes "The Other Retreat" on a cocktail napkin will get a free drink .. of the kind available to all, as it should be.

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Don't encourage her! Next you know, she'll be bringing a barbie on board and throwing prawns and yabbies on it!;p;p

 

I'm sorry but when I read this the first time I imagined someone tossing seafood on a plastic doll.

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