Small ships vs Big Ships

[CoSec]

Ok. We have had two Odyssey Cruises in the Med. Brilliant! Love the ship. Feel very loyal to it, which is weird. Now considering a 10 day cruise in June. Choice is Quest or Legend. Even going on Quest seems disloyal, but at least it's an Odyssey clone. What I am wondering is, if we took the Legend option how would we find it? Would we be wishing we had stayed Odyssey class? Wife and I are mid 50's if that's in any way relevant. Any thoughts from those lucky enough to have done both big and small ships? Oh, and why would Legend cruise be more expensive, which seems to be be case, for the same voyage length and itinerary ( more or less)?

[Bostonactor]

We sailed the Odyssey last May 14 days in the Med. and just returned from a Caribbean 10-day cruise on the Legend. We much prefer the Odyssey, although suites on the Legend are not without some charm and the ship is certainly more intimate, making it easier to meet people. We thought the food was better on the Odyssey, the pool deck more spacious and comfortable, cocktail-time in the Observation bar wonderful and both breakfast and lunch in the Colonnade far less hectic than in the much smaller Veranda. The kitchen on the Legend lost orders, and some of the meals were just OK. The plumbing on the Legend needs work....many suites flooded during our cruise, including ours. Waitstaff and our stewardess on both ships equally hard-working, kind and cheerful.....just great. We have booked the Quest for next November. Hope this helps.

[CoSec]

Thanks very much for this insight. Very Helpful. We absolutely loved Odyssey, especially the Observation Bar and The Club. Colonnade was great too. I think I know where we are likely to end up. :)

[mariners]

CoSec, I have not sailed on the Legend so I cannot give you the same review that others might provide. However, I have sailed the Odyssey and the Pride. I would choose the ship based upon the ports, itinerary, and length of time of a cruise. For very long cruises, over 40 days, I would probably choose one of the larger ships just because there are more venues onboard but the ships still have a smaller ship feel. If it was a shorter, port intensive cruise, I would choose one of the smaller ships. We loved our time on the Pride. It is a much more personalized experience and the small ships allow one to feel as if they are really at sea rather than in a `hotel`. I`d base your decision on what matters the most to you on a ship - more venues, balcony, etc. There is no wrong or right answer.

[charlielou]

We have sailed on the Quest and the Pride, and while we had a fantastic time on both ships, we have decided that we prefer the size of the Quest. We love the Seabourn Square, pool/deck area and the sunbathing area on the top deck. The Colonnade on the Quest is also much better than the Veranda Cafe on the Pride in our opinion. We found the service to be exceptional and intimate on both ships. We are looking forward to sailing on the Sojourn in May. Hope you have a wonderful cruise which ever ship you choose.

[wdpmd]

I have been on both (Legend x 2, Odyssey once). Both are fantastic and I'd do either again in an instant. My personal preference is for the smaller ships.

 

The differences are actually minimal.

 

I don't like to sit in the sun so I don't care about the pool area very much. Both have plenty of places to sit in sun or shade.

 

The smaller ships feel smaller in good way. You quickly know staff and passengers; there is no feeling of being part of a herd. I prefer the veranda to the Colonnade. I don't find it (Veranda) hectic. By the third day or so, the staff already know me.

 

SB square is nice. There is really no comparable public area on the small ships but the available amenities can be largely duplicated on the smaller ships on request. The feeling of spaciousness however, can't be duplicated.

 

I haven't seen much difference in food but if pressed, I prefer Legend.

 

Fortunately, I haven't encountered any flooding problems.

 

You won't go wrong either way.

[lincslady]

We have now had at least one cruise on all 6 ships. Apart from preferring the Colonnade to the Veranda (which can be noisy and crowded if the ship is full) we do not have a preference as to the actual ship or size of ship. It has very much depended on the staffing on the particular cruise: we have had brilliant chefs, restaurant managers, Cruise Directors etc. etc. on all the ships, but the personnel change when people go on leave, or change ships. So I think those who say they loved the Odyssey, for example, were probably not on board when we were, when we enjoyed it much less than the Sojourn or Spirit, for example. This makes it very hard, to my mind, to say which ship or size of ship one prefers apart from the obvious physical differences - like swimming pools etc.

[Prunella1]

We sailed on the Legend many times and once on the Odyssey and once on the Quest. We love both. What I like about the small ships is the main dining room, much prefer it over the bigger ships, but on the Odyssey and Quest we loved Seabourn Square and the Collanade, especially being able to eat outside in the evenings. We had problems with plumbing on the Pride and I really think that the little ships are now showing their age, but I would sail again on them every time if the itinery is right, for instance sailing up to Seville or through the Corinth Canal which are both wonderful experiences, also around the East coast of the USA, through the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal and up the Potomac to Alexandria, not sure that the bigger ones would be able to do that. But then I don't think that Seabourn offer this itinery any more which is a great pity.

 

All in all you either have the space and more varied venues of the Odyssey or the intimacy and friendliness of the Legend, both are wonderful

[CoSec]

Thanks for all these views, everyone. It is interesting to hear how others view and approach the topic and that those who have experienced both, whilst sometimes having a finely balanced preference, are not saying that there is a clear divide between the two and that one is so much better an experience than the other. That does help a lot.

[Martita B.]

I've sailed on all 3 larger Sister's and have been sailing on the "Baby Girl's" for 12 years ~~I much prefer the smaller ships ~~Just perfect for my comfort & taste ~the larger vessels are new and very lovely ~I had a great time on all 3 enjoying good friends and the special Crews, but will return to the 'Lit Sister's.

Martita B

[Hobar]

Have done the three triplets, then went on Sojourn last year. Took me just 10 minutes to fall in love. First 9 1/2 minutes I was missing the small ship, but then came to find that having that many more people made for more fun, and still retained the service. I'd be hard pressed to go back to the smaller boat -- the rooms are smaller (I think), the balcony is so much smaller and we love hanging out on the balcony/verandah, The smaller ships have not been updated as far as I can tell. They are good for easy on/easy off if you have a lot of stops. More personal service, but I really could care less if everyone of the staff knows my name or not. Smaller boats not as modern, not as much to do, not as many bar choices, tiny library, tiny gym. Now I would only go back to smaller ship for itinerary that is hop on-hop off, so perhaps if I ever go do the Med again, but otherwise, no. Since you brought up age, I think you might want to stay on the larger ships.

[sfvoyage]

I've been on Odyssey a couple of times and recently went on one of the triplets (Legend) on a back-to-back of 25 days, and there is no contest - the bigger ships are for me!

 

Prior to going on the Legend, I've read a lot of comparisons on this board, and most of the advantages pointed out by the triplet fans are food, service, and intimacy. Well, the food on my 2 Legend segments was good but no better than the Odyssey. Regarding service, the Legend crew was lovely and provided excellent service, but so was the crew on the Odyssey. As for calling passengers by name, it took the Legend crew quite a few days (by the second segment, really) before a few of them started calling me by name consistently, and this gesture, while nice, does not feed my ego anyway. In fact, sometimes this backfires - on more than one occasion, I'd be having a meal but would be interrupted by 4 crew members coming up to greet me and chit chat, one after another, within 4 minutes. Sometimes too much service is too much of a good thing. They should know when to appear and when to disappear.

 

As to intimacy, the Legend is in fact more intimate, by definition due to its smaller size, and I met a lot of interesting passengers, but then I also met a lot of interesting passengers on the Odyssey. I didn't find it easier to meet fellow passengers on the smaller boat.

 

Now, the disadvantages on the Legend are plenty. First, the bathroom is older, its decor more plain, without a separate shower from the bathtub. There is one fewer eating outlet. There is no sun terrace, which is my favorite place to go to late at night for star-gazing. Entertainment options, while not a strong point on Seabourn, are even more limited than on the bigger boats, as there were no Seabourn Singers (as well as no dance couple) on the Legend, so the cruise directors and assistants have to work harder to provide entertainment, with lower production value, night after night. There is a general lack of public space to explore and retreat to, and one tends to run into the same fellow passengers all the time, which is nice except for those times when you just want to go somewhere without stopping to chit chat.

 

One other disadvantage that another passenger pointed out to me was the frequency of cancelled excursions. He had 2 excursions cancelled at the last minute because of lack of sufficient subscribers. Apparently this happens more frequently on the smaller boats because there are obviously fewer passengers on board.

[Keith1010]

I have a very simple view. The 200 passengers ships will not be around forever. Once they are gone you will likely not ever had the chance to sail on such intimate ships. I would choose the smaller ship. It is a very unique experience and something that I would highly recommend.

 

Keith

[Mr Luxury]

I agree with lincslady.

The crew are really the thing that makes the difference.To me both sizes of ship are good.

 

I have two trips booked on the smaller Legend and one on the larger Sojourn this year.

I go to the Med in the summer and always chose the smaller Legend over a larger ship.

The smaller ship being able to get into places that the larger ship cannot.

Keith makes a good point about the smaller ships not being around forever and after they have gone they will be sorely missed.

Book them now before it is too late.

[wripro]

I too agree with Keith and Mr. Luxury. The triplets are what made Seabourn's reputation. Although the service is excellent on the larger ships there is just something unique about the atmosphere and relationship between passenger and crew on the small ships. Of course, they are not as modern and up to date but what they lack in the latest conveniences they more than make up for in warmth and intimacy. There is so much talk about the triplets being sold but whoever buys them, if anyone does, they will never be run like they are by Seabourn.

[Host Dan]

Having sailed the larger ships over the past few years, and just back to the Legend in December, I have to say that the smaller ships tip the scales for me. I couldn't find a flaw in service, food and ambiance on my most recent Legend voyage. Like others have said, book the small ships now, while you still can. The Odyssey class ships shall be around for many more years to come.

 

Host Dan

[JaneBP]

DITTO, Dan. It's the little sisters for me.

[MicheleCda]

One other disadvantage that another passenger pointed out to me was the frequency of cancelled excursions. He had 2 excursions cancelled at the last minute because of lack of sufficient subscribers. Apparently this happens more frequently on the smaller boats because there are obviously fewer passengers on board.

 

Cancellation of planned shore excursions would really annoy me (last-minute even moreso). They make sufficient money on shore excursions to be able to still offer and accept a loss once in a while on an excursion that doesn't end up sufficiently subscribed to. To do anything else is very poor client service to me.

 

But good to know, thanks. Unless I think a specific excursion will end up being popular, I will consider booking a non-Seabourn excursion prior to departure. Although, that said, I'm assuming that this would be less of a problem on the larger ships than it would be on the smaller ships.

[Mr Luxury]

You just cannot tell on either size ship if a tour will be cancelled due to lack of interest.

 

Best thing to do is organise your own trips with the tour companies then you can go at your own pace and get exactly what you want without being inconvenienced by others.

[wripro]

Amen to that, Mr. Luxury!

[Jim Avery]

Amen to that, Mr. Luxury!

 

Can I get an amen to that amen? Big ships, small ships, we have had excursions cancelled for various reasons. We also tend to do our own thing.:D

[Jay23]

Having sailed the larger ships over the past few years, and just back to the Legend in December, I have to say that the smaller ships tip the scales for me. I couldn't find a flaw in service, food and ambiance on my most recent Legend voyage. Like others have said, book the small ships now, while you still can. The Odyssey class ships shall be around for many more years to come.

 

Host Dan

 

Well said Dan.. You and me both had a great cruise in December on Legend. I have never been on the "big" ships, but so far nothing I have read has tempted me. As long as the little sisters are sailing, we will choose one of them. Jay

[Mr Luxury]

Well said Dan.. You and me both had a great cruise in December on Legend. I have never been on the "big" ships, but so far nothing I have read has tempted me. As long as the little sisters are sailing, we will choose one of them. Jay

 

Do both sizes of ship and broaden your horizons.

 

Larger ships are perhaps better for TA crossings and when sailing the Tasman Sea,but the Med,Greek isles and the like are better done on the smaller vessels.

One thing that I really dislike on the larger ships is the dining room,the smaller ship dining romm is a much better space with superior service.

Flambe dishes cooked and served at your table are now not available on the larger ships.:(

[johnnycruise]

Flambe dishes cooked and served at your table are now not available on the larger ships.:(

 

So true and we were not advised in advance ... a "special" order for Steak Diane on the Odyssey resulted in the waitress bringing a nice-looking, but "prepared behind the scenes" plate of beef to the table. We were also told by the chef on the Odyssey that he could not serve "raw" sushi/sashimi ... it had to be seared. Never had either issue on the smaller ships.

 

I thought it was the hotel manager and chef who made these decisions ... is this the policy for all three larger ships regardless of the staff officers on board?

[Mr Luxury]

I am afraid that the decision is from head office for the death of the flambe trolley on the larger ships.They were electric and not gas and they had to be plugged in,so the electric cable was dangerous and a waiter or guest could easily trip over it.

 

The Sushi issue seems to be a bit of a worry,I have not seen this before.

Sashimi is offered on a number of other lines,Crystal being the best available.

To be fair Seabourn has never really offered what I would call good or traditional sushi.

You really need a proper sushi chef aboard like Crystal has.