Seabourn Sojourn Food and Service

[Paminflorida]

I will also be on Sojourn at the end of this month and plan to post a review when I get back. :)

[HappyFeet13]

Yes, Oregon 50, I AM suggesting that the ships are different. I was aboard Sojourn, and was not attempting to describe food/service on the Quest or any other ship. On the contrary, I said that I believe that Sojourn is probably an aberration. You, on the other hand, seem to believe that when you go on a different ship at a different time your comments and conclusions will have relevance here. I don't get it.

PaminFlorida, I hope you have a great trip. I was told that the hotel manager (don't know name, but big guy with very long hair...and I think Polish) left the ship the same time I did...on Feb.22 in Valparaiso. Don't know if it was normal rotation or that he was replaced. But, if true, you may have better luck with food and service. I really hope you do. The Sojourn is a beautiful ship and it's staff are warm and friendly. It should not be too hard to get things squared-away. And you will be in a warmer climate where outdoor dining takes the stress off the Colonnade's inside table space. Have a great time!

[lincslady]

I really believe that whether the food is good or not so good depends to a great extent on who is cooking it on any cruise. We have had excellent food on the Sojourn (and have cruised now on all the ships, including 3 on Sojourn and many on Pride) and have had less good food and poorer service (which seemed to be not the fault of the servers, but the galley) on Odyssey. So I don't think you can set in stone what the food will be like on any of the ships at any time; you are either lucky or not!! Though of course that should not be the case.

[Paminflorida]

Thanks Jim in Florida! I'll be sure to post a review when I get back to sunny Ft. Lauderdale in April!

[wripro]

JIm,

I completely respect your opinions and observations as accept them as fact. It's a shame that there isn't the consistency necessary for a shop like Sojourn. Again, in December I had a completely different experience. Sorry it was less than stellar for you.

[Chairsin]

Jim,

I too am sorry that your cruise was not up to the Seabourn standards we have come to know and love. But as with other posters here I am mystified by the fact that early on when you were experiencing so many problems you never went to see the Hotel Manager. And now it comes out that you never even bothered to learn his name. That makes no sense to me.Don't think I have ever been on a SB cruise where I did not get to know most of the key staff and many of the more junior crew members.I address them by name and after a couple of days they return the favor and address me by name. This personal touch is part of what I have always enjoyed about SB.

[markham]

I am now on Odyssey and would like to comment on the food, service and ship's appearance in order to help with these questions about consistency across the Seabourn fleet.

 

While we only boarded 2 days ago, we have found the quality of the food and wines perfectly consistent with that of our 2 Quest cruises last year, one of which was this month. The adjectives that come to mind are excellent, calm, polished etc etc. We are very happy cruisers- as are our many friends from Quest and other years' cruises on Odyssey.

 

Of course there are "personality" differences between Quest then and Odyssey now given the natures of the individual officers we know under the different captains. Captain Geir Arne is far more affable than Capt Larsen but they both represent Seabourn professionally.

 

So it seems to me that Sojourn was in a funk and that that is most likely being addressed by Management.

 

Happy sailing!

[sananda]

Jim,

 

I too had the same experience as you on the Sojourn. The service was mediocre at best. Crowding in the Colonnade was also a problem for us. I was happier than you with the food, though I hold cruise ships to a lower standard than hotels and restaurants. I share your frustrations in relating your difficulties when others have had such positive experiences. Why were we so unlucky? Especially when I have had countless wonderful cruises on other lines.

 

I too would not have contacted the hotel manager unless I found the situation egregious. Slow, inattentive service would not have sufficed. I worry that drawing attention to myself would only increase the likelihood of the staff spitting in my food, rather than correcting their behavior. Besides, it was clear to me that some of the staff were good and some were bad and needed more training. My solution was to get a table served by the better staff.

 

Chairsin - I am terrible with names. How in the world do you remember all those names? I prefer when they don't know my name, because if they address me by name I feel bad that I have no idea what their name is.

[oregon50]

Yes, Oregon 50, I AM suggesting that the ships are different. I was aboard Sojourn, and was not attempting to describe food/service on the Quest or any other ship. On the contrary, I said that I believe that Sojourn is probably an aberration. You, on the other hand, seem to believe that when you go on a different ship at a different time your comments and conclusions will have relevance here. I don't get it.

PaminFlorida, I hope you have a great trip. I was told that the hotel manager (don't know name, but big guy with very long hair...and I think Polish) left the ship the same time I did...on Feb.22 in Valparaiso. Don't know if it was normal rotation or that he was replaced. But, if true, you may have better luck with food and service. I really hope you do. The Sojourn is a beautiful ship and it's staff are warm and friendly. It should not be too hard to get things squared-away. And you will be in a warmer climate where outdoor dining takes the stress off the Colonnade's inside table space. Have a great time!

 

Jim.....go back and read post #2. Please direct your snippy comments elsewhere. NOBODY understands why you would post your problems on a public forum and insist the company monitor so your complaints could be accomodated versus the direct route.

 

The hotel manager's name is Hubert and he is Austrian. I've known him for years and is a true pro. Unless you had blinders on, he was clearly visible during your cruise.

[Chairsin]

You know Sananda, one of the best pieces of advice I was given when I received my master's degree was to remember the name of people to whom you are introduced and use it when you address them. It is a little thing but one which makes everyone feel good. On Seabourn the junior crew wear name tags( granted I sometimes have to lean in a bit to read them) and the senior officers and crew are listed in the Daily Herald and the Guest Passenger list). It does not matter if it is a bank clerk, my letter carrier, or a Seabourn crew member -- I call them by their names. It is called "common courtesy" and unfortunately these days it is not that common.

[PaulaJK]

Jim, I have appreciated your notes regarding your recent experiences on

Sojourn, both in this thread and your very upbeat notes on the other thread.

Paula

[Mr Luxury]

jim,thanks for posting your experiences on the Sojourn.

I do feel that you were given good advice by many seasoned Seabourn guests.Unfortunately you did not seem to take the advice given to have things put right by your standards.

The Hotel Director does wear a name badge and welcomes comments concerning your cruise so that he may make changes if need be, thus makinig it a memorable occasion.

[HappyFeet13]

Thanks for the advice that I learn hotel manager's names, etc. I did receive a printed Guest List on the Sojourn. It has the names of the Hotel Director, Executive Chef, etc. I could have printed their names here, but chose not to. I did meet the Chef one night when he came around the restaurant asking if we had enjoyed our meals. I never met the Hotel Director. I reported food quality and service on this forum because I felt it was far below my previous Seabourn experiences and thought that my opinion should be shared. For what it is worth, only one other person who commented on this thread was actually aboard the Seabourn at the same time i was, and they agreed with me. I did not go to the Hotel Director or the Chef with my complaints because I did not believe that if I complained they would change portion sizes or improve food quality or service for anyone but me and those I was dining with. They make it a point to know everyone's name, and I am positive that I would have had special care with whatever I ordered, extraordinary service, and larger portions if I became the "squeaking wheel" like the other person that I mentioned in an earlier posting. That would have done nothing to improve overall quality of service, quality of food, or portion sizes for you or any other future travelers on Seabourn. But it would have shut me up and kept me from posting the reality of their food quality and service on this board. Your suggestion that I complain to the hotel director would have improved my situation, but not anyone else's. I know for a fact that Seabourn does follow these boards, as anyone with a brain would do if they had any interest whatsoever in evaluating their own services, especially if the topic is entitled "Seabourn Sojourn Food and Service" as this one is. I have been on 5 Seabourn cruises. I believe I have a reasonable basis of comparison and that I have reported fairly and accurately. That was my purpose in starting this thread. I have never complained anywhere to anyone about Seabourn until now. I appreciate your advice, but I do not want to be friends or pals with the executive staff. I just want to be a customer who is polite and cordial to them as they always are to me, and to receive the "Seabourn quallity" that I have come to know in previous cruises. I appreciate all the postings I have seen here. Thanks.

[lincslady]

Jim in Florida - I take your point about not wanting to get special treatment on board because of complaints. However, I do agree with Chairsin's view that it is in everyone's interest if one does - if possible - learn the names of staff who deal with you, and 'make friends' to the extent that you show some fellow feeling, like asking them how they are and when they go on leave etc. This is a trait normally more common amongst Americans than Brits, but I have come to realise that people appreciate being made to feel that others are interested in them, and I do my best (reading the names can be a problem without getting too up close and personal!) to do this.

[Chairsin]

Linclady,

Yes, I too as noted as having to "lean in" to read a name tag without trying to seem rude. Sometimes I'll just say "Would you please tell me how to pronounce your name?"This is particlarly true with the senior staff whose badges include their first and last names.Of course I don't remember having this problem 12 years ago when I first started cruising on Seabourn. ;)

 

Jim,

I am sorry that you seem to totally miss the point of learning someone's name -- it has nothing to do with trying to suck up as you seem to imply -- it is really about manners. If those of us who are courteous receive better service on occasion it is not as a result of being a squeaky wheel as you note -- it is just human nature -- we tend to treat people who are nice to us better than those who are not. And again, as to going to see the Hotel Manager for your grievances, which many of us are not denying were legitimate, what make you think they would be so petty as to retaliate against you if you pleasantly and clearly pointed out the lapses in service and food quantity and calmly discussed what they could do to improve the situation and your cruise experience. If they don't know they can't fix it!

[HappyFeet13]

Oh, good grief! Stop with the manners lectures, you pontificating know-it-alls! This is about Seabourn Sojourn food and service on the cruise from 2-2 to 2-18-2013, a subject of which most of you posters know absolutely nothing about. It is not about how you should help me learn basic human relationship skills or how to utilize common good manners. FYI, when I meet an employee of Seabourn, I CAN see their name tag and I DO use their names! I have never met the Hotel Director. I have not sought him out in order to do so. Had I met him, I would have read, and used, his name. I know that some of you think I should have gone out of my way to meet the Hotel Director, etc., etc. but I didn't and I don't personally plan to ever do that. I do plan to report on my experiences and opinions on this and other boards. I have read opinions of others on other boards and have found them useful and have not found the need to criticize them, tell them they are wrong, tell them that they don't have basic good manners, etc. I have met the Captain, but addressed him as "Captain" when I saw him again to thank him for a pleasant voyage, is that OK?

[Les Picantins]

Jim,

 

Chairsin - I am terrible with names. How in the world do you remember all those names? I prefer when they don't know my name, because if they address me by name I feel bad that I have no idea what their name is.

 

Didn't you ever notice that they wear nametags?

[Chairsin]

I am sorry if my post came across as pontificating. I thought I was responding to comments you made about not wanting special treatment or not being singled out for retribution. Your comments -- not mine. Again, I and others on this are not denying your right to voice you dismay over what you saw as poor service and food. What we have stated is that it appears you were willing to accept it and complain about it rather than try to fix it. I recently stayed at a hotel in Hawaii and upon checking in was told the type of room I had reserved was not available and we would be given a less desirable room as they were sold out. Rather than wandering around for a week in a funk and complaining on line to everyone who would listen I politely asked to speak to the Hotel Manager, showed her that I had indeed paid for better room and asked her what she could do about the situation. Since there were not likely to be any better rooms come available in the next few days that would allow them to move us she offered to compensate us for the difference in price as well as provide us with coupons for the breakfast buffet for each day of our stay. It was not a perfect solution but we were able to enjoy our vacation. And she told us how much she appreciated our coming to her during our stay rather than writing a complaint letter to the company later when there was nothing she could to to help ameliorate the situation.So all I am saying is the managers feel frustrated when they find out about problems after the fact and they can't do anything about it except to say "sorry." Most managers do want to know if there is a problem so they can try to fix it.

[HappyFeet13]

Thank you. Please believe me when I tell you that during the course of our cruise we dined with about a dozen other couples for lunch or dinner, often on multiple occasions. Without exception they were dismayed at the unusually small portions and mediocre quality of the offerings. I will repeat that. WITHOUT EXCEPTION they were dismayed at the small portions (even those who LIKED small portions thought they were very small). It was often a topic of discussion among us. Perhaps I was wrong in not having complained to the Hotel Director or to the Chef. I did not fear repercussions for doing so, (like someone spitting in my food)...those types of comments were made by other posters. I didn't go to complain to the Hotel Director because I knew that he would deal with me, specifically, rather than with the overall problem. They are professionals in their field. They KNOW that 2 shrimp does not maketh a shrimp cocktail, but they serve two anyway. They KNOW that three SMALL scallops sitting on small slices or raw potato does not constitute a main course. But they serve it anyway. I would be fooling myself if I thought that this was unintentional on their part. They know EXACTLY what they are doing. I know that you can get great food and service by being ultra demanding. I have seen that happen with some of my very demanding companions on this cruise. They DO know virtually every officer by name. They seek them out and make themselves known. They always order off-the-menu special items and get them. They DEMAND a lot and complain often. They get treated very, very well by the always-smiling Seabourn staff. They get double-portions of almost everything, and have no compunction about sending something back, or ordering things that are really, really asking too much, like ordering double orders of caviar at every meal. But that isn't how it SHOULD be. My report on this board was not done in order to get advice on how to get larger portions or different food for myself. I know how to do that. I was simply REPORTING to you on how it is for the average passenger. It is most unfortunate that the way to get satisfactory food/service is to go to the highest level on the ship to complain about it. That should never be necessary, and that is the point I am trying to make here.

[DUHCAR]

Jim, don't let the others get to you. You reported on what you saw. Plain and simple.

 

It will be our first voyage on Seabourn this coming June (Pride) and I sure hope things improve before then or it will be our last. Too many fish in the sea......

[HappyFeet13]

Don't know if you saw that the three little sisters, including the PRIDE, have been sold, and that that actual transition of management of the ships to the new owners will be staggered over the next year or so. We loved the Pride and are sure you will, too. I have never seen a thread of complaints about food or service on the Pride, so I think you are in for the same type of first class dining that we had always enjoyed on Seabourn before our recent trip on Sojourn.

I think that perhaps Seabourn may be re-defining itself as a high-quality (but not the highest quality) cruise operator, appealing to a younger audience and reaching them with lower fares. That might explain the drop-off in food quality/quantity. We met a number of people on our cruise who had obtained "deals" on pricing that we had not heard of before, and we noted that the average age is much younger (by 10-15 years) than we saw on previous cruises, and that the majority of people we met were still "working for a living" and not retired as was the case on previous cruises. That could all be the subject for another thread at another time. Enjoy your voyage on the Pride!

[sananda]

It is most unfortunate that the way to get satisfactory food/service is to go to the highest level on the ship to complain about it. That should never be necessary, and that is the point I am trying to make here.

 

Absolutely. Places that truly have superlative service do so independent of who the customer is. It is the default in top luxury hotels. It should have been the default with Seabourn.

[wripro]

Again, Jim, I completely understand your disappointment on Sojourn and am sorry it was such a bad experience. However, I also understand the advice many people here have given you about seeing the hotel manager to try and correct the problems, if possible. This is not about good manners. It is about the most expedient and effective resolution. When I had a problem on the Odyssey world cruise the first thing I did was make an appointment with the hotman. We talked about it and within twenty-four hours there was a resolution. Now, I'm not saying food could have been improved so quickly but you have to start somewhere.

 

As for things being superlative 100% of the time I do not believe such a place exists on this planet. I have stayed at some of the finest hotels in the world where there have been glitches. Again. I always took my complaints to the General Manager. It's not imposing on them to do that. It's their job to listen to these situations that deviate from their norm and in fact, they welcome the opportunity to correct them.

[Roxburgh]

Again, Jim, I completely understand your disappointment on Sojourn and am sorry it was such a bad experience. However, I also understand the advice many people here have given you about seeing the hotel manager to try and correct the problems, if possible. This is not about good manners. It is about the most expedient and effective resolution. When I had a problem on the Odyssey world cruise the first thing I did was make an appointment with the hotman. We talked about it and within twenty-four hours there was a resolution. Now, I'm not saying food could have been improved so quickly but you have to start somewhere.

 

As for things being superlative 100% of the time I do not believe such a place exists on this planet. I have stayed at some of the finest hotels in the world where there have been glitches. Again. I always took my complaints to the General Manager. It's not imposing on them to do that. It's their job to listen to these situations that deviate from their norm and in fact, they welcome the opportunity to correct them.

 

And if they don't know about the problems then they cannot fix them.

[sananda]

And if they don't know about the problems then they cannot fix them.

 

In theory this makes sense, but ideally a manager of a luxury establishment should intimately know how well his group is performing. A good manager is there to observe, train and correct his staff. Furthermore, at places like the Four Seasons, they have anonymous surprise inspections from corporate, followed by intensive training periods to correct any imperfections. I like that I don't have to get involved. They keep everything running smoothly all by themselves.

 

For sake of discussion, when two staff members were screaming at each other at the top of their lungs during dinner in the main dining room of the Sojourn, how should I have obtained better service? Should I have approached the General Manager after dinner and complained? What exactly could he have done at this point?