Live from Seabourn Encore - Bali to Sydney December 2018

[Stickman1990]

Ok time for a photo feast of some of the areas around the ship - hopefully I get the names correct

 

We were really given the red carpet treatment on embarkation 

 

First up The Observation lounge and The Restaurant

 

Theres an impressive spiral staircase that allows you to move between decks easily as well as pieces of art throughout the ship

 

The pool is not big but there are lots of sun lounges and other outdoor seating. There are also several hot tubs around the ship

 

After dinner in the Restaurant last night we joined friends for a drink in the Observation lounge where a duo were playing guitar and singing. We joined another couple and enjoyed a chat and discussion about our travels around the world

[calliopecruiser]

Thanks!  The dining room looks lovely - I like the calming deep blues (and that the chairs come with an easy handle). 

[Stickman1990]

The casino is small with only a few tables and several slot machines - still big enough for me to lose some money I suspect

 

It is next to a bar where a show band plays in the evening and there is a small dance floor 

[Stickman1990]

11 hours ago, calliopecruiser said:

Lovely cabin, except for the tiny shower (what's with that?!?)

 

Its certainly not the biggest shower but it’s ok - I don’t find it claustrophobic or too small - and good water pressure. There a shower head and a flexible head on a hose arrangement - no tropical rain forest style shower though 

It is nice to have a seperate shower unit in addition to the bath 

[freddie]

RE:   Cheese

We, too, have found that far too often in these days of fairly crowded dining rooms on the small luxury ships that leave no room for the venerable cheese trolley (ah, for those good old days, no??), the cheese is served way too cold.  We have found that to be the case on Regent, Silversea, and Crystal, as well as Seabourn.   As a previous poster noted, one can simply ask the kind waitperson to set out the cheese plate at the beginning of the meal, so that it gets to a proper temperature by the time that the cheese course is served. 

However, as to the choice of the cheese, it is possible to request one's preference in advance (not at the beginning of the meal).   For example, in addition to the rather ordinary choices offered on most evenings on our two cruises on Quest, it turned out that the larder had a good supply of one of the great cheeses of the world, Epoisses de Bourgogne, one of my favorite cheeses.   It required only a simple word with the head waiter to have a nice plate of epoisses available each evening (and at proper temperature).   In fact, after sharing that wonderful cheese with fellow diners several nights in a row, I surrendered my standing order for it so that our new friends could order it.    Seabourn does it right.

[Stickman1990]

We are in port in Bali today with sail away this evening. We will enjoy the day relaxing and continuing our exploration of Encore and maybe catchup with a local Balinese friend

 

We enjoyed breakfast at the buffet in Colonade and I was delighted to find I could order made to order Poached Eggs - which for those who know Crystal and enjoy them will be aware that you can’t get them in Marketplace (Lido) and have to go to Waterside if you crave them

 

I’ve discovered the Seabourn app which has free access onboard - very similar to the system on Crystal but no ability to stream movies - you can access menus, The Herald and many newspaper and magazines via Press Reader. Makes it a lot easier to post them too

 

We will be dining in Thomas Keller’s grill tonight but if we weren’t we’d have plenty of choice

 

 

The Restaurant

 

 

The Grill by Thomas Keller

 

 

The Colonade

 

 

The Patio

 

Edited December 4, 2018 by Stickman1990

[calliopecruiser]

3 hours ago, Stickman1990 said:

Its certainly not the biggest shower but it’s ok - I don’t find it claustrophobic or too small

 

Good to hear; it must be some strange photographic perspective, like the massive dates you had on the plane, LOL.  I do prefer a dedicated shower stall rather than a shower head in the bathtub. 

[ajpeter]

Dear Stickman, thank you for your wonderful postings. We will be on the bigger ship for the first time in january. Your detailed exploration of the Encore, and the comparising to the other high end cruiselines, gives us an excellent impression of what is to come for us when boarding in a few weeks.

Happy sailings

[Stickman1990]

This one for a Cwaze / Scott from the Crystal forum - sadly these disappeared from Crystal a few years back - the tradition lives on at Seabourn

[Stickman1990]

A lovely Bento box at lunchtime in Sushi, the Japanese restaurant - our favourite cuisine and we will be back for dinner sometime when it is full a la carte 

And an Asahi beer - brewed in Italy of course? :-) 

 

We we joined a table and met a lovely couple from Australia and enjoyed chatting about all manner of things - lots of laughs over a leisurely lunch 

[Silver Spectre]

20 hours ago, Isklaar said:

 

Hi Silver Spectre, I can part answer this one for Stickman! No the glass pop out thing isn't the only place to use as a vanity table. There is a vanity table between the bathroom and the walk in wardrobe. It has a mirror, a shallow drawer and a stool. By comparison, it's a much smaller area than the one on e.g. Silver Spirit which if I recall correctly is opposite the bed and is quite wide. 

 

 

Edited to add - you can see it here at 1:25 :

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks Isklaar, it still looks pretty small in comparison with those on the SS ships

[MightyQuinn]

22 hours ago, Aussie Cruise Nuts said:

Mighty Quinn.   I posted a review of our November 2017 Encore Bali to Sydney cruise on 22 Jan 2017 in response to a thread about service issues on Encore at that time.  More a review of Encore than the cruise itinerary as “service” was the subject matter of that thread.   I wish I could attach a link for you but alas my tech skills are too limited. 

 

For us, we are looking forward to our first Viking Ocean Cruise on Viking Orion in April 2019 - 37 days Hong Kong to Vancouver.   Very excited about this new ship and what looks a wonderful itinerary via Taiwan, Japan, South Korea, Eastern Russia, Bering Sea and Alaska.   

 

Found it!  Wow you really had some service issues on Encore.  I know there have been very mixed reviews of the bigger ships, especially in the early days, but we're going in with open minds and positive expectations.  Your Viking Ocean sailing sounds great.  It's a superb itinerary, especially if your timing coincides with cherry blossom season in Japan.  I've read excellent reports on Viking Oceans but somehow we're not yet tempted.  Wishing you a wonderful cruise!
 

[MightyQuinn]

11 hours ago, Stickman1990 said:

A lovely Bento box at lunchtime in Sushi, the Japanese restaurant - our favourite cuisine and we will be back for dinner sometime when it is full a la carte.

 

Thanks for posting the Sushi menu, Stickman.  How did the overall experience stack up to Silk Road/Umi Uma?  I expect it's not up to Nobu standards but nevertheless I'm thrilled to have another dining venue.  Interesting to see The Patio hasn't been converted to Earth & Ocean.  I thought that had already happened on Encore?  Don't forget to try to Napa Burger at the PG.  It's a winner!

[ClefsDor]

Stickman, how have you found the inclusive wine list so far and the other offerings in the bars? I am really liking all the menus and to be able to have sushi at lunch time is fabulous! Was your first meal in the dinging room up to par?

[FlyingScotSailors]

31 minutes ago, MightyQuinn said:

Interesting to see The Patio hasn't been converted to Earth & Ocean.  I thought that had already happened on Encore?  

We were on the Quest in October when Earth & Ocean was started on board.  The start-up team said they would be on the January 6, 2019 Encore sailing to start E&O there.

[ellbon]

I like to know about the coffee area..compared too Crystal ..snacks..service etc.

[OzKiwiJJ]

What's the Trivia like?

[Wendy The Wanderer]

What is Earth & Sea?

[frantic36]

3 hours ago, Wendy The Wanderer said:

What is Earth & Sea?

 

Hi Wendy, Earth & Ocean on the Patio is the new concept for the Patio Grill for dinner. It started on Ovation and is slowly rolling out fleet wide. I haven't experienced it yet but am looking forward to trying it on our upcoming Sojourn cruise. Friends who have experienced it have really enjoyed it.

 

The article linked below explains it in more detail...

 

https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/seabourn-expands-culinary-offerings-with-earth--ocean-at-the-patio---an-al-fresco-dining-experience-300626441.html

 

Julie

[Stickman1990]

I’m back - we’ve arrived in Komodo Island and I have limited cellular coverage - I’ll try and post pictures later on but for the moment here’s a couple of days of coverage and comments 

 

Tuesday 4 Dec

 

I spent a lazy morning - reading in Seabourn Square which is a large central lounge, coffee shop, library, future cruise desk, tours desk and front desk that deals with guests while seated making for a very relaxed and professional environment

 

Lunch in Sushi Japanese restaurant - which at lunch offer a range of bento boxes and sushi - a very simple decor and small but the food and the staff we’re authentic Japanese - it was good to be able to practice my very limited Japanese language with them. I do wish the serving staff in Umi Uma were Japanese 

 

I then joined the golf putting competition in the Lobby bar - well attended and lots of fun. They gave away Seabourn items as prizes like umbrellas - no cheap discount voucher prizes a la Crystal - and as always we were playing for pride and bragging rights. It was a friendly and fun competition and we all got 3 rounds of 3 putts with the winner being the highest scorer after the three rounds - I was just outside the winning scores but I’ll be back on Wednesday to have another try :-)

 

Afternoon tea was at 4pm in the Observation lounge - while adequate this is no Palm Court and high quality service event on Seabourn - it’s ok and there’s a limited range of food and teas but for those who enjoy the experience on Crystal you may be disappointed. I’m not sure how our regular large group would work in this environment. The food is self serve from two food service areas - is this a taste of what’s to come on Crystal as I believe the recent Serenity refurb added similar food areas in the Palm Court. We struck a waiter who is very pleasant and young (I must be getting old as many on the staff seem soo young) - but he is a little uncertain and seems to lack some English vocabulary - I’m not complaining but just noting that things like slow service, wrong tea and forgetting milk for the tea just take the edge off the experience - but I absolutely recognise these things can happen anywhere. I think we are spoilt by the service on Crystal and the banter and attentiveness we enjoy

 

Then onto sailaaway from Bali at 5pm - held around the pool with cocktails served and the two bars poolside open, the show band played and sang on deck. A very nice experience and we made some new acquaintance as we watched the navigation out the narrow channel from Benoa to the sea - definitely a case for having a local pilot on hand

 

We prepared for dinner which was at 7.30 at The Grill by Thomas Keller (TK) - we arrived on time but we’re asked to wait in the associated bar which I thought odd given we were booked. But sometimes things happen for a reason...

 

We were looking for a seat in the bar and heard our lunchtime new friends calling to us to join them which we did - they didn’t have a booking but had taken my earlier suggestion to try the bar and listening to the piano man - and the Maître d had told them a table may become available. We chatted and waited - probably upwards of 30 minutes - if I hadn’t been enjoying the company I may have been annoyed at the additional wait - but the champagne was nice too. The Maître d came over and said a table of 4 was now available if our friends wanted to join us - we gladly accepted as dining together is always (well almost) always fun. I’d read mixed (often negative) reviews about TK so was a little wary of what to expect - reputation v delivery. Well let me say we were not disappointed and generally enjoyed the experience and the food. From the setting to the live music coming through into the restaurant area from the bar - Crystal folk imagine Mark Farris or Richard Pucci serenading you while dining we enjoyed that aspect. The menu selection was excellent with lots to choose from. We didn’t try the “infamous” roast chicken special (my wife doesn’t eat chicken and there were so many other things to try). I had seafood chowder and lobster dip for appetiser (see pic) then Rib Eye steak (without the bone) and several side dishes of vegetables, my wife had the Prawn cocktail and then lamb chops. The wait staff were very attentive to her dietary issues and talked through fish options with her when ordering. A special sorbet desert wth chocolate topping was prepared table side and was enjoyed by one of our table mates. I enjoyed some goats cheese and crackers. We enjoyed our evening and will definitely return to try more dishes. A couple of negatives to note - we had lots of wait staff and sommelier attending to us but I think it lacked a lead - I was never so sure who was looking after us - and a coupe of slips showed up - my friend and I ordered the black truffle sauce with our steak - it never arrived until I asked for it, my wife ordered mint sauce with her lamb - it never arrived period - we agreed this was a case of over promising and under delivering. An amusing moment was when a bill discreetly arrived at the table - shock horror we though wasn’t that lobster included? But it turned out the $180 bottle of wine was enjoyed by the table next door - just as well as by that stage we were the last two tables in the restaurant and our server quickly whisked it away and presented it to them - we all laughed and enjoyed our wine - a nice Chianti to accompany our steak and a German Reisling earlier on. For me I’d give it a 6 or 7  out of 10 (I’m yet to discover anywhere I’d give a 10 to) - and mark it just behind Uni Uma (Nobu) on Crystal - I guess it goes to confirm that while reviews and others opinions can be interesting it’s absolutely best to try things for oneself and make your own assessment - we’re glad we did and will enjoy going back to try some other dishes 

 

We missed the show last night as we were dining until late but I hear it was good and the cruise director advised there are 542  onboard - so reasonably full and there are US 192 folk then Aust 191 and then UK in the 30’s which came in third (for my NZ friend there are 9 of you) - I’ll get a more accurate count and post it. I have to say the guests on board are a friendly and happy lots - everyone exchanges greetings in corridors and lounges and its very easy to enjoy a passing chat with guests (of course only if they wish to do so) 

 

I’ve also learnt that much like Crystal if one asks for something they will try hard to please. An example is one CC member we are spending time with notes there were no prawns on the buffet on Monday - well on Tuesday they had a large platter of prawns available for him  

 

I checked out some bars after dinner but didn’t stay so was in bed before midnight and am suitably refreshed and recharged this morning 

 

I awoke up early and decided to do laundry - I got there just before 6 - when it opens - it’s not 24x7.  The ship is 2 years old so the machines are modern but Crystal folk listen up - there are5 washer/dryers in the single laundry room - not 5 rooms - 5 machines - needless to say it’s pretty busy but the early bird catches the worm and the three of us there at 6am opening got our machines - 44 minutes to wash and 48 minutes to dry 

 

Wednesday 5 Dec

 

I’m sitting in Seabourn Square in a lovely electric recliner - very relaxing enjoying a latte and waiting for my washing to dry - a nice way to start the day. The coffee shop in the Square opens around 6am 

 

So it’s a sea day today and a good programme - for me it will include golf putting, a lecture and Trivia at noon as well as Galley tour and generally relaxing - who doesn’t love a sea day! 

 

We enjoyed breakfast in Colonade and on Day 2 the waiter already know our tea order. The buffet was great with cold meats and cheeses as well as traditional hot American style dishes

 

Then I played mini golf and was lucky enough to win and I chose a Seabourn teddy bear as the prize - now the instruction is to go win a second one for our dog children to share 

 

We enjoyed listening to an Australian ex Military Officer - Bill Crew who spoke on the history of Indonesia - Australia’s large mostly Muslim close neighbour - it was a very interesting and well prepared presentation to hear the profession from pre WW II times to the modern day. Very similar to the speaker programme on Crystal and with this speaker Seabourn were spot on with relevance and choice of the presenter 

 

At noon we played trivia - teams can be up to 10 and I think there were around 10 teams playing so probably 100 guests. It was presented by Ross and Daniela - the Cruise Director and Asst CD - 3 rounds of 4 questions getting progressively harder then a final bonus question worth lots of extra questions. One of the answers yesterday was Crystal! I can’t remember the wedding anniversary it referred to but that was the question - what is the traditional gift for the x year anniversary. Unfortunately our team didn’t get that one. The trivia scores will be rolled up to a total over all the sea days - our team was in the top 30% but we will need to improve if we want to be amongst the prizes 

 

Formal night tonight We went to the restaurant where we had caviar and lobster thermidor - it was in my opinion nothing special. One highlight was having a friendly and helpful waiter who was kind enough to share the included wine list with me - it was the internal document they have for reference hence you will see in the photo it’s not a document that would normally be presented to guests. The wine list is quite extensive and offers plenty of choice. I chose a Marlborough Pinot Noir to accompany my meal. Check out the caviar appetiser - a minute portion and an interesting presentation style

 

We went to the early show last evening - well Keith Cox VP Entertainment at Crystal you have nothing to fear from this aspect of the competition - the ensemble (4 singers and 2 dancers as well as a 6 piece band were relatively weak and nothing like the Crystal ensemble. The theatre itself was terrible - I don’t expect to have a line of sight issue with a pole blocking my view yet there are several in the theatre! Sorry but this was, for me, a 6 out of 10 experience. The show was a good concept - It Takes Two - celebrating many of the famous composer and artists duos - we liked that but execution was weak. Now to balance that my wife enjoyed the show - but did say it was not at the same level as Crystal

 

Ok  - so now Its possible that Seabourn folk are going to say I am being biased and negative but I do feel obliged to make some comments.  Please respect I am actually here and faithfully reporting my experience and views of others that come up in conversation - and to some extent I am surprised with the passion and consistency of the comments which echo some of our experiences. I have spoken to at least 8 other couples most of whom have sailed Seabourn  before and some new to Seabourn guests - universally they say service and dining standards have slipped or are less Ghan expected and they are disappointed. Things like the service in Thomas Keller and the Restaurant or Bars. Don’t shoot the messenger - but I believe they  have a problem....and it’s systemic and about the standards that are set as opposed to individuals performing poorly

 

I should say we’ve found the Colonade staff excellent and our room attendant, Daniela from Zimbabwe is excellent - we cannot fault her at all - nothing is too much trouble

 

Now why am I commenting on these issues - because I want them to learn and to improve but I feel the issue is systemic in terms of standards - they are consistently well off the required standard and to look at what to improve as their guest experience is sub optimal 

 

The 1 am room service test - always something I like to do at random - so I got back to the room last night and ordered a ham and cheese toasted sandwich and fries  - what arrived? A cold ham club sandwich and fries - to me a total flop and not worth the  snack test result as it was not even a toasted sandwich! The good news it was delivered quickly  

 

So my lightbulb moment has happened - there’s the hard product eg the physical ship and then the soft product eg the service, food and entertainment - and there are clear differences in the standards of both - but I’ll continue to experience things and comment based on that. I should add it’s not chronically bad or anything but there are definitely clear differences emerging

[Stickman1990]

Afternoon tea in the Observation Lounge 

[Stickman1990]

[Stickman1990]

Sail away party from Bali, some of dishes from Thomas Keller and the Laundry 

[Stickman1990]

Lunch at the patio grill including a ice cream dessert they bought around, the kitchen tour and Seabourn Square

[Stickman1990]

Dishes from formal night,  no Fever Tree here,