Is Seabourn right for us?

[econprofessor]

Hi,

 

I am looking at a couple of Panama Canal Seabourn cruises.  I am not sure if Seabourn is a good fit for us.  DH and I have gone on a number of cruise lines.   Our only foray into luxury cruises has been "luxury light" on Azamara (loved it), Windstar (liked it) and Oceania (disliked it immensely).  We also have been happy on HAL and Celebrity in a suite.   

 

While the food was great on Oceania, we found the people to be off putting - always talking about their stock portfolios.  We docked in the worst places, outside of town and usually with the commercial ships.  In Ireland, our cab driver asked why we were not docked with all the other cruise ships and instead were parked next to the town dump.  Seriously! 

 

On Azamara we found the crew and fellow passengers were friendly, they always had a shuttle into town, and their food was good.  Our only complaint was that their cabins were small causing us to upgrade to a larger room.  We liked the small cruise ship atmosphere where you get to meet new people.  We also liked the casual attitude towards dress.  I know, a touchy subject.  My husband will gladly put on a sports coat but will resist a suit and tie - which is why we are not looking at Crystal or Regent.

 

My DH is in his 70s and I am 60.   We think we are too "old" (and fat) to go on Windstar again, but we are open to trying new experiences.  Before you ask, Azamara doesn't have any destinations we are interested in.

 

Any advice you could provide would be appreciated.

 

 

[shyla100]

Hello , we have been on two Seabourn cruises and have never had the off putting experiences that you are worried about.

We have always found the people to be friendly and not up them selves to put it  bluntly.

Once Covid is under control we will be booking again.

You may come across a couple of people that you may not want to take up with but not often at all. 

Regarding dress code Seabourn is much more relaxed.

The only time that a jacket and tie is requires is formal night in the main lounge but if that is not you you can get in one of the other dinner places.

 

The crew are great friendly and very helpful .

 

The veranda suit is not small the size is on the web to do a corparison with.

 

Edited January 28, 2021 by shyla100

[alidor]

Don’t know why you think Regent is formal as it is not.  You will very, very rarely see a suit or tux with them.  A sports coat is probably the most dressier thing you will see most people on Regent.  Don’t discount them.  We have been on both Regent and Seabourn and like them both.  Can’t go wrong with either one.

[zelker]

We've had 3 cruises cancelled on Seabourn but have two more booked, one this December and one in February '22.  Don't know when you're looking to book the Canal but there's a great itinerary over the holidays this coming December ... we're booked on it and even though it will be our third full transit, we're still looking forward to it.  Our first Seabourn cruise was also over the holidays but in Antarctica and I must say they really know how to deck the ship out and spoil the guests even more, if that's even possible.  Highly recommend you give them a try!

 

PS - We also like the suite experience on HAL and Seabourn but nothing beats sailing on a ship that holds 450-650 passengers.  It's like comparing apples to dog food. 😉

[wesport]

We have been on three Seabourn cruises. We found the passengers totally engaging. Sit down at any bar, and the conversation starts. Maybe we were lucky, but that is one of the reasons we enjoy Seabourn. Found no one uppity or stuffy. 

[Wendy The Wanderer]

BTW, you do not need a suit and tie on Regent, ever.  Nor even a sports jacket.

 

We've also done one Azamara, one Oceania and one Seabourn (as well as a fair number of Regent cruises.) We didn't like Oceania either, although perhaps for different reasons.

 

The standard cabin that we had on Quest was very, very nice.  Ships are small, so diversions are limited, but the passenger mix seemed to suit us well.

 

Our best fit is still Regent, but would definitely do either Azamara or Seabourn again.

[SLSD]

I've never heard anyone talk about the stock portfolio on Seabourn.  I think the passenger profile is diverse--everything from professionals (lawyer and physicians) retired and practicing to quite a few entrepreneurial types.  Not everyone we have met has been friendly, but many have been--and fun to get to know.  We keep in contact with a number of friends met on Seabourn ships.  

 

As for dress code--on our last Seabourn cruise,  my husband took two sports coats--one a classic blue blazer and the other a patterned coat.  He wore them with bow ties and never felt underdressed. He did prefer to wear a jacket every night--but that is just him.  Other men were in all venues wearing nice shirts and slacks. For my husband it's a packing issue, not an unwillingness to wear a suit. 

 

We've never sailed on a large ship, so Seabourn and Silversea are all we know.  We've always been well entertained and happy.  

[johng75370]

Couple other points to add to what has been said: 

1.  The smaller size of ship and high degree of loyalty of Seabourn guests means that even after one cruise you’re likely to run into friends/acquaintances on any future Seabourn cruise.  We’ve found that to be very true, and makes us look forward to returning.  

2. The staff is a critical part of the onboard experience, and they also keep us coming back.  Not sure where I read this, but someone described the Seabourn staff as “smiling with their eyes”; they make the on-ship experience what it is, and it is genuine.  We’d had a few “Seabourn Moments” that were made so special by the crew going out of their way to make our experience great.  

[econprofessor]

Thank you everyone!  I truly appreciate the feedback.

 

[Travels with Lisa]

We have done numerous cruises on Azamara, one on Oceania, and one on Seabourn.  I think you can find snooty people anywhere. On our Seabourn cruise, we sat with a couple who continually told us how well of they were, one night at dinner on Azamara, a table mate ignored me until she overheard where I grew up.

 

While we love Azamara, Seabourn has the little extras that Azamara doesn't offer like complementary movies, caviar and cabin beverages.  Not to mention a larger cabin and bathroom. While they don't have an Amazing Evening or White Night, they do have several special events - my favorite was the block party to meet the people in the cabins near you.  I never felt like there was a difference in how I was treated dependent on my cabin or who you know as I have on Azamara.  

 

Liz