Review - Seabourn Encore Canaries Wedding anniversary Cruise 🍾🥂🍸🕺🏽💃

[jrmuk]

 

Warning, long review….

 

Background.

My wife and I have been sailing with Seabourn since 2010 on the Odyssey, the Quest, the Spirit and now the Encore. We have also sailed on Crystals Symphony and Serenity. In total we have well over 100 nights at sea.

This cruise was a replacement for a 2020 cruise we had planned for a special wedding anniversary that was covid’ised.

We booked this cruise for two reasons, 1) we liked the itinerary (warm weather) and 2) the per diem was lower than usual meaning we could splash for a large suite.

 

We left home all excited hoping this cruise would live up to the standards we loved previously and couldn’t wait to get onboard.

 

Embarkation

Even with all of the covid protocols in place it was a smooth operation, lots of passengers had ignored the embarkation time due to hotel check-out times and flight arrivals but it didn’t slow things down at all.

There was a mocktail greeting in the latter stages of check-in whereas I remember champagne at check-in on our first Odyssey cruise.

 

First impressions

Everything seemed as normal, very crisp appearance, no real sign the ship had been laid up for virtually 2 years and only had 10 nights under it’s belt before we arrived.

Our suite attendant arrived within seconds of us with a tray of Champers and hors d'oeuvres and began to show us around.

 

Suite

Our suite (one of the wintergarden suites) was amazing, very indulgent and slightly decadent but if covid has taught me one thing it is carp diem.

The main living area is so roomy and comfortable, there is a dining table set for six, there is a large sofa and two armchairs. The TV was huge (65” I think) and on the bar there was six bottles of liquor and a bottle of red wine. The fridge had spare champagne, white wine, beer and a selection of soft drinks all of which were replenished daily without the need to ask.

The bedroom is comfortable but the space between the sofa at the foot of the bed and wall is a little tight. Again another 65” TV, a large mirror with a dressing table in front. Bedside cabinets and sockets each side but still no USB sockets. The walk-in wardrobe was huge with scores of hangers, the only issue was the twin doors had no hold to keep them open so they would swing, quite wildly sometimes, if you didn’t close them on rougher sea days.

The bathroom was bathed in marble (Encore uses a grey marble unlike the odyssey class which use brown, I much prefer the grey). There is a walk-in shower that could hold six people with various overhead shower jets, a large marble seat and shelves full of Molten Brown bottles.

The main bathroom is very large with a huge whirlpool bath with separate shower head. There are two sinks and a very large mirror. The lighting can be switched between dull, bright, to bathed in sunlight bright. Adjacent there is a sliding door to a separate toilet.

The veranda is split into two, with one side open and the other closed in with glass. In the closed in area there is a six person jacuzzi and two lounge chairs with foot rests. On the open air part of the veranda there is a table with 4 chairs and a large Balinese stye double sun lounger. The veranda overhangs the ship and so is very good for sunbathing. Back inside there is a small bar area with separate outside door which presumably is if you want bar service they can come and go through that door. Then there is another guest bathroom. There is also a small library with travel books, a writing table and a side table. The room also came with some Swarovski binoculars which are exceptionally good.

Previously we have sailed in a level 4 picture window, various verandas suites and also a penthouse spa suite. Obviously this was the largest of  them all and the best, but in my opinion if you’re not very comfortable, or celebrating something special, a normal veranda is probably the best bet.

 

Being in the Wintergarden suite answers a question I was always curious about. Do guests in the larger suites get better service? In my opinion once you leave your suite you’re treated no differently. In the suite it’s a little different, you can have anything delivered that is available, a bottle of tequila sir, no problem, special room service from TKG or sushi, let me see, I’m sure I can organise something.  However,  anywhere else it seems to be everyone is created equal (which I like).

 

Dining.

We ate at the colonnade twice for lunch. The first was on embarkation day and the food was underwhelming. We gave it another go one day when we returned from shore late and the MDR was closed. On this occasion and it was OK. Then one day when we again arrived aboard late it was full to the brim, not a single table was free and the buffet area was packed, we virtually ran to the MDR which was minutes from closing and grabbed a table. We never returned to the colonnade. It’s worth noting the service on both occasions we ate there was excellent

TK Grills, we dined there on three occasions. The first was a cheeky first night check and they were quiet, the second was our pre-booked evening and the third was on a sea day when the ship was rocking and rolling and there were lots of cancellations due to seasickness. The first two times I ate the RR bone in rib which was absolutely amazing. The third time I had an off the normal menu ribeye which was average. My wife tried the lobster, the table side sole and a rib eye, she rated the lobster as fabulous, the sole as great but huge and the steak like myself average. All of the sides on TKG are amazing as was our service. I ordered wine from the vintage menu on one occasion and it was very nice, the second time the sommelier mixed us up with another couple and when I asked for the same wine he served us something different which was very nice but turned out to be very expensive. I mentioned this in SS and they offered to remove it completely from our bill but I asked them to change it to the cost of the wine we were expecting which they did.

Sushi, we ate there twice for lunch and once for the special chef’s night. All of the food and service was amazing and we would have eaten there more if it were not a little informal and we were all formal this cruise (two suits and a tux….).

The MDR, we dined here for every other meal and it was a bit of a mixed bag. The majority of the time the food was excellent but I had three plates that were well below average and I had to speak to the waiter about them. All three were meat dishes that were overcooked, dry and under seasoned. We also had the misfortune to sit at the corner table near the galley that has a broken door so it was all plates and pans clattering and rowdy chefs, I mentioned this to the waiter and SS and received an apology form the F&B manager but on two more occasions we were steered to that corner and had to say no. I’m not sure when Seabourn introduced the MDR entrance host but I preferred the maître d' greeting us. The host was very friendly and remembered our names but was just not as attentive as the maître d's were. Eventually we found our favourite waiter (Peruvian Oscar) and from then on asked to sit in his area.

We tried the afternoon tea in the observation lounge and thoroughly enjoyed it, however, it is very dangerous to have such tasty food available at 4pm….

We ordered room service for breakfast every day. It was a true luxury to have the veranda table set with table cloth and silverware and enjoy a leisurely breakfast watching the sunrise. This was one of the real highlights of our cruise.

 

Outdoors

Because we had a lovely balcony we didn’t spend much time out on the main deck but whenever we did (operatic singing, sail away, rock the boat, caviar etc) it always seemed overcrowded.

 

We spent one day in the “retreat”. I realise there is a lot of debate about the use of such a large space for a small amount of patronage and even though we really enjoyed it, it did seem to make the ship have a two class scenario. The wine, champagne, food and service all seemed that much better and more attentive. In fact I’d go so far as to say the retreat was more akin to what we experienced on our first few Seabourn cruises.

 

Entertainment.

We thoroughly enjoyed all of the entertainment from the shows to the outdoor singing, the observation lounge duo and the pianist in TKG. However, we found the club band a little lacking in energy and a bit boring at times. It didn’t seem to stop some though, on one occasion there seemed to be some kind of “dance off” between some couples which was a bit unsavoury. I thought to myself I bet they are on a freebie, but then on the club cocktail night they were there so I guess class is not something you can buy (that may sound rude but at one point the gentleman shook my bar stool rigorously to try to coax my wife and I to dance and then asked us to move to allow their friends to sit next to them so they deserve my rudeness…)

 

Gym

Having eyes slightly larger than my stomach requires frequent exercise and the gym on the Encore is in a different league to the Odyssey class ships, it is so more airy and better equipped but left no excuse for not going...

 

Seabourn Square (SS)

I don’t think I’ve ever heard anything but praise for SS and agree with it all.

 

Observations.

IMHO the Encore sized ship is not as good as the Odyssey. There is not sufficiently additional deck space to account for the additional passengers. Our cruise only had 400 or so passengers and seemed busy on deck and in the colonnade.  I can’t imagine how it would be if it was full on a day at sea in sunny climes. I anecdotally heard of lounger hogging and even though I didn’t hear of a single German onboard they must have been there as the Brits never reserve loungers, do they….

This cruise was only the second cruise after nearly two years out of service and so the entire crew had little more than 30 days before we embarked to get to know one another and the ship. There were lots of first time crew members as a lot of the South African crew were unable to join due to covid restrictions. This did show in some “malfunctions” but even during the 11 days we were aboard you could tell they were gelling more and more so I think they will be up to speed in no time.

The service crew are now very diverse, on previous cruises with Seabourn it was a very un diverse crew. This time we had crew from all nationalities which seemed more representative than it did in the past so well done Seabourn for embracing EDI.

 

At the club cocktaiL party they said there was just over half returning customers. I thought there were some overly demanding guests (we heard a few grumbles mainly about nothing much) who maybe had very high expectations. I truly believe that if you seek perfection you seek disappointment as perfection is very rare.

 

And so, to the question of what are my overall thoughts. Well, if I’m honest, I would have to say this cruise fell short on what we have previously encountered on Seabourn. The attention to detail was just not a good as it used to be. I also think Seabourn may be morphing into more of a US brand versus the original British brand. There is upsell everywhere, when you sit at the table in TKG the menu is handed to you at the love you for wine list page. In the colonnade there were two wine waiters with wine explaining the vintage packages. If you asked a sommelier for advice they never mentioned the house wines it was always a vintage wine. I think my wife summed it up quite well, she said this is more like Crystal than Seabourn and I have to agree with her to some degree. OK there is no photographer or expectation of tips but the whole feel was definitely less formal. Whether that is a good thing or a bad thing I will leave you to decide but I’ll finish by saying that regardless of any minor hiccups and upselling, we left the ship extremely happy (not happy to leave the ship obviously, we would have stayed onboard if we could have….)

 

Will return to Seabourn? more than probably, but then again, maybe we’ll try Silversea or even Regent, or not…..

[rucrazy]

15 minutes ago, jrmuk said:

 

Warning, long review….

 

@jrmuk A nice read thanks for the review~!

[SLSD]

Well written informative review jrmuk.  Thank you.  

[hoosier74]

Thanks so much for this review.  It was very comprehensive.  I think we may have the same favorite waiter, although Oscar may be a common name in Peru.  Ours was on the Ovation this fall in Greece.  We just loved him.  We identify with your issues as we also missed an important anniversary two years ago (by just days as it was the end of March) and have had to reschedule some milestone birthday celebrations.  We're just glad we can still celebrate.  

[kjbacon]

Thank you for this review … I think … we are taking our first Seabourn cruise in the Winter garden Suite this summer and this has me second guessing our choice. In the last few months, we have sailed our regular Regent in the Master Suite and new to us Oceania in the Owners Suite, both very good cruises. With the highest price point being Seabourn, I would expect excellent  food, wine, and service without bothering me with upsells. 
 

Can you share with me if there is a decent Bordeaux in the included wines? Thank you.

Edited March 19, 2022 by kjbacon

[jrmuk]

If you are in the Wintergarden suite I’m certain you will thoroughly enjoy yourself.

 

Maybe I over egged the upselling, it wasn’t intrusive, just not very Seabourn.

 

The Chateau Latour Camblanes Cadillac Cotes de Bordeaux was included and very nice, however we preferred the Cardwell Hill Pinot Noir Willamette

[Isklaar]

Thank you for coming back to share your thoughts. I had commented to wish you a belated happy anniversary on your original (now totally derailed) thread so I am glad to read your comments  here.

 

Thanks again. 

[jrmuk]

Hi Isklaar,

Thank you - Sorry I had missed your post.
I had originally wanted to blog about our anniversary cruise but it was somewhat hijacked so I lost interest in repeating what others had rushed to post.

[kjbacon]

Thank you for the positive follow up!

[travelwell]

@jrmuk, thank you for your review. i have sailed all the lux lines except SS with Regent and Seabourn my favorites. Your review has me concerned with your up-selling experience. I have never seen this on Seabourn and your wife stating your cruise felt like Crystal has me even more concerned. I am used to a very different vibe on Seabourn vers Crystal. We do tend to book the smaller ships. (really miss the three sister ships). We have a long cruise on the Odyssey next year so post Covid reviews are helpful. I do recognize the length of the cruise and cruise destination can change the passenger mix and cruise vibe dramatically.

 

BTW, Happy Anniversary! 

[claudiaYVR]

@travelwellfor whatever it's worth no one tried to upsell us during our cruise with the exception of a very soft upsell by the masseuse at the spa who had "recommendations" for other treatments. It was definitely a non-issue for us.

 

Also, with well over 100 nights on Crystal (which we loved) I can tell you it did not feel like Crystal to us, it felt like Seabourn "Covid Edition". Also personal preference, but we do like the Odyssey class ships much more than the Ovation class.

[Philandher]

I agree with claudiaYVR, we've sailed on both Odyssey and Encore in the last couple of months and not experienced any attempt to upsell apart from a cursory "would you like to  look at the premium wine list?" which was no big deal.

[2SailingNomads]

Never had an upsell, so if the wine list is the opened page turn it if not interested.  We usually do buy wine in the TK & MDR.  Doesn't bother us, if we chose to not that night tell them what we want from included list.

Agree with the OP, find your waiter / waitress and sit in their section, they quickly get to know you and your preferences.  One waiter would put always in an order of something we asked for the first night once he saw us being escorted to his section (which was every night after we had him take care of us a few days into the cruise).

 

Other wait staff know I want a cheese plate - with specific types of cheese and a port, just magically appear.  

Edited March 22, 2022 by 2SailingNomads
Add cheese plate

[travelwell]

Thanks all for your reassurance, it is much appreciated.  
Claudia,, we have many friends who loved Crystal and I am truly sorry for everyone who loved the line and who are searching for alternatives. We only sailed 12 days on Crystal and were greatly impacted by a very large group. I also really love the small ship experience. I am one of the odd people who miss the Seabourn triplets. The Odyssey is as large a ship as I really like to sail on.

[jrmuk]

On 3/21/2022 at 11:40 AM, travelwell said:

@jrmuk, thank you for your review. i have sailed all the lux lines except SS with Regent and Seabourn my favorites. Your review has me concerned with your up-selling experience. I have never seen this on Seabourn and your wife stating your cruise felt like Crystal has me even more concerned. I am used to a very different vibe on Seabourn vers Crystal. We do tend to book the smaller ships. (really miss the three sister ships). We have a long cruise on the Odyssey next year so post Covid reviews are helpful. I do recognize the length of the cruise and cruise destination can change the passenger mix and cruise vibe dramatically.

 

BTW, Happy Anniversary! 

Thank you.

 

As I said the upsell wasn’t intrusive and it didn’t bother us. 

 

However, for completeness, and as in our opinion it was definitely a step change from our previous experience on Seabourn, I thought it worth mentioning.

 

And to reiterate, we had a fab time👍🏻