Tried Seabourn---DEFINITELY prefer Regent

[Iamboatman]

I sat with the Seabourn folks last week and, while it is true they read the Seabourn board, posts on other boards are not as high of interest...though the caption on this one would probably grab attention. (Remember CC represents less than 2% of luxury cruise passengers, if that much...and posters a small percentage of them.)

 

But Dan does raise an important point: If you want results, a reasoned letter does far more than picking apart a cruise on a message board (which may well work against you with some lines).

 

It is also important to pick your issues and present them well, so the issue is not PIA fellow passengers, but rather inattentive crew (if that is an important issue to you.)

 

Also, too many times the real concerns are lost or hidden by irrelevant comments or complaints. (For example, complaining about the pool or lack of balconies would not be a good thing to include as they are what they are and your TA should have informed you of those conditions.)

[Suite Travels]

Eric, our TA has always wanted us to try Seabourn, but due to the non-existent balcony my partner refuses to cruise them. We have heard great comments about Seabourn as far as service and food. We will give them a try when the new ships are launched.

 

The suites on Regent certainly exceed just about any cruise line. However, as you know we are Crystal cruisers and love it it for our personal reasons. Regent satisfies many guests and they are in the luxury market and have their niche.

 

Choices, we all have them. Anyone who is able to cruise and afford any of the lux lines are lucky, regardless of which line they pick. IMHO

[Pam]

Totally OT, sorry Host Dan..

 

Suite Travels, I just looked at your location. Did you move away from my favorite restaurant in the world, Cap's? I think I remember that you used to live within walking distance.

 

Now, back on subject...

 

We haven't tried any of the other luxury lines; Regent seems to fit like a comfortable shoe. Cruising isn't the be-all and end-all for us, so we have decided to stick with the known and liked.

[Iamboatman]

Eric, our TA has always wanted us to try Seabourn, but due to the non-existent balcony my partner refuses to cruise them. We have heard great comments about Seabourn as far as service and food. We will give them a try when the new ships are launched.

 

The suites on Regent certainly exceed just about any cruise line. However, as you know we are Crystal cruisers and love it it for our personal reasons. Regent satisfies many guests and they are in the luxury market and have their niche.

 

Choices, we all have them. Anyone who is able to cruise and afford any of the lux lines are lucky, regardless of which line they pick. IMHO

 

I would agree that in many respects (not all) the standard suites on Regent are the best at sea. I particularly like the Navigator's - though not much else about that ship blows me away.

 

But that is hardware and I find for myself and many of my clients it comes down to the software and ambiance. Regent, Seabourn and Crystal all have distinctly different approaches to each.

 

It is hard when you are so satisfied with one line to "risk" your vacation on an unknown quantity. It is, in large part, what loyalty is made of. But when there is a different need (children) or itinerary that one line doesn't have, it can be a great opportunity to try the alternatives. Oh, such problems!

[AirGorilla]

- "and also where they threw out our leftover wine one night instead of saving it for us the next evening" -- This would never happen with ol' Ragnar at the table.

 

- We do open seating cruises so as to not have polite tablemates for ol' Ragnar to offend...

 

- Balconies are a must so that Mrs. D has a well ventilated place to store ol' Ragnar.

 

- Assigned seating times are bad because ol' Ragnar is easily distracted by things mechanical or electronic, and by things alchoholic.

 

- Tipping requires ol' Ragnar to do calculations after too many distractions (see above).

 

- Chits are bad because waiters dislike ol' Ragnar just signing with his "X" mark...

 

I would enjoy being on a cruise with Ol' Ragnar, and sharing an adult beverage or three!!!

[Margate Cruiser]

In the last 12 months we have cruised crystal on a northern crossing and it was just the best. We did the Horn on Seabour Pride 25 days. Regent in Carbian and Bermuda 21 days. For entertainment(Crystal) there is no better cruise ship in the Luxury class that can match, For there lectures as well they get the best people. For Regent there is no better cabin in the industry for regular cabins 306 SF + balcony. Includes all tips and wine +

Seabourn in my opinion has the best service of any cruise line there regular cabins are 277 sf. There ships are a little worn but they are up grading every year they did alot this past year. As for dinning they are above Cystal and a little better than Regent

[Wendy The Wanderer]

Hey Margate, how are you? How well did you cope with Crystal's set seating, and chit signing?

 

On balance, which do you prefer? Funny, I find the destination to make a difference--I've been on two quicky Caribbean cruises on Regent now, and although they were both wonderful, I didn't feel that either one (Navigator and Voyager) really held up to our European cruises, also on Regent, in terms of service or lectures or entertainment, and just general good order.

[Margate Cruiser]

That's why we go mainly on seabourn and second regent.

[Suite Travels]

Totally OT, sorry Host Dan..

 

Suite Travels, I just looked at your location. Did you move away from my favorite restaurant in the world, Cap's? I think I remember that you used to live within walking distance.

 

Now, back on subject...

 

We haven't tried any of the other luxury lines; Regent seems to fit like a comfortable shoe. Cruising isn't the be-all and end-all for us, so we have decided to stick with the known and liked.

 

 

 

Hi Pam, we moved from Lighthouse Point to Delray a little over a year ago. We love the historical Caps restaurant. Now we have to drive there.:mad:

[O2BatSea]

Ironically, I just received the March edition of Vacation Agent and one of the lead articles is "Sea Dream Features Yachting Not Cruising".

The article quotes is senior VP claiming it is an "upgrade from Seabourn" and that they also "have Silversea guests and Regent guests, and so forth". I am not sure what that all means other than there are definite differences between the various lines as well as the perceptions of each product...and how each is marketed.

Isn't Sea Dream now owned by the original founder/owners of Seabourn? I would love to go on a Sea Dream cruise just to sleep in the Balinese Bed on deck! But alas, as a solo traveler I have been told that I would be the only single onboard and it is more for couples than for social interaction.

As to differences on Seabourn vs Silversea, I just cruised on SS for the first (and last) time after 10 SB cruises. Give me Seabourn anyday!

After a shore excursion on SB, we were greeted with a long red carpet, a line of white gloved staff holding champagne glasses, a huge "WELCOME HOME" banner streched up the gang plank, and a plate of sandwiches, cookies, cheese, crackers and fruit in the cabin with a note that said "Welcome back, we missed you." On Silversea, they were closing the deck grill, wouldn't keep it open for even 10 more minutes and the bartender refused to order anything from room service for us, saying it wasn't his job, but we could go to our cabin and order from there.

Yes, on SB they are trained to surprise you with what you want, but I have never felt that others were getting too much attention from that. My now ex-husband asked once if they had cinnamon ice cream. They didn't, but Chef found 5 different recipes, and made them all, getting input from staff on the best taste. The next evening, it showed up and was such a hit with the staff and other pasengers that it is now on the regular menu. On SS I asked for Eggs Sardou and was simply told no, and they wouldn't ask chef if he could even make it.

Single travelers are pampered on Seabourn, being seated at a different hosted officers table for 10 every night. Silversea rarely had hosted tables, and no special consideration was given for singles at all during the cruise.

I love standing at the bow as the ship pulls into port in the early mornings on Seabourn. On SS you aren’t allowed on the bow, or even in front of the bridge. The only level to watch from is the top deck, and what used to be the front observation lounge/bar is now the gym – so in cold or bad weather, there is no where inside to watch from.

The biggest thing I did love about SS was the pool right in the middle of the deck, not hidden in back of the stairs like SB – it is great with a wide wood rim to sit on, and a ledge to lay on in 3 inches of water.

The closet on SS is a bit bigger than SB, but less drawer space on SS, and I like the flat screen TV's on SB, but none of that is worth changing ships for.

SS had an A/C issue, so while the suites were cool and working normally, the bars and restaurant were very warm the whole cruise. Not fun to be all sweaty even before dinner, and any form of dancing was miserable, even without the obnoxious dance hosts that don't know the meaning of the words NO THANK YOU!

The passengers tend to be much more social and active among each other on SB than SS, where it just seemed more stuffy to me.

The Legend was sold originally to another line, and so many of the finishes were different that the other two ships - one sink in the bathroom vs two on Pride & Spirit, etc. As the third addition to the fleet, many regular cruisers had already established their 'favorite' ship and tend to stay loyal to not only the ship, but also certain Captains and crew. You will find the most 'seasoned' passengers and crew on Pride and that seems to be the ship that celebrities travel on as well. I have been on many a cruise where the passengers asked a favorite bartender, entertainer or Maitre'D if they would be onboard, and they booked accordingly if possible.

I am looking forward to my upcoming Regent cruise to see how it compares and see if I like the 'bigger' ships!

I would be interested in hearing comparisons between Regent and Seabourn.

[DebbieH103]

I haven't been on Seabourn but am always looking at it. I've been on SS 3 times (Whisper twice and Wind once) and on both Regent Voyager and Navigator (both times as a solo).

 

On SS. we experienced red carpet returns from some tours in the Middle East and were always made to feel special, sometimes with bands, etc. and often with champagne.

 

On Regent, we also sometimes had something waiting when coming back last minute on some of the tours in Europe. I thought Regent did a good job in attempting to organize solos, but a lot did not paraticipate. I was generally the only one in my 40s who attended anything and spent a lot of time with older widows and widowers. They were all interesting. My second Regent cruise, I met people from another board, so I did not go to the solo activities. I wish people would not be afraid to socialize if they really want to. You can always try something once, and if it isn't your cup of tea, move on to something else. On that first European cruise, there were clearly a lot of solos in their 30s to 50s. I did meet some at the pool bar and the parties, such as on Halloween.

 

How is Crystal as a solo?

 

I'm married, but my husband cannot travel as much as I can, and this year, we have a couple of family trips and an 11 night Christmas cruise and one land trip, so if I do another cruise before Christmas, it will be as a solo or with a girlfriend.

[nancygp]

Debbie, I suggest you post your question about Crystal as a solo passenger on the Crystal board.

 

Nancy

[Ste. Michelle]

 

 

 

After a shore excursion on SB, we were greeted with a long red carpet, a line of white gloved staff holding champagne glasses, a huge "WELCOME HOME" banner streched up the gang plank, and a plate of sandwiches, cookies, cheese, crackers and fruit in the cabin with a note that said "Welcome back, we missed you."

 

This never happened on my recent Seabourn experience.

 

I knew that the "hardware" (Iamboatman's term) wasn't as good as Regent's, but I was under the impression that the service (the "software"--Iamboatman's term) was so extrordinary that the "hardware" wouldn't matter.

 

The "software" simply did not live up to expectations.

 

There was never anybody "Welcome"ing us back, offering us sandwiches, or anything else, for that matter. We received the "white glove service" when we embarked, but when we entered the ship, we walked on board and had no idea how to proceed from there. We stood for a few minutes (waiting for a champagne welcome) and had to ask, "Where do we go?" We were told "King Olav", but we had never been aboard before, so had no clue where King Olav might be. "Upstairs" (duh) like we should have known.

 

The first (day) sea day, we were at the forward hottub deck. We were told by the attendant that he could only come take drink requests (we were drinking water) every 20 minutes, so feel free to get our own out of a cooler , because he was busy waiting on others on the deck below the Sky Bar. OK, not a problem. (So much for "Never say no" attitude.)

 

On the dock, waiting for tender service, we were offered cans of Diet Coke, but "sorry. They are hot--we don't have any ice." There were cookies wrapped in Saranwrap, but we weren't offered any.

 

Went to the Sky Bar prior to dinner at 2. I guess a martini in a plastic margarita glass would be considered "hardware", but c'mon!

 

Asked for iced tea at lunch for the Seabourn Experience. "We don't have any." Iced tea?

 

We were really looking forward to the marina day. It took us 40 minutes to ride the banana boat because the entertainment staff was incredibly disorganized. They had a list of whom was signed up to do what, but they didn't follow the list, and people stepped in front of the sign up list.

 

There were more incidents, but I won't beleaguer the point.

 

OK. This is all nitpicky, but for a cruise line that prides itself on service.... Each day, my expectations became less. I just wanted to be on Regent. (And yes, Iamboatman, my expectations would have been much lower on a Carnival cuise, and I may have been pleasantly surprised.)

 

Sorry Moderator Dan and Iamboatman---I don't write letters. I just don't repeat a service I find substandard. (We cruise twice a year.)

 

Regent has always met my expectations. (Bully for me.) I found a cruise for March 2009 that replaces the one I planned to book on Seabourn.

[cruiseyguy]

I've been on Seabourn a lot and, for me, it's comfortable. That's my personal definition of "luxury." The triplets are what they are and the new ship(s) should be "knockouts." The staff is wonderful but they can only do so much. The food is "Charlie Palmer"--enough said. But when I get on a Seabourn yacht I'm "home"--I can relax, knowing that staff (and even passengers) will do everything they reasonably can to make sure I'm "happy"--whatever that may be at the moment. I do think this board gives a misleading impression of Seabourn--that it revolves around "pampering" ( a somewhat creepy concept for me), theme parties and drinking, running around in tuxes and "blingy" dresses. Just the opposite--it's total comfort coupled with complete respect for the individual. It's "your" yacht and "your" crew and the cruise will be what you make of it.

[Ragnar Danneskjold]

Ya, ol' Ragnar always wonder why folks want to be "pampered", unless maybe they have bladder control problem?

[Iamboatman]

Yes, the owner of SeaDream used to run Seabourn, but it wasn't run as well as it is today...for at that time it was a product trying to find a true identity. (Not his fault, though). Larry P. has found his niche and SeaDream is his baby. I would agree that for solos it might be a bit lonely, but then again there are a number of multi-generational families that cruise on SD, so singles are regularly on board.

 

Ste. Michelle had an experience that is as atypical of Seabourn as I have ever heard. I know I am going to offend, but it seems to me that the constant complaints and "I don't write letters" colors my impression as to what is fair comment and what is editorial embellishment to steer people away from Seabourn and toward Regent (something a few consistently accuse me of; noting this thread makes it very clear there is no "perfect" line and putting a client on the wrong line for them can be disastrous.)

 

What is fairly remarkable to me is that when complaints concerning Regent are made on this board the knives are thrown about how such things are not important, but here Ste. Michelle finds each of them so important as to mention them...and with a tone of almost disgust. That may well be Ste. Michelle's feelings and they should be respected, but perspective is worthy of note.

[harbormaster]

We have cruised Regent a number of times, from 7 days to 19 days. We love Regent for the cabins, ships, staff, fellow passengers and food. However, due to scheduling conflicts and some personal issues, when we wanted to visit SE Asia, we booked on the Seabourn Spirit for a 14 day Singapore to Singapore which visited Thailand and Malaysia as well in February. It was our first Seabourn cruise.

 

We had a regular oceanview cabin and we found it more than adequate, with nice amenities, two sink bathroom, great bed, pillow concierge, soap concierge and it was very clean and well laid out. I do understand the issue with the desk, but we moved the chair and put one of the stools under the desk and it improved the space immensely. Our cabin stewardess, Joanna, was one of the best cabin attendents we have ever had, and she had only been on the job 10 days. She was flawless in her care for us and our room. I do prefer the Mariner and Voyager suites with their balconies and size, but this cabin was fine.

 

I must say that the service from the staff was some of the best, if not the best, we have ever had on a cruise. They knew our names the second day. They went out of their way to say hello and to bring our favorite drinks or snacks. One of the waiters, Louis, heard us talking with our lunchmates from Britain one day. Our friends were saying how much they liked American pecan pie. Two days later Louis came up to us all and said, “Look on the luncheon buffet – there’s a surprise for you.” The pie was there and they were delighted. We never carried our own plate or opened a jam jar ourselves. They held doors to every room, in and out, with friendly hellos. Special food requests were normally accomodated. The hotel manager was omnipresent and interested in how the staff was doing and how the cruise was going. The Captain however, was less present and hardly ever seen. We’re used to seeing Regent Captain’s interacting with the guests more consistently.

 

As for the “welcome home” issue – the staff were on the pier at each port with Evian spray for cooling, wet towels and lemonade or water. I did notice that only when we booked an excursion through Seabourn did we have welcoming hors d’oeuvres in the suite upon return. When we ventured out on our own, which was most of the time, there was nothing in the suite upon our return.

 

The Seabourn shore experience on Ko Kood, Thailand with the “caviar in the surf” was spectacular and one of the best shore/beach days we’ve ever had. The food, service, bar setup, water sports equipment, and totally wonderful surroundings could not be beat.

 

We did have a couple of issues. Room service failed completely to deliver an ordered cheeseburger and after 1-1/2 hours and a number of calls, we gave up. However, when we mentioned this to the hotel manager, we received a bottle of champagne, chocolate covered strawberries and a bottle of wine from the reserve wine list at dinner as an apology. (The cheeseburger would have sufficed at the time though – LOL).

 

The internet was simply inadequate. We are used to free and great WIFI on Regent and on the Seabourn Spirit the size of the internet room (4 computers) and the constant “out of service” sign were totally unacceptable.

 

The food overall was good. For our taste, there was simply too much garlic in all of the dinner starters and entrees, even when we asked for it to be excluded, but that is a matter of personal preference. Regent’s breakfasts are superior in choice and food freshness, but we certainly did not go hungry and did enjoy our meals. Other room service orders were delivered promptly and correctly. We were invited to a number of tables “hosted” by staff officers, which was a lovely touch.

 

A big issue for us personally was the size of the ship for a number of reasons. I understand there is nothing to be done about the size of the ships, we were aware of what they were before we went aboard. But, the first night and next day out the waves were rolling in the South China Sea. We definitely felt the seas much more than on any Regent ship (which was to be expected, but this was a lot, even for my ex-Navy husband). The Captain kept the ship in the trough but didn’t explain why. There were many, many seasick people the entire first day of the cruise. We did not get seasick, but we certainly felt the side to side roll. Also, after getting off the ship, we still felt the sea roll for two days.

 

While we were prepared for the smaller size of the ship, I must say, we both were a bit disappointed by the actual amount of space for passenger gathering, deck space and the Verandah Café. A number of times there was simply no seating for the lunch buffet indoors or out. The pool is very small and poorly placed with nowhere to sit. There was space on deck on the Sky Bar and on the forward part of the deck, but it was always totally occupied, with people waiting for chairs. A number of the public areas also are looking worn.

 

There was one plus to the size of the ship on this particular cruise, however. That was that the Spirit was able to sail up the river and dock in Bangkok itself, not 3 hours out. This allowed us to fully enjoy our two days in Bangkok without having to take long bus rides up from the far-away port normally used by ships.

 

A significant difference in the two lines was the entertainment and activities during the cruise. On sea days, frankly, it was very boring. There was one speaker, Bernard Kalb, the eminent journalist, but he spoke only 3 times during a 14 day cruise. One other speaker spoke on the countries’ histories for 40 minutes and gave one talk on wines. All the talks were taped for replay, but the engineer forgot the sound, so they were inaudible on the cabin televisions. There were two evening piano concerts. Most of the other entertainment, including evening shows, was put on by the cruise director and two assistant cruise directors. They were fine and entertaining, but simply couldn’t compare with Regent’s entertainment and activities. Aside from trivia, which was played only 4 days and was cumulative, there wasn’t much else to do. I understand that this is a “yacht” not a cruise ship, but I do think there is opportunity for more activities, perhaps on the new larger ship.

 

Would we book Seabourn again? As long as the ships are this size, yes, but only on port-intensive cruises with no or one sea day. The price per day for all-inclusive compared to Regent was a definite plus on this sailing.

For us an ocean crossing is out of the question on Seabourn, while we absolutely love them on Regent.

We’d give the overall plus to Regent for foods, activities, cabins and staff. Seabourn's service sets it apart. We will be interested to see how Seabourn's larger ships fare in the future.

[Travelcat2]

I prefer to have people list the positives and negatives as Ste. Michelle and Harbormaster have done rather than making all-emcompassing statements about food, service., etc.

 

Seabourn's ships are considerably older that the oldest Regent ship. The Voyager and Mariner were built since 2002. Some comparisons are a bit harsh when it comes to the design and condition of Seabourn current ships. It will take some time, however, to build the new ships they have planned (the first coming out in just over a year). From what has been written, cabins on the new ship wiil be quite pricey and will probably sail full most of the time. This leaves Seabourn with the same older ships to take them through until all of the ships have been replaced.

 

Regent, on the other hand, has the sister ships that require only normal maintenance and upgrading -- good cabin sizes -- no real problems (with the exception of the vibration issue on the Voyager that will probaby always be there). The Navigator is a bit older (1999 I believe) and sounds as if she could use a new air conditioning system and have electrical issues addressed. My issue here is that Regent can continue quite well with their three ships -- indefinitely. The new ultra luxury ship will also be pricey -- and will also sail full most of the time. However, we still have the choice to go on three great ships. . . (this assumes that we no longer are leasing the PG).

 

IMO, Regent is currently in a better position in terms of their existing ships than Seabourn and Silversea. Things will equal out in 3-4 years. Still, everyone has their preferences and we are here to point out differences and experiences -- not to argue with them.:)

[O2BatSea]

Yes, the owner of SeaDream used to run Seabourn, but it wasn't run as well as it is today...for at that time it was a product trying to find a true identity. I would agree that for solos it might be a bit lonely, but then again there are a number of multi-generational families that cruise on SD, so singles are regularly on board.

 

Well, I LOVED receiving my 2 dozen long stem roses with a hand blown vase and a note that said "Thank you for cruising with Seabourn" a few weeks after my 1st cruise. It was such a fabulous, but unexpected surprise, and I am sorry that tradition stopped when he sold the triplets.

 

However, I am setting all expectations aside and am just simply going to enjoy my upcoming first time Regent cruise for what I know it will be - absolutely wonderful. I have heard so many great comments about Regent, I think it will also feel like 'home' as cruiseguy so eloquently stated about my favorite SB.

 

The main thing stopping me from a Sea Dream cruise is cruising at 200% - no single supplement :mad: Otherwise I would be there in a heart beat!

 

Not to go further off subject here (sorry Eric!), but is anyone else going to be on the April 18th TA to Funchal?

[Iamboatman]

Regent has alot going for it. I have been on 5 Regent cruises on 4 different ships. With me being pretty opinionated, if it didn't I would not have done that.

 

Each line has its strongest points and Regent has its.

 

I would be very interested in your impressions upon your return.

 

Have a great time!

[Leejnd4]

I've been following this thread closely. I haven't been on this board for at least a year - I've been doing land-based trips since my last cruise, which was the PG in Dec. '06. But we're now planning our next cruise, which will be in 2009. We're looking at Middle East itineraries, and the one that is most appealing so far is on Seabourn Pride.

 

I have some serious concerns about Seabourn, however, and this thread has really brought them to light.

 

I'm not too concerned with the "hardware" - I do my research, and know that the ship is much smaller and, in many ways, deficient (not a good word but it's all I could come up with) in comparison to my Regent experiences, on Voyager and PG. I did a Windstar cruise to Costa Rica a couple years ago and, again, knew what I was getting hardware-wise, so I was prepared.

 

What concerns me the most is the following:

 

1. Some of the Seabourn Prides deficiencies would definitely bother me, but I'm willing to accept them...but only IF the service and overall experience truly makes it worth it. If the OP's report is reflective at all of what I might experience, I'd be pretty disappointed. Unlike Windstar, in which the ship's deficiencies are counter-balanced by the significantly reduced PRICE, Seabourn's fare is right up there with the rest of the luxury lines for this itinerary.

 

2. I'll be traveling with my widowed mother, so while I'm married, we will both be "single" on the ship. On Regent we found SO much to do, and met so many people, and were never lonely. Between the folks we'd met here on CC pre-cruise, and those we met onboard, and the gentlemen hosts, we barely spent any time alone at all! Will we find ourselves lonely on Seabourn? And will I, at 49 (next year), be the youngest person on board?

 

3. There are nine sea days on the 17-day Seabourn itinerary. Will we be bored to tears? I'm no party animal, but I do enjoy after-dinner drinks and dancing with friends and having some good laughs. But I'm having visions now of spending 9 days surrounded by blue-hairs who play canasta all day, and tuck in at 9pm. (Please don't take offense - if that describes you, more power to ya - it's just that, well, it doesn't describe ME!)

 

My other options include Regent, Crystal, Oceania, and Silversea. Sadly I've pretty much ruled out Regent, because the fare for a similar, but only 15-day, itinerary is several thousand more than the others. What is the DEAL with Regent's outrageous pricing???

 

My concerns for the others are as follows:

 

Crystal - prefer all-inclusive, HATE set seating. Last time I had set seating (on an RCI cruise in summer '06, which I chose because we had our teenage kids with us) we were seated with a couple of single women from France who barely spoke English and had nothing in common with a family like ours. (Yeah I know, what do I expect from RCI? Plain and simple, tho - I seriously dislike set seating.) But I'm intrigued by the entertainment and options for things to do on all those sea days. Should I grit my teeth and deal with the set seating, to avoid boredom on sea days?

 

Oceania - lower level of service, not all-inclusive. But price is significantly less. Should I deal with the annoyances of a not-quite-luxury cruise, and spend my money on pre- and post-cruise indulgences? Will having more entertainment, and more sea-day activities, out-weigh the more mass-market experience?

 

Silversea - I've read that the service is a step below Seabourn - yet the price is similar. Is this really true? If I'm going to go with the small-ship experience, I want the service to be so special it outweighs the downsides. Also, my problem with their itinerary is that it doesn't stop in Alexandria, so we wouldn't get to the pyramids, which is a big thing for my mother - so SS might be out.

 

Anyway, those are my thoughts on this topic...not that I added anything to the discussion! I posted them here because up to now, Regent has been the only luxury cruise line I've been on, and I loved both of my Regent cruises...and those are the experiences I would like my next cruise to measure up to.

 

Luckily I still have a lot of time to research! Any comments on my concerns will be appreciated.

[Ste. Michelle]

First: the good news. The passengers on my recent Seabourn cruise tended to be younger than on my previous Caribbean Regent cruises. (Not so for European cruises.) I think the space limitations make walkers/wheelchairs difficult to manage on the Seabourn ships. There were several Mother/Daughter passengers, and the crew seemed to be especially attentive to them. I sailed on the Legend, and it is my understanding that the Pride has been recently refurbished and is somewhat superior.

 

I had very high hopes for my recent cruise. We chose a 7 day Caribbean itinerary as a trial, before we booked something more extensive in the future. There is so much made of the exquisite service, etc., that I truly expected to be a convert. As previously posted, that simply didn't happen.

 

I thought that 200 passengers would be ideal. (I am a boutique hotel type of person. Hate big resorts and Las Vegas style glitz. I truly thought Seabourn would be a good fit.) Even though Regent holds 490 to 700 passengers, it never seems like there are more than 200 on board, due to the passenger to space ratio. On the Legend, due to the limited passenger to space ration, there were times, that it seemed there were 500 on board. I always felt cramped. The Veranda restaurant on the Regent ships are quite spacious, but the Veranda on the Legend was truly elbow to elbow. Our first day was a sea day, and I couldn't wait to get off the ship. On Regent, I often don't want to leave the ship, because I don't want to miss anything on board. (There was nothing to do on that Legend sea day.)

 

There was very limited entertainment. The Cruise Director/Cruise Staff is the entertainment. They were truly a very talented group, but just limited. There was only one lounge open at a time. (There are always at least 3 venues on the Voyager and Mariner.) The skybar (like the pool bar on Regent) seemed to house all of the smokers. Evenings did seem to end quite early. At 11pm, we seemed to be nearly alone. (We are in our early 50's.)

 

The food, in my opinion, was not as good as on Regent. There are only 2 Restaurants, and several passengers on board were never able to get reservations in the alternative restaurant. There were evenings that I perused the menu and was at a loss as what to order. That is NEVER an issue on Regent. The food wasn't bad, it just wasn't anything that I would rave about.

 

I am only one Regent lover who tried Seabourn. The "hardware" issue is a very big one for us. As I previously stated, the service and other amenities were purported to be so far superior to Regent that we wouldn't even notice the "other" things. My (our) experience was that the "other"things simply were not any better, and in fact, at times inferior.

[Iamboatman]

LeeAnne:

 

As I have said Ste. Michelle's experience is the only one I have ever heard being of such a poor quality. As you know, I am a very active Seabourn travel agent and if her situation was normal, or anywhere near normal, I - the critical one - would never deal with the line. (And my repeat guests would be nil...especially at Seabourn's prices; even though they now seem quite a good value compared to some of Regent increased pricing!)

 

There was another thread going about demographics and I was quite surprised to hear that Regent actually has an older demographic. Tongue in cheek, I don't think blue hair is permitted on Seabourn because no matter the chronological age, youthful zest for life and travel is usually at the fore.

 

One of the things that makes Seabourn's past guest so loyal - in addition to the service (single exception noted) - is that the "entertainment" is mostly focused on the interaction among guests. (Seabourn does not have shows similar to Regent or hardware of comparison.) The same, BTW, can be said for Silversea.

 

It really depends on what "floats your boat". The accommodations are much superior to Windstar (which, if I recall, you liked), but where you sleep is only part of the cruise...as you know.

[Ste. Michelle]

Regent pays me nothing.

[CruisePhan]

I'm a bit late to this thread, but would like to add a few thoughts as I also just sailed on the Legend (r/t St. Thomas, March 9-16). I'm a Regent fan who still misses the Diamond and is booked on the Voyager this summer. My first Seabourn experience aboard the Spirit last summer was so impressive, we decided to take this year's winter vacation in the Caribbean aboard the Legend. We were not disappointed.

 

Every person has different tastes, standards and expectations, and it's clear that my experience was quite different than Ste. Michelle. It's also clear that many of us enjoy CruiseCritic as it provides a public forum to share opinions, provide information and learn from others. With that in mind, I must say that I feel sorry for Ste. Michelle and urge you to consider the advice of others: Write a letter to Seabourn. They should be told of your concerns and perhaps future service improvements will be made to address the key issues for other passengers.

 

Here are a few additional thoughts...

Ste. Michelle's comments regarding the age and size of the Legend are correct. However, any TA worthy of their commission would have pointed out these differences to a previous Regent guest. As for the level of service provided during our cruise, my experience on Seabourn was quite positive. By the second day aboard the Legend, several members of the staff knew my name. The bartender at the pool bar knew my appreciation for Diet Coke and by our day in Nevis he started pouring before he asked for my order. The manager of Restaurant 2 almost broke his leg trying to open a door for me at the end of dinner. At all meals, our wine and water glasses were never empty (unfortunately, neither were our stomachs).

 

Our day at Jost Van Dyke was magical and I had no problem getting a kayak from the marina. The Seabourn Experience and Caviar in the Surf were just amazing. As I look at my photos and think back two weeks, I can't come up with many disappointments to report.

 

Were there any negative issues? Of course - as there are aboard every cruise. We preferred our cabin attendant from the Spirit and found the air temperature in the cabin too warm. A fan was provided by the purser and we've noted this issue in our comment card. Did we care for the entertainment? Not much, nor did we select this cruise for the shows and performances of bigger ships.

 

While we would never recommend a Seabourn cruise for an ocean crossing, or for too many sea days, we love the relaxing environment and are willing to forgo the entertainment offered on larger ships.

 

I agree with the comments posted by Harbormaster as they reflect my experiences with Regent and Seabourn very well. We all have different tastes and the key to a great vacation is matching our preferences with the appropriate cruise. I wish that I had met Ste. Michelle aboard the Legend and could have improved your experience. My suggestion is to write to the company and give them an opportunity to reply. Perhaps they will provide you an incentive to give them another try...