Potential new-comer has questions

[dvrdude]

Hi, all! DW and I have been HAL almost exclusives for a while now, but I must confess I'm seriously considering a 7 day caribbean cruise with Seabourn. I've read all the info on their web-site and Seabourn sounds like it's a perfect fit for us. My problem is that DW is somewhat of a penney pincher (darned beancouters!), and the I don't know how to get her past the "sticker shock". The all-inclusive (virtually) aspect might go a long way toward this end, but what are some other good selling points?

 

Thanks

[hoya68]

I think if you compare your past bar bills, tipping costs, etc. you will find that you are paying a little more on Seabourn for far better service, superior dining and a more sophisticated and relaxing environment. Your DW will find that the extra pampering is worth every pinched penny! Go for it.

 

Steve

[Constance331]

I think if you compare your past bar bills, tipping costs, etc. you will find that you are paying a little more on Seabourn for far better service, superior dining and a more sophisticated and relaxing environment. Your DW will find that the extra pampering is worth every pinched penny! Go for it.

 

Steve

 

Approaching it in this manner sure convinced me!:D

[dvrdude]

Thanks, Hoya and Constance. I'll try that tack. I think that argument has a lot of merit. Our ship expenses are usually quite high-we are on vacation and not driving the ship, after all- so i think I might be able to show her the numbers. I'm pretty sure I can lay my hands on the expenses from our last cruise. :D

[Jim Avery]

dvrdude:

Our experience is with SeaDream, not Seabourn, but the concept is the same. Some years ago, DW and I took a quick, supposedly cheap, getaway on a drive to Carnival cruise. In the end, our ships bill (bar tab mostly) was more than our cruise passage including taxes! We were not buying kegs at a time or rounds of drinks for the house, just the normal for holiday and wine at dinner. Keep in mind that even adding this in, the hard dollar cost will still be a bit more for SB/SD but you will have a very big problem ever going back to the "sign a chit for everything" way of cruising. As was mentioned above, it is not just the all inclusive aspect, nice as that is, it is a much more intimate and quality experience in every way. Food, service, ambiance, quality of fellow passengers, all is very different from the mass market and yes, HAL is just as mass market as my old fave Cunard since the "Evil Empire" took them over. Try it, I guarantee you will love it.

All the best,

Jim.

[dvrdude]

Even though I'm sure it will forever ruin me for "mass market" cruising, I'm going to persue the issue with gusto! Wish me luck! :)

 

P.S. I'll keep you posted on progress ;)

[SantaAna,CA]

I admire your Mrs. for looking at the bottom line, even in vacation expenditures. I think, especially in these times, it's wise to consider how much we are spending on things like vacations, etc., when just groceries, and gas to get us around, are approaching heart stopping heights.

 

However. There is an experience that a price tag just can't be put on, and in my opinion Seabourn qualifies as one of those experiences. I can honestly say my cruises on Seabourn have been among the most beautiful and delightful moments of my entire life. I never knew such excellence existed in a travel experience. Oh, all my trips with them to date have been to the Caribbean, too. What a way to see it.

 

I also have sailed on HAL; I took the Amsterdam to Alaska, and although it was a very nice ship, Seabourn is in another class all together. You just can't go wrong trying it. And yes, you're right, once you do, you'll probably never sail with anyone else ever again.

 

Jane

[tayl]

Hi dvrdude,

We were on the same Alaska cruise with you this past May. We paid a fair price to be in an SA (one cat below penthouse) cabin across from the Neptune Lounge. And While there are some perks that go with this, we still had to pay extra for the Pinnacle, drinks and tipping.

We went on Seabourn last Dec. Every room is a good size suite. We have always had a balcony and had concerns about Seabourn. The 5' window and the fact that you can be outside in a matter of minutes resolved that issue.

We were so impressed that we did tip extra, however, it is not expected, which lends itself to a nicer atmosphere. As mentioned earlier, you don't sign for anything. This in itself makes a huge difference!

Your bar fridge stocked with what you like. Not signing everytime you have a drink anywhere on the ship...priceless!

While lounging on deck, staff frequently come by with drinks, suntan lotion,fruit kabobs, sorbet in champagne, or anything you wish.

All restaurants are included,no extra charges.

We had worries about rumours of a stuffy climate. That's exactly what it was, a rumour! Fellow passengers were friendly and pleasant. I think attitudes are parked at the gangplank!

This was the first vacation land or sea where we really felt refreshed relaxed and longing for more Seabourn!

This may have been one of the reasons we were not as pleased with H.A.L. this time.

[tayl]

The only real drawback for some may be the position of the very small pool. This will be changed on the new ship coming in 2009.

Last year we did a Seabourn cruise from Barbados to Ft. Lauderdale.

Let us know what you booked and prepare to have a fantastic time.

By the way; my final on board bill was $28.00 for a top I purchased. That in itself was made for an excellent time!;)

[dvrdude]

Your descriptons are killin' me! I must confess a weakness for the finer things in life (I blame my parents). Alas, DW is a bit more Spartan than I. Must kick operation schmooze into high gear! Who's got the Champagne and bath beads?? :D :eek:

[JaneBP]

... Who's got the Champagne and bath beads?? :D :eek:

 

The Bar Staff and your Room Stewardess, that's who.

[cands]

Don't worry about being spoiled for future mainstream cruising. We were on Crystal last year and everyone told us we would never be able to go back to 'ordinary' cruising.

It just wasn't true for us. We enjoyed our subsequent Holland America cruise very much and especially liked that it was half the cost per day of Crystal!

We spend 8 weeks on Seabourn Spirit later this year and have a 17 day HAL cruise booked for March next year.

We don't expect luxury cruise service on HAL and we have a great time.

 

Cheers,

Steve.

[WorldtoSee]

I too am a potential new-comer. I have sailed predominantly on Norwegian, Princess and most recently Lindblad. The experience on Lindblad has made me realize the benefits of a more intimate small ship experience. I can't envision ever going on a 2,000-person ship again. My husband and I are looking to step up to the next level and I am thinking Seabourn may be for us. I'm having trouble though distinguishing between Seabourn, Silversea, SeaDream and Regent. Their websites all look the same. Could someone give me quick thoughts on basic differences between these, especially if you've sailed on the others. We're a couple in our late 40's. Destination will most likely be Mediterranean. Thanks.

[WorldtoSee]

Actually, I'm now finding a lot of good information, especially a thread called "Comparisons". I should have read first before I posted.

 

Any other thoughts, let me know. Note: we want our next experience to be small ship vs. medium ship. Intimacy and service are far more important than entertainment and activities.

[SantaAna,CA]

Seabourn's new ship, the Odyssey, will be in the 400 passenger range. But the Pride, Spirit and Legend all have a maximum of 208 passengers. That is the difference for me. As another poster said, I don't think I could sail on a big ship again. It's just too friendly an experience to be on the smaller Seabourn ships!

 

I have heard good things about Sea Dream though (I think their ships are even smaller, only about 168 guests). Silversea again enters the 400 passenger range.

 

I'm with you, the smaller, more intimate (and more spacious) experiences are more important to me than the entertainment. And the larger, mass market ships can't hold a candle to Seabourn's service!

 

Jane

[jsiegel]

For the penny-pinching decision makers (I've got one too at home), another very nice thing that I didn't expect from Seabourn was that shore excursions were priced comparable to the megaliners but the experience was much more pleasant and provided much more value.

 

In Antigua we went on a catamaran snorkel excursion. There were about a dozen of us on board. We got to the snorkel location and had the place to ourselves for awhile. Then the Princess excursions showed up in packed catamarans (I'd say about 80 passengers per boat). By then the water was getting pretty churned up so we were taken to a semi-secluded beach to swim and relax. Oh, and what made the shore excursions an exceptional value was having a first-timer referral coupon, good for $400 ship-board credit.

 

From check-in to debarkation our Seabourn cruise exceeded our expectations.

 

Jackie

jacquelin dot siegel at gmail dot com

[dvrdude]

All,

I'm still plotting and scheming, mind you, but I think I've decided to postpone the height of operation schmooze until we're on our Westerdam cruise in December. DW just got promoted to a new position that has her most stressed out, and therefore not too receptive to talk of vacations. She's just WAY too focussed on work right now. I'm thinking that a few libations at the Ocean Bar on the Westie might grease the skids, so to speak. Got to think of something more subliminal to work on her in the mean time. Maybe having a mailing from Seabourn addressed to her mysteriously show up. Make a few editorial insertions in her white noise sleepy-time CD.....Any ideas out there? I need some sneaky expertise. I'm way over my skis in this realm. :rolleyes:

[wripro]

dvrdude,

 

Why don't you just book a Seabourn cruise yourself and surprise her. Once she steps onboard any misgivings she had will quickly disappear and you'll be a hero.

[GrannyLorr]

dvrdude,

 

Why don't you just book a Seabourn cruise yourself and surprise her. Once she steps onboard any misgivings she had will quickly disappear and you'll be a hero.

 

Thats a great idea...Anniversary? Birthday? Christmas? Celebrate the new promotion!! :D

[GrannyLorr]

Years ago...back in the days when we were still poor from paying mortages and educating kids etc....my DH gave me for Christmas "short trips' to places not far from home....Vanuatu, Solomon Islands etc...wish he would suprise me with a Seabourn Grand cruise. .......darn it....its me who does all the travel planning these days....:rolleyes:

[Chairsin]

Worldtosea,

Other than Seabourn the only ships we go on are Lindblads. It is a first class adventure operation but the boats are lousy, the food is merely accepatable and the service is limited. But... the education is priceless and the adventures thrilling. It really is like apples to oranges. The only common factor is getting to know all of your fellow passengers.We will continue to do both for different reasons and to different places.Sometimes we want pampering and the ability to wander on our own ,other times we are looking for knowledge and adventure.

[SusanNJ]

I think your wife must consider the following:

1. Does she like wearing a wrist band so she can have unlimited soft drinks?

2.Do you want food that is mass produced?

3. Do you really want to pay for the upgrade to a suite on other ships when all Seabourn rooms are suites that have full baths, walk-in closets, a choice of toiletries and a stocked bar in your room ?

4. Does she want to feel like your in a constant state of euphoria?

I can hardly wait for my third Seabourn cruise.

[Silver Pearl]

All,

I'm still plotting and scheming, mind you, but I think I've decided to postpone the height of operation schmooze until we're on our Westerdam cruise in December. DW just got promoted to a new position that has her most stressed out, and therefore not too receptive to talk of vacations. ....Any ideas out there? I need some sneaky expertise. I'm way over my skis in this realm. :rolleyes:

 

Dvrdude, I suspect our wives are both priceless gems, and one of a kind, but they appear to have similar attitudes about vacations and costs. What I did was to book a cruise in secret well in advance for our 25th wedding anniversary, telling her only to arrange leave for the event, then about 9 months away. This also gave me time to set aside money each month so that there wouldn't be one huge expense that she'd notice.

 

We set sail on a 9-night cruise on Silversea's Silver Whisper, which ended in Barbados, where we had honeymooned 25 years earlier. The cruise was fantastic, the service excellent, and fellow passengers delightful. My wife and I agreed that it was our best vacation ever. Not that she would have agreed to it if I had presented the idea to her in advance. She never regretted it, and we're looking forward to our next Silversea cruise (though she told me we would have to wait unitl our 30th anniversary--2 more years).

 

If I'd told her in advance, my wife would have been appalled at the expense (even though I had found a "Silver Sailing" cruise that was heavily discounted). The logic of the all inclusive aspect would not have lessened her horror at spending that much money in advance for a vacation, which she considers a relatively unimportant event. I, on the other hand, consider vacations important, spiritually renewing events.

 

I know that Seabourn provides a similar experience--and Seabourn fans will tell you that it is superior to Silversea. (Also note that Seabourn, like Silversea, discounts some cruises quite a bit.) Not to debate the finer points: I'm sure that Seabourn fans will agree that the difference between a Silversea cruise or a Seabourn cruise is minimal when compared to a HAL cruise.

 

There is nothing wrong with HAL. About a year after our Silversea cruise, my wife, daughter, and I cruised in a superior suite on the Westerdam. Lovely ship, good itinerary, very professional crew. But in no way could one compare that HAL cruise with a Silversea cruise. Like Seabourn, Silversea is a total immersion in a truly sybaritic experience. HAL is a very nice, mass market cruise experience, even when staying in a nice suite.

 

Go for the Seabourn cruise!

 

--Rich

[dvrdude]

That's good advice. I've already broached the subject rather obtusely a couple of times. I'll probably just go ahead and start the wheels in motion for a 2010 sailing. If she balks when I surprise her with it (I'm thinking our aniversary-Jan 28th), I can always remind her that we sort of discussed it in '08! Brilliant! :D

[Silver Pearl]

That's good advice. I've already broached the subject rather obtusely a couple of times. I'll probably just go ahead and start the wheels in motion for a 2010 sailing. If she balks when I surprise her with it (I'm thinking our aniversary-Jan 28th), I can always remind her that we sort of discussed it in '08! Brilliant! :D

 

Hi, DVRdude. Glad to help.

 

One thing: When I booked our anniversary cruise, I bought a rider to the trip insurance that allowed me to cancel and rebook the cruise with no penalty right up to the day before the cruise. So, if my wife had really balked, I could have rebooked a different itinerary for later, allowing her some adjustment time (and perhaps a preferred itinerary).

 

This hedging the bet gave me some psychological comfort in advance. But, it proved unnecessary because the cruise was so enjoyable for both of us.

 

BTW, Seabourn gets such uniformly rave reviews from its regular cruisers that I am considering it for our 30th anniversary. I'm interested in its new Odyssey, largely because I'm a balcony fan. I hope Seabourn finds a way to maintain its high levels of customer service on a larger ship.

 

--Rich