If you’ve been around the Cruise Industry for any amount of time, no doubt you’ve heard about (and maybe have even sailed on?) small-ship/luxury/all-inclusive Cruiselines like Regent, Silversea & (the now defunct) Crystal…
…well, if you’ve heard of those guys you may have heard of “Seabourn” as well?
Like the others, Seabourn has way fewer guests onboard than a typical “mainstream” Cruise ship (their core fleet, which consists of 5 ships, fits 450-600 guests and on their newest “Expedition” ships, there are just 2 of them, they fit 264 guests) and then once onboard the most basic rooms are significantly bigger than a typical Cruise ship, the food & service is for sure a step up (or 2 or 3 steps up!) from what you experience on the big ships, pretty much everything onboard is included in your upfront price, etc.
Let’s just say, if you enjoy quality things in life and experiencing the “best of the best” (without the pretension) and you have no interest in being nickeled & dimed while on Vacation, etc. then a small-ship/luxury/all-inclusive Cruiseline is probably the perfect fit for you!!
As I had previously sailed on Regent & Crystal multiple times and on Silversea once, I’ve had a taste of this style of Cruising and it’s for sure pretty awesome… so, I had high expectations for Seabourn!
And… they delivered… which I was super happy to be able to say after my first ever sailing with Seabourn was completed!
So today, I want to share a unique thing or two I experienced on Seabourn that I didn’t on their competitors and overall I want to give you a really good feel for what sailing on Seabourn is like in case you want to give them a try for one of your Cruises in the near future!
“Ventures” By Seabourn
Above I mentioned wanting to point out anything unique I experienced on Seabourn and this is for sure what stood out the most… especially since this was my 8th Cruise to Alaska but the 1st time I’ve had the chance to do some different activities up there!
FYI, for really detailed info & pictures/videos on what this is all about, click here to see the dozen+ pictures I added to my site’s gallery as that will give you a Really good feel for this very cool/unique/fun program that Seabourn offers. And make sure to check out the captions under the pictures/videos as some of them are Very detailed/get into things like pricing of these “Ventures”, etc.
The bottom line is, as mentioned here https://www.seabourn.com/en_US/experience/ventures-by-seabourn.html, in certain destinations (including Alaska where I sailed with Seabourn) Seabourn brings on a full team of destination/expedition “experts” (on my sailing there were 12 of them & they were TRUE experts, many of them having done this for 10-25+ years!) who get you off the ship in very unique ways (on Zodiacs, Kayaks & Catamarans… and they do some active hikes as well) so you can get “up close & personal” to the destination you’re visiting…
…and as you can see in the picture to the top right of here, I got pretty “up close & personal” to Sawyer Glacier in Alaska!! 🙂
As mentioned above, this was my 8th Cruise in Alaska so I’ve seen A LOT of Glaciers and even though some of those other experiences were pretty magnificent, none were like this one which was truly magical… getting so close while being out in nature/breathing in the fresh Alaska air & glacial water, etc. was something else!!
Again, click here to see the dozen+ pictures/videos I added to my site’s gallery highlighting Seabourn’s “Ventures by Seabourn” program & make sure to thoroughly read the captions under each picture/video to see what this impressive program is all about!
And then, if you’re looking for a totally unique way to see a destination in a Very intimate way (Alaska especially is perfect for this!) keep Seabourn in mind as, as of now, they’re one of only a couple of small luxury lines offering this type of program!
My Penthouse Suite Onboard “Seabourn Odyssey”
This may not be important to some people reading this if you’re only wanting to book the most basic room on your Seabourn Cruise (which, as you can see here, is pretty nice on Seabourn Odyssey!!) but something else I was Very impressed with when I sailed on Seabourn was the Penthouse Suite I stayed in!
As many of my clients regularly book bigger rooms, let’s take a look at what impressed me.
I’ve stayed in Penthouse Suites on some of Seabourn’s competitors, which I thought were pretty nice at the time, but this room was over 50% bigger than those rooms… and the layout was great as it had a truly separate living room/bedroom if one partner likes to sleep in/the other is up early or one likes to stay up late/the other doesn’t or one of you needs a mid-day nap/the other doesn’t, etc… this is the perfect set up for those situations!!
Also, due to the toilet area being “separated” by a door from the main bathroom area and having its own sink (which gives you 3 sinks total in this Suite!) it meant you could have visitors over without needing to tidy up your main bathroom area or it means one partner can use the washroom without having to make the other stop getting ready.
Overall, I’m sure when you’re at home this all sounds normal but often on Cruise ships people will go on their cherished vacations & book the smallest room possible which means they need to make compromise after compromise compared to when at home… simply because many people don’t even realize much nicer rooms like this are onboard because no one told them…
…so, now you know! 🙂
The picture above will give you a feel for what this 534 square foot Suite was like but, even better, click here to check out my Video where I walk you through the Suite & give you the “real-life” version! 😉
Service/Inclusions/Value/Unique Seabourn Events
If you check out this part of my “Seabourn” Gallery on my site (and the dozen or so pictures/videos that follow that one… and DON’T forget to read the captions under each picture/video!) you’ll see I cover things like:
How attentive the service was onboard… truly, of my 75 Cruises, I’ve never had my name used so much/have been recognized so much… it was uncanny how many of the crew, including those who never even served me, knew my name… everywhere I turned I saw a smiling crew member eager to make my Cruise a great one… I also talk about in there how our “Suite Host” pretty much provided the same service as “Butlers” do on competitors… overall, the crew were top/top notch!!
Also as you go through my gallery you’ll see some of the inclusions/room touches/gifts I experienced throughout my Cruise, etc., whether that was having my preferred bottle of alcohol in my Suite or being able to choose my pillows, having “old school Cruising” turn-downs & slippers/robes, etc. still included…as mentioned in my gallery, many big ships have gone away with a lot of those loved traditions! 🙁
And you’ll see some of the unique Seabourn events & Seabourn “moments” I experienced like their “Champagne & Caviar” event or being surprised with glasses of real Champagne (not sparkling wine) in the Hot Tub, being treated to pear sorbet & Prosecco concoctions out of the blue, etc.
Overall, it all made this Cruise feel like a Very prosperous & Very great value vacation… which is a must when people are spending the kind of money they do on these small-ship/luxury/all-inclusive Cruiselines!
I truly felt like Seabourn delivered in all areas as promised, and more, and I asked A LOT of fellow guests if they felt the same (who had no idea I sold Cruises) and the answer was always a Very positive yes!
Strangely (and I’m not sure I’ve ever experienced this?) on every Cruise I’ve been on there are always a few people you hear complaining about this/that/the other thing as, some people simply like to complain… and sometimes what they’re saying is 100% warranted!… but on this sailing, I heard zero complaints from anybody/about anything onboard… some people didn’t like 2 of the 5 ports we went to but for the Cruise itself, I heard nothing negative… which Very much impressed me!! 🙂
P.S. about the service… on EVERY Big Ship Cruise you go on these days you have to automatically pay around $16 per guest per day in tips for the crew… I’m ALWAYS happy to do that as most service on Cruise ships is pretty awesome but I’ve never been thanked for any of those tips I’ve given, unless I handed a crew member some extra cash directly. Anyways, on Seabourn gratuities are included in your Crusie fare and are never expected… with that said, as the service is so awesome, one thing some guests do is they donate to the “Crew Welfare” fund if they want to say a special extra thanks and that goes toward parties for the crew, crew doing off-ship excursions, etc. As I thought the service was above & beyond on this sailing, I made a donation myself & within hours my “Suite Host” presented me with a very nice letter on behalf of the entire Crew thanking me for my donation… that wasn’t only classy but it was a great example of how the crew was since I got on Day 1… always happy to have us onboard, eager to serve, gracious hosts, etc… I TRULY hope you get that exact same kind of Service experience if you sail with Seabourn as everyone has been talking about “grumpy”/inefficient workers post-Covid at many businesses on land but I certainly couldn’t find any of them on this ship!!
The Food I Experienced On “Seabourn Odyssey”… Yummy!! 🙂
If you’ve been following me for any amount of time at all, you’ll know one of the MAIN reasons I love to Cruise is for the food!! 😉
Yes, of course I want to experience new destinations and I could simply do that by flying somewhere/staying at a Hotel BUT I know I’ll never eat as well when I go there as I would when I Cruise to a new place!
So, as always, I was REALLY looking forward to experiencing some great meals while onboard “Seaburn Odyssey” and she for sure didn’t disappoint in this area!! 🙂
I know I take too many food pictures… I also know secretly you don’t mind as you want to see it all for anticipation for your next Cruise! 😉 … but I really like my readers, especially those who have never Cruised before… yes, there are still strange people like that out there! 😉 … to see just how much food variety Cruises offer, even on a small 450 guest ship like this.
If you visit here & go through the dozen (okay, 5 dozen) pictures that follow (FYI, as I show you each new Restaurant I write in the caption underneath which location it is) you’ll see how you can enjoy amazing meals whether at the “Main” restaurant, the “Patio” & “Buffett” restaurants (nighttime at those places were Very impressive!) or at the “Celebrity Chef” restaurant (for $0 extra charge!!) or even in the privacy of your Suite… with complimentary bottles of wine included!
Truly, wherever you eat onboard “Seabourn Odyssey” should satisfy even the most serious “Foodies”!! 😉
What Else Is On “Seabourn Odyssey”?
Well, if you made it this far, you’ve learned about “Ventures By Seabourn” (A VERY cool/unique excursion program that Seabourn offers on select sailings), you’ll see “Seabourn Odyssey” has some pretty awesome “Penthouse Suites” onboard (As only around 5% of the Suites onboard are this size or bigger you HAVE to book early to get one of these popular rooms!), you’ll have learned that due to the impeccable service onboard & due to all the “out of the ordinary” inclusions in your cruise fare and due to the unique events/”memories” Seabourn includes that, overall, a Seabourn Cruise is an Excellent Value!!… and of course, you’ll have seen when sailing onboard Seabourn you’ll eat like a King/Queen… even the most discerning palate will be satisfied!! 🙂
So, what’s left to talk about/show you onboard?
Well, onboard “Seabourn Odyssey” they still have pools, hot tubs, beautiful outside deck areas, fun activities, a spa, GREAT entertainment (I was totally impressed when you consider the size of this ship!), beautiful lounges, shops, social areas, a gym, free self-service laundry… and lots more, including “Traditional Tea Time”!! 🙂
So, if you want to check some of that out, simply visit here and go through those pictures & captions… I promise you, there are not 5 dozen of these like my food pictures! 😉 … to explore what else “Seabourn Odyssey” has to offer.
Book Your Next Cruise Onboard!!
I’m learning I don’t point this out enough in my writings as often I’ll get a client emailing me from a ship saying something like… “Hi Shawn, we’re LOVING our Cruise & want to book another one and we’re being told if we book onboard we’ll get the best deal and our booking will still stay with you… is that correct?”
YES!!
Again, my fault for not highlighting this enough when I send out my reviews/updates, etc. but for almost every Cruiseline in the World if you book your next Cruise onboard, while on your current sailing, you’ll get discounts and/or perks that you can’t get off of the ship… which all combines with the Cruiseline’s current “best in market” prices/promos at that time!
AND, once you’re booked, your booking “stays” booked with my agency so from there, as mentioned here https://www.shawnpower.com/why-book-your-cruise-with-shawn-power/ in # 1, I’ll be adding whatever “perk” that you’d normally get for booking with me.
So, it’s a Win/Win/Win for you!! 😉
For example, on the Seabourn sailing I was on, you could get an extra 5% discount & a reduced deposit by simply booking your next Cruise with the onboard Future Cruise Consultant before leaving the ship.
The only thing you want to remember is once you book to shoot me an email to let me know you did so, so I can make sure it was properly sent to my agency so I can add my “perk”… 99/100 times it’s done right but now & then it’s missed/if you don’t let me know right away, sometimes by the time I find out a month or two later it’s too late for me to work your booking with you/get you whatever “perk” I would have normally been able to.
What Alaska Ports Did We Visit??
Okay, we covered A LOT here today BUT there’s one last thing… any interest in seeing some of the ports I visited during this Alaska Cruise?
If so, visit here and check out those pictures & captions in my site’s gallery!!
Conclusion
Well, as you’ve probably deduced by now, sailing on a “Seabourn” Cruise is going to be a pretty awesome time if you get yourself onboard.
You’ll be fed well, you’ll be staying in a Beautiful Suite, you’ll experience high-quality products everywhere you turn, you’ll enjoy a small ship with few fellow guests onboard (264-600 compared to 4,000-6,000+) which means NO line ups & a Very exclusive experience, you’ll get to enjoy some Very unique “off ship” excursions if you’re on a “Ventures by Seabourn” sailing, you WON’T feel nickel & dimed at all since Drinks/Meals/Gratuities/Wifi/Self-Service Laundry/Gym Classes, etc., etc. will be included in your up-front price…
…AND…
…you’ll be surrounded by a well-trained/Happy Crew who are eager to serve you & make sure you have a Wonderful/Well Deserved Vacation!
What else could you ask for!! 🙂
If you have any questions at all about my Seabourn experience that I didn’t touch on here or if you’d like to book a Seabourn Cruise or any Ocean Cruise, River Cruise or Tauck Land Tour, simply contact me here… as always, it’d be a pleasure to help you plan your next, Great, Vacation!! 😉
I Appreciate You!
Shawn Power
Your Trusted Cruise & Tauck Tour Expert!