We have gone on many cruises over the years but mostly on the main stream ships (HAL, Royal, Celebrity, etc.). Last year we tried Azamara for the smaller ship experience and loved it. So this year we thought we’d try the more upscale luxury lines and see how they stack up and how we like them. So we started with Seabourn in March. We’re also going on Regent Seven Seas in June, Atlas Expedition in Aug, Oceania in Oct, and SilverSea in Dec. Should be interesting to compare and contrast them in such close time proximity.

Bottom line with Seabourn is we loved it! The others will have a hard time topping it since every aspect of our cruise experience was really great. We loved the Dual vanities in the bathroom and how upscale it felt. The food was outstanding. I’m a chocoholic and the chocolate desserts were to die for! The chocolate cake at Thomas Keller and the chocolate chip cookies at Seabourn Central were the best we’ve had on a cruise ship. Just the fact that you can eat at the Michelin star type restaurant of Thomas Keller for free was nice. The food across all the dining venues was excellent. We felt the entertainment was really good and loved all the live music options they offered. Elise and Eli, who played acoustical music at the Observation Bar each night, were our favorite and we went to hear them every night. The cruise director John Bannon was one of the best we’ve ever had on a cruise ship. He was so funny and witty and could really sing well. We loved playing trivia and we’re glad he ran it every day. We were in a Verandah Cabin and really liked the location. The cabin was very large and the bed was very comfortable. We enjoyed having a full table in the room where we occasionally had breakfast delivered and the free caviar anytime is a nice touch. The balcony was also nicer and used often. The ship has lots of sunning areas and we could always find a lounge chair to work on our tans. The free coffee, snacks and occasional milkshake at Seabourn Central were a nice indulgence.

Even having the Self service free laundry was a nice touch. Embarkation was a breeze and they allowed us to board before our arrival time. It literally took minutes after we arrived at the port to the time we were sitting down eating lunch. Disembarkation was also a breeze since we did self assist and were in a taxi within minutes and heading to the airport. We really enjoyed the Seabourn Ovation and are looking forward to comparing her to some of her competition!