Having sailed on Silversea two times in the past year, I was anxious to see what Seabourn had to offer and how it compared in all of the usual areas. We were a family party of three occupying two suites (one being a solo traveler).

Embarkation: Arriving at the pier around 1 p.m., we were quickly processed and escorted to the Club Lounge where sandwiches and Champagne were being served and where met met several of our fellow passengers. We were told that the rooms were not ready and that we would be informed when they were. However, no one ever called us and as we noticed passengers departing the lounge, we followed. No escort to our room. Also, we were informed that lunch was not available for embarking passengers which we thought was rather odd.

Suites: We were booked in #617 and quite satisfied with the suite, amenities and location (and the fact that all of our onboard credits were properly provided). No problems at all. Our stewardess was prompt in introducing herself and ensuring our pre-ordered mini bar selections were correct and determining our preferences. She kept our suite spotless. However, our solo family member wasn't so fortunate. His room reeked of stale cigarette smoke which was unbearable. He had to go through several levels of staff personnel and management (hotel director) to resolve this situation. Suffice it to say, Seabourn handled the process of changing his suite in an extremely poor manner in every respect. It wasn't until 7 p.m. that he was able to check into another suite (and the ship was not full). Not acceptable when one has been traveling for over 24 hours to the destination. It took 3 days before the hotel director offered an apology. Read more