We haven’t sailed on Seabourn since 2012 as we were put off by their liberal smoking policies. We decided to try them again especially since the itinerary for the British Isles was unique having a good number of stops in Scotland. Embarkation was quick and our suite was ready at noon time which was a great plus for us. We stayed in a spa penthouse suite which was quite nice but not sure it is worth the extra money versus a regular penthouse suite. You really don’t get much extra except for a few extra soaps and sponges, and a larger balcony. Seabourn advertises healthy snacks in the spa suites but we had great trouble getting them to deliver what was advertised. Perhaps it was due to a totally clueless stewardess who failed to replenish items on several occasions and seemed uninformed about extras for the spa suite, among other issues. When reported to the supervisor, we were told that she was new and to give her a few more days, and if we weren’t satisfied, they would replace her. Although we had numerous other problems with her and reported them, the housekeeping supervisor never replaced her. We ate most of our meals in the Restaurant where the food was top notch and wait service excellent. We used room service for breakfast every day and several times for dinner. They also delivered the same top notch service and excellent food as the Restaurant. Used private tour guides so did not sign up for any of the ship shore excursions. Staff at Seabourn Square were efficient and helpful. We especially enjoyed this area for coffee and snacks during the day. In terms of entertainment, we only attended one show which included a comedian which was okay, just okay. Handre served as cruise director and certainly lived up to his fine reputation. Overall, this is a lovely and comfortable ship that handles rough seas quite well. Except for a problem with housekeeping oversight and our stewardess, sailing on the Ovation was a very enjoyable and memorable experience. Read Less

There is much to like about Seabourn's fall foliage cruise provided you don't encounter a hurricane (Dorian) and have to forego Prince Edward Island and opt instead for 2 nights in St. John New Brunswick, an unscheduled port where it rained sideways. The captain was cautious, and when we read about the power outages in PEI and the hurricane-related problems in Halifax, we felt good about Seabourn. Highlights for us include: * Thomas Keller Grill (restaurant) * Earth and Ocean (restaurant) * Decent and copious amounts of complimentary wine at each meal * Top-shelf liquor, also complimentary, with a generous pour * Great service from staff, especially waiters and bartenders * Availability of early morning coffee, espresso and snacks (6:15 am!) Problematic issues for us include: * Deck 4 'suite' #433 - very close to service entrances and elevators with no balcony. Seabourn should forego the claustrophobic rooms on Deck 4 and re-purpose the space (only 30 rooms +/-) * Excursions were outrageously expensive. Full Stop. * Saguenay Fjords - advertised as the best in North America, which sounded terrific, were only visible at night. Seriously! The ship's lecture described the magnificence of the fjords, but then pointed out that it was too bad we wouldn't see them because it would be nighttime. * Cap Aux Meules - we're not sure why the ship stopped here unless they needed to restock. Very little to do and quite barren. * Evening dining doesn't begin until 7pm, offering no options but room service for guests who like to eat earlier and avoid going to bed with full tummies * And lastly, we thought the food (other than the Thomas Keller Grill and Earth and Ocean) was inconsitent. Fortunately there was a good salad bar and plenty of smoke salmon. We would urge Seabourn to adopt a Viking feature and offer sushi and sashimi at dinner. Read Less

We chose this cruise for our honeymoon because of the raving reviews about the service and luxury of the ship and Seabourn. We were highly disappointed. Our room was probably the worst on the ship and this may be the main reason for our disappointment. 843, next to a service area and below the pool bar service area. Crew started work everyday at 4 am. It was unreal as we woke up to horrific noise of dragging pool chairs and other noise we could not identify, every morning at 4 am. I am not exaggerating. We had to call and beg for the noise to stop and for work to start at a reasonable time. Seabourn did not care and did absolutely nothing to help us get rest or move us to an available cabin (the ship has vacant cabins). No one EVER returned our calls as we were told would happen or do anything to assist or make our stay better. I worked in hotels and resorts for over 15 years and there are many, many things that could have been done to make our stay more enjoyable. Our bathroom smelled like urine and items from the previous guest were still in the room including hair in the bath tub and shower. It was actually quite nasty as we were tracking where the long black hairs were moving around our bathroom each day as our room was supposedly cleaned. Our room attendant was really sub par and didn’t not respond to our requests. She actually asked us to leave 90 minutes before we were to vacate our room on the last day so someone could strip our bed. Come one! I mean we were already awake most of the nights as all of the luggage on the 8th floor was moved via the service elevator next to our room, and don’t forget the regular 4 am shift that was the loudest of the entire trip because Seabourn simply didn’t care as we were leaving in the morning. The coffee shop was wonderful! The Sushi restaurant food and service was wonderful and we ate there for lunch almost everyday. The Restaurant was excellent as well, for food and service. The entertainment wasn’t for anyone in our age range but it was excellent for the majority of the passengers in the 60+ age group. We knew this booking and it was okay because we wanted a relaxing honeymoon and quiet time together. Lots of puzzles, crosswords, and needlepoint workshops to do if you like that sort of thing. Seabourn could have selected better ports to visit as we were disappointed about the industrial working ports we visited on this cruise. More options for Marina days as there was only one and it was cancelled due to wind. I understand that most senior citizens may not be interested in marina day activities but since the rest of the voyage was really planned for them, have some options for active adults. The gym was small and had extremely limited options. We would have liked a peloton bike or two to use in the gym since there were no spin or fly wheel classes (or room for any). We did workout in the gym every day and did a 60 minute run off ship at the ports where we felt were safe places to run. Happy to be home and to get a good and full night sleep. Read Less

We booked a v2 suite (532) in June and not our normal guaranteed as there are a few v1 and v2 suites we really don’t like. Just over a week out British Airways pilots announced their strikes dates one of which was our departure day. Seabourn quickly rebooked us on another flight on the previous day but unfortunately this was from Heathrow and not Gatwick (our local airport) as per our original flight so we had to rejig our airport transfer arrangements. We received no advice of this either from Seabourn or from our agent but we spotted it on our BA app. We checked with our agent and asked what the hotel arrangements would be but that was not resolved until 2 days before departure. Just under a week out we logged into our account with Seabourn and discovered we had been given an upgrade to a v6 on deck 10 again with no advice from the agent or Seabourn. The communication could have been much better on both these issues but I guess they were busy sorting out cancelled flights. On our new departure day the flights and transfers went smoothly and we had a nice hotel in Cannes. We transferred to the ship around lunchtime and were pleasantly surprised to find that our cabin was available. I fixed the Seabourn luggage labels to our suitcases before our transfer but of course the labels were for our previous suite having been posted to us around 6 weeks out. I did try to change them to our new suite number with some tape as they are difficult to write on. One suitcase arrived in our cabin very quickly but not the other. I enquired several times but was told on each occasion that they were still distributing the luggage. I also took a trip down to deck 5 to see if my bag was there but no sign. On our way to our muster station via the crew stairwell there it was!! Our missing suitcase was stuck in a corner… ..abandoned!! So eventually the missing bag arrived… 4 hours after the first one and just in time to change for dinner. The bar in our cabin was stocked with our selected spirits but as on our previous trip on Odyssey last year our chosen beer was nowhere to be seen and after some enquiries nowhere on the ship. I raised this a few times even with the hotel manager when we met him one evening but I got nowhere. So if you want anything just ask doesn’t work if you would like a proper beer!! Not sure why they have a free-form box for beer if they can’t provide it? We tried to order Dover sole for dinner one breakfast time but the chef told the maitre d’ that he needed 24 hours notice. Generally the food we found much better on this ship than on Odyssey though some nights we did struggle with the menu especially on the chefs dinner night. The portion sizes weren’t generous so we never felt as though we had eaten too much after most of the served meals. The buffet portions are of course down to you!! Most of the staff were excellent and many greeted us by name. Our cabin Steward kept the suite reasonably clean but marks on mirrors and glass doors never seemed to get her attention. She never re-organised the balcony furniture and small pieces of food we spilt on the balcony floor were still there several days later. She was also not so good at restocking our fridge with mixers or the cabin with drinking water. Our bathrobes were only occasionally properly wrapped up following use. Plastic disposable bottles of water have now gone from the ship and been replaced with reusable plastic bottles refilled each day. Many people complained about the quality of the water but we didn’t find it a problem. It would be a good idea to bring your own drinks bottle to take ashore as the supplied ones are not so good to drink from on the move. To secure your place on an excursion you need to book on line and pay with your credit card. If you wish to use any onboard credit you may have to pay for excursions you then have to visit guest services and have your payment credited to your shipboard account and refunded at the end of your cruise. Your refund won’t of course necessarily be at the same exchange rate as your original purchase. Our refund appeared on our credit card within a few days. We asked for a complementary wine list on board but as before the actual wines available didn’t match the list. Oyster Bay was the only NZ sauvignon blanc available and many of the wines came from the USA! We did find a nice Bordeaux and an Italian Valpolicello. Having our wine topped up was never a problem which is just as well as the standard wine glasses used for both red and white wines are not big. They were only filled to half way too so you do need a few top ups. We never found the ship was crowded even though it was supposed to be full except in and around the main pool. The outside area of the Collonade was also very popular so get there early. The layout of the Collonade we found was much better than on Odyssey. The bar service in the observation lounge was poor most times we visited so we abandoned it in favour of the grill bar. We called room service at 17.50 one night to order dinner in suite. They took the order and told us 18. 50 to 19.00. Nothing arrived by 19.15 so I rang again and was told they were very busy so be a few minutes. Nothing arrived by 19.35 so left to find food elsewhere. The Colonade has some themed nights some of which are reservation only but you only find out when the Herald newspaper arrives the previous evening – so even if you have a few drinks you must concentrate and read it!! This cuts your dining options if you don’t spot it. Other themed nights are just turn up and they also have an always available menu these nights. They do tend to keep the Colonade open beyond the stated lunchtime opening if excursions are late back but the restaurant staff are not always too happy about it. Some bar staff now seem to be using measures for spirits so don’t be surprised to receive a small cognac after dinner. The pool/sky bar seem to be the exception to this. On our last day on board we were advised that the Oyster Bay sauvignon blanc had run out? It is quite strange that the Stoneburn SB ran out at almost exactly the same stage on out last cruise on Odyssey? The alternative SB from Bordeaux was quite poor in comparison. We did spot some Oyster Bay at the pool bar but it could have been their last bottle. Another economy we noticed was when we ordered champagne and caviar in our cabin. Last year on Odyssey they always brought a bottle and would open it for you and pour two fresh glasses. This time they arrived with two glasses covered in cling film which they unwrapped for you. Is this the future of 6 star cruising. As has been said in other reviews the brand of champagne has changed but we certainly preferred the previous brand. In conclusion we enjoyed our cruise with Seabourn and preferred the larger ship. We would be happy to cruise with them again but I think we will try to cruise off season a bit more as it is normally quieter and the prices are lower. Read Less

My husband and I were looking for a smaller ship ( Sojourn holds 450 passengers) and a trip to Alaska. The ship is almost 10 years old and could use a little attention/updating in the way of carpeting, painting. Just a bit... That being said, the trip was quite enjoyable. We began in Seward, AK with effortless embarkation. Into the Gulf of Alaska ( seas a bit rough) and on to Harriman Fjord and Icy Strait Point. Juneau was the first major port, then Tracy Arm, Haines, Sitka, Wrangell, Rudyerd Bay, Ketchikan, Prince Rupert, BC, interior straits substituted for Klemtu, Alert Bay, BC and finally Vancouver to disembark. Disembarkation went smoothly. We arranged through Seabourn to stay two extra nights in Vancouver. Everything went off without a hitch. The Fairmont Pacific Rim is lovely. Pros: 1) service was OUTSTANDING on the ship. Our attendant, Kudzai, couldn’t have been more enthusiastic and helpful. Servers were on the ball. 2) excursions were plentiful. There were naturalists on board to give talks prior to port calls. Numerous Zodiac boats and kayaks were available for excursion use. There were many excursions to choose from, most included wildlife sightings though not guaranteed. We were lucky and saw whales, sea otters, black bears and sea lions each time we ventured out. Food: three restaurant areas to choose from with 24 hr room service. The “ Square” ( library with coffee, sandwiches and sweets) was another alternative if you didn’t want a lot to eat. Thomas Keller Restaurant is small and must be reserved. We went one night and it was fine. Gluten free and vegetarian options were available every night. Entertainment: husband and I didn’t take in much of this. Shows at night we’re at 9:45 and most days we were simply too tired to go. We did watch a magician who was actually very good and a comedian who also was pretty funny. The last night the Sojourn singers sang songs from musicals and classical pieces. It was a very good performance. There were also periods of time on the ship blocked out for bridge games, trivia, name that tune, LGBTQ get togethers, friends of Bill W., casino and various demonstrations ( cooking, jewelry making, etc. Cons: weather cannot be helped, but some excursions were cancelled due to it. Seabourn tried hard to suggest other similar options. Money was refunded upon cancellation. Spa is rather small. It also costs extra to use the sauna even if you have booked a treatment the same day. The spa attendants seemed not busy at all. I had a reflexology treatment which was awesome and my husband had a massage. He declared his massage very good. Often a massage chair was brought into a corridor, which also had me thinking spa business was slow. * this cruise seemed to be one for an older crowd. No kids. My husband and I are 58 and we felt like we were one of the youngest, if not the youngest couples on board. Still.... you couldn’t beat the glorious scenery: glaciers, waterfalls, wildlife all seen at close range gliding through the inside passage. Service was incomparable. Read Less

This was my fourth Seabourn Cruise. They keep getting better. I traveled solo and knew no one when I embarked but when I disembarked two weeks later the crew and many fellow travelers were friends. Every night I was asked to join a table hosted by a senior crew member, entertainer or ventures staff specialist. The Cruise Director kept the interesting social events running. The Guest Relations Manager quickly resolved any problems.But the star events were the off ship excursions run by Seabourn’s Ventures staff. Riding in zodiacs, kayaking, hiking in wilderness were coupled with whale and bear sitings. The Ventures team willingly share their knowledge of local history, culture, environment and science. It is one thing to enjoy the beauty of Alaska as you sail past, but the deep experience of participating and learning provided by Seabourn was exceptional. Food was delicious from the relaxed Colonnade to the more formal restaurant and be sure to try the special Thomas Keller Grill ( I went 3 times during my trip ). Service was top. The cabins are large and comfortable. The ship is beautiful and well laid out. Read Less

We were looking for a luxury cruise which would visit Spain and France and would be no more than 14 days. Having sailed on Celebrity and Royal Caribbean with our children many years ago, we were looking for a smaller ship with the 'feel' of a Four Seasons resort. We found that Seabourn was a perfect fit for us. This was to be an 11 day cruise starting in Barcelona and ending in Monaco. The embarkation process was flawless. We boarded the ship around 2p and were welcomed aboard by very friendly crew. We went directly to our state room (754) and met our cabin attendant; she was awesome! She made us feel very welcomed and made sure that she knew what our preferences were(e.g. extra towels, hypo allergenic bedding, etc). Our cabin was beautiful; spacious and in great condition. The marble bathroom and double sink and separate stall shower were designed very well. The walk in closet provides ample space. And we liked the size of the balcony; we enjoy breakfast at sea on our balcony. We then began to explore the ship and were very impressed by the public areas and the ease of finding areas of interest. One recommendation we have is that Seabourn should improve the public areas by adding more artwork and by using lighter wood tones rather than the darker ones. We expected all of the public areas to have a luxury feel and that was the case in the Thomas Keller Grille, Seabourn Square, the Observation Bar and the Dining room. The other areas could benefit by my suggestions above. Dining: overall, the breakfasts, lunches and dinners were very good to excellent. The meals we enjoyed the most were at the Thomas Keller Grill, the Dining Room and Earth and Ocean. The Thomas Keller Grill was as fine as any restaurant we've ever experienced. Having been to the French Laundry, we had high expectations for the Grill and these were exceeded. The bar at the Grill was our favorite pre-dinner spot. The bartender, Diago, knew our names and knew exactly what we wanted every time. The maitre'd for the Grill, Luke, knew us well and made it very special for us to enjoy dining at the Grill three times, once to celebrate my birthday on the 7th of September. He even made sure a special chocolate cake was made. I would highly recommend that Seabourn introduce another fine dining establishment on the Encore class of ships. Perhaps an Italian restaurant at the same level as Il Milino in NYC and Las Vegas, and /or a Steakhouse. For this to be a true luxury experience, we believe having another fine dining venue is a must. Other experienced Seabourn cruisers felt the same way. The Colonnade for breakfast was very nice. However for dinner, our experiences(twice) were just average. Slow service, and quality of food was just good, not great. Earth and Ocean we had dinner there once and next time we would go a few more times as the food and service were very very good. Ports: we were very disappointed that our one Portugal stop was cancelled and replaced with a second stop on Morocco. The cruise line made up for this by offering a discount on our next cruise; they did this for everyone on board as many complained. Most of the ports were very interesting, for example Malaga and Valencia and Cadiz Spain; however, the once port in France, (Cavalier sur Mer) should be removed from future cruises and replaced with St Tropez. Other than one ship excursion(Tangier) we arranged our own tours privately and enjoyed every one of them. We tend to prefer private tours so that we have more flexibility. Entertainment: Overall, it was very good. The gentleman from England who was both a comedian and singer was terrific..The woman comedian bombed the first night she performed and came through on the last night of the cruise. We would recommend more variety of performances and more headliner acts. Also, unlike some of the other luxury cruises, Seabourn did not offer any guest lecturers, authors, etc of notoriety. This would be very much enjoyed by most. Overall, the service was excellent. The folks in guest services were very accomodating and pleasant. The servers at Thomas Keller, Earth and Ocean and Sushi were very friendly and attentive. The cruise director is a hoot! Best we've every encountered; a keeper for sure. One of our favorite venues on the ship is the The Retreat; a private area on deck 12 with 14 fully furnished and stocked cabanas for rent. For us, we enjoy sun and alot of shade so this is the perfect place to relax, read, and enjoy in a quieter area with outstanding service. A private bar(Diego the bartender)and excellent cuisine from fruit platters, steak sandwiches, chopped salads, and much more more including delicious hot fudge sundaes! For us, it was well worth the upcharge. For most, we find they enjoy the vibe and tumult of the main pool area. Also, Seabourn Square is the perfect place for coffees, teas, gelato and pastries all day long! In addition to the recommendations above there is one other thing Seabourn should do right away . offer to all cruisers the option of having bottled Evian or similar water instead of the ship filtered and bottled water which we found unappealing. We would absolutely cruise with Seabourn again. Our only hope is that the cruise line heeds all of our recommendations above right away. If that occurs, then our thought about comparing this line with Regent or Crystal would likely not occur. Read Less

It's difficult to capture the Ovation experience easily. But, in a word - sublime. There was no request that was too big or too small for them. We cruised as a party of four in Veranda Suite rooms. Our rooms were located aft near to the staircase, which is a lovely location. Highly recommended. Embarkation - this was effortless and enjoyable. We were met at the airport and had an easy ride to the boat. Here, we were welcomed with cocktails and a seamless embarkation process. Stateroom - Extremely spacious for its category. The veranda is a good size and the walk-in closet is welcome. The double basin in the bathroom was welcome too. Toiletries are of a very high standard. Restaurants - Without exception, meals were amazing. In particular, the service at the Restaurant deserves special mention, the formal night is something special and the Air and Ocean restaurant on deck is also excellent. We normally took in breakfast in the Colonnade, but splurging one or two mornings for breakfast in The Restaurant is also a good idea. Bars - Generally very good, although service at the outside bars during sail-aways gets a little slow. The Retreat - A lovely little hidden area on the boat is The Retreat. Worth spending the money if you're looking for a R&R day. Spa & Fitness - Excellent treatments, but the facilities are perhaps a little small. That said, the fitness area never felt crowded. Excursions - We only did excursions in St Petersburg but these were arranged well and the experience was excellent. Entertainment - All shows in the Grand Salon were very good. The live music on deck during sail-away parties was a little short-lived at 30 minutes. The casino is a little small and felt crowded at times. Read Less

Just stepping off the Seabourn Encore in Barcelona I feel we got a lot of fresh new takes on cruising with familiar favorites. Having cruised a large major cruise line over the Fourth if July the not having to sign for drinks and having wait staff recognize and anticipate our orders was a breath of fresh air. We stayed in the Owners Suite so we had plenty of living room space, more choices of liquor at the in room bar than a reasonable couple could consume in 6 months and a separate bedroom with a large bathroom. A half bath off the living room area was a nice touch. The balcony had two entrances one from the living room and one from the bedroom and Seabourn modified the balcony wall with some glass so you can actually sit down on a lounger and have a view. Older ships have a solid metal wall that does not afford you a view when seated on the balcony or lying on the bed. Toiletries in the bathroom are Molton Brown and generously sized. More than a reasonable could possibly use in a week let alone a month. Double sinks with plenty of counter space and shelves along with a medicine cabinet insures plenty of space for a person to make home in the bathroom with no compromising for your partner. The tub is large with jacuzzi jets and there is a separate shower with great water pressure. All very bright, pleasant and comfortable. Dining options have been expanded with the addition of a sushi restaurant open for lunch and dinner which we particularly liked. Though the menu didn’t change daily we found some consistent favorites that didn’t fail to delight along with ordering different sushi rolls to mix things up. Service was the best in the Sushi restaurant and I am pretty sure we may have been their first frequent diners on a cruise but hey when you really like something why not go for it. We also found the Earth and Ocean outdoor grill by the pool a surprisingly excellent dining option. The grill is open later for lunch until 3 pm which is particularly helpful when shore excursions get you back at 2 pm with no lunch having been provided. But it’s the evening menu although limited to 3 staters 3 mains and 3 desserts, each time we went the food was exceptional. I had the best mushroom entree that I would die for again. I’m not a vegetarian but would be a convert if I could have that dish every night. My husband had a Nigerian Prawn dish that were as large as a lobster and served piping hot but not over done. Service was impeccable at this dining option as well. The Collanade restaurant was our go to for breakfast and it was reliably sticked with everything you would expect- fresh fruit, egg options, cheese, meat, nuts and other savories, breads and sweets. Hand sanitizers at the entrance were used regularly so no concerns in sanitation issues. I can’t comment on the main dining room as we never went as well as we didn’t get into the Thomas Keller restaurant. Other things of note were thoughtfully presented shore excursions which we did every day and the entertainment in the Sky Lounge daily was lovely- a mix of modern and classics by a singer accompanied by a pianist. What’s not to love about sailing out of a port to well made martini and lovely music? My only observation on the Encore that was different than other Seabourn cruises was that the cabin stewards seemed as a rule sullen and generally unhappy. Very few ever treated us and our own steward seemed to go out of her way to not greet us at any time. We had several instances of cabin crews coming into to our cabin later at night to close our curtains- apparently forward facing cabins must keep the curtains closed starting at 6 pm. Another night a storm threat caused another crusade of cabin stewards to pull in our deck furniture. I was in bed both times these occurred and my husband was in the shower. 5 minutes earlier or later and the cabin crew members would have gotten an eye full of something they probably din’t Want to see- ever. So to sum up Seabourn Encore lives up to it’s reputation for sophisticated elegance with a beautiful ship. Food, wine and drinks are superb. Shore excursions to some new not well known places were a pleasant surprise. Room intrusions and sulky cabin stewards was a surprise. Read Less

We joined the ship in Copenhagen on the 17th August and left in Stockholm calling at Tallinn and Helsinki. As way of a little background, I am in my 50s, my wife early 60s and have cruised extensively mostly with Azamara but also with Cunard, Holland America and in our early days NCL. Firstly the ship is beautiful, well presented and lots of room. Cabins are more generously sized than other lines and our stewardess was excellent. I did not open my bottle of whisky as I would have only had a couple of shorts before the whole thing would have been poured down the drain. Multiply this by the number of cabins and what a waste, the bar was very close! I felt sorry for the recent poster who said he would not sail with Seabourn again and was immediately lambasted by Seabourn aficionados but I have to wholeheartedly agree with him. For a line that sells itself as 'ultra-luxury' I found their levels of service terribly disappointing. We were constantly waiting to be noticed, order drinks or wait for drinks. A pot of tea shouldn't take 30 minutes, when mentioned to a manager her only reply was 'are you sure its been 30 minutes?', this was a common experience at all the eateries. Service in the eateries was generally hard work, the feeling one got was that they were doing a favour by serving us. Service at the bars - especially the club - was excellent. Food was mediocre, plenty of it, but just not very exciting. We enjoyed the Sushi but found the food in the special 'Grill' not good at all with my 'Veal' being very fatty and grizzly. I did report my general disappointment in the mid cruise feedback form which prompted a reply from the Hotel Director who told me 'she had sorted my problems' which i found impressive as I had not been over specific what my concerns were. Shore excursions were very good but on the first couple of trips there was no guidance from staff as to where meet ashore - Tickets were printed 'Meet Pierside' which didn't help, before immigration or after? there was no one there anyway. The expectation was that you made your way to the coaches, on one occasion our coach went without us and we were greeted by excursion staff with the comment 'ah you're the missing ones'. As we went straight from the ship on being called to the coaches I still find it difficult to understand how we were missing. I really did want to like Seabourn but apart from the ship, which again I will say was beautiful and Handre who was fantastic, other(not so ultra-luxury) lines beat Seabourn hands down down for service, food and of course value for money. Read Less

We’ve been on Odyssey twice before, which we very much enjoyed, and were interested to compare the newer Ovation. There is no comparison. Ovation wins hands down. The decor is magnificent: really classy and all gleaming. The larger Thomas Keller works very well and we just adored the sushi restaurant - beautifully fitted out. The deck outside The Grill is a great secret terrace for when the Colonnade gets busy, with its own salad bar too. Think of it as a free version of The Retreat on the top deck! We love the way Seabourn Square has been rethought - it looks wonderful and it’s a great place to hang out. Even though space per passenger is a little lower on the Ovation, it feels the opposite. We couldn’t believe the cruise was full (it was, apparently) as it seemed so quiet most of the time. Captain Stig was the best we have had...always present and friendly. The crew were engaged, almost all incredibly welcoming and friendly...and much better at name recognition than on previous Seabourn cruises. Much has already been said on here about the legendary Handré, the cruise director. It’s all true. He is brilliant at his job and always out and about. A true professional. Food was excellent (we particularly enjoyed the specialities brought on board from Helsinki). Entertainment and enrichment was good. The new caviar is great but I can’t say that the new champagne is an improvement. It’s cheap and tastes it. We were very happy with the included wines and stuck to them. We plumped for a V5 cabin this time (having had an Owners Suite before) and were not disappointed. They are plenty spacious enough, well designed and quiet, with loads of storage space. The only thing we wished for was a coffee machine in the room. Stewardess service was excellent although we could have done with more toiletries (this was quickly rectified). Overall a wonderful cruise and we aim to get back on the Ovation again. If only Seabourn could have done something about the weather! Read Less

Spacious rooms and bathroom. Easy boarding and first class treatment from airport pick up to end of cruise. Several places for drinks all day, nice afternoon tea time, small casino open mostly when at sea. Talented entertainers on board with bands at several venues during the day and evening. Nice options for meals from casual to dressy. Room service for breakfast a must, always right on time. Breakfast buffet was always the same but good if you are in a hurry. Booked excursions thru Seabourn and they were all small groups of no more than 20 people. Left on time or before if everyone was there. All sites visited in St Petersburg were very crowded. Walked thru Tallinn, Estonia on our own, it is walking distance to port. Helsinki not much to see, would have skipped the city excursion and just ridden shuttle into town and walked around a little. After we left ship with private driver to hotel just walked around Stockholm on our own. Sheraton Stockholm very easy walk to old town and nice hotel. Read Less

Having to cancel a prior planned Alaska cruise chosen after a lot of research, a friend booked Sojourn and without hesitation we decided to tag along. This was our fourth cruise with Seabourn. The biggest disappointment was lack of any viewing opportunities from the ship itself for any Alaskan wildlife or glacier viewing. The only way to see anything was to book expensive ventures done by either kayaking or zodiac. While other ships seem to locate themselves in areas where whales and eagles and glaciers an be viewed while onboard, this was never the case with Seabourn Sohourn. Also, the captain was pretty much never seen on this cruise nor did he make many announcements. I feel he could have added to experience if he had wanted to. Almost without exception we had to tender into every port. The only day we were even close to the glaciers was the day in Tracy Arm where we anchored over a mile away from the face of the Sawyer Glacier. I had assumed it was because of safety reasons that kept us from getting closer until later in the day (a gorgeous sunny day) a Disney ship twice our size passed us and turned itself to park directly in front of the face of the glacier. The only explanation given was that due to the platforms so people could take off from the boat onto zodiacs for up close viewing placement that the ship could not go closer. Why couldn't we have done an up close visit for a few hours, then re position and allow the excursions so that everyone on the ship could experience the calving and beauty of this fantastic glacier without having to pay over $250 to go out in the zodiacs? Not everyone has the mobility or health to do that. This was the reason I came to Alaska. Since the cruise began and ended in Vancouver the last 4 days were strictly cruising the inside passage passing multiple islands covered with pine trees with mountains - and no wildlife views at all. It also did not call on Skagway and Icy Strait was a total waste of visit. A scheduled day special visit at Klemtu was cancelled due to rainy weather so the last four days were strictly sailing. The staff could not be more professional and caring. Our luggage was delayed for 3 days and they were so kind to us and offered credit to purchase some needed clothing and provided my husband with a jacket, shirt and tie for the formal evening. Food was excellent after I made some special requests and they went above and beyond to meet any expectations. All in all, we will travel with Seabourn again someday but not soon. The ships seem a bit drab and faded, need more color and sparkle. After 4 cruises in 2 years we will try a few other lines to compare. We have sailed on Regent and Oceania, so may return to them or try Crystal for our next adventure. Read Less

We chose this cruise as a way to visit both Greenland and Nunavut. With our tickets, two weeks before departure, the itinerary stated that we would not be able to go ashore at any of the three stops in Nunavut. We did not look at the itinerary before boarding the ship - we thought we knew where we were going and had of course paid in full. We anchored in the harbour of Iqaliut for customs clearance. We were not alone in thinking we were visiting Iqaliut, only those that had gone through the itinerary issued with the tickets actually had any idea we would not be getting off the ship. We spent 8 days in a row on the ship - a total of 12 days at sea on a 24 day cruise. We would never have taken this cruise had we known it was not stopping in Nunavut. It was billed as an "adventure" cruise, but it felt like a trip to nowhere. We felt we had been totally misled by the line, and even though we have been on quite a number of cruises with the line, we would not have any confidence in the itinerary again. Excursions - The expensive trips by zodiac are a complete waste of money - we spent 20 minutes circling a rusted hull of a ship in Paamiut for no apparent reason; a trip in dense fog to see a rock called Lady Franklin Island where we lost one of the zodiacs and then, having found the lost zodiac, had to be guided back to the ship by the Bridge as the fog was so thick. Staff - The only reason for giving this cruise any rating is that the staff are, as has always been the case, just outstanding. They are friendly, make the effort to learn your name, and are always helping to make your time on board as comfortable as possible. Food - not as good as it used to be, but then they were clearly struggling with lack of supplies as we were at sea for so long. Lobsters were clearly off the menu and perhaps one of the cost-cutting exercises. The ship does offer a Lactose and Gluten free options, at least in the Colonnade Restaurant, for lunch. Room service is excellent and you can choose from the main restaurant menu during opening hours. Overall this is a nice ship to sail on, but as we only endure sea days in order to reach places we would find complicated to get to by air, this cruise was dreadfully disappointing and we feel completely misled by Seabourn as to the intended itinerary. I should add that none of the itinerary changes were due to weather conditions. Read Less

This was our second Seabourn Cruise. We have been on Azamara twice. Regent twice. Silversea twice. We expected this cruise to be as 'luxurious' as our first Seabourn cruise but although enjoyable we felt the service and food had declined. As far as 'inclusive' cruise lines goes Seabourn is less 'inclusive' than say Regent which is far superior in suites and food plus you get all excursions and internet thrown in plus sauna, steam room, cold room etc at the Regent Spa. Seabourn has an area called the 'Retreat' which is only accessible if you pay. Everything in their Spa has a cost. Internet is only available if you pay. If your only experience of luxury lines is Seabourn then you would not be disappointed. So to sum up the cruise was enjoyable. The food is not luxury even in the specialist restaurants. It's 4 star. The Encore has a very small main swimming pool although there is a small quiet area with a small pool at the rear of the ship. There doesn't seem to be any supervision in the pool areas so we did experience an American family that just let their kids run riot which spoilt the quiet area small pool. Note:- don't go in August LOL. Read Less

We have been on Seabourn several times-all except one on Odyssey. We love this ship as it has minimal announcements, great service and food and is a low density ship so never feels crowded. We always use Seabourn for booking our flights as they meet you at the airport and transfer you to the ship and back again. Within about 5 minutes of arriving at the port, we were on the ship. Odyssey has recently had a make-over as we noticed many of the furnishings were new. The 14-day itinerary was fabulous with calls at many Greek islands as well as Sicily and Valletta plus a couple of extra-relaxing days at sea. For us one of the great things about Seabourn is the food and service. Staff get to know your name and preferences. There are several different places to eat dinner with great choices of food made with quality ingredients and choice cuts of meat. There are themed dinners at the Colonnade and a la carte with many choices in the main restaurant. Many people rate the food by the pool at dinner very highly, though we did not try it. We enjoyed lobster in the TK Grill which is the only evening dining venue that requires a reservation. Another factor for us is the informal ambiance with 'elegant casual' as the dress code apart from 2 evenings where the dress code was Formal-but in the main Restaurant only. Serving staff are all very good and friendly. We will be on another SEabourn cruise soon! Read Less

My husband and I sailed on the 8/3/19 cruise on the Ovation out of Copenhagen. This was our first time on Seabourn but I have been on over 30 cruises at the ripe age of 31, with the last 15 on the Oceania line. I am an avid traveler and feel I have a critical but fair eye. I had high expectations of this line and particular ship from word of mouth recommendations and other favorable reviews. I was quite disappointed and will list out all of my reasons while still making sure to give credit where credit is due. I will start with the positives first. My overall summary of the below is at the bottom of this review. Cabin: Our cabin was very nice and spacious. Bed and pillows are comfortable, ample room with a nice walk in closet and separate seating area. Bathroom has a double sink which is very nice, shower is marble and still small but pressure very good. Bathtub a waste of space in my opinion. Balcony nice size and overall room very spacious. We were in cabin 651 on the 6th floor located toward the center of the ship which was great. Molton Brown products in the bathroom and a selection of body soap offered on the first day. Room stewardess was attentive and did a very good job. Only complaint on the first day is that the room wasn’t cleaned well. The soap in our bathroom which was a body wash had been used and there was a lot of dust and finger prints on the table in the room. Otherwise, cabin was excellent and gets high marks from me. I believe we were in category V5. Ship: the ship is beautiful. Modern, clean, more yacht-like than cruise ship. A lot of wood paneling. 600 people but still felt very quiet even on sea days. Our favorite place to relax was the cappuccino lounge on floor 7 where they had tons of seating and recliners. Decor of the ship was very simple yet elegant. WIFI: very good! Much better WIFI than any other ship I’ve been on - in room technology good. Service: this is where our experience goes down the tubes. The service on this ship was HORRIBLE!! The staff do you a major favor and if asked for something that requires them to go out at all of their way, they are rude. We had some staff that were nice (mainly in cappuccino lounge and main dining room - except for maitre de) but all and all, the service sucked. Management lacks tremendously, customer service is non existent and the staff seem poorly trained, disingenuous and disinterested. I’ve really never experienced anything like this before - had we not met several other couples who also shared the same sentiment, I would have thought I was going crazy!! A few examples - almost every meal without fail we waited 10 minutes before getting anything to drink. If we needed a sauce to accompany a meal, we waited 10 minutes. In fact, we stopped ordering sauces because it was such a lost cause & by the time it arrived our meal was over. I asked for cream with my coffee - by the time the cream came, my coffee was cold. We were almost always at a meal with an empty drink that needed refilling. No accommodating what so ever. My husband likes the salmon in the colonnade - we asked if it could be served on the patio 20 feet away and they said no, they prefer not to. At dinner in the main, I asked if i could have a croquette that came with a different entree than what I ordered and was told no, they only had a certain amount and could not accommodate me. I mean, come on! I tried to move my Thomas Keller reservation because my husband wasn’t feeling well and was told with 11 days left on the trip that they couldn’t accommodate us. Finally, after getting the guest services manager involved, we got one at an undesirable time on a different day but at this point, we took what we could get. These may seem Iike minor gripes but we encountered them several times per day and was a major turnoff and took a lot away from the experience. The overall staff attitude was rude and requests of them felt like inconveniences. This in itself was bad enough to never return to this ship. As I said previously, several other couples experienced the same rude service. My husbands Camera was lost day 1 and finally arrived at our cabin with a cracked and dented lens. We requested compensation for the lens. Seabourn asked us to provide the link to the lens - which we did directly from the website - to prove it was $500. They tried to tell us it was a $200 lens (they had the wrong lens) and refused to refund us. We have yet to resolve this issue with them. Food - We are major foodies and we’re quite disappointed in the food on this ship. I will say that the quality is there in a lot of areas (not all) but the execution is not. Breakfast was good but the same every day. Not a bad thing, but boring after a while. A decent selection and probably the best meal. Lunch was a mixed bag. Salad bar always had nice items and the grill items - fish, burgers, hot dog, etc always very tasty and fresh. Meat quality good, fish quality good. My only complaint on the fish was it never had any seasoning or flavor - this was a major theme for most items on board - but I would still prefer to add salt vs. having the sodium and preservative packed food a lot of ships have, so this wasn’t a major complaint. All lunch hot food served in the chaffing dishes were slop and never hot. We almost never ate any of the prepared food served at lunch because it was room temperature and unappealing. Dinner : main dining room was respectable but not great. We didn’t have one meal there that was really delicious. Temperature was an issue and seasoning was non existent. I’ve never put so much salt on my food in my life. Service mixed. Our first night there we waited about 15 minutes before anyone came to our table. Finally the waitress comes over with an iPad looking down and says “what can i get you” - no greeting, no introduction. Very impersonal feeling. Sushi was nothing to write home about. A lot of rice and uninspired. I actually overheard someone say “it’s not as bad as gas station sushi” - I’ll leave it at that. The colonnade was OK - probably our least favorite. They do special nights like rib night or clam bake night and they look beautiful but just don’t quite execute it well. For example : rib night - the ribs came out in a beautiful Staub cast iron pan presented family style and looked delicious. Unfortunately, the ribs were dry, cold and had clearly been sitting on a heat lamp for an hour +. We sent it back and got a new rack that was the same dry and Luke warm ribs this time with some bbq sauce slathered on top. To put the icing on the cake, the assistant maitre de came over and instead of apologizing that the food came out lacking temperature and dry, explained that the ribs weren’t Texas style but st.louis style and weren’t supposed to fall off the bone..I mean ..really ? I’m not expecting anything more than a simple apology or some sort of follow up to see if the second round was better. Instead, I was blamed for expecting them to fall off the bone and they didn’t. I didn’t need ribs that fell off the bone, just didn’t want to eat something as dry as wood. The Patio by the pool in our opinion offered the best most innovative meals but even those fell short on flavor and execution. We also had a Northern Europe itinerary with a lot of rain and cool weather and found ourselves eating outside in the windy cold weather because the patio was the best choice. Thomas Keller which is the specialty restaurant was very good for a steakhouse on a cruise ship. I would say this is likely the best option on board. Food delicious but once again, service lacking. Not attentive and seemed to do you a big favor. We found in all restaurants that the deserts were mediocre and most didn’t taste cooked on board. I don’t think I had one desert I loved. I also found the breads were uninspired. In summary : good quality ingredients (for the most part ) that aren’t executed well. Oceania food trumps Seabourn by a landslide. A few other items to note: Older crowd, no children. Except for us (in our early 30s), most people were 65+. Not good or bad, just our cruise demographic. Free laundry was a nice feature with Miele commercial washers and dryers and complimentary detergent. Gym was small but clean, coffee on board was very good. Entertainment was respectable. Nice job at including different daily activities. Excursions - expensive but well organized. I read the ship docs at ports further away from the destinations to save on docking fees. Not sure if this is true. We did a few excursions - food provided on them was mediocre and limited and tours very pricey. Spa - didn’t use but quite expensive. Very few discounts offered throughout cruise. They had a “promotion” that if you do 3 treatments from a select number of services you get 10% off first, 20% off second and 30% off third. Note this is per cabin and not per stateroom. I know all cruise spas are expensive but this was more than canyon ranch on Oceania. I may have left stuff out but to summarize my overall impressions: cabin and ship top notch and classy, food better than the celebrity level lines but nothing special. Service was so bad it border-lined on offensive and as a result, I will likely not return to Seabourn. Read Less

Our main reasons for choosing the Ovation included some (but not all) of the destinations, notably Scotland, the relatively small scale of the ship (600 passengers), the suites (spacious, spotless, and beautifully appointed) the common areas (ditto), the beverage plan (free everything unless you want to splurge) , and a generally older and well to do clientele. (We fit the former but not the latter). Once aboard we also appreciated the crew and staff (unfailingly friendly and polite, including our suite stewardess Ana Carolina), the Square, a combination library, coffee bar, and guest services area, dinner at Thomas Keller’s Grill, afternoon tea in the Observation Bar, and breakfasts in the Colonnade. Since we aren’t dressy and clubby types, we didn’t eat at The Restaurant , and eschewed the formals and clubby things. The shore excursions were pricey and just ok, and if you want WiFi you pay for it. The ship offers a laundry and dry cleaning service for a fee, but also includes a laundromat (free) which came in handy on our two week sail. Some of the ports of call were less than thrilling, but Oslo and Scotland made the trip worthwhile. If you visit Scotland in August you should definitely go to the Royal Scottish Tattoo in Edinburgh. The price of this cruise was relatively steep, but if you want to be cosseted, Seabourn is definitely worth the indulgence. Read Less

Second sailing on Seabourn and totally pleased with our experience. I thoroughly disagree with the previous HORRIBLE review. Couldn’t have asked for more with attentive staff, always personally greeted by name, invited three evenings to hosted tables in the dining room which provides a personal touch with staff. We never experienced a rude employee... quite the opposite. NO is not in their vocabulary.. always went out of their way to please everyone. We changed ports in one location ... not to save money but for safety reasons to avoid tendering with rough seas. Main reason for booking this itinerary was to attend the Royal Military Tattoo in Edinburgh. Seabourn did an incredible job securing tickets in the Royal Gallery (for an additional cost) which Included reception, covered seating, transportation etc. totally worth the added expense. They do a wonderful job with Signature Events to make Seabourn stand out among other luxury lines. Perhaps the unsatisfied review was too young to appreciate the Seabourn service. Yes, they do appeal to a more mature age group... very few children on board but a variety of activities. We have traveled extensively on various cruise lines... you’ll always have some disgruntled passengers looking for a free cruise... We were on the same cruise and totally enjoyed the entire experience. Read Less

Seabourn does it right. Wonderful service, great suite, great food, embarkation was a 15 minute pleasure. disembarkation went smoothly until the coach we were on had no more room for our luggage, so a little stressful waiting on the next coach to see if our luggage made it to the airport in Copenhagen. twenty minutes later it arrived on the next bus. At our age, Mid to late 60s, jet lag from Georgia was a horror. Three or four days to fully recover. All of the restaurants on the ship were great, and the service at most was outstanding. Some of the ports were a bit lacking, the highlight of the trip for us was Northern Scotland, and most importantly, the Shetland Islands. The average age on this cruise was at least 75. Lots of folks with canes and walking assists. Did not try the pool or hot tubs, as the weather was cool. Our days were either rainy or perfect. Had great food at the Earth and Ocean, but most evenings it was too cool for us to eat in the open air. Read Less

I choose this ship for two reasons. One I liked the itinerary and two I wanted to try a luxury cruise line. The itinerary was good in that it started in Stockholm allowing me to spend two days before departure exploring the city without rushing and it ended in Copenhagen where I did the same thing. It also included two overnights ( 3 full days) in St. Petersburg where there is so much to see. I have sailed on Celebrity, Royal Caribbean, Norwegian and the now gone Renaissance cruises. Renaissance was actually a wonderful cruise line with beautiful small ships that was the closest to this experience. As far as the actual cruise I will say it was wonderful not having to wait and crowd into elevators, the ship was a great size not to large, not to small. It was great not having to fight for a pool chair or make reservations for everything. Loved not being asked to have my picture taken every five minutes, and not having shops with sales. The ship itself was new and immaculate. The suite with balcony was gorgeous. Bathroom was large, walk in closet with enough drawers and hangers was great. On the downside the entertainment with the exception of two shows was far from great and there was really no other activities. The service was great, the liquor flowed freely, afternoon tea was nice, tapas was great, caviar on request was a nice touch too. What was a huge disappointment was dinner in the dining room which most nights was fair at best. The Grille was only available for guests to reserve one night. It was excellent. The other nighttime restaurant was outside and it was too cold for that. Did not try the sushi restaurant. I was very surprised that the food in the main restaurant was no better than I had on other much less expensive cruise lines. The on deck cocktail party was wonderful, food was very good there. So was it worth the extra money. Not sure I could say yes. Given the intensive itinerary it was great to return to the ship and not have to wait for things and not have to rush and be able to be very comfortable in the room, but on another type of cruise I might have been bored and the lack of activities/entertainment combined with mediocre food would have been more problematic on a cruise with more sea says or less intensive itinerary. Did all private shore excursions or just the HOHO bus ship excursions were very expensive. Highly recommend Alla tours in St. Petersburg. Read Less

We chose this cruise based on the recommendation of our travel agent who said it was the "best of the best" and it turns out they were very wrong on this cruise ship. Starting with finding a pair of dirty women's underwear on the floor of our cabin upon check-in, being served frozen steak in their "nice" restaurant, finding all 40 chaise lounges at the pool "reserved" while 3 people were in the pool, being ignored by bar staff and the very limited dining hours outside of the 24 hour room service which didn't offer a lot of choices. The entertainment wasn't well publicized and from what we heard from other passengers it was stale at best. We took one ship sponsored excursion that was shown as very strenuous that we ended up with 2 older couples that should have been asked to take another excursion as they held up the group considerably. The excursion guide, even though we were running an hour behind our lunch, forced us to a shop where her "friend" was working the counter where she obviously had a side deal going. Getting on and off the boat at the start and end of the cruise was very easy and the tenders at the smaller ports offered the same ease of use. The ports we stopped at P Read Less

Having sailed three times previously with Seabourn,we are used to being wowed by their fabulous standards. However this time we noticed straight away that things were different. The cabin balcony had a dirty towel on the balcony, and when I leaned over the handrail my arms were the covered in wet varnish.. The vase had no flower in and the fridge did not have our requested drinks, it was empty .The water bottle was half full and looked cloudy as if it had not been clean and refreshed. I went to Seabourn Square to speak to the someone about my problem, and was given an apology. On returning back to my cabin, I was informed by my husband that there was hair in the bath and the top of a razor on the shelf!! I went back to Seabourn Square and spoke to the head of housek,who apologised and said they would ensure that from now on she would ensure the rest of our cruise would be stress free. Restaurant Day one had to seek out a waiter and ask for a drink at lunch. Dinner asked if they had Pinot Noir and received a blank look? When my husband said he did not like the red, the waiter proceeded to put new wine in the same glass despite a small amount of the old wine still being in the glass. We had to ask for re fills. My lobster Thermidor was full of a brown mushroom sauce, with only a tiny bit of lobster Having made this dish numerous times I have never used mushrooms! We found the menu slightly repetitive and not their usual standard Extra Mile No Seabourn experience All in all very disappointed therefore I will be trying a new luxury cruise line Read Less

As a first-time cruiser I had little expectation of a cruise on the Seabourn Encore. Firstly the embarkation was extremely efficient and we were quickly ushered to our lovely cabin complete with a welcoming bottle of French champagne and a warm welcome from all crew members encountered along the way. The cabin was beautiful with a large walk-in wardrobe and double sinks in the marble bathroom. Every aspect of this ship was stunning from the restaurants to the Club Lounge with its excellent Club Quartet to the pool and outside restaurants and bars. Food in all of the restaurants was outstanding - we particularly enjoyed the Japanese Restaurant where the service and food were exceptional. The best entertainment was the comedienne Jo Little who, along with being very funny, had a magnificent singing voice. Enjoyed a shore excursion to Canne and it was excellent and well-organised. Service in every area of the ship was magnificent on every occasion and crew members clearly worked hard to ensure the guest experience was above expectation. Read Less

Our first Seabourn Cruise. We were on board for 45 days, Dover to Montreal via Scotland, Iceland, Greenland, Labrador. The Viking historical highlights were the Hvalsey church in Greenland and the Anse aux Meadows in Newfoundland. Sadly, the St. Kilda landing was scrubbed due to inclement weather. The scenic highlights were the fjords and glaciers of Prince Christian Sound, and the cultural highlights were Isle of Man, Reykjavik, and Nuuk (Greenland). Good itinerary, but we saw other, more nimble ships making the same calls (notably Ponant and Scenic), so there are alternatives to Seabourn. We were in cabin 826 (they call it a "suite") which is roomy with a generous balcony, but with what we consider design flaws. The TV is poorly positioned for comfortable viewing, the lighting for the table is not optimal, the closet is cramped. The twin sinks in the head are nice, but with a good shower, the bathtub is unnecessary, and uses space better allocated to the closet (the old "R" vessels have dressing room/closets which we much prefer). The vanity is well done. We were surprised that no binoculars were provided (as we had on Silversea), this on a cruise where icebergs, whales, polar bears, sea birds, and calving glaciers are spotted and watched. The common spaces are elegant and roomy. The six elevators run like a charm and one hardly ever waits for a ride, even when the crowd exits the shows or lectures. Tender shuttles, quay landings, and shore excursions were run very smoothly. The food is very elaborate, excessively so in our opinion. Lots of choices, but all of the gourmet "nouvelle" style, with rich sauces and elegantly presented. Plain dishes can be ordered from room service or at the patio restaurant, the latter being an uncomfortable place in the northern latitudes. Staff is extraordinarily attentive - room service comes very promptly, table service will see your plate whisked away as you put down your fork, your wine glass refilled while still two-thirds full. Our impression is that the obsession with delivering over-the-top service results in a somewhat tense and forced amiability on the part of the wait staff. The staff is drawn from a very diverse set of nationalities, a departure from the more cohesive crews of filipino or indonesian origin on other cruise lines, which we have found to be more relaxed and genuinely warm. The captain made daily detailed announcements about weather outlook and sailing status, and the attention to navigation and safety was very thorough. We were able to witness the bridge protocols on a port departure, and everything was conducted very carefully and by the book. Quiet competence and superb attention to safety. There is a striking schizophrenic aspect to the QUEST, originally designed for sailing warm waters and subsequently modified for high-latitude cruising: it is a deluxe ship trying to masquerade as a quasi-expedition platform. Of the 45-day cruise, no more than three of four were of shirtsleeve temperature with clear skies, yet every day the lounges around the pool were lined up with fresh towels (and thus forcing passengers to walk on a delaminating portion of the teak deck, rahter than on a safer path!). The outdoor restaurant provides infrared heatlamps and blankets for each table. The "expedition" complement of ten or twelve "zodiacs" is clearly insufficient to take more than a quarter of the passengers off at any one time. There is an extra charge of $150 per hour per person for such excursions, again not much in keeping with the expedition structure we have experienced elsewhere. A week or ten days, rather than 45 days, might have worked better for us on this Seabourn cruise. We'll likely choose to go with one of our other favorites (Regent Seven Seas, Silversea, Ponant, Windstar) on our next cruise . Read Less