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

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

The ship was beautiful, clean and staff / crew were wonderful. Our cabin was large and we were on deck 5 which has smaller cabins than the other decks. It was roomy and laid out well. We were in 514 and it was noisy when they dropped the anchor. Actually the whole room vibrated. Entertainment was fair. Lectures were very good. Excursions were great, but pricey. The food was a bit of a disappointment, and we were hoping for better. Alaska was beautiful but there were quite a number of older people on board and they had a difficult time getting on and off the ship for excursions. In Alaska you need to do the excursions to get the full picture. I would recommend this cruise. The Sojourn is really the perfect size ship. Not too big and not typo small. It. Was easy to get around the ship because of its size. Read Less

The Sojourn is an excellent ship. Almost everything is inclusive. Thomas Keller aka “The French Laundry and Per Se Signature restaurant “. You can only reserve it once on the cruise. Do not fret over it. The main dining room and the second restaurant have daily menus on Thomas Keller inspired cuisine. I will post copies of it later. Service on the ship was impeccable. One morning the executive was and the Food and Beverage manager was making eggs Benedict for guest directly in the open dining room. Very rarely see this type of service in other high end ships. The free flowing wine, champagne and spirits was great and top shelf items. Imagine having Nicholas Ferrilaut champagnes constantly being poured for guests. Now I know the taste of great caviar. On the first full day I told the wait staff at the restaurant that I prefer a low sodium diet due to hypertension That was noted and in all my meals. Seabourn is quite a bit more than most of the others but it is well worth the price. In other cruises they push for the wine package , other paid extra restaurants but on Seabourn there is no premium $$$ restaurant. Every meal is like you are going to a specialty restaurant. There is no extra cost unless you want the super rare wine. Seabourn has their own expedition crew on board. This is a major difference than others. On most excursions these crew are experts and knowledge of the event. They are naturalist and have done these expeditions themselves The Seabourn Venture group on board is great. Overall I give the Seabourn Sojourn crew ten plus stars. Extra kudos to the Food and Beverage manager and his excellent team. Read Less

For our tenth or so cruise, we chose Seabourn Sojourn to Alaska. We are very happy with that decision. We had a balcony suite. I think all cabins are suites. Not a separate room, but a large cabin with separate sitting area and curtains separating the lounge area from the bed. There is a separate shower with glass door, a bit small, but good for a ship; and a tub. Double sink vanity which is a very nice touch. Large, good quality soaps that last and last. Upon arrival, your 'Seabourn Alaska jacket' is waiting for you in your suite. This is no throwaway rain poncho; but a high quality fleece-lined, multi zippered-pocket jacket with stowaway detachable hood. There is a table and large chairs you can really dine at! And when room service arrives, the table is set with white linen and the meal is served. As advertised, there is always champagne and anything else available, either in room or at the bars. We thought the food was very good. Even the 'buffet' (Colonnade) offers sit-down table service at all meals, so really, it is either buffet or full serve restaurant with daily specials and 'classic' (permanent) choices. We found this restaurant to be pretty well as good as the full Restaurant, and it is a bit more casual, with fewer courses. That can be a good thing! You can dine here either inside or out; with heaters on the outside patio. oh, and blankets, too. There is also pool/patio side dining; which was also very good. Maybe a bit lighter meals. You can be shielded by the side glass walls, or totally al fresco on the pool deck. Delightful, as were the tapenades etc served with the meals here. We are not connoisseurs of wine, so we were satisfied with the choices. If you don't care for the daily suggestions, just ask for something else. The service is very good. The specialty restaurant, known either as The Grill by Thomas Keller, or, more prosaically, as 'Restaurant 2', was not that special. The food was good, but the service was not particularly polished, and we found the small room surprisingly noisy. Maintenance details in our suite were taken care of without our asking; the 'stewardess' (that's what the company calls them) did the reporting of items not quite right, and someone came to fix them. The F & B manager, a busy and gregarious guy named Antonio, made a point of stopping on a very busy day to wish me a happy birthday. That's the kind of attention to detail; not to mention the banner in the suite and a bottle of nice wine! There is a fairly large gym for such a small ship. We walked through it once ;) There are quite a few lectures on various topics given during the cruise. These were very informative, and add to the appreciation of the cruise. Thankfully, these are recorded and available on the in-suite tv. It's hard to keep up! Many of the excursions are launched right off the boat on the Zodiacs/kayaks kept on the ship. The guides seem very knowledgeable. Most people we met liked the ship's excursions very much; although they can get pretty pricey. Minor, very minor, quibbles: the bar staff didn't always seem to know much about available beers; some of the staff in the Square didn't always seem to know what was going on. But answers would be gotten. We don't care that much what the entertainment is, because we'd rather admire the view; so I am not commenting on it as we saw little of it. The band was good. There were very few small children or teenagers on the ship, despite it being July. It will be an adjustment to go back to a 'lesser' standard of suite or service. Hard to believe that this is, after all, still a Carnival ship. As the saying goes, you get what you pay for. We would very much like to go back with Seabourn. Read Less

Have cruised well over 30 times, when our favorite line had culture change we decided to try Seabourn. It was an Alaska Cruise which may be unique for Seabourn so we may have seen them at their very best. We were able to see touch and feel the real Alaska unlike any large ship could do. You take excursions from the ship Zodiac and Kayak with an incredible staff from the ship. Ship, staff, food all amazing, smaller ship is a big deal! After all the up charges on other lines Seabourn is cheaper.We are hooked, if our old line had gotten a bit strange we would have never discovered this jewel. The Alaska experience is something a larger ship could not provide just because of sheer numbers. Your guides live on the ship with you and are top caliber people. The Staff not only conducts the tours but lectures during the day! Read Less

First of all this cruise is way too late for Alaska. One port was completely closed. In order to see anything while ship was "cruising" a bay, you had to book one of the very expensive small boat tours. Our cabin was OK but the closet was a disaster. Getting the room cleaned could take up to four hours. Food was OK but nothing special. Ask for caviar before dinner--is not on the menu. Staff worked hard but thought they were way under manned. Had to set myself on fire to get a pot of tea for breakfast. This was our first go at Seabourn and they should be better at a regular cruise but having to depend on their excursions is kind of a drag. This cruise line does not come up to the standards of the other luxury cruise lines. They need to work on service and giving their customers more attention on board and off the ship. Did get a nice jacket though. Read Less

After cruising on the "big box" lines for over 20 years we decided to try Seabourn, and oh what a difference! From the moment you arrive, you are on a first name basis with the crew and your fellow passengers. The cabins onboard, with the exception of the larger Penthouse and Spa Suites, are identical in features and amenities and placement for your specific place on the ship is left to your personal preference at the time of booking. We sailed in Suite 745 which is adjacent to the Wintergarden Suite and the footprint of this particular cabin is a bit different from the others but in our opinion, it was ideal. The one and only drawback regarding this suite is that it has a smaller Veranda due in part to being beside the larger Wintergarden, but, the view you have from the small veranda due to the curvature of the Wintergarden provides a nice view both fore and aft. While not necessarily a Veranda for sunbathing or dining outside, the cabin location is awesome in that it is just a few steps to Seabourn Square, the morning coffee bar and the forward observation seating, so who needs a large veranda with this location. The Seabourn staff makes the time you spend with them simply memorable. The officers, including Captain Tim Roberts, interact with guests every day of the experience and without reservation, they are the most dynamic group we have ever sailed with. Our Cruise Directors Robert and James were the everyday "life of the party" and singers Laurie, Carrie, David and Rob provide the music you love and after the shows, they are always spending the balance of the evening with the guests in various venues onboard. Last and certainly not the least, Executive Chef Gary and his awesome support team of Frank, Tony and all the galley team deliver a spectacular dining experience each and every day. Seabourn is so very different in so many ways...no photo selling, no art auctions and no "nickel and diming" along the way. While some may look at Seabourn pricing compared to other lines and values, with Seabourn you get exactly what you pay for...a tremendous and enriching experience with great memories to take with you! Bravo Seabourn, well done. Read Less

Chose Seabourn Sojourn due to size of ship, destination, and luxury quality. We felt we were picking the best quality out there. When expectations are high and the actual delivery of expectations is less, obviously you are disappointed. The ship and the help were outstanding. Help couldn't do enough for you but. . . . First we booked room for queen bed--ended up with twin beds; we were told once we checked luggage at airport, the next time we see it would be in our cabin on ship--we had to go through customs with it, take it to our hotel, then the ship picked it up there; sent a limo to pick us up to take us to hotel--limo had no room for our luggage; asked to tell them what liquor or beverages we wanted in our cabin--none appeared; latches on dressors were broken--they attempted to fix them twice but couldn't; refigerator was not cooling, so it had to be replaced; bathroom was left dirty from prior occupants, nothing in their literature stated you needed electrical adapters for U.S.; food selections were fair in sense of types available at given meal, but were presented well--too fancy for me; required to dress after 6pm--I want to be able to relax after running around all day and not have to rush to shower and change clothes in order to go to dinner. Part of our cruise was also 5 day land package to Denali. Spectacular scenery. The accomodations which the cruise line owns were nice for the wilderness, but were small and in significant need of sound deadening from upstair neighbors. The 2 reasons for my average rating: all the little things that went wrong should not go wrong with a luxury cruise line and I wrote Seabourn customer relations with all the issues that happened, and they didn't even have the courtesy to respond. Read Less

We have just finished a 19 day Seabourn adventure to Alaska and as we anticipated it was what we have come to expect from Seabourn. For both of us it was our second visit to this wonderful state. The first 5 days were a part of the Seabourn expedition program. We were met at the Anchorage airport and then whisked off to the Thomas Cook hotel where we met David the tour guide, coordinator, and all around handy guy. That evening we had a group dinner with 26 cohorts, soon to become friends. The next morning it was off to Denali via an 8 hour train ride through some gorgeous country. Wednesday was a free day for us to rest and take in the lodge. Excursions were available although Dee and I just took the day off. Thursday’s we were off into the park, not just a panoramic view but deep into the park. Where most tours go in about 15 miles our excursion went in about 63 miles. During that wonderful drive we ran into ptarmigans, caribou, grizzly, doll sheep, magpie, and the preverbal snow hare. Every minute of the 8 hours trip was fun and exceptionally interesting. Our guide had been leading these expeditions for 30 years and knew the park like the back of her hand. Our last day was a busy one as well. The alarm jolted us awake at 6:00 AM, we put our bags out, got breakfast then, on the bus for a three hours drive to Talketna. There our intrepid group boarded three planes to fly to Anchorage. The reason for the plane ride was to give us the opportunity to see the Alaskan back country and get a great view of a number of glaciers. We were taken aback by the beauty of the mountains and glaciers from a birds eye view. After an hour and a half of flying we landed in Anchorage and it was off to lunch, then on to the ship. In short the expedition was more than we expected in terms of quality, and the wonderful companion ship of our travel mates. It was truly a Seabourn experience. There is a lot to be said about knowing a group of people before you get on the ship. The companionship of the expedition group continued on into the cruise. If you are visiting Alaska via Seabourn and they offer this pre cruise adventure, take it. We have been on the Sojourn before, and like its sister ship the Quest it was a great cruise experience. Once on board we saw cruise members we had sailed with before and believe it or not they remembered us. Like previous trips the crew was very attentive and after a short period of time knew our names and our preferences. One of the surprises on this trip was the fact that our suite was upgraded from a veranda suite to a penthouse suite. Our joke was that it was so large that Dee and I had to carry gps devices to find each other. In truth the suite was fantastic. It had a separate bedroom, living area, a dining area, a two room bathroom, and a huge veranda. The itinerary was excellent as we were able to go places larger ships could only dream of. Add to that the off ship excursions via kayak and/or zodiac really made these excursions up close and personal. The picture opportunities were plentiful including glaciers, whales using bubble netting to get their lunch and a female grizzly with her two cubs just to name a few of the opportunities. The food, as in the past, was excellent. We are Colonnade people as we like the more casual dining experience. Our one complaint is that consuming this food seems to shrink our clothes. . As is our way we continued our “May We Join You” philosophy. We share a table every night with different people. On this trip we met lawyers, entrepreneurs, a gentleman and his wife who lived in South Africa, New Zealanders, Australians, and Germans. The most impressive couple however was the couple who exuded tremendous courage and strength in the face of health issue. As we have written before and will again, Seabourn knows how to make a cruise special. We love cruising with Seabourn so much that in 2019 we will be returning to the Quest to venture to Antarctica and the Amazon. Read Less

My wife and I just recently finished the 11 day Ultimate Alaska Seabourn cruise on the Sojourn. Really a great experience! Ship was beautiful, our room was comfortable and well appointed, food was fantastic and the shore excursions were organized and resulted in great experiences. The Bears of Anan and fishing for salmon in the Gulf of Sitka were 2 highlights. Service was excellent 90% of the time. Servers were all friendly, attentive and polite. Embarkation and disembarkation were well organized and painless. Although we attended just a few of the on-board entertainment shows, they were of high quality. All of the restaurants were excellent and generally speaking service was top notch. We had room service a couple of nights and it was prompt and the food was excellent. I had caviar delivered to my room several times and it was fantastic.There were just a few service shortfalls which prevent me from rating this a 5 star review. One night we decided to 'drop in' at the Thomas Keller Grill and we waited 10 minutes before the Matre'D even acknowledged us. I felt like we were waiting at McDonalds. We were also very disappointed in the internet and cell phone connectivity. I am very aware of the challenges providing reliable internet connectivity on ships and planes but for what Seabourn is charging, they can do a better job. We also had better cell service while fishing in the gulf of Sitka than on-board. Having said that I suspect we will return to Seabourn in the future. Read Less

Seabourn is fabulous. It is worth every penny paid. When Seabourn says, "All inclusive" they mean all. They never say no to any request no matter how small or large. They attend to every detail and if it is not right, they will correct it - down to every personal need in staterooms or the restaurants. Our stateroom was large compared to many other ships. We booked a wheel chair accessible room, which was big enough so that I could go everywhere easily - including the veranda. The veranda was a wonderful place for morning coffee and just relaxing. The suite had a couch and two chairs as well as a table - we had people in our room for cocktails and they sent cheese, ice, extra drinks and fruit. It came within five minutes after ordering. We arranged to have coffee delivered at the same time every day in the morning and it was never late. Service is fabulous. Within a day or two of starting the trip, the staff knew us and greeted us by name. They knew that I like Diet Coke or iced tea and, without my asking, asked me at every meal which I would prefer. I am in a wheel chair and they offered to get my food at buffets. (Incidentally, the buffets are constantly being refreshed so that the food is always freshly made.) Even hamburgers come as ordered! We had frequent caviar with dinner and there was no extra charge. Wine is freely poured at all meals - and the house selection is excellent - there is no need to get expensive premium wines. The bars offer premium brand drink, also at no charge. The restaurant selection is ample and menus are published every evening for the next day. The Sojourn is about 400 people, which is a great size. The main restaurant holds every single guest so there is no need to select a seating time. The alternative restaurants are excellent and all the food ranges from good to great. Shore excursions are excellent. I loved the helicopter ride over the Taku Glacier in Junea (it is a wheel chair accessible trip) and whale watching on a catamaran. In Sitka the Raptor Center was wonderful, as was the Fortress of the Bears. The Glacier at Tracy Arm is jaw dropping. They have getting on and off the ship down to a science. We never felt crowded or rushed. There were never lines. Embarking and debarking were a breeze at the start and end of the trip. In fact, when debarking in Vancouver, the carried our hand-held luggage and wheeled my wife (bad hip) out of the terminal and across the street to the Fairmont Hotel and tried to refuse a gratuity. Read Less

Chose this cruise at the last minute to see Alaska before it all melts. The cruise was thoroughly enjoyable, food and wine fabulous, cabin roomy and staff helpful and friendly. My cabin attendant was fabulous, leaving little things like roses and hand cut butterflies behind. I would have liked a little more time in certain places like Juneau and Sitka in order to have time to take more shore excursions; alternatively, they should look for more all-day excursions that cover most things people would want to see (whales/bears/raptors/sea otters, etc.). I missed a few places I wanted to see because the AM/PM excursion times overlapped. Although as a single traveler, I appreciated the dinner invites with staff and other passengers, the one I enjoyed most was a small table for 4 at the Colonnade, rather than the larger tables of 8 or 10 at the Restaurant, where you can't really talk to someone at the other end of the table. I'm not someone that enjoys large crowds, so would always opt for the more intimate setting. Onboard WiFi was expensive and mediocre. I spent days trying to upload photos to cloud backups and download a single Word document from my work e-mail to review. I was never able to do either via the $400 WiFi until we got to a big city and used mobile carrier data. Their onboard intranet and app could also use some improvement to reduce the volume of paper they hand out to passengers each day. I'd have preferred to have it all on my mobile phone or iPad (including maps from excursions). I ended up taking pictures of the things they handed out (didn't want to carry all that paper home either, but wanted to keep a record for future reference). Entertainment was mostly low key and enjoyable, rather than the over-the-top glitz you might find on a larger ship. Shore excursions were mostly provided by the same people that provide them to most cruise ships in Alaska. Was very disappointed that zodiac rides were cancelled at the last minute (based on rumours, due to visa/employment law issues with non-US persons that would have been operating them). One of the replacement catamaran rides was scheduled for an unacceptably late hour. All in all, I would do this again. But wish they offered more trips with competitively priced single supplements. Read Less

I booked this cruise because of the excursions on a zodiac. unfortunately after the ship started the cruise, we were told the zodiacs can't be used. someone at seabourn didn't have them inspected. i tried to contact someone in the corporate office. no one would talk to me. then after the cruise i emailed merete brown, special advisor, office of the president with no results from her. the zodiacs are the only reason i booked this cruise line. they corporate people don't care, they already got my money. the bathroom in the cabins always smelled. we think it was because of the toilet water. the shower was so small, i never felt clean. next cruise won't be with seabourn. every time the captain made an announcement if you were in your cabin you couldn't hear what he had to say. there should be an on/off switch for people that want to hear what he has to say. Read Less