cruise critic seabourn odyssey

Seabourn Odyssey Review

Share this story.

Seabourn Odyssey cruise ship facts

• 2009 launched
• 2019 refurbished

Our Seabourn Odyssey review explains everything about this luxury cruise ship, from the rooms to the restaurants. There’s also video tours and advice.

In this review

• Our review ratings
• Seabourn Odyssey deck plan
• About Seabourn Odyssey
• Seabourn Odyssey inclusions
• Dining delights
• Seabourn Odyssey dress code
• Fellow guests
• Seabourn Odyssey conclusion

Everything about Seabourn Odyssey is designed to impress. It is a spectacularly beautiful cruise ship with spacious suites, chic public areas, five-star dining and great entertainment.

• Caviar on-demand.
• Amazing food.
• An exclusive, club-like atmosphere.
• Genuine teak verandas.
• It’s all hot!

The Seabourn Odyssey deck plan is easy to get around. There are a total of 10 passenger decks, the highest of which is deck 11.

• Reception : Deck 7
• Accommodation : Decks 4 to 10
• Main dining room : Deck 4
• Theatre : Deck 6
• Observation lounge : Deck 10

The famous water sports marina is located on Deck 2.

When Seabourn Odyssey debuted in 2009 she set new standards in luxury cruising. Built by the Italian company T. Mariotti, she was the first in the Odyssey-class of cruise liners which featured design innovations like a retractable marina.

Seabourn Odyssey is much bigger than the first ships in the Seabourn fleet. However, she still has an intimate feel. There is space for just 450 guests, each one pampered by attentive staff. In fact, three staff members are on hand to serve every four guests on Seabourn Odyssey!

Every guest on Seabourn Odyssey stays in a suite, and almost every suite has a genuine teak veranda . There are 229 suites ranging in size from the huge Wintergreen Suite to the roomy Ocean View Suite. The Ocean View Suites are the only ones that do not have verandas.

The interior of Seabourn Odyssey is different to other cruise liners. The Nordic-inspired design team chose a classic northern European decor. They used light beechwood panelling and sharp Nordic lines, as well as bright open spaces. The effect is striking and as you’ll see from our Seabourn Odyssey review, it makes you feel like you’re staying in a chic hotel.

Like all ships in the Seabourn fleet, Seabourn Odyssey is all-inclusive. Once you get onboard you won’t need to pay for anything else.

Your cruise fare includes all meals, even in speciality restaurants . It also includes all alcoholic beverages, meaning you can enjoy Champagne, wine or spirits when ever you like.

During our Seabourn Odyssey review the house Champagne was Nicolas Feuillatte. Premium alcoholic beverages can also be purchased, but in our view the house wines and spirits were excellent.

Speciality teas and coffees are included in the cruise fare as well.

Also included in the cruise fare are all gratuities, so there is no need to tip. However, if you have a private cocktail party in your suite we do recommend showing your appreciation to the stewardess and staff.

Seabourn Odyssey almost always has a free shuttle service from the port to the town centre, especially if it is some distance away.

Seabourn Odyssey guests also get a handy tote bag to use when going ashore or around the ship.

On each voyage bath products by Molton Brown are supplied free of charge.

Seabourn is renowned for five-star food. On Seabourn Odyssey this is especially so. During our Seabourn Odyssey review voyage the quality of the produce was exceptional and the preparation of every dish was superb. No matter what voyage you take, get set for a mouth-watering journey!

There are four dining venues . The Restaurant is the main dining room. It is a spectacular place with high ceilings and chandeliers. The Restaurant has a modern French-inspired menu. There is also The Colonnade which has al fresco dining and themed buffets. While the poolside Patio has a casual and laid back atmosphere.

Seabourn Odyssey has just one speciality restaurant – The Grill by Thomas Keller. Keller is a Michelin-starred chef and he designed the menu for this classic American steakhouse.

Our Seabourn Odyssey review rates each of these onboard restaurants and includes video tours as well.

The ever popular Seabourn Square serves light snacks as well as tea and coffee throughout the day.

Seabourn Odyssey has a dress code similar to an up-market beach resort. During the day it is resort-casual, while at night it’s more showy.

Before 6:00pm guests can wear shorts, jeans and T-shirts, but swimwear is not acceptable in any of the restaurants. In the evening it will be either elegant casual or formal. This will be flagged each day in the Herald newsletter.

Elegant casual-wear for women includes slacks or a skirt, as well as a blouse. For men it includes slacks and a shirt (jacket optional). Formal ware includes evening gowns for women, and for men it can be either Tuxedos or suits.

The number of formal nights will depend on the length of the cruise. Voyages of up to 13 days have just one formal evening. On cruises of 14 to 20 days there are two formal evenings, while longer voyages have three.

However, Seabourn have responded to guest feedback and now only ask those dining in The Restaurant to dress up on formal nights. That means you can wear elegant casual in any other dining venue on formal evenings.

During our Seabourn Odyssey review many guests enjoyed dressing up on formal nights, even if they were not dining in The Restaurant.

Seabourn Odyssey has a loyal following. She is popular all year round. On our Seabourn Odyssey review voyage there were repeat guests. Indeed, a lot of them told us they’d sailed on Seabourn Odyssey many times.

The age of Seabourn Odyssey guests ranges from 40 to 70-years. They are mostly active and are also well travelled.

During our Seabourn Odyssey review most guests came from the U.S.A. and U.K. Canadians were also on board. An increasing number of Australians are also choosing to sail on Seabourn Odyssey.

Seabourn Odyssey is gay-friendly.

We think Seabourn Odyssey delivers the perfect combination of luxury and relaxation. It is like a floating five-star resort. There’s spacious suites, world-class dining, a spa and exciting nightlife. As our Seabourn Odyssey review shows, it all makes for the ideal luxury vacation. Visit the Seabourn website for Seabourn Odyssey voyages and destinations.

Read the accommodation section of our Seabourn Odyssey review by clicking the button below.

About the Author: Jason Kerr

Seabourn Odyssey Rooms

Seabourn odyssey dining, seabourn odyssey nightlife, seabourn odyssey wellness, leave a comment cancel reply.

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed .

Newsletter signup

We keep your data private and share your data only with third parties that make this service possible. Read our full Privacy Policy

The World’s most comprehensive guide to luxury cruising with great reporting from our expert travel journalists all over the globe.

Our sections

© Copyright 2013 – 2023  Kerr Communications  |  Terms of use  |  Privacy

Join our community

You’re welcome to become a member of our luxury cruise community. Stay connected and get The Luxury Cruise Review newsletter sent to your inbox.

You’re welcome to become a member of our luxury cruise community.

• Seabourn Cruise Line

Seabourn Odyssey

By cwisleman , February 16, 2016 in Seabourn Cruise Line

Recommended Posts

Problems continue. Internet still unreliable and ship is showing its age. Handle broke off our sink and grill over cold air return fell off.

Link to comment

Share on other sites.

Letters are apologies for fact they are unable to stop the message light on our phones from blinking and they are unable to deliver our full page newspapers because of technical problems.

Oh dear -sorry for you problems. Please tell them to sort it out prior to our June cruise[emoji12]

Oh dear. Keep in touch! :)

Sorry to read this.

I think you boarded the segment before us, we were on for the Holiday cruise only, so you've now been onboard for at least 2 months. Can't believe the internet is still poor. Well, actually I can.

I always enjoy your wildlife photos, I understand you'll be very limited with poor internet but I hope you'll be able to upload some eventually.

Emperor Norton

The flashing message light issue for me at least was fixed after the start of a new segment, then broke again at the end of the segment - imo its some kind of stupid software accounts-permission issue that should have been caught in testing - but should be fixed now rather than later.

The inet connection was horrid for the duration of my time on - but part of that I was attributing to being so far from the equator.

For the duration of my cruise the wand in the shower was non functional and never fixed.

The problem I had with print papers was passenger related - they'd take them from the square never to be seen again.

Unlike the little sisters the septic system didn't go down - though I did hear parts of deck 5,6,8 forward got flooded.

BrisbaneGran

for all those reading about so many complaints on the Odyssey, we are one couple who are not having ANY problems! We also got the apology message about the flashing phone light, but we didn't actually have a flashing light problem, the large print newspapers is not an issue for us.....the normal ones are still available.....AND I am not having any trouble with the internet!! Since Sydney I have uploaded many many photos to a social media site......I have been doing this every day!.......of course its not broadband speed, but more than acceptable for me. I simply resize the file size of the photos and they load quite well. I am an internet junkie, and are quite happy with the service so far! My only complaint so far is that there is not enough salt on the breadsticks!

I also sent emails and attached 15 photos to each, and they were "sent" without any issues.....

The internet can be like the food. Unless you're connecting at the same times to the same sites and pushing the same data... ;)

Too bad theres no tool to collect/log data on ships locations and connection speeds to passengers could see beforehand where likely dead/superslow zones are.

.. I simply resize the file size of the photos and they load quite well.!

I have resized photos. However it is always a long and difficult process!! Not simple at all :( They always ask for the photo to be reduced in pixels. How do I know what that means. Of course I know what pixels are, but as to how many in any photo.... no idea. As for resizing 15 pictures, well............ B Gran I don't expect you to answer this, you are there to enjoy your holiday not answer silly questions. But it is obvious there is a large gap in my IT understanding!!!! :eek: J

LOL....I use a very simple FREE program called Photo Razor. It resizes one or many pics at a time. I put all my pics into folders, like in Ports, Crew, etc etc....then resize the lot at once. You can use how many pixels to resize to on a side bar....I have been using 750, I think the default is 600. For a folder of around 30 photos, it takes about 30 seconds. Your original photos are not touched, but in each folder will be another folder called "small pics"......simple! even for me! :D

[quote=Emperor Norton;49109118

So Tis worse in San Fran than Melbourne Auckland and Sydney?

The inet connection was horrid for the duration of my time on - but part of that I was attributing to being so far from the equator?

Are you talking Antarctica MrsWaldo as I thought the speed was quite good compared to other shipping lines we have been on

Even kinda surprised we had the internet at all every day down there

Just that Oz and parts of NZ will be better than San Fran as they are closer to the equator

Personally I believe that theory is bunkum...

its all been discussed and dismissed before

Nope.   Just that Oz and parts of NZ will be better than San Fran as they are closer to the equator     Personally I believe that theory is bunkum... its all been discussed and dismissed before

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showpost.php?p=48277524&postcount=8

Still waiting for a fact based dismissal of this.

There may also be variability from suite to suite. In suite 912 on the Odyssey last September I had horrible internet, or none, most of the trip, but it was reasonable in SB Square at the same times, so I went there to connect. Perhaps no longer true.

You tried wifi in the suite and then wifi in the square, or wifi in the suite and one of the wired desktops in the square? On my last trip you could eke a bit more speed out of the connection by using the wired provided desktops.

Seas_The_Day

we are on the odyssey now - i think that the ship is in great condition. the internet is working just fine (uh..remember - we are in the middle of the pacific ocean bouncing O's and 1's off of satellites from space.).

the food has been the best i've had on seabourn so far including the thomas keller dishes. it never ceases to amaze me how they are able to serve so many people in 4 different restaurants with the variety and quality and level of service that they consistently offer.

and the crew is great - we even have a new batch of enthusiastic young people who have just come out of onboard training and are earning their sea legs. fantastic young people!

the only downside seems to be the usual set of passengers who are rude to the staff and seem to complain about everything. but fortunnately that's not my problem ;)

fare winds and calm seas!

we are on the odyssey now - i think that the ship is in great condition. the internet is working just fine (uh..remember - we are in the middle of the pacific ocean bouncing O's and 1's off of satellites from space.).   the food has been the best i've had on seabourn so far including the thomas keller dishes. it never ceases to amaze me how they are able to serve so many people in 4 different restaurants with the variety and quality and level of service that they consistently offer.   and the crew is great - we even have a new batch of enthusiastic young people who have just come out of onboard training and are earning their sea legs. fantastic young people!   the only downside seems to be the usual set of passengers who are rude to the staff and seem to complain about everything. but fortunnately that's not my problem ;)   fare winds and calm seas!

Good to hear some positive news, but it always bothers me when I hear about passengers who abuse staff. I suppose anyone who has cruised much has witnessed it. Always so disturbing to see people who work so hard being berated or treated rudely by those who imagine themselves "entitled."

The first time we sailed with Seabourn we did their Ephesus classical evening and had the misfortune to share a table with another couple - she was lovely, he was an arrogant mochyn (means pig in Welsh!). He arrived late, ignored us totally, used his mobile phone throughout almost the whole performance and requested drinks by clicking his fingers in the air or tapping his glass which was his sole means of communication with the staff - he obviously thought he was very important but as my grandmother would say it's manners maketh the man.

My usual comparison was wifi in suite vs. wifi in the Square. Square was always faster and often the only place I could access internet at all off the laptop.

I have a special security function setup on my travel laptop to allow access to my work ( I like to keep up with work during cruising downtime if I have decent wifi, as this makes my absences less disruptive to my work functions, thus allowing more cruising!) . I cannot access work from any old shared desktop, plus even if I could, I would worry about people walking by and easily seeing confidential information.

However, there were a couple times when I used the desktop for casual browsing, e.g., news and checking flight schedules, and cruisecritic, and I noted it was faster than on the laptop ( or at least worked, where the laptop wifi did not, even in the Square on the really bad days).

My ideal would be good wifi, on my laptop, on my bed ( with a drink, and cushioned :)) , in my suite.

That shouldn't be too much to ask

Please sign in to comment

You will be able to leave a comment after signing in

• Welcome to Cruise Critic
• ANNOUNCEMENT: Set Sail Beyond the Ordinary with Oceania Cruises
• ANNOUNCEMENT: The Widest View in the Whole Wide World
• New Cruisers
• Cruise Lines “A – O”
• Cruise Lines “P – Z”
• River Cruising
• Cruise Critic News & Features
• Digital Photography & Cruise Technology
• Special Interest Cruising
• Cruise Discussion Topics
• UK Cruising
• Australia & New Zealand Cruisers
• Canadian Cruisers
• North American Homeports
• Ports of Call
• Cruise Conversations

Announcements

• New to Cruise Critic? Join our Community!

Write Your Own Amazing Review !

Click this gorgeous photo by member SUPERstar777 to share your review!

Features & News

LauraS · Started Thursday at 10:20 PM

LauraS · Started Wednesday at 07:36 PM

LauraS · Started Wednesday at 12:53 AM

LauraS · Started Tuesday at 07:17 PM

LauraS · Started Monday at 10:08 PM

• Existing user? Sign in OR Create an Account
• Find Your Roll Call
• Meet & Mingle
• Community Help Center
• All Activity
• Member Photo Albums
• Meet & Mingle Photos
• Favorite Cruise Memories
• Cruise Food Photos
• Cruise Ship Photos
• Ports of Call Photos
• Towel Animal Photos
• Amazing, Funny & Totally Awesome Cruise Photos
• Write a Review
• Live Cruise Reports
• Member Cruise Reviews
• Create New...

• Seabourn Cruise Line

Odyssey: A lesson in contradiction

By Host Dan , May 25, 2022 in Seabourn Cruise Line

Recommended Posts

I just disembarked Odyssey in Los Angeles after a 3-week Panama Canal cruise.

My intention was to create a travel-logue on board, towards the end of the cruise.  I was shocked and disappointed to find out that the log-in link to CC was blocked by SB's IT dept.  This was verified by an officer, after she tried to log on to the CC site, called someone in IT and was told of the block.  Too bad.  I was ready, willing, and able, (at the time), to go in-depth with observations, crew comments, and other general issues.  Now, after a hectic flight home, getting re-acclimated to home life, etc., I don't have the time or desire to write a full review.  (Could this be the reason SB decided to block CC on board?)  One can only speculate.  I wondered why there were no more (ship side) on board travel posts after April 14, from the ships.

I will post a few observations from the 3- week cruise.  Please post any questions you may have, and I'll be glad to

respond on this thread.  

Jan Stearman, cruise director.  What can I say about Jan?  Only that in my years of sailing SB, I feel Jan is the very best at what she does.  Her interaction with guests, confident demeanor, and just plain professionalism shined through most of this cruise.  (I say most, as Jan was laid up for about 6 days.   James, the ACD, took over beautifully, in Jan's absence.)  Hat's off to Jan!

The constant scraping of paint and varnish.  The constant smell of paint.  The condition of deck 5 aft. (Garbage on the floor, staining, and just unkept) was not acceptable.  This was a huge annoyance throughout the journey.  What did they do when in dry-dock?  The ship should have been sparkling.  Far from it.  The public bathrooms, (off the Club especially), were in need of a deep clean.  Some were even "gross".

The breakfast and lunch in the Colonnade were consistently good.  The food in the restaurant was mediocre at best.  Entree's seemed to be "convention" quality, and not up to par for a luxury experience.  The food was on par to any mass-market cruise.  This is not the Seabourn way, IMHO.

Trivia with Jan and the entertainment staff was brutal (in a good way.)  It seemed like most of the passengers participated.  I was part of a small group (4 to 6 people at any given time).  Most groups had 10 players.  I was part of the Bar Fly team.  We won.

The Thomas Keller Grill was hit-or-miss.  The tableside Caesar salad was delightful.  the entrees were either excellent, or just plain bad. No in between.  We dined at TK 3 times.  Dined at Earth and Ocean and Patio Grill.  Not memorable.

I did not participate in any SB shore excursions, but heard quite a few complaints.  Swim with the Dolphins, great experience, but not told that if you want photos of the experience, its going to cost $300 per person.  This was not disclosed up front.  A couple was left behind on a city tour.  (They were right on time for the motor coach, but the guide forgot to do a head count).  Overall the feedback from the Shore excursions were not good.  Especially the fact that the tour operators and official shore ex. were not vetted.

Of course I met some wonderful people on board.   A shout out "hey" to one of our fellow CC members, she knows who she is!  Making new friends is never an issue on SB.

The on board entertainment staff was excellent!  (when not in quarantine for COVID).  Some of the guest performers were Roy Tan, excellent pianist and artist, and Lou Gazzara, American Idol finalist on season 2 of the show.  They both were very approachable, very talented and very down to earth.  The lecturer was excellent throughout our Panama Canal voyage, and beyond.

There is a lot more to report, and I'll try to answer any questions anyone might have.

Link to comment

Share on other sites.

34 minutes ago, Host Dan said: Hello all!   I just disembarked Odyssey in Los Angeles after a 3-week Panama Canal cruise.   My intention was to create a travel-logue on board, towards the end of the cruise.  I was shocked and disappointed to find out that the log-in link to CC was blocked by SB's IT dept.  This was verified by an officer, after she tried to log on to the CC site, called someone in IT and was told of the block.  Too bad.  I was ready, willing, and able, (at the time), to go in-depth with observations, crew comments, and other general issues.  Now, after a hectic flight home, getting re-acclimated to home life, etc., I don't have the time or desire to write a full review.  (Could this be the reason SB decided to block CC on board?)  One can only speculate.  I wondered why there were no more (ship side) on board travel posts after April 14, from the ships.  

Interesting. I reported on CC about a SB cruise in real time a few years ago.  Much to my chagrin, Mr. SLSD mentioned that I was doing this  to the CD (who was filling in for Ross at the time).  When we got back to our suite that evening, Cruise Critic had been blocked (it had been available earlier throughout the cruise) . We had a work around ---gogoduck  

Disappointing that  you encountered unclean restrooms.  Clearly not acceptable.  Did you report the unclean restrooms to the Hotel Director?

highplanesdrifters

Oh my!  Thanks for your report. How sad that they are blocking CC.  Sailing soon and prepared for hiccups, but not for prepared for the conditions you have experienced. Thanks for the heads up.

19 minutes ago, SLSD said:   Disappointing that  you encountered unclean restrooms.  Clearly not acceptable.  Did you report the unclean restrooms to the Hotel Director?

No I did not.  

That sounds awful, Dan.  Almost completely opposite to what Seabourn has been like up to now.  I can only associate it with  lack of trained staff, mainly due to covid, as as happened on other lines, and fewer of them, or maybe the prospect of SB being 'taken over' by the Saudis, with lack of morale amongst the Officers and staff.  If the deal has not yet been done, you would think Carnival would want to present a good image of the line to them.  Sad for Jan Stearman, who is a lovely lady and great CD.

It will be interesting to read your views, highplanesdrifter.

About Jan and Ross for that matter, we all know that the shipboard staff are terrific, talented people. The same cannot be said for much of what head office mandates, sadly, and we saw this on the cruise preceding the MIA to LA cruise when we were on Ody post dry dock. The condition and cleanliness of the decks with rust and worn treads on deck steps etc was shocking to me.

Come to think of it, HAL ran Seabourn operationally for way too long. Who likes a rotating menu of one week at Earth and Ocean and 2 weeks at Colonnade when your cruise is longer? Who is enthused by the same menu at TK Grill likewise? Who appreciates these boring port schedules eg a 4 hour only stop in HK that I recall a few years ago on Sojourn. And what about those creative menus on Silversea’s Muse class ships with 8 restaurants including one that offers dishes from the locale? Who can defend those unpadded, narrow and ancient weather-worn deck chairs we last saw on Odyssey? Nothing on Seabourn shows investment favor luxury - as of a few years now.

I just hope that the anticipated investment by a new owner is done quickly and the 5 ships’ hardware and software get attention asap. If Carnival cannot/will not invest in them, well, someone else has to do so to keep our business. Then the excellent shipboard staff will be dealing with an appreciative customer base, as it should be.

Happy and healthy sailing!

1 hour ago, lincslady said:     It will be interesting to read your views, highplanesdrifter.

I'll do what I can to post some during trips. I always appreciate when folks post and have been remiss in posting semi live in the past.   We leave on Sunday for SS Cloud Southampton to Tromso. Last minute booking. Gotta do something with those FCC's before they disappear.   August we will be on Seabourn Venture, Svalbard/Greenland/Iceland.  October, SS Wind, Puntareanas/Valparaso.  So..there will be a lot to compare and contrast. These are not normal times, every cruise is different as is every cruise line.   I'm expecting a lot more bumps in the road so if we get some smooth sailing, yahoo!

@SLSD do you mean duck duck go?

We were also on the MIA to LAX Cruise. It was our first on Seabourn.

While we were very impressed with the crew and their continuous attempts to make the pax happy and comfortable, we were disappointed with a number of issues:

• We agree with Dan that the condition of the ship was  not what we expect of a luxury ship. This may be due to the fact that we normally only cruise on the newer ships in the fleet. One can probably not expect a 12 year old ship to compete with a ship that is only 1 - 2 years old. However, we should be able to expect a ship recently out of dry dock to be in the best condition possible.
• We were disappointed with the dining experience. While we generally  found the food to be adequate, there was very little we found to be exceptional. We dined in the TK Grill 5 times. The Caesar salad, Dover sole and lamb chops were very good. Other items were acceptable but not very memorable. There were always items on The Restaurant menu that we found acceptable, however very few that we really desired. We were impressed that we could request a special dish that would be prepared with 24 hours notice. However we were frustrated by the inability to make that request with knowledge of what would be included on the menu we might prefer. We were also disappointed by the limited dining venues. We are accustomed to about 4 specialty restaurants in addition to the main dining room. Due to these items we will probably return to Regent or maybe even HAL for our future cruises.
• We did participate in 4 of the SB shore excursions. While the objective of the excursion was normally fun and interesting, we were disappointed by the amount of bus travel on 2 of the 4 and particularly on one 4.5 hour excursion with at least 3 hours of bus travel that was not mentioned in the description. I also got in significant trouble with my wife due to a “Luxury Sailboat Ride” that wound up being much rougher than my wife appreciated.
• We were also disappointed with the personal laundry facilities. We are used to having a laundry room on each floor rather than only 2 rooms for the whole ship. They were also not particularly comfortable without even a chair on which to sit.

We did find the other PAX on Seabourn to be extremely friendly. We made new friends and enjoyed our interaction with almost everyone. We were very impressed with the entertainment, particularly Roy Tan and Lou Gazzara. 

5 hours ago, highplanesdrifters said:     @SLSD do you mean duck duck go?

Yes  Sorry, it's been a while. 

CwazeAndCwaze

So VERY similar to our experiences.

Thank you, Dan.

Ouch, Seabourn and Regent were our favorite cruise lines pre Covid. We have had 4 Regent cruises canceled during covid. We have a 30 day Seabourn cruise in February that is paid in full. We are so looking forward to this cruise. We have a unique itinerary before and after this cruise so we are not able to cancel.

I have wondered why CC is so quiet on the Seabourn board. Now I know. I am watching the Regent board light up with live experiences and issues being addressed. I expect minor issues on any ship  but not wide spread issues and certainly I expect transparency.

I do hope others post their experiences. That includes Scott. I do not think at this time you will get much push back. I personally want to know experiences. If problems were told to management was it fixed? If this type of experience becomes consistent I will have my high volume, luxury travel agent check into it.   

Dan, thank you for your review  

I am following this thread with a little apprehension as I'm on the Sojourn for a 21-day Med trip in September.  As some of you may remember, I always post up a 'live' journal and hope to do the same as usual.  

On my last foreign trip I was staying at the Sofitel in Cartagena, Colombia, and they had blocked TripAdvisor because (they said) guests posted negative comments and asked for perks like free dinners in exchange for deleting their posts. 

yogi bernard

So Seabourn or Crystal. Or is it a toss up? up?

3 minutes ago, yogi bernard said: So Seabourn or Crystal. Or is it a toss up? up?

Crystal is no more.

No more what? Expensive? Luxurious?

I had always heard it was the nest, so if I'm going to do this thing I want to do it right.

Time to get my future cruise deposits back 

3 minutes ago, yogi bernard said: No more what? Expensive? Luxurious?   I had always heard it was the nest, so if I'm going to do this thing I want to do it right.    

Crystal Cruise Line is no longer in business.

OK. So in dolphin-speak, Crystal is not.

That's too bad.

Thanks for the clarification Host.

Dan, Did SB also block other social media like FB and IG. Couldn't someone who wants to post live from a cruise use one of these?

11 minutes ago, Xerxes10 said: Dan, Did SB also block other social media like FB and IG. Couldn't someone who wants to post live from a cruise use one of these?

Sure they could.  The difference is that CC already has a broad, worldwide audience in place.

20 minutes ago, Host Dan said: The difference is that CC already has a broad, worldwide audience in place.

I am sure there are many more followers of the two Seabourn groups on Facebook than people who follow the Seabourn forum here on CC. I'm surprised they would bother to block a specific site on an ad hoc basis. I can only say I've posted to CC on every Seabourn cruise we've been on.

CabinBoy2020

16 hours ago, ernieb said: We were also on the MIA to LAX Cruise. It was our first on Seabourn. While we were very impressed with the crew and their continuous attempts to make the pax happy and comfortable, we were disappointed with a number of issues: We agree with Dan that the condition of the ship was  not what we expect of a luxury ship. This may be due to the fact that we normally only cruise on the newer ships in the fleet. One can probably not expect a 12 year old ship to compete with a ship that is only 1 - 2 years old. However, we should be able to expect a ship recently out of dry dock to be in the best condition possible. We were disappointed with the dining experience. While we generally  found the food to be adequate, there was very little we found to be exceptional. We dined in the TK Grill 5 times. The Caesar salad, Dover sole and lamb chops were very good. Other items were acceptable but not very memorable. There were always items on The Restaurant menu that we found acceptable, however very few that we really desired. We were impressed that we could request a special dish that would be prepared with 24 hours notice. However we were frustrated by the inability to make that request with knowledge of what would be included on the menu we might prefer. We were also disappointed by the limited dining venues. We are accustomed to about 4 specialty restaurants in addition to the main dining room. Due to these items we will probably return to Regent or maybe even HAL for our future cruises. We did participate in 4 of the SB shore excursions. While the objective of the excursion was normally fun and interesting, we were disappointed by the amount of bus travel on 2 of the 4 and particularly on one 4.5 hour excursion with at least 3 hours of bus travel that was not mentioned in the description. I also got in significant trouble with my wife due to a “Luxury Sailboat Ride” that wound up being much rougher than my wife appreciated. We were also disappointed with the personal laundry facilities. We are used to having a laundry room on each floor rather than only 2 rooms for the whole ship. They were also not particularly comfortable without even a chair on which to sit.   We did find the other PAX on Seabourn to be extremely friendly. We made new friends and enjoyed our interaction with almost everyone. We were very impressed with the entertainment, particularly Roy Tan and Lou Gazzara. 

I was on the same cruise with you and, in fact, am still onboard until tomorrow in Vancouver.  I agree with you and Host Dan. I posted on the Crystal board about the totally unacceptable situation with my cabin. The problem was rectified to my satisfaction one week into the cruise.  

I agree the condition and design of the ship is disappointing. The low ceilings and heavy curtains and clunky shades on the windows in public spaces are depressing.  The constant cleaning/maintenance on deck 5 made it frequently unusable for walking.

I, too, wished for more variety in menus and dining options. IMO the food was better than a recent cruise on Azamara, but just barely.   

The crew were overall excellent. Many were genuinely kind, worked hard to please, and eager to chat. That’s one reason I cruise. Also many nice guests onboard.   

I did just two SB excursions. One in Costa Rica to a Andalusian horse ranch was excellent. Another in Chiapas for a cooking demo and lunch was fun.   

Maybe the Saudis will inject some much needed cash and improvements into this line. It would be great if they bought the Crystal ships as well!

FlyerTalker

59 minutes ago, CabinBoy2020 said: The constant cleaning/maintenance on deck 5 made it frequently unusable for walking.

Yes, skip the cleaning and the maintenance.  Then we can have more postings like:

On 5/25/2022 at 9:37 AM, markham said: The condition and cleanliness of the decks with rust and worn treads on deck steps etc was shocking to me.

Some complain that there's uncleanliness.  Some complain that there's too much cleaning.

Guess you can never please everyone.

3 hours ago, Host Dan said: Sure they could.  The difference is that CC already has a broad, worldwide audience in place.

Not only that, but:

1.  Many pax deliberately do not use Facebook, for a variety of reasons, and 

2.  For at least two luxury lines where I saw fresh Facebook posts that were the least bit critical of the experience on the line, ( not SB)  they were quickly shut down when the rah-rah moderators took down the posts or closed the thread, noting the FB forums they set up are for basically for happy talk about cruise enjoyment , not for criticisms and negative commentary ( especially when a lot of people chimed in on the negativities).  What was left was so skewed to happy happy happy that I wondered if it was real.

Cruise Critic also censors but allows *criticism*, within reason.

I wondered if there were no live reports because very few are on board and those on board who might post are too worn out to post .  Or perhaps on the ships they blocked because there are internet connection issues, with people posting pictures and even video, making it harder to use for others?

Have been on for eight days.   Always access to CC.  I've never been so happy to get off a ship.   

Some satisfactory aspects, but too many unSeabournish things.   That, plus government induced aggravations wear on me.  

Please sign in to comment

You will be able to leave a comment after signing in

• Welcome to Cruise Critic
• ANNOUNCEMENT: Set Sail Beyond the Ordinary with Oceania Cruises
• ANNOUNCEMENT: The Widest View in the Whole Wide World
• New Cruisers
• Cruise Lines “A – O”
• Cruise Lines “P – Z”
• River Cruising
• Cruise Critic News & Features
• Digital Photography & Cruise Technology
• Special Interest Cruising
• Cruise Discussion Topics
• UK Cruising
• Australia & New Zealand Cruisers
• Canadian Cruisers
• North American Homeports
• Ports of Call
• Cruise Conversations

Announcements

• New to Cruise Critic? Join our Community!

Write Your Own Amazing Review !

Click this gorgeous photo by member SUPERstar777 to share your review!

Features & News

LauraS · Started Thursday at 10:20 PM

LauraS · Started Wednesday at 07:36 PM

LauraS · Started Wednesday at 12:53 AM

LauraS · Started Tuesday at 07:17 PM

LauraS · Started Monday at 10:08 PM

• Existing user? Sign in OR Create an Account
• Find Your Roll Call
• Meet & Mingle
• Community Help Center
• All Activity
• Member Photo Albums
• Meet & Mingle Photos
• Favorite Cruise Memories
• Cruise Food Photos
• Cruise Ship Photos
• Ports of Call Photos
• Towel Animal Photos
• Amazing, Funny & Totally Awesome Cruise Photos
• Write a Review
• Live Cruise Reports
• Member Cruise Reviews
• Create New...

• +1 800-442-4448
• My Account Hello Credits My Account Log out