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Thursday 9th Feb 2012
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Seabourn success |
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Reviewed By: Underwood, Maidstone on 22nd Jan 2010
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| Cruise Line: Seabourn |
Times cruised before: 10+ |
| Cruise Ship: Seabourn Legend |
Sailed:
August,
2009 |
| Destination:
Mediterranean
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Age: 56-65 |
| Cabin: Suite |
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First of all, we had absolutely NO complaints. Overall it was really fantastic, but quite different from our years with P&O. We took a TA package which included business class flights to Barcelona, 2 nights 5* hotel, 7 night cruise along the French Riviera and return flight from Nice. Also included were all transfers and valet parking at Heathrow. Everything worked out very well.
The ship is tiny – only 200 pax, so a fraction of the size of mainstream cruise ships, but they make a virtue of this and rate themselves 6*. It is also a bit old (1992) but has been upgraded since and is well maintained. The Gym and the pools are small, but Pilates and Yoga are complimentary. Thankfully, there are no photographers or art auctions. There was only one formal night.
We didn't use the spa, casino or gym. There is a small library with books and DVDs, which operates informally with no register of loans
Embarkation was straightforward and efficient, with individual staff collecting us from the terminal and escorting us on board for the usual registration etc.
Passenger mix was about 70% British 30% US, with a few others mixed in. Lots of like-minded people. They supply a passenger list too. It is a US brand, so on-board currency is $US. There were no children, but a few teenagers. They really hadn't got much to do as there are no special facilities for them, but they seemed cto enjoy it OK.
Cabins
Apart from about 4 ‘owners’ suites’, all the cabins are the same and are all called suites, the price varying only by position on the ship. They are about the same size and layout as a P&O mini-suite. There are no balconies except for a few that have had mini-balconies added; these are only about 20 cm deep, so no real access to the outside, but they do have French windows that allow some fresh air in when required. They ask you not to leave the doors open though, because it upsets the aircon. There are no inside cabins. Bathroom was pretty standard, but no separate shower enclosure and only one basin. Housekeeping was superb, with a very personal flavour. The minibar is stocked with whatever you want and topped up daily without charge. However, as the whole ship had continuous open bars, we left ours untouched. There are no tea-making facilities in the cabins, but 24 hour room service and breakfasts are very efficient.
Staff
Very high staff/pax ratio. Officers mainly Norwegian and British, housekeeping and waiters European. There is a no tipping policy and tips are ‘neither required nor expected’. After the first day, every one of them addressed us immediately by name. In Marseilles, Chris went ‘shopping with the Chef’ to buy local produce, which is another Seabourn custom. He noted - magically - Chris's casual remarks about my own preferences, and dinner that night was adjusted to suit - also by some supernatural communication, and without remark.
Food
Superb food, and far better than P&O ‘school dinners’. There is only one sitting in the main restaurant, with free seating. In the event, we came together with a small group of other Brits and spent most evenings very pleasantly as a group of 8. The other restaurant on the terrace concentrates on more individual tasting and theme menus, but as it only holds 32 it is usually fully booked. Complimentary open bars serve very good quality wines and spirits and we were never really tempted to fork out for any of their ‘fine vintages’ which would have come out at about $90 per bottle. Breakfast and lunch are served either in the restaurant, (or in your suite) or on the terrace as a buffet, though you are never allowed to do something as tiring as carrying your own plate around. Officers and entertainers host tables, and invite different passengers to join them each evening. Also, BBQs with quite sophisticated menus are arranged on the open deck from time-to-time.
Entertainment
The size of the ship determines the character of this. There are no lavish Production Shows and the acts are tailored more to the cabaret environment. The cruise director and his deputy both sang each night and there was an excellent Polish couple, and a Philippino band. The quality was much higher than it sounds and we enjoyed the scale and the informality. there was also a night of 'movies under the stars' on deck with fresh popcorn, though we were doing something else so we didn't actually experience that.
At anchor ports, such as La Lavandou, a flap is lowered and extended from the stern and a marina created, including a large seawater pool and a platform for complimentary watersports such as water-skiing, kayaking, windsurfing and banana boat riding. Great fun.
Excursions
We didn’t take any. They were very expensive and had too many monasteries, so we enjoyed exploring on our own.
So what next? Certainly we would dearly love to take another, longer cruise with Seabourn, but we might experiment with comparable products such as Sea Dream (even smaller), or Silversea (larger but similar character). Also, Seabourn have a new ship (Odyssey) launched in June 09, with another one in June 10 and a further one the year after. These are larger, with about 450 pax and have 90% balconies. We will never go back to P&O and the price difference between a premium cabin on a mainstream ship and Seabourn is surely there, but is reduced by the absence of tipping and the inclusive drinks.
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| Quality of Food |  |
| main restaurant (dinner) and terrace alfresco (breakfast and lunch) | | Entertainment | |
| Shows were not elaborate, but the the Phillipino band and the Polish duo were sensational | | Shore Excursions |  |
| Too expensive | | Staff | |
| Every single one | | Children's Facilities | n/a |
| | Onboard Activities |  |
| Yes, considering the ship's size and the appetites of the passengers | | Cabins | |
| No balcony, only one basin, no separate shower | | Overall Rating | |
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