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Thursday 9th Feb 2012
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We Were Thoroughly Spoilt!
We were thoroughly spoilt! |
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Reviewed By: O'Connor, Leigh-on-Sea on 1st Sep 2009
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| Cruise Line: Seabourn |
Times cruised before: 10+ |
| Cruise Ship: Seabourn Spirit |
Sailed:
August,
2009 |
| Destination:
Adriatic
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Age: 56-65 |
| Cabin: Suite |
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On our 3 week cruise we visited several interesting destinations, such as Rovinj, Monopoli, Koper, Opatija and Lipari which do not feature in the itineraries of many larger vessels. This avoids the duplication of destinations that can become boring and was what first drew us to our choice of cruise.
Initially the price seemed outlandishly high, but when we deducted the money we would have spent on drinks, tips, service charges at the bar, and other such hidden expenses on most cruises, it wasn’t so bad. Also, when we arranged to go for three consecutive weeks, the discount on the brochure price for each individual week was huge.
The thing that I had worried about, before going on this, our first experience of a 6 star yacht, was that the other passengers might have been rather too “upper crust” for us, mere mortals, and that we would have problems socialising with them. I needn’t have worried; apart from one passenger, who never failed to work her wealth and the fame of her family, into every conversation, all the passengers were just normal, polite, friendly people.
Something that has put us off very small ships before is that we both get sea-sick very easily, and had reckoned that “Bigger is better” when it comes to stability. We took a chance on this tiny vessel of only about 10,000 tons because the waters we would be travelling on looked, on the map, to be quite peaceful. We were never able to test “Spirit’s” stability as, in three weeks, we never had any seas other than flat calm ones.
There were no facilities for children on board, so, apart from about five quiet, self-contained well behaved teenagers/early 20s, all the other passengers were adults, mainly over 35, which suited us very well as we both work in education and like to have child-free holidays where possible.
The cabins, sorry, “State rooms”, were spacious and the windows were very big: 5ft x 4ft, approx. These windows didn’t open, but the air-con was very efficient. Those rooms with French windows that opened could not really be referred to as having balconies, as there was just a safety bar to stop you falling out, but at least you could choose fresh air and the sound of the sea.
The feature that made the cruise stand out over any other cruise we’ve been on, and we’ve been on many different lines, but mainly all the different Cunard ships, was the standard of service. If you’ve been on Cunard, the waiter service was at least as good as in the “Queens Grill”. This could not be surpassed. With a one-to-one ratio of crew to passengers, everyone was made to feel that they were, actually, the most important person on the ship. Waiters managed the difficult balancing act of being attentive in the extreme but without being obtrusive or ingratiating. And yes, it’s true what they claim: by the end of Day One, if not before, every waiter knows the name of every passenger and politely refers to them by surname and title all the time. All other staff and officers are equally efficient and helpful without being fawning or over-friendly.
The food was excellent and, if not to your taste, or if you wanted something special, you only had to ask and you got what you wanted, provided Willy the chef had 24 hours’ notice. Eg we fancied Beef Wellington tomorrow. So we had it specially made (no extra charge) Steak Diane? Certainly…prepared at the table by an experienced chef, flambéing an exquisite sauce and frying the thin steaks before our very eyes. Mainly, however, the food on the menu was of a wide enough choice to please most palates. There were 3 restaurants to choose from, or room-service would bring you your entire meal, course by course, if you preferred.
Don’t worry, if you are travelling alone, about the fact that there are no set seating plans for meals. It is normal, travelling alone or with others, to be invited to dine at the table of one of the officers or entertainers, so you will not have to sit alone nor have to ask a stranger if you may join them. Turning down the invitation is not frowned upon, by the way.
The entertainment was the only area of the cruise that I thought could have been better organised. “The Smiths”, and Tom, though instrumentalist virtuosos, I found boring as featured acts, …I like something else, like singing or dancing to be part of a show, not solely music, but that’s just my opinion. The individual singers, Rachel, Judith, Arwen and Cruise Director, Matt, were superb performers, and the backing group, Synchrony, was versatile and talented. The problem was that we, and most other passengers, were on board for more than one week, and the second (and third!) week’s entertainment programme was 85% the same as the first. As the destinations go on a three week roll before being repeated, I would have thought that with a bit of ingenuity, the entertainment could also be on a three week roll.
Apart from that small complaint, the only problem I have with Seabourn is that now, having been so thoroughly spoilt, it’s going to be very hard to be satisfied on any other “normal” cruise ship!
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| Quality of Food |  |
| Lunches on the outdoor Veranda were my favourite meals. All the food venues were equally good, though dinner in the Sky bar or Restuarant 2 had just the set menus, (different each evening,) so we ate in Restaurant 1 each night. | | Entertainment |  |
| I thought "The Smiths" lacked all charisma. All the other acts were excellent, but repetitive if you were travelling for more than one week.. | | Shore Excursions | n/a |
| | Staff | |
| It would be impossible to single out the most impressive member of staff...the thing that makes Seabourn so special is that ALL their staff are impressive! | | Children's Facilities | n/a |
| | Onboard Activities | n/a |
| | Cabins | |
| | Overall Rating | |
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