Seabourn Sojourn Cruising at its very Best

Last year I was lucky enough to take my first ever Luxury Cruise onboard Seabourn Sojourn sailing 9 nights from Monte Carlo to Heraklion. I have to say as this was my first experience of a Luxury/ Small ship and having only previously sailed on the Mainstream Large ships I was slightly apprehensive about what to expect. Below is a little glimpse into my first expectation of the ship and in my next blogs I will go into more detail about the cabins available, entertainment and most importantly the food onboard.

I guess one of the first noticeable things, when I arrived, was although this was a small ship in terms of cruise lines, carrying only 450 passengers, these ships are still pretty impressive and dismissed one of my concerns that I would feel every wave whilst we sailed.

For the first time ever when joining a cruise, there were no long queues or waiting in a lounge to get on board. At about 12 O’clock I checked in and was immediately directed to the gangplank to the ship where a red carpet awaited me. Your key card is issued in a little leather wallet which I thought was a nice touch.

I made my way to the Pool Deck to get accustomed with my home for the few days. We were told the Suites would not be ready until 2 o’clock so this gave me time to have lunch and a look around. On Seabourn, something I was constantly told until I got it right was there are no cabins on board only Suites and in fact there aren’t even any Passengers just Guests!!! On arriving at the Pool Deck you are immediately welcomed by extremely friendly waiters offering you a variety of cocktails or champagne. First impressions of the Pool Deck area were very impressive, very modern and clean, towels positioned on all the loungers and around the pool. Not your usual scramble for a lounger or feeling like a sardine squashed in on here, although the weather was beautiful the Pool area was never full.

For lunch, I choose to eat at the Patio Grill a casual eatery that is next to the pool. There is a small self-service area that serves salads, fruit, hot or cold sandwiches and different types of meat that seemed to change each day. In addition to this, you can order from a menu which serves the most amazing cooked to order Thomas Gueller Napa Burgers (Celebrity Chef) and hot dogs and fries. Nachos and dips are also brought to everyone’s table for you whilst you wait for your food to be prepared.

Something that you will soon come to learn on a Seabourn ship is that your glass will be never empty! All drinks are complimentary with Seabourn and the waiters do a very good job in spotting that your glass is in need of a refill. On several occasions before I had even asked for another drink, there was one waiting for me.

Eventually, our cabins (Sorry Suites!) were ready, mine was located on Deck 8 the same as the Pool Deck. There are only 11 Decks on board so I was high up and midship in suite 830.

The Suites are amazing! A very good size, most Suites onboard have a bath, separate shower, and double marble sinks and flooring. Molton Brown toiletries are provided. You also have a small vanity area and a large walk-in wardrobe. There is a large double bed and a separate seating area with a sofa, two chairs, and a table. My suite could sleep 4 using the sofa. There was a curtain that separated the seating area from the bed if needed.

The Duvets are very heavy and warm. It’s not advertised but you can request a lighter Duvet if you prefer.

You also have a large Veranda with 2 chairs and a table.

On arrival there was a bottle of champagne waiting and also a fully stocked mini bar which is also included in the price. You have a little file which contains all the details about your cruise including the Seabourn Herald which features all your activities and shore excursions for your itinerary. Personalized stationery was available. Another nice touch was that you are also given a guidebook for your itinerary, for my cruise I had a Mediterranean and Greek Isles book.

Also, Agnes, my Suite attendant called round to introduce herself with a glass of champagne and canapes to welcome me onboard.

Now one thing I had expected was that my luggage would have been delivered sooner than on the mainstream cruise lines as there are a lot fewer passengers but this wasn’t the case, my luggage was delivered about 4pm so still remember to pack a small bag with anything you need straight away.

After the Mandatory lifeboat drill I headed out on the deck for the Sail Away Party, it was here we were introduced to the Cruise Director Ross Roberts and his team. The entertainment team is much smaller, as you would expect, consisting of just 5 singers and 2 Dancers. During the Sail away we were offered champagne or cocktails and canapes were brought around the pool areas for us to try. It was here that I started to understand about Seabourn and their ‘regular’ guests. The guests were hugging the crew as if they were old friends who had been acquainted once again. The crew seemed to know all their names and their favorite drinks you really did get the impression this was a home away from home, something which was confirmed during the Sail Away Party when the Cruise Director told us over 3/4 of the People on board were past passengers. As we got underway the singers and dancers performed for us as we sailed out from Monte Carlo.

After the Sail Away it was time to get ready for Dinner. The dress code was quite smart and most guests adhered to this dress code. For the main dining room, a collared shirt was required with slacks for the men and a dress or smart separates for the ladies.

Dining in the main dining room starts at 7pm and you can choose to eat at any time (no set dining). You can choose a table for 2 or various size tables depending on your party size or whether you choose to dine with other guests.

You can also request to join a hosted table, this is where a member of the crew will host a table and invite several guests to join them. During my time on board I was hosted by the Cruise Director & guest entertainers etc. This is great if you are traveling solo as is a good way to meet your fellow guests onboard.