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Seabourn Cruise Line

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Seabourn Odyssey

Seabourn Quest

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Seabourn Ovation

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Adventure and luxury in Alaska

Brisbane

We had not been on Seabourn and very much enjoyed our first trip. Nice people. Pleasant staff and generally a product that is a notch up from other lines we’ve been on. 

Odyssey is an older vessel but I think this adds charm. Sure there are some imperfect things (tempura on a buffet is one) but never a lineup. First class cabin attendants. Excellent food including specialty restaurant and a Seabourn experience which impressed 95 percent of those on board. 

From soufflé to lobster to foie gras it was a notch above when it came to dining. As mentioned the buffet at times could be a bit hit and miss but there was/is tremendous variety. 

Coffee at Seabourn square a highlight.  As was the fact that you never show your card as all inclusive and never any attempt to up sell. 

We paid the equivalent of 630usd per day for 2 and think this is very good value. 

Was it we expected?   Were we happy we tried Seabourn? Absolutely.

8.5 out of 10

Our TA warned us that we would be "ruined" after sailing on Seabourn...he was so right! 

From the embarkation to debarkation we were treated like Royalty.

Each moment was a new experience.  The Staff met our every need.

Entertainment was over the top! Kudos to Robert amazing Cruise Director, and talented Singer!

Food was fabulous!  Service great! 

We did a Zodiak to the Misty Fiords, our experienced guide took us to places we could have never gone on another line, and we felt safe!

Each port was lovely but the experience on board exceeded our expectations.

When our time sadly came to an end, we were given personal attention to our waiting cab. Made us feel like we were the only ones on board...Just Amazing.  

The only word we felt could culminate the experience was, we felt "loved".  

Looking forwards to our next adventure with Seabourn wherever they may take us, it will be fabulous!

Amazing Luxury Cruise

We chose this cruise at the 2 months prior to embarkation. Got one of the last V3 cabins, but 5 weeks later got an offer from Seabourn to upgrade to a penthouse suite for $299 per person, Took it and loved the suite. It really added to the experience.  It was our second time on Seabourn.  The weather turned poor half way through, but that's Alaska in September. Ventures by Seabourn excursions were hit or miss depending on the guide or zodiac captain.  Both embarkation and debarkation were a breeze in Vancouver.  Our suite attendant meet us at our suite almost immediately.  Surprisingly there was no corridor party this cruise.  We also did not get to try the patio restaurant at night due to the weather.  Ship is in great condition.  Staff was great, although no one except those in the dining room remembered our names.  Strange thing about the caviar, no matter where in the ship it is ordered it has to be delivered by room service so it usually took awhile to get it in the bar areas.  Food was above average in all areas except for the Grill, which was phenomenal.  Example, crab cake in the Grill was lump crab and no filler, but in the main dining room it was pureed and breaded.  I was also surprised that the bars were missing some spirits like Pama.

Loved it

First of all, we enjoyed our time on the Odyssey, and most of the crew were exceptional. Matt Morgan the Cruise Director kept us informed and made the cruise fun. Most of the crew were professional, attentive and very friendly.

We chose Seabourn for our first cruise because we knew that a small ship was more our style. The ship overall was great, but showing her age. By the way, the Odyssey has been sold, this is her last season with Seabourn.

We liked the ability to walk into all of the restaurants without reservation (excluding Thomas Keller) and were seated immediately, the Colonnade always had a buffet for breakfast or you can order as well. They do request that you bring a jacket for certain events, but it was mostly casual, relaxed and fun.

Most of the excursions went off well, (Except the Ketchikan, Wilderness Cruise & Silverking Lodge Seafood Feast, boat mechanical failure) we really enjoyed all the sea life at Inian Islands, the Hubbard Glacier and Icy Strait Point. One thing to keep in mind is that the Odyssey, being a small ship rarely gets to dock (Except for Embarkation & Disembarkation) so lots of positioning off shore and riding the Tender boats in. If you are concerned about a suite located near the anchors, I don't believe they used them at all on our trip. They mostly use the ships engines and thrusters to maintain position when stopped for excursions.

On our last day we went on the Haines, Skagway train excursion. The Odyssey docks at Haines because the big ships take up the harbor at Skagway. So this requires a 45 min Catamaran ride to Skagway. The Narrow Gauge Railway was great and a highlight of the cruise, we also enjoyed the Catamaran ride(s) but, it was the last day of the cruise and we didn't get back till around 5pm. There were a lot of activities, dinner to go to AND you are supposed to have your luggage packed and outside your room by 11pm. We were really rushed and stayed up till 2:30am packing our luggage. First time cruisers mistake! I recommend keeping your schedule light on the last day so you can enjoy the festivities and pack. We also cancelled our Mendenhall Glacier excursion on disembarkation day because we were exhausted. I also don't recommend this last excursion because getting to your Juneau hotel is an excursion in itself. Masses of humanity from multiple ships are being off loaded around the same time, Juneau is a small town.

We stayed at the Baranof in Juneau, they store large amounts of luggage transferred off the cruise ships in conference rooms. A few of our bags were inadvertently transferred back to the ship, thankfully this was resolved by the Baranof staff. You may have to wait half a day to get into your room so plan accordingly. We extended our stay in Juneau two extra days to relax and explore the town a bit. Also note the Juneau airport is frequently socked in by fog, halting air travel. 

Food & related service were unacceptable for any cruise but especially "Ultra Lux". In general, we and our new friends described most food as bland. More specifically I had several experiences with the quality. The Colonnade: A veal dinner that had a quarter sized medallion of edible meat surrounded by a ribbon of fat and gristle, shrimp that tasted/smelled fishy, under-cooked. In their buffet; eggs were wet/runny (every day so this was intentional). So, I ordered an omelet, it was tiny and tasteless. The Restaurant: Salmon dinner completely raw, sent back, came back (20 mins later) extremely over cooked (how do you mess up salmon, especially in Alaska?!) Orders mixed up several times.

Service was inconsistent. For example in the Colonnade, you practically had to tackle someone to get coffee/water. Once you did, no one ever came back to refill, I was always chasing someone down.

Also, coffee has a different meaning depending on where you are on the ship. Communication can be challenging at times. I hate to say it, but after having a couple of meals in Juneau, we both said wow, that was the best food/service we've had in a week.

In general, even though the crew to passenger ratio was about 1:1, they seemed overwhelmed at times in the food venues. our cruise had about 386 passengers (capacity of 462).

Great Alaska cruise, food, service not so great.

Most Alaska cruises are 7 day affairs with stops at a glacier, Skagway, Juneau and Ketchikan. Been there, done that. We chose a 14 day itinerary that included the normal ports plus much more. Some examples: a fantastic excursion to watch bears fishing  for salmon. A zodiac at the nature-rich Inian Islands (humpbacks, sea lions, otters, eagles).  Zodiac from the ship up to Dawes Glacier; icebergs and calving. Sailing through Misty Fjords National Monument, also zodiac there. Wonderful zodiac ride at Alert Bay, BC, otters, eagles. Watching the humpbacks from the Odyssey in Whale Channel, with the professional Ventures crew. Interesting lectures by highly qualified marine experts. Etc. You get the idea, this isn’t your typical luxury cruise ship itinerary. But we got the luxury part too. Fun parties and events on the pool deck, including an amazing concert from the ship’s entertainment troupe while sailing out through Misty Fjords, unforgettable, easily the best sail-away ever. Also, we had considerably better entertainment onboard than we’ve recently experienced on Seven Seas Explorer and Oceania Marina. We found the food overall to be excellent, but for us, luxury isn’t so much about food, it’s about the experience. This cruise delivered Alaska in a beautifully designed and executed manner.

I used critic extensively to research cruises and thought I’d give back as Ive been on 12+ cruises,3 in the past year.

We booked the Odyssey fairly last minute. We’re from the Vancouver area and decided to go about a month in advance.We’re casual, outdoorsy people and thought Seabourn might be a good fit, we were not wrong.

We were a little frustrated with the port of Vancouver experience,it felt chaotic. Once we checked in though it was smooth sailing. Cruise Director Matt was there to welcome us onboard and we were in our cabin and had our luggage in less than an hour. Our welcome bottle of champagne awaited us. It really set the tone. We had booked a V4 deck 7, which we thought was a great location.

The staterooms are elegant, maybe a little tired, but roomy! We loved the larger bathroom and I loved having a tub. The storage and closet space were excellent.

The ship was beautiful,elegant,relaxed. We loved the various areas to sit. We particularity enjoyed the games room, well stocked and a pleasant place to play games. Although it’s a smaller ship there felt like there were lots of different areas;lounges,bars etc to explore.

The food in The Restaurant was good. It felt a little hectic the first night but seemed to improve over the week. We also started being clearer with our servers about our preferences which I think always helps. We really liked The Colonnade, great variety and pleasant staff. We really liked the outdoor seating area on sunny afternoons. The Grill was good, not overly memorable ,but solid.

We never attended the broadway style shows so we can’t comment on them. The individual entertainers ,a guitarist and pianist, were excellent. Fun, talented people who genuinely seemed to enjoy their jobs.

One negative for us was the sales people in the jewelry store. One night we passed some time looking.I don’t ever buy things, particularly higher value items, onboard. The sales pitch was intense and frankly cringey. It cheapened the whole  experience for me.

We loved the excursions on the ship. Yes they are expensive however, we always had a Seabourn expedition team member with us, and they were great. Ventures by Seabourn led by onboard naturalist, scientists, historians  were in our opinion worth the price. We loved hiking with a phd biologist, or taking or zodiac trip with a naturalist. This is the experiences you want in ALaska. 

They also featured a guest lectures who was knowledgeable and engaging, always around the ship willing to chat.

 We loved Alaska(helped that we had a sun filled week) and are so glad we did it on Seabourn!

Great way to experience Alaska 

Still Fabulous after all these years!

My husband and I first sailed aboard Seabourn in the Mediterranean in 2005 and then again in 2011 aboard the Seabourn Legend, one of their smaller ships.  Those two voyages turned us into small-ship cruise enthusiasts.   We remembered how amazingly friendly and attentive the entire crew was towards all the passengers—their willingness to do anything to make our day or evening better pampered on both cruises.  Then add the fabulous food and unique ports, and we were big fans of Seabourn for life.  

Life and circumstance prevented us from cruising with Seabourn until this past summer when we went aboard the Seabourn Odyssey with friends, cruising through the inland passage of Alaska.  We were excited to be back on Seabourn again but were a little apprehensive to see if they could live up to the expectations we remembered them by years ago.  We had hoped we hadn’t over-sold the experience to our friends going on their first cruise.  Much could have changed in the twelve years since we last cruised on Seabourn.  I was a little more apprehensive when I learned that the Odyssey was one of their oldest ships and had been sold to a Japanese ship company and was being leased back by Seabourn until 2024.  

Embarkation day came, and we were thrilled with the speed and ease of boarding the ship and getting to our cabins.  The female stewards greeted us with champagne and snacks, and our refrigerator was stocked with the requested beverages. 

There have been a few changes for the better since Covid.  We were asked to watch a short safety video on the TV and then report to our muster station to check in to prove we had watched the video and knew where to go in an emergency.  No more heading to the deck with our lifejackets to go through the awkward but formerly mandatory emergency drill.  

From then on, the cruise met and exceeded our expectations.  The crew was very different and more international than the Mediterranean crews had been, but all were very good at their jobs while always being professional and friendly.  They were eager to joke and laugh with the guests, knowing they and the guests would have a better day because of their great attitudes.  The crew worked hard everywhere we went but always had time for the passengers.

The food was as incredible as we had remembered it, and they still had their famous Chefs Galley Lunch, where the food was prepared buffet style in the kitchen, allowing the guests to move through the galley getting a tour while picking out their favorites.  The crab legs and Oysters were big hits for us.

However, one of the things that made our Alaska Cruise even more special was the Venture team they had on board.  This team was there to educate us about Alaska wildlife, history, and culture.  They also took us out on zodiacs, kayaks, and other small boats to get up close to see, hear, and experience the incredible nature around us.  Because of our small ship size, we could get into the Fjords and bays other larger ships were not allowed to go.  

Our favorite memories of this trip were the Venture trips to Hubbards Glacier, where we kayaked through the ice flows close to the six-mile-wide glacier face, listening to the white thunder of the glacier as it shifted forward.  Getting out on the zodiacs to see brown bears, eagles, otters, whales, and sea lions in several of the stops we made fulfilled all our Alaskan fantasies we had in planning the cruise. Seeing the Mystic Fjords and Inian Islands and cruising through the inland passages were all bonuses.  

The Venture Team’s fun and informative lectures about Alaska's history and natural beauty kept us busy aboard the ship. We enjoyed workshops on photography, the perspectives of the bald eagles, and learning so much from Niki, the Ventures Team Leader, about the history of Alaska.  Their presence and contribution took our experiences to a new level of luxury cruising.

The Odyssey had many miles on her.  Although she was maintained well inside, still showing her class, the outside showed a bit of wear on her hull.  I am sure the new Seabourn ships are shimmering in their new grandeur and beauty.  When picking a Seabourn cruise, you may want to select from among their newer ships, but either way, you’ll be sure to become a raving fan.

Our next adventure is on a World Cruise starting this December aboard the Viking Neptune, leaving from Ft. Lauderdale and sailing west around the world to London next May.   We hope our Viking experience will match the excellence of our Seabourn experiences. Our past river cruises aboard Viking were exceptional, so our expectations are high.  

Seabourn - still fabulous after all these years!

Wonderful destinations on this cruise between Fiji and Papeete. The crew and the fellow passengers was delightful and easy to talk to. The food was very good but could perhaps be a bit more adventurous - even people in the 60+ segment nowadays appreciate a bit more spicy food, the food was more safe and blend. However the one thing that really was not up to standard on this cruise was the complementary wine - The bottle of sparkling wine that was prepared in your cabin when you embark was not champagne, it was a sparkling wine....( Later on one occation we were served this also in a bar, trying to pass it as champagne) Where they out of enough bottles? Also - VERY BAD - was the wine selection at dinner. One red wine and one white complimentary wine was presented every night with dinner. Even when we asked, there were only  two other red wines to chose from, and we had to pick the one that suited us best and stick with it all of the cruise... We specifically asked several times for a list of the complimentary wines in the restaurant at dinner, and also at customer service but they kept saying that there were no wine list to see yet ... it did not appear for the 14 days that we were asking for it. The complimentary table wine was served by the waiter (ot course no need for a sommelier if you only have one option - red or white) This was very different from most cruises were we have been were you are offered a wide variety of  wines in your complimentary packade. We think this means a lot and add to the food exåperience. 

Also, a bit anoying was that they had a covid breakout on board with people quarantined in their own cabins (not in a specific sector of the boat). They also let the partner of the sick person leave the cabin, so there really was no quarantine at all. They did not tell us about it before we embarked, so that we may have decided if we did not want to go. The same evening they imposed mouth protection and told us about the quarantine. The same cleaning crew that was cleaning our cabin and others, was also cleaning 5 cabins close to us with covid quarantine. They did not superwise the use of mouthcovers and use of gel before the buffet.

Only one red/ one white complimentary wine for dinner! No champagne in cabin at embarkation. Not a good Covid health protocol..

St. Thomas

We had sailed on Seabourn 10 years ago to the Mediterranean and this time from Auckland to Sydney with stops on the east coast of New Zealand and the south of Australia. We wanted to escape the frenzied holidays at home and found on this cruise a delightful Christmas with caroling and Santa arriving by Zodiac to dancing on the pool deck for a fun New Year’s Eve with everyone from the ship in attendance. The atmosphere from start to finish was comraderie with staff and travelers. The dining selections were interesting but a little “flat”, while wines were “routine” without being special. The ship was spotless, the common rooms inviting, and the off shore visits/tours were interesting and well done. Unfortunately our Zodiac mission to the Milford Sound was wisely cancelled because of weather, but the Odyssey nicely toured the sound anyway. This was a near perfect cruise experience we hated to leave.

A Holiday away from the “holidays”

Carnival service, 5 star prices

First the good things, the cabin was very good, a veranda suite. The staff were mostly very nice, but they are lions led by donkeys. 

Now for the bad. The food for the money was deplorable. On second thoughts, not just for the money, it was just awful. I have had the dubious pleasure of sailing on Royal Caribbean at about a quarter of the price and the food was way better. Never mind the likes of Sea Dream which are on a different planet. 

There are 4 places to eat. The Main Restaurant with waiter service has a bigger menu. We sat down first night and were brought rancid butter. None of the staff understood rancid, bad we said, they brought us more. Then the fish arrived. It was totally off and inedible. It went back untouched. No one cared. We tried this restaurant twice more then gave up. Cold, tasteless slop mostly.

The Colonade Restaurant is buffet for lunch and waiter service for dinner. Lunch is OK but you would expect better for the money. For dinner there is very limited choice. We used this a few nights but on the last they brought me a totally off salmon which was disgusting and inedible. At least they apologised this time.

There is an allegedly posh restaurant called the Grill but it only seats 40 people and you need to reserve. So 350 on the boat for a week only a few are going to get in. Its very poncy but the food is moderately good at best. Nothing really delicious. 

Outside is the Patio, dogs, burgers etc. We ended up eating there a few times because the rest of the eateries were just so poor and / or very limited choice.

None of this surprises me because the management are useless. Mass confusion and lack of information over everything. They changed the clocks twice on a 10 day cruise and couldnt coordinate it. The clocks and TV in the room said one time, the restaurants and the rest of the ship were on another. So we turned up at dinner to be told we were too late. And told it was our fault. Ordered by the prison guard type, so called manager in charge to eat in our room. Which is not good and the food comes cold.

If you saw someone in the best restaurant seats with what looked like decent food, it was the management. At the lunch where you go into the kitchen for a buffet, the officers etc had the highest piled plates. Maybe they had something different but what we had was fairly ordinary. All in all the management seemed like they were having a great time while totally ignoring the guests.

Other things : They made everyone have the stick up the nose test on arrival when their publicity said it was not necessary if vaccinated. They claim you get free unlimited internet , but it doesnt work most of the time and then they try to sell you an upgrade. They sold us an excursion but didn’t mention that there were two parts to it, so no one was prepared for the 3 hour second part and hardly anyone went , etc etc.

There were a number of other screw ups I could mention but you get the picture by now.

I would not return. For similar money there are many many better alternates and if you are happy with this level of food and service, Carnival etc are way cheaper

Carnival Minus Experience, 6 Star Prices

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