Seabourn Ovation Review

In many ways, Ovation's size is an asset. It offers an additional dining option, a sushi restaurant first introduced on Encore, as well as a spacious venue for The Grill by Thomas Keller (which feels cramped on the smaller vessels). It also was the first to debut Seabourn's new alfresco dining concept -- Earth & Ocean at The Patio -- as well as the line's new gelato program. At mealtime, there's something for everyone. You can eat at The Restaurant every night and never be bored, or try a different venue for five nights without repeat (six, if you count in-suite dining). While there were a few minor hiccups, food was generally well executed, interesting and delicious.

The ship is gorgeous, thanks to the design inspiration of renowned interior designer Adam D. Tihany, with the help of ArtLink, the art provisioning service for the hospitality industry that curated the art collection onboard. (Though Ovation is laid out identically to Encore, it has its own look.) It also possesses a large number of seating nooks, both inside and out, for passengers to relax with a drink, a book or for a chat. You rarely feel the presence of those 600 travelers -- with the exception of The Colonnade buffet at peak hours.

Additionally, the ship is the only one in the fleet equipped with all-new high-speed internet technology. When we were online, we never had that sluggish, waiting-forever-for-the-page-to-load frustration (though occasionally we had trouble getting any access at all, which was likely due to the ship's positioning relative to its satellite).

And the vibe still feels like a small ship. Passengers find their go-to bar or evening routine, and you'll recognize the folks you consistently see in The Club, the gym or the casino. Folks are happy to socialize and engage with their shipmates. The ship quickly becomes your ship, with the comfortable feeling of home where people take care of you, rather than the big-ship feeling of being among strangers and valued only for your potential to spend more money.

The one place where size seems to have an impact is with service. Ovation strives for Seabourn's high service standards -- crew members know your name before you've met them and are generally warm and friendly, special requests are encouraged and accommodated as best the ship is able and you're never far from a drink. Officers and entertainment staff routinely host dining tables, taking care of solo travelers and bringing passengers together in a way that increases the camaraderie of the ship.

However, on our cruise, there were more service hiccups than passengers might expect, given Seabourn's reputation for flawless, intuitive service. Waiters didn't materialize immediately to take a drink order, and we often found ourselves trying to flag someone down, in either the Colonnade or a bar. Orders were misheard in The Restaurant, hot water for tea came lukewarm multiple times and dress code infractions were handled inconsistently and without empathy. Other passengers grumbled about mishandled anniversaries and difficulties with shoreside arrangements.

The hotel director chalked it up to new crew needing a few more months to gel, but passengers we spoke to wondered if Seabourn couldn't keep up the quality of service they're used to on the larger ship. That said, everyone agreed that the quibbles were minor, without a major impact on the enjoyment of their vacation.

Overall, the ship offers an effortless vacation experience, in which crew members go above and beyond to pamper passengers and make them feel at home. Whether it's too big, too small or just right is a matter of personal preference and the ability not to sweat the small stuff in the face of incredible destinations and a truly gorgeous, luxurious ship.