Are Seabourn Cruises Worth It?

Ultra-luxury line Seabourn offers an incredible vacation experience but it comes with a price tag. Are Seabourn Cruises worth it?

I grew up sailing in inside cabins on last minute deals, usually in the Caribbean – the logic was always that you could save the difference between that inside cabin and a balcony and use it towards another cruise. Thanks to that mindset I have been on quite a few cruises in my lifetime. I had never even considered a luxury cruise. In this I will try to answer the question, is a luxury cruise really worth it?

However, when the opportunity presented itself to be able to go on a Seabourn cruise I was ecstatic. Seabourn is one of a couple of handfuls of luxury lines out there.

Are Seabourn Cruises Worth it?

Their website touts that Seabourn “offers unique, all-inclusive, luxury cruise vacations featuring ports of call around the globe with service consistently ranked best of the best.” It was all of this and more. Suffice it to say I wasn’t disappointed.

Whether a Seabourn cruise is worth it to you depends a lot on what you expect from a cruise experience. If an all-inclusive onboard atmosphere, attentive service, excellent food are important to you and you want to sail on itineraries off the beaten path Seabourn cruises will likely be worth it for you.

Interested in Cruising Seabourn?
✅ Check Seabourn cruise prices by clicking here!

My Seabourn Experiences

The first on the Seabourn Encore for 10 days in the Mediterranean (Barcelona to Civitavecchia), the second for a week on the Seabourn Odyssey in the Caribbean (Barbados to Sint Maarten). The next was again on the Seabourn Odyssey, this time in Alaska, and most recently was on the Seabourn Sojourn for two weeks from Copenhagen to Norway.

Leading up to the first cruise in the Mediterranean I was excited and a bit intimidated. For the first time in a long time I was researching cruise-ship dress codes, not wanting to seem out of place in this luxury world. After having sailed on dozens of cruises as a passenger and literally lived onboard as a crew member and spouse, how would a cruise on a luxury line be different?

Embarkation

When we arrived at the terminal for check-in there were complimentary drinks being provided, there was no-line, and the crew already knew our names.

There is no assigned boarding times with Seabourn and can plan to join the ship from about 11:00am on embarkation day until an hour or so before departure. You’ll want to check over the cruise information they send you for what time frame this might look like. I’d recommend getting onbard early enough to enjoy a fabulous lunch.

Your suite may not be ready when you first join the ship though – but don’t worry, the bars will be open! Once all suites are ready they’ll make an announcement letting everyone know.

What is the Dress Code Onboard?

The dress code onboard was more relaxed than I expected, with everyone wearing what I would call resort casual. Slightly more upscale that on my previous cruises, but also fairly un-stuffy.

While I am sure there were those wearing designer labels, during the day a pair of shorts or a sundress seemed to fit in fine. In the evenings at the restaurants it was again resort casual – basically no jeans or shorts, and a button down shirt for the gentleman.

At The Club – the bar with a live band playing into the evenings that was nicely located adjacent to an open air deck – a pair of dark jeans would be fine. I wouldn’t wear just a t-shirt in the evenings but for gentlemen would go for a collared shirt of some sort.

They had a formal night as well, although the dress code was mostly for the more formal of the restaurants and there was still plenty to do if you opted to stay more casual.

Embarkation Day Lunch

When we got onboard we went to lunch at The Colonnade (their version of the typical “Lido Buffet”) that is far more than your normal buffet. A server would come around and see what you would like for beverages, and while there was a lovely buffet, you could also order a variety of items through the server as well.

After that you wander up to the bar, and, no need to show them your card, why yes I think I will have a glass of champagne, thank you very much! I was also impressed from even that very first meal onboard how knowledgeable and accommodating they were with my food allergy. (Yay!)

🍷 Interested in Cruising Seabourn?
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Smaller Ships, More Suites

Seabourn ships are small compared to the mega-ships of today, with only 600 guests on the larger of Seabourn’s ships, like the Seabourn Encore and 450 on the Seabourn Odyssey; however, this allows them to navigate into smaller ports, as well as to create a club-like, intimate atmosphere onboard.

All staterooms on Seabourn ships are suites and as such I was excited to see what ours had to offer. Our suite was well appointed with possibly the most comfortable bed I’ve ever slept in, a fully stocked mini-fridge (to our tastes, that you can pre-select prior to joining the ship – a bottle of rum for me and vodka for my husband).

You can also expect a welcome bottle of champagne, a walk-in closet, a bathroom drenched in marble and granite with a tub, double sink vanity, a separate shower stall (with multiple spray heads) an assortment of Molton Brown products (which will make your hair feel like silk), as well as truly luxurious bathrobes and slippers.

The suite also included a spacious balcony, sitting area, and dining table. There was a separate vanity for putting on your makeup and jewelry, and well designed storage. Lots of different light options and a good number of USB ports, too.

The television was interactive, where you could select movies, TV shows, news, and sports channels to watch, as well as information about the cruise such as the program of activities for the day, port information, and your bill (if you had one).

What is included in “All-Inclusive”?

All-inclusive is a somewhat deceptive term, because while everything you need onboard is included, there were still areas to spend money. However, it’s pretty close to all-inclusive and you can easily disembark the ship with a statement reading “zero” dollars.

Included onboard:

• All drinks except certain top shelf liquors and wines
• Dining at all restaurants
• Room Service (including getting extra beer and soda delivered to your cabin)
• Onboard gratuities (tips are never expected)
• In cabin mini-bar stocked to your preferences
• Basic Wi-Fi package
• all onboard entertainment including guest lecturers

Not included:

• shore excursions
• spa
• shops

Being all-inclusive is among my favorite parts of cruising with Seabourn. When I first started going on cruises I loved that there weren’t prices on the menus. I loved the feeling of sitting in a restaurant and knowing everything on the menu was already included.

On the majority of cruise lines now there are a-la-carte add ons to the menus, there are specialty restaurants that cost extra, and should you want extra surf with your turf there is a surcharge with that. There are some items on Seabourn that do carry extra cost aside from the obvious ones like the spa, shops, or shore excursions, but aside from some top shelf liquors and wines those costs are few and far between.

The specialty coffee shop did not have an extra charge for the hot chocolate, or the cappuccino, or the latte. There was no charge for that evening glass of wine, or perhaps you want to try something a bit different – maybe a whisky sour or a Hemingway daiquiri.

Be like James Bond and order a dry martini, shaken, not stirred. There was never a charge at any of the restaurants, including the specialty ones. The only difference to dining at the specialty restaurants was you may need a reservation.

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Expect a relaxed cruise environment

The entertainment level was perfect for what we were looking us and what we expected.

There were talks on the places we were going, trivia in the afternoon, a show at night, and a band playing in the evening. The entertainment included a production of An Evening with Tim Rice, a partnership with the acclaimed musical theater lyricist.

There was afternoon tea, and a pianist for evening hors d’oeuvres. There were enough pools they didn’t feel crowded, and a bartender (even coming around by the back aft pool) making sure you always had plenty of libations.

By the pools they would have sunscreen in varying SPF’s available, not for purchase, simply just to be convenient for your use. And, while we didn’t use them while onboard there was a nice gym facility and a Spa & Wellness program in partnership with Dr. Andrew Weil.

There aren’t water slides to be found. But, you can enjoy a pianist while you sip on a cocktail in the afternoon. Relax in the hot tub overlooking the wake of the ship while you sail through the Norwegian Fjords. Enjoy your private balcony.

The Extras

Our stateroom steward saw that Stuart had a pension for local beers and thusly stocked our mini-fridge with beers local to each of the ports we were going to. She knew I liked berries and would deliver a bowl of berries to the suite every afternoon.

On our first cruise with Seabourn we were newly engaged and they decorated our suite accordingly, on our second cruise with Seabourn we were on our honeymoon and they once again went above and beyond (without us asking at all).

Rose petals scattered on the bed, a bubble bath drawn, and while the wine was all complimentary, a well presented extra bottle of wine to enjoy.

No Lines

We never waited in line to get on a tender and never had to get a tender ticket. We enjoyed caviar in the surf where the crew (including officers) were in the water serving us champagne. They towed us around on inner tubes, we had lobster for lunch. We ordered room service for breakfast and had it served on white linen table cloths. We ate at The Grill by Thomas Keller and on the Seabourn Encore enjoyed their sushi restaurant.

One night I really liked what was on the menu for The Restaurant (their main restaurant) but Stuart really liked something on the menu at The Colonnade, so we went to both, and sat outside at The Colonnade enjoying a few glasses of wine while looking out at the sea.

There Is So Much Included

There was never an extra charge for any of it, and not only that, we didn’t have to get our room card out to see we had the beverage package, or to see if that dinner was included. As it was all included for everyone on a ship where you needed to have saved some money to get there ironically onboard money, or the cost of something, was never brought up.

Tipping is included in the fare of your cruise and, as we didn’t go to the spa or book an excursion we left the ship with a $0 balance on our stateroom account. While the all-inclusive has a more expensive upfront cost, the inclusions and service certainly helped to make up the difference. I left feeling relaxed and pampered.

Are Seabourn Cruises Worth It?

Would we sail on an Seabourn with their all-inclusive luxury every time? No, because each cruise line is designed for a different experience.

Would it be the right experience for a family vacation with our nieces and nephews? I don’t think so. I think they would enjoy a larger ship with more kids activities, and that’s alright. Not every cruise is meant for every type of holiday.

To relax, be pampered, see parts of the world you haven’t seen before – Seabourn is absolutely worth it.

🛳️ Interested in Cruising Seabourn?
✅ Check Seabourn cruise prices by clicking here!

To get you more excited about cruising Seabourn. Here’s a sail away from Port Elizabeth in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines from the Seabourn Odyssey.