Seabourn
Sojourn
Luxury Cruising through the
"Yachtsman’s Caribbean"
by
Linda Coffman
December 2010, Miami, FL —
Founded on the principle that dedication to personal service in
elegant surroundings would appeal to sophisticated,
independent-minded passengers whose lifestyles demand the best, The
Yachts of Seabourn has lovingly maintained their original trio of
megayachts
for more than two decades. Although the 208-guest Seabourn
Pride, Spirit, and Legend, which entered service in 1988, 1989, and
1992 respectively, have been routinely updated with new features,
the announcement late in 2006 that Seabourn would embark on a
building program and add a new set of triplets to the fleet was met
with great expectations by the line's past guests as well as
industry watchers.
Launched in 2009, the 450-guest Seabourn Odyssey was followed by
Seabourn Sojourn in 2010 and the third of the 32,000 ton ships,
Seabourn Quest will enter service in 2011. Triple the tonnage and
with more than double the guests onboard, would the larger ships
deliver the line's traditional experience of understated elegance
and signature features in a larger setting? That's what the Cruise
Diva team set out to discover as we boarded Seabourn Sojourn in Port
Everglades. Our "Yachtsman’s Caribbean" 10-night cruise visited San
Juan, St. John, St. Kitts, St. Barts, and Isla Catalina where we
splashed in the water during Seabourn's signature champagne
and caviar in the surf party. We also spent four relaxing days at
sea.
Getting Our Sea Legs
Although we arrived at the terminal at the start of the 1:00 pm
to 3:00 pm embarkation window, check-in proved to be efficient with
no waiting. Once upstairs we were quickly escorted on board by
stewards who relieved us of our carry-ons and showed us to the Grand
Salon where light snacks and refreshments were served until suites
were ready. This is where the personal attention began. After less
than an hour, stewards began greeting guests by name and guiding
them to their suites. Our veranda suite 620 was conveniently located
on Deck 6 so it was a short walk from the Grand Salon.
Our stewardess arrived shortly after we did bearing a tray with
champagne and canapés and to offer us a choice of soaps for the
bath. We were indecisive so she left both soaps after showing us
some of the features of our 300 square foot home for the next ten
days. There would be plenty of time to relax and enjoy the 65 square
foot
veranda, so we went exploring and soon found ourselves at the Sky
Bar overlooking the main pool. As newcomers to Seabourn we were
greeted by a friendly group of repeat guests and quizzed about our
skill at trivia. One don't-miss activity is the daily team trivia
contest, but we're sadly lacking. Not a problem, we had a grand time
getting to know one another and planned to meet later in the cruise
for dinner. It's almost a law that sailaway includes entertainment
and toasts and we raised our glasses as Sojourn inched away from the
pier and we were on our way.
 |
| The View Aft of Seabourn
Square |
The Heart of Sojourn: Seabourn
Square
I must admit that before I saw it, I wasn't sure how Seabourn Square
would work with no "real" reception counter. As I discovered, the
concept is genius. Guest Services representatives are always present
at desks in the center of Seabourn Square in a "cubicle" type
arrangement. Surrounding their semi-private spot are comfortable
seating areas, the computer
center, library
shelves, the Destination Services
counter, boutiques, and the Coffee Shop & Bar,
where sandwiches, baked items, and ice cream, as well as cocktails,
are served throughout the day. Tucked into a corner of
Seabourn Square is the desk of one of the busiest people on board,
the Cruise Sales Specialist who is available to book future voyages.
Immediately aft, a wide open deck with more comfortable seating affords a
view of the ship's wake and is the ideal spot for sitting in the
sunshine or shade to relax. Before long, Seabourn Square became my
favorite spot on board. Most mornings you could find me on the aft
deck after stopping inside for a cup of coffee and a pastry to start
the day.
Dining Delights
As expected, dining on a Seabourn cruise is an exquisite
experience. Food and cruise travel just naturally go hand-in-hand
and for us the breadsticks symbolized the excellence of the meals on
Seabourn Sojourn. Everyone loved them and every night they were
perfect—crispy and flavorful. They’re so good that many guests would
have gladly taken the breadstick baker home with them. Like the
breadsticks, all dishes are carefully prepared using the highest
quality meats and seafood for diners in Seabourn Sojourn's four
restaurants.
- The Restaurant is the main dining room where the
atmosphere is stylish and elegant, but not stuffy, and the menus are
diverse and interesting.
- The Colonnade is the daytime buffet for
breakfast and lunch and features themed evening bistro dining such
as French, Italian, Midwestern, Spanish, and Indian, as well as
alternative steak and fish offerings with table service, either
inside or al fresco.
- The Patio Grill is poolside with salads,
burgers, and other favorites at lunch and table service on most
evenings when grilled steaks and seafood are featured.
- Innovative tasting menus in the reservations-required
Restaurant 2 include seven sensibly portioned courses
served in a casual, friendly style. Reservations are required, but
there is no additional charge.
Wines chosen to complement each meal proved to be very good on our
cruise and we enjoyed trying a wide variety of new vintages.
Lastly, of course there is room service which is set up with
flair—and crisp tablecloths—en suite, even at breakfast.
Guests may order from the restaurant menus during dining hours. Or,
if there is something you want, such as the sliced papayas Mel
craved at midnight, all you have to do is ask. If it's available,
room service will provide it.
Cruise Diva is far from a food critic, but a few dishes deserve
special mention. My room service breakfast often included Eggs
Benedict after I first tried them just to see how they would measure
up to those in the dining room. Even from room service, they were
consistently delicious with a creamy lightly flavored sauce and
always arrived piping hot. When I ordered Grilled Nigerian Shrimps
from the Patio Grill evening menu I expected to receive jumbo
shrimps, but had no idea how jumbo. The shrimps, which were served in the
shell, were so huge that they could have been mistaken for small
lobsters. Every steak I ordered arrived as rare as I like and most
didn't need a steak knife to cut them. This may seem like something
odd to mention, but Seabourn Sojourn has the very best crispy French
fries you'll find anywhere.
While dining hours are set, restaurants are open seating and
guests dine with whom they please, when they wish, within the
scheduled times. Requests for tables for two were always honored in
The Restaurant and evenings in The Colonnade.
Where else are you going to play, relax, and sleep on board?
Seabourn Sojourn -> Part Two
Photographs,
© Linda Coffman, CruiseDiva.com
From Cruise Diva's Seabourn
Sojourn Blog
Archive:
More from
CruiseDiva.com:
SeabournCruise Reviews
Seabourn
Line Profile
Articles
& Advice
Cruise
Reviews
Cruise
Line Profiles
