The Good Life Onboard
Seabourn’s all-suite accommodations offer sweeping ocean views, elegant décor, and all the pampering comforts of a five-star hotel
Any traveler who has ever sailed on a Seabourn cruise knows that the all-suite staterooms are more like an elegant but comfortable pied-à-terre in Paris, New York, or Los Angeles than a typical boat cabin.
Instead of round portholes that show only a glimpse of the sky, guests can enjoy panoramic views from either a large picture window or floor-to-ceiling windows that open to the fresh sea air. Many of the suites have their own verandas so that cappuccino and freshly baked croissants can be enjoyed alfresco in the hundreds of ports where one of the six Yachts of Seabourn stop.
The experience could range from morning coffee in a tiny South Pacific cove, or a late- evening cognac gazing up at the light-studded Hong Kong skyline.
The suites range in size from 277 square feet on the original three sister yachts, Pride, Spirit, and Legend, to larger suites ranging from 300 to 1200 square feet on the next-generation yachts Odyssey, Sojourn, and Quest. “When the company began in 1988, virtually all of the cruises were two weeks long,” says Pamela C. Conover, president and CEO. “The design was to ensure that each suite would be a comfortable, welcoming vacation home at sea. Each has a separate seating area, walk-in closet, personal refrigerator, and bar that we stock to the guests’ requests.”
The idea is to provide an oasis at sea, but one that feels like home so that guests can entertain or even take their meals in their suites. Fine Egyptian cotton linens, fluffy duvets, and king-size hypoallergenic feather pillows encourage the most restful sleeps of one’s life. Each suite also benefits from the expert attentions of a professional stewardess, who makes sure the bar is stocked to each guest’s preference on arrival, with a selection of soft drinks, beer, mineral water, and favorite wines or spirits, along with Schott-Zwiesel glassware as part of the upscale experience.
The stewardess also raises the comfort factor exponentially, providing fine French-milled soaps and bath amenities by Molton Brown, and, on request, drawing a warm, scented bath from Seabourn’s “Pure Pampering” menu of therapeutic oils, artfully sprinkled with rose petals floating on the fragrant foam.
“It’s the details that turn a Seabourn suite into a vacation home,” says Conover. “There is a well-lit vanity for putting on makeup, an advanced sound system and flat-screen television, personalized stationery on the desk, big terry robes and slippers—even an umbrella.” Attractive artwork and tasteful furnishings provide an ambience that is refined but casual enough to be comfortable.
The three new yachts offer a wider choice of accommodations, ranging from the popular 436-square-foot Penthouse Suites, half as large as the Veranda categories, to spacious abodes like the Wintergarden Suite which, at 914 square feet, boasts a private ocean-view solarium and a 183-square-foot veranda. It can be combined with an adjoining suite to become the Grand Wintergarden, for a total of 1,400 square feet (including two verandas), making it one of the most expansive living spaces at sea.
There are also five Owners Suites of 611 to 675 square feet that include a separate bedroom and private veranda of 150 to almost 400 square feet. Top category suites, from the Owners Suites through the Grand Suites, include extra amenities like a personal espresso maker, upgraded floral and fruit arrangements, an in-suite exercise system, and complimentary Internet connectivity.
Dr. Rhodes Haverty, who has spent more than 600 days aboard Seabourn yachts, truly enjoys the suites on both the original three sisters and new yachts. “I’m an avid reader,” says Haverty. “It’s just so comfortable to sit there on the veranda and look out at the ocean. We’ve done cruises as long as two and three months, and I’ve never felt cabin fever. Between onshore excursions and activities on the yacht, they have something for everyone. The staff couldn’t be more service-oriented.”
Seabourn guests tend to be very sociable and people-oriented. They are successful and have led interesting lives, and they are interested in those around them. However comfortable and inviting their suites may be, they will find their way to one of the lounges or bars to get to know each other. And that’s where another of Seabourn’s policies really pays off for its guests.
“Our guests appreciate our open-bar policy,” says Conover. “Since all beverages are included in the fare, it’s easy to relax and socialize spontaneously, because nobody has to pick up a check or sign a chit. When a waiter asks if you’d like something to drink, he’s not trying to sell anything or working to get a tip, because the drinks are included, and tips are neither required nor expected.”
A selection of wines is chosen daily to complement the day’s menus—and poured with the line’s compliments. Champagne is available on request at any time, and virtually everyone’s favorite spirits are also on the house. Each yacht’s sommelier also maintains a generous cellar of exceptional wines available at very attractive prices (similar to what one would pay at a retail wine store onshore). Confusing. It says that all wines are complimentary, including the ones in the suites. Elaborate on this?
The other great social pastime onboard revolves around dining. Here again, an easygoing atmosphere is created by the open-seating dining policy. Guests are free to invite fellow guests to dinner in one or another of the yacht’s restaurants. All dining, whether in the main restaurant or one of the smaller alternatives, either indoors or outside in warm weather, is complimentary. It’s even possible to order from the restaurant menu and have dinner served to one or two couples in the privacy of one’s suite or on the veranda. The meal is served, course by course, by a proper waiter, paced as the guests prefer. Enjoying the three flavors of crèmes brûlées en parade, while watching the glittering lights of the harbor from a private veranda, might fit anyone’s definition of traveling well.
For more information, contact a travel agent, call Seabourn at 1-800-929-9391 or visit www.seabourn.com .