In an era when cruise ships are making phenomenal growth spurts, Seabourn Cruise Line has staked its reputation on staying small and personal. Can the new Seabourn Ovation – that’s a third larger than Seabourn’s previous class of ships – still feel intimate?
A leisurely and incredibly scenic two weeks on the 600-guest ship getting personal with the Norwegian fjords has answered any doubts. Ovation is bigger in many ways, but all that size gives guests more choice, space and amenities while keeping the service attentive, seamless and personal.
In fact, while Ovation may be a sister to Seabourn Encore, she’s far from being an identical twin. Many features that are probably destined to be added to other fleet mates are at the moment unique to Ovation.
Some of our fellow guests had already been on for a month, because this is the kind of club-like experience you don’t want to end. Here are some reasons why they’re applauding:
1) Expansive suites and more space for lounging
Many modern apartments are smaller than the suites on Ovation. The ship is designed with only a single central corridor, so there are no interior cabins and the suites all feature verandas that are among the largest on any ship at sea.
My wife and I are in one of the standard suites and it has a vast living area with full-size couch, dining table and makeup vanity desk, a huge walk-in closet and a marble-lined bathroom with double sinks and separate shower and tub. There’s enough space to have a party on the veranda. And there are many penthouse suites featuring enclosed bedrooms and spa suites that are larger still. By the time you get to the Signature and Wintergarden suites, interior space comes in at around 1,000 square feet and verandas are vast.
2) Popular outdoor space expands
Seabourn Ovation’s designer, interiors specialist Adam D. Tihany took advantage of the larger dimensions of this ship to create some very expansive public areas including a trio of al fresco dining areas. Knowing how popular outdoor terrace space is for lunches and dinners on Seabourn’s 450-guest ships, the rear deck terraces for the Colonnade casual restaurant and a second terrace for The Grill by Thomas Keller have been widened on Ovation and sister ship Encore to accommodate four tiers of outdoor tables. The ceilings of the decks are outfitted with electric heaters, so sitting outside is comfortable even on chilly fall days in Norway.
The Observation Lounge with its wraparound view at the front of the ship is also nearly double the size of equivalent lounges on Ovation’s cousins. Its open forward deck is so large that throngs of guests can get a front row view for scenic sailings into the fjords. And the enlarged midships pool deck on Ovation hosts The Patio for salads, pizza and sandwiches in the afternoon and is transformed into Earth and Ocean at the Patio in the evening for casual dinners under the stars.
3) A new look at in-suite entertainment
If CNBC or FOX News aren’t your thing, you could binge watch entire seasons of House of Cards. An innovative new on-demand video system introduced on Ovation includes all the info you’d expect about the ports and the shipboard activities, but also packs in months of entertainment options. There’s a virtual jukebox of albums from classical to country, a library of movies including the latest Hollywood releases and foreign films, live satellite TV and years’ worth of episodes of TV shows–from Big Little Lies to Zoo. Of course with such spectacular scenery appearing continually outside the suite on this Norway cruise, I admit I didn’t get much chance to run the system through its paces. I wish I had one like it at home, though.
Ovation’s also got state of the art satellite internet that’s fast and reliable–except for remote valleys above the Arctic Circle. But unusually for a ship that includes most everything else, wi-fi isn’t free unless you’re in a one of the top-priced suites. The charge for logging on is as much as 40 cents a minute, but there is an unlimited plan. For this two week cruise the price was $399 and I certainly got my use out of it.
4) Ventures by Seabourn for the adventurer
We’re certainly on Ovation for its elegance, but it’s added an adventurous side as well. Seabourn has a new program that gets guests out and active at scenic, natural and heritage locations on sailings in the Arctic, Antarctic and Norway.
Ventures by Seabourn organizes daily kayaking and zodiac tours of natural attractions that leave right from the ship and are led by an enthusiastic team of half a dozen experienced guides who have a remarkable range of accomplishments. One Ventures guide on this cruise has set records that include kayaking from Alaska to Russia and recreating the Ernest Shackleton expedition across Antarctica.
In Norway, guests going out on the daily adventures are outfitted in insulated, waterproof gear for experiences like visiting puffin breeding colonies or kayaking to an uninhabited island for a picnic lunch. The program includes regular “conversations” in the show lounge about history and wildlife that provide memorable insights on topics like Norse mythology, “seeing the world through a bird’s eye,” and even (I kid you not) the secret life of lichens. The Ventures program is now launching on other Seabourn ships, along with special excursions to World Heritage Sites in a partnership with UNESCO.
5) Nothing’s hasty about The Retreat
This private enclave on the upper deck is a retreat from a ship that really isn’t all that busy to begin with. While there are 15 cabanas in The Retreat, on a quiet day you may be the only ones using the space. A concierge makes sure that each cabana is stocked with blankets, towels, robes and premium wines, champagne and Evian mist to stay hydrated.
Each curtained cabana is furnished with a sofa, loungers and a huge high-definition TV with headsets so you don’t disturb other guests. There’s snack and meal service that can include caviar or fresh fruit to full meals. We’re told this feature was inspired by luxury spas Adam Tihany designed for hotels in Las Vegas and Beverly Hills.
But it really is a retreat from life on the ship. The area is completely enclosed for privacy, which means there are no ocean views and sunning is limited by curtains around the cabanas and shades covering the roof. This ultimate getaway also comes at a hefty price. The per diem charge for a cabana is $249 on port days and $349 on sea days.
6) And that personal service has expanded too
As Ovation’s capacity has grown, so has the crew of specialists to keep every guest happy. Seabourn Cruise Line has always had among the highest ratios of crew to guests at sea and that’s maintained on Ovation. The staff is so thorough and intuitive that no detail goes unnoticed and service is swift and impeccable.
By the second evening of the cruise on the new Seabourn Ovation, the crew were addressing us by name and bartenders were already mixing our preferred drinks as soon as we entered a lounge. One evening, the room concierge left rose petals sprinkled around the tub for an evening bubble bath.
Crew members are career professionals and well paid, so tipping is neither required nor expected. If I were going on a long voyage into space I’d want these folks running the show on board.
Seabourn Cruise Line’s slogan is Extraordinary Worlds, and life on board is a parallel universe filled with pleasant surprises. What extraordinary world would you want to explore next?
You might also like:
A Uniquely Regal Home Away from Home in the Posh Center of London
Seabourn Passengers Make Like Mountain Goats on a Norwegian Trek
Seabourn Passengers Meet the Horny, the Cuddly and the Weird in Norway
Seabourn Ovation Passengers Hang on, Grab a Crab and Chow Down
The Many Tastes of Seabourn Ovation, a Ship Studded with Dining Options
2 Trackbacks / Pingbacks
Comments are closed.