Seabourn overshadows its competitors again!

Seabourn Encore Cruise Review to Europe - Western Mediterranean

Cruises: 7+ cruises
Review: 1
Helpful Votes: 56

Overall rating:

4.9 out of 5
Seabourn Encore

11 Night Spanish Autumn & Morocco (Barcelona To Rome)

Sail date: October 03, 2019

Ship: Seabourn Encore

Cabin type: Balcony

Traveled as: Couple

Reviewed: 5 years ago

Review summary

We chose Seabourn again, because we had tried other lines - Silversea and Regent. On those other lines the excursions were great, we were not impressed with the food or service. Seabourn had recently hired a new chef for the pool deck evening dining venue - called Earth and Sea. Phenomenal food. Better than any restaurant we have in Seattle or anywhere else. After trying the other dining choices, all of which were good, we ended up eating at Earth and Sea every night. By the end of the cruise word had spread, and it was hard to get a table there. We weren’t impressed with the Thomas Keller dining room…oddly pretentious and mediocre food. They do offer exceptional wine by the glass and wine pairings at Keller, which is a nice addition. We had a much better steak at Earth and Sea. The cruise director was very entertaining and engaging. The staff was warm and attentive. The ship is beautiful - with staterooms larger than the ones on their former smaller ships. Most, but not all, of the land excursions were very good. Seabourn didn't offer an opportunity to rate the land excursions that the other cruise lines do. I think that's a missed opportunity to get valuable feedback, particularly where passenger safety is concerned. In addition to a pool and hot tubs, there are many activities offered throughout the day. The spa management seemed a bit disorganized, but the services were good. We have already decided to a Seabourn cruise for 2020 and 2021. Highly recommend.

Embarkation

5 out of 5
Seemless

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

5 out of 5
Very good food. Exceptional food in the Earth and Sea restaurant located on the pool deck in the evening.

Onboard Activities

5 out of 5
Good fitness room, good spa and nice pool deck with great service.

Service and Staff

5 out of 5
Very warm, friendly, and attentive service from everyone.

Ship Quality

5 out of 5
All were excellent. We especially like having a guest laundry room available.

Cabin / Stateroom

5 out of 5
Larger than expected. A lot of storage - unusual for this class of ships. Double bathroom sinks. Excellent

Ports of call

Barcelona, Spain

5 out of 5

Valencia, Spain

5 out of 5

Cadiz (Seville), Spain

5 out of 5

Gibraltar (U.K.)

5 out of 5

Tangier, Morocco

2 out of 5
We did a Seabourn land excursion that was poor.

Malaga, Spain

5 out of 5

Cartagena, Spain

5 out of 5

Ibiza, Balearic Islands

5 out of 5

St. Florent, Corsica

4 out of 5

Civitavecchia (Rome), Italy

5 out of 5

Disembarkation

5 out of 5
Seemless.
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1 Comment

Cruiserike0322    5 years ago

Definitely a great cruise