An awesome trip back to Ancient history. Beautiful destinations, all unique in their own way. Turkey was a big surprise, we had no idea how rich it was in history & culture. The Seabourn experience was also unique with the small passenger load. We were delighted to find other travelers similar to us in age & lifestyle that made the trip even more enjoyable.
Embarkation
5 out of 5
There was a slight delay with transportation from hotel to pier caused by the May 1 Labor Day demonstrations in Athens but once we got to dock the process was seamless. A quick nose swab test and short wait and we were on board.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
5 out of 5
We tried out all the venues and finally decided that we had definite favorites. The Patio Grill for both breakfast & lunch. Dinner was definitely menu specific…the final decision almost always made at the last moment. Maybe because the ship was only 1/3 full it felt like something was missing most nights, with 200 people spread out over 5 dining venues it felt almost depressing to be in the main dining room…like going to the last dinner at a favorite restaurant. The food and variety on the menus was excellent. The egg tangine became a favorite breakfast, the custom made salads our go to lunch. As far as bars go, it depends on whether you like indoor or outdoor settings. We loved the Patio Bar, outdoors by the pool & found the Observation Bar stuffy (both people wise & decor wise).
Onboard Activities
5 out of 5
We are aft end dwellers and most afternoons we had the pool to ourselves. There is no bar but an attendant came by regularly. It seems like there was adequate space for everyone to enjoy the pools, but not many did. The fitness center wasn’t busy either. There were daily yoga classes.
Entertainment
4 out of 5
This was a weakness. While the entertainers did their best, with only a bit over 200 passengers it was hard to get a feeling of energy going. The age mix on board didn’t help…it seemed like you either loved the performance or you hated it…not uncommon to watch people leave early on. There was probably not much more than 50 guests for the night time shows. Deck parties might have 75 but once the champagne & caviar service was done off went the people as the band played on. We loved the lounge quartet and party band and found the duo & piano player to be too dull for our tastes (they suited the venue they were in)
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
There will never be a time like this again! Fully staffed but with 1/2 the passengers! We were spoiled rotten, the staff was exceptional in every way and seemed genuinely happy to be of service.
Ship Quality
5 out of 5
If I had one complaint it would be window washing. Some of the windows were absolutely filthy on the outside and spoiled the view.
That said, the ship was spotless on the inside.
Cabin / Stateroom
5 out of 5
We were moved up to Cabin 721 at embarkation. It was a nice location near the forward elevator. Loved the separate shower! There was also a nice nightlight feature in the bath. The walk-in closet was nice & appreciated real drawers instead of cubby holes. The bed was just right but the pillows were a bit lacking…too soft for me but I sleep on a rock according to my husband. There was ample storage. The bar was always stocked and we asked for a cheese plate & grapes daily and it was always there waiting for us. The dining table is adequate for room service to bring a meal up.
Ship tip
Room Service breakfast is the way to go if you have an early excursion.
What an experience! Another wonderful guide who caught us up on history & archeology of the ancient city of Ephesus. This was the most amazing excursion I have ever been on. The UNESCO Partner tours allowed us access to areas the general public count not get into. The Terrace Houses are amazing. BONUS: Seabourn has a nighttime classical music concert at the sight of the ancient arena…awe inspiring!
This is the stop for Ancient Troy. Unfortunately, we were waitlisted for the excursion so we didn’t see much. As one of our fellow passengers said: ABC-Another Bloody Castle (Church or Cathedral)
WOW! Absolutely my favorite stop! It was Mother’s Day here too, so there were crowds. There wasn’t enough time here to even scratch the surface but what little we saw was beautiful & interesting, especially the Topkapi Palace. The Grand Bazzar was closed on Sunday, that was disappointing.
By this point we are being braver about venturing out on our own. There is another castle here. Just walked around the port area as this is the stop for Ephesus on week two.
The Bodrum Castle was very interesting. Truly a intersection of history & culture. Turkey was quite a surprise, in some ways the history was much more alive than in Greece.
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