Seabourn ain't what it used to be

Item: Seabourn Ovation
Rating: 2.4
Author: Gaipied

Seabourn Ovation Cruise Review to Caribbean

Gaipied

Contributor Level: Deck Hand

Cruises: 7+ cruises

Review: 1

Helpful Votes: 21

Overall rating:

2.4 out of 5

Verified Review

14 Night Exotic Caribbean In-Depth (Bridgetown Roundtrip)

Sail date: January 21, 2023

Ship: Seabourn Ovation

Cabin type: Suite

Cabin number: 708

Traveled as: Couple

Reviewed: 1 year ago

Review summary

It is clear that Seabourn and all the Carnival umbrella lines (Cunard too) have suffered greatly as a result of their responses to COVID by letting most if not all of their experienced staff go. The level of service and expertise has plummeted and cruisers should not expect the same levels of service they experienced before COVID

Embarkation

1 out of 5

Given a 3PM embarkation time which had us sitting at our hotel for 3 hours in the lobby after check out time. But when we arrived there were no boarding times according to the staff. We could have come anytime after noon

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

3 out of 5

Godd food, great room service, good cocktails, impossible to find the alternative wines other than those proposed by the wine steward each night which were often grocery store wines. Thomas Keller should be ashamed. While to food was good, the service was a Keystone cop performance and many of the reinvented dishes were a flop.

Onboard Activities

3 out of 5

Good gym, packed pools, tendered 75% of the time and several were disasters

Service and Staff

3 out of 5

Nothing like before COVID. The everyone knew your name, preferences, could readily speak English and understood requests without multiple repeats. Guest services(Purser's Office) called Seabourn square had some very capable folks and several who made things up as they went and whose responses could not be trusted

Ship Quality

3 out of 5

Clean ship, small rooms almost all the same but whose prices increase every time you move up a deck. NO advantage to the higher decks since the design has you walking stairs or riding elevators all the time. Small terraces, very small. There was an entire outdoor dining space wasted on deck 6 outside Keller"s space.

Cabin / Stateroom

2 out of 5

small rooms almost all the same but whose prices increase every time you move up a deck. NO advantage to the higher decks since the design has you walking stairs or riding elevators all the time. Small terraces, very small.