Seabourn Sea Change, Part Two

The final legs of our eight plus weeks on Encore were a vivid reminder of the overwhelming importance of people-- both staff and guests-- to the enjoyment and satisfaction of any cruise.

About 95 percent of the original 600 passengers who boarded with us in Rome disembarked in Dubai or Singapore, along with a large percentage of the guest-facing staff. We found that we had set sail on a quite different experience onward to our final destination, Sydney.

The crew and staff who stayed aboard continued to remember our names (a cornerstone of the Seabourn experience) and deliver the level of service we saw beginning in Rome. Some newcomers did not perform as well and there seemed to be a shortage of personnel during peak demand. Service deteriorated further after Bali.

Amped Up

The new cruise director who boarded in Singapore was intent on amping up social events, which led to some odd results. Popular trivia contests appeared more often in the forward Observation Bar, sometimes overlapping afternoon tea or evening hors d'oeuvres. Some bean bag games, which had been played on a small outdoor space on Deck 7 aft of Seabourn Square, moved to the main pool. This necessitated closing one side of the pool sun deck to accommodate the dozen or so people who chose to toss bean bags, clap, and cheer, while the rest of us tried to read or sleep.

Encore does offer a more serene escape from the main pool, The Retreat on Deck 12. Access, including a private cabana, is charged at about a $300 daily premium above the "all-inclusive" cruise fare.

Encore, lighty attended Caviar in the Surf, Nov 21 2017

Caviar in the Surf, which Seabourn labels a "Signature Event," moves to the main pool when staged on a sea day. On one such occasion the cruise director apologized in advance for turning up the music, and then set it so loud that it could have been the ship's Life Boat Muster alarm. I took ear plugs to the next Caviar in the Pool. Sample lyrics:

Mr. Worldwide to infinity

You know the roof on fire

We gon' boogie oogie oogie, jiggle, wiggle and dance

Like the roof on fire

We gon' drink drinks and take shots until we fall out

Like the roof on fire

Now baby get your booty naked, take off all your clothes,

And light the roof on fire

Tell her, tell her baby baby baby baby baby baby baby baby baby

I'm on fire

I tell her baby baby baby baby baby baby baby baby baby

I'm a fireball

Fireball

More Diverse Passengers

Meanwhile, the wave of 500 plus new guests appeared more diverse in nationality and in language (good) and in savoir faire (bad). This diversity cut both ways, adding to the richness of many conversations and interactions, while subtracting from the usual impression of sophistication and civility among Seabourn passengers.

At one port, the captain had to urgently announce over the ship-wide public address system that passengers must stop throwing soda bottles off their balconies to children in small boats 5 to 11 decks below.

One can be forgiven for sometimes thinking they boarded the wrong ship after watching:

• a passenger prepare his caviar by mixing all the condiments into the central caviar bowl and eating it with a silver tablespoon, or
• a diner use his hand to grab a barbecue rib from the family-style serving platter, gnaw it down, and then pitch it back across the table into the platter.

Such incidents were certainly not typical, but they were not unique or isolated.

Between Dubai and Singapore we did get our wish for a charming chanteuse, British vocalist Laura Broad. Unfortunately, Grand Salon entertainment after Singapore became more and more narrowly targeted, to be polite. Two evenings the acts were the worst we have ever suffered at sea.

Cruising Grade Commendations

Most every employee on a Seabourn ship does their best to satisfy, and so our thanks go to all of them. The following were special:

• Dimir, the Restaurant maitre d', whose attitude and extra treats kept customers happy.
• Slobodan, the ship's chief bartender, who not only appeared virtually simultaneously at all the ship's venues to smooth service, but also corrected any discrepancy he saw beyond the bars in his travels throughout the ship.
• Victoria, the bartender in the Observation, who understood that her job is performance art and deserves a standing ovation.
• Cindy, the server at a crucial corner of the Colonnade, who kept the entire buffet buzzing.
• Anarita and Bruno, the "Duo" in the Observation lounge, who every night performed outstanding, sophisticated music despite a sometimes raucous bar audience.

Cruising Grade

Reflecting on all 61 days of our travels, Diane and I concluded that Encore is a substantially different product that has attracted many materially different customers, compared to Seabourn's other ships.

The suddenly obvious difficulties of imposing the historical Seabourn ambiance and service on a 600 passenger ship suggest that the cruise line may have entered a less discerning customer segment that is at odds with its "ultra-luxury" aspirations.

Later: Cruise Line Strategy: Dynamic Growth, Rough Seas