Can USA Today's Gene Sloan Do Something Other Than Stir Things About the Seabourn Odyssey to Boost Readership?

I have been working very hard to bring you the "news" from the Seabourn Odyssey.  That means information...good and bad.  Gene Sloan seems to be working a different angle, though he publishes his work for a "newspaper".  Yes, playing off people's fears sells more than good news, but please:  Give it a rest.

Oh, the Seabourn Odyssey has engine problems.  No, it had an issue with a boiler that was identified and corrected.  Oh, the Garden Villas are but a shell.  No, they are pretty close to completed...and you aren't going to put out the soft goods when the hardware isn't complete.  Oh, the signs aren't up and lounges are stacked up.  Folks I walked the ship from stem to stern and pretty much every sign was up (and who cares anyway) and, yes, there were "some" lounge chairs not out just yet, but as I will show you later, the lounge chairs are out and about in abundance.

So, not being done, Mr. Sloan asks, "Can a vessel that holds 450 passengers be called a yacht?"  Trust me on this, I know a heck of a lot more about yachts and what type of service and amenities are provided than Mr. Sloan does.  What the question shows me is two things:  (1) It is a stupid question (sorry, but it is); and, (2) It is an irrelevant question.

Let's get into it now.  How is Mr. Sloan defining a yacht?  Is he speaking of a 40 foot Sea Ray or a 120 foot Hatteras or how about a 192 foot superyacht or what about a gigayacht?  (You don't know what a gigayacht is?!)  Is the yacht a private yacht or a charter yacht.  Is it one where you charter the entire vessel (and don't get me started on the types of charters) or one where you book a cabin?

Pam Conover, Seabourn's President quite nicely responded to this absurdity.  As Mr. Sloan quoted her, "The Odyssey 'is in fact not even the largest yacht today,' she said. 'Not only is it a yacht in terms of size, it's a yacht in terms of the experience that you get on board. We believe that (the yachting experience) is really a differentiating feature for us.'"


Mr. Sloan, if you were being honest and fair, you would have possibly defined what the expectation is...not ask "What is a yacht?". 

Would you like to comment on the service levels being far superior to those on Regent Seven Seas or Silversea...and on a ship which was at least a month late coming out of a shipyard with crew boarding only days ago?

Would you like to comment on the elegance in taste and presentation of the cuisine?  Tell me on what yacht you have been on where the dinner service was as flawless...and it was the first meal ever coming out of that galley.

Would you tell me what amenities you received on the yacht that was superior to Seabourn's exclusive Molton Brown products, Hermes and L'Occitane soaps.

Or what of the free flowing caviar and champagne?

BTW, did you take a picture of the superyacht docked about 200 yards from the Seabourn Odyssey's first location or the other superyacht docked slightly closer to the second one?

Folks, when the Seabourn Odyssey was first announced I was in a fairly exclusive meeting where I said to Pam Conover, "We need to be sure Seabourn provides provide the service and cuisine.  It would be disastrous for Seabourn to say it was providing a "This is My Yacht" experience and fail."

Mr. Sloan, admit it.  Seabourn has provided you - and everyone else on the Seabourn Odyssey - with an extraordinary level of service, cuisine and amenities...and it did it with virtually everything pointing to it being unable to do so due to the failures of T. Mariotti Shipyard.

Or would you like to crack open a cold one on a 40 footer?

The Sojourn of the Seabourn Odyssey Pre-Inaugural Cruise - The Spa

I am not a huge user of the Spa, but I know you want to know about this stuff. (And to quell a rumor being spread: the Spa is truly up and running. My DW had a massage and her hair done...and the Fitness Center is holding Kinesis classes among other things.)

On the Spa side of things the space is large, sleek and very nicely done. In addition to the normal treatment rooms and hair salon there is a very interesting massage chair/foot bath thing that has to do something very good for you:

I don't have many photos of the Spa because I didn't feel it was right to photograph the guests who were already having their hair styled, but it is all up and running. Here is, however, a photo of the Nail Bar (I thought tables were used, but what do I know?!):

One thing that hasn't been completed (yes there are a few thing not completed, but not that far off, such as The Relaxation Room though its heated loungers and herbal steam/sauna rooms are in place) there are two Garden Villas which can be hired for hours or days. If you hire it for the day you can have your meals served in your private space as a break between your private al fresco treatment or a soak in your private whirlpool. Just to give you a flavor of it:

The Sojourn of the Seabourn Odyssey Pre-Inaugural Cruise - Dinner With The Captain

Last night I was honored to dine with Captain Karlo Buer, the captain of the Seabourn Odyssey. This was quite an honor as it was the first formal night - ever - on the ship and I was seated next to the captain. Once again I had to say to myself, "How cool is that?!"

For all those spreading rumors that there are some big problems or issues with the ship (not true!), let me make this simple observation: If all hell was breaking loose, Captain Buer would not have taken the time to have dinner with me on the night before the Maiden Voyage. In fact, not only did he have dinner with me, he was charming, funny and appeared relaxed. (I also ran into him this morning and he was, again, all smiles and took the time to chat for a minute or so.) But I digress...

The Captain and I spoke of the challenges in building the Seabourn Odyssey, the 82 steps up to his apartment in Genoa, the plans for him to stay with the ship until (oh, I guess I shouldn't say that!) and then shifting over to the Seabourn Sojourn for its final construction stages, etc.

When I asked him if there any things he would like to have done differently on the Seabourn Sojourn or the third ship, he was rather certain to say nothing. But when I said, "I bet you have a wishlist...don't you!" Captain Buer gave me that smile he gives and might have even blushed a bit. It was all good fun, but more than that. It was such a source of pride for the Captain not only as to the hardware, but the crew as well.

Once again Seabourn outdid itself in both cuisine and service. I won't bore you with the entire menu, but I must mention two things:

First, if you ever have the chance to order the Nigerian prawns with truffled gnocchi and mushrooms order it. (And for those that want a little "Don't have red wine with fish" thought in their head - it screams for a red wine to play off the earthiness and richness of the gnocchi and truffles. And Seabourn had a great selection!)

Second, and this is going to cause shudders everwhere: Seabourn did not have breadsticks! Yes, the waiter offered to swim to shore to get them for us, but I reminded him that those breadsticks would not be Seabourn breadsticks. It was the single greatest disappointment of my cruise. (Heck, I might even write a letter to the President about that one!) I was assured breadsticks will be available tonight.

Congratulations, Captain. You are the master of the most luxurious and innovative cruise ship in the world.

The Sojourn of the Seabourn Odyssey Pre-Inaugural Cruise - Seabourn Got It Wrong!!! (The Seabourn Square)

Seabourn has talked about, and pitched, the Seabourn Square as some sort of place to get things done or, rather, “an innovative concierge lounge inviting guests to access every shipboard service”. Well, I can now tell you, quite emphatically, that Seabourn was wrong!

The Seabourn Square is not a place to get things done, but rather more of a “Resort Within a Ship”. It is a place to do something, a bit or nothing at all in a very upscale space which is easy to socialize in or to have a bit of privacy.

You can, among other things:

Relax overlooking the ship’s wash in very cool and comfortable lounge chairs, or

Enjoy a gelato or pastry, or

Check your email, or

Meet friends for an espresso while seating in beautiful and comfortable chairs or sofas, or

Read a book from the library in a very comfortable chair, or

Sit at the coffee bar for a cappuccino and see who stops in, or

Arrange a private shore excursion, or (as I did) ask the concierge for a creative solution to a problem with your wife’s dress (and on Seabourn they can’t say “No”…so I was in luck!), or…

Well you get the idea.

Now, does the Seabourn Square look or feel like “an innovative concierge lounge inviting guests to access every shipboard service”. I think not.

In fact, I believe it is a space that some people (possibly those that think they would be more comfortable at a Four Seasons hotel rather than on a cruise ship) could easily spend the majority of their day. It is definitely a “You’ve got to experience it to understand it” kind of place.

So the cruise world is being shaken up. No tour desk lines. No standing around waiting for the purser. Who should I speak to when making a dinner reservation? No call to housekeeping. Can you imagine such a thing? You don’t need to. It exists on the Seabourn Odyssey.

As I just kept saying to myself over and over again on the Seabourn Odyssey, “How cool is that?!”

The Sojourn of the Seabourn Odyssey Pre-Inaugural Cruise - The Standard Suites Part 2

The balconies are a bit wider than you would expect, which does give a great feeling of space. The reason is so that you can enjoy the fifth dining option on this ship - dining on your veranda - in total comfort.

The balcony has a dining height table and two aluminum and mesh fabric chairs coupled with a reclining lounge chair with removable sloped foot rest. (Once they have been fully tested by me I will let you know how they function.  A short sit was very comfortable.)

One thing that I am not thrilled about: the dividers between the suite balconies are not floor to ceiling, so if you have noisy neighbors you might have an issue. (What it does do is allow you to see that what you are standing on is well and truly full dimensional wood…and it feels, sounds and smells like it. I mean you are on a ship after all.)

One area of concern has been the metal/glass windscreen on the V1-V2 suites. Personally, I think it is a lot of nothing now that I have seen them. They are probably a great value for those wanting a veranda, but not so sure about spending on the premium. As you sit on the veranda you see well above them, so it really doesn’t affect your view. If you are in the suite, there is some cutting off of your lower view, but not as much as I thought there would be. I have provided a photo taken at eye level while standing in the suite and also from the back of the suite, so you can decide for yourself it is an issue or not.

 The Bathroom, clad in a grey granite, has as you walk in, has a shower on the “hallway side” and a proper bathtub on the other.

There are two sinks mounted under a brown marble counter and the faucets are great because they allow for plenty of room to get your hands underneath them.

The shower head is very cool and there is a separate hand shower, but I fear the shower may be a bit tight if you are a larger person. (I am 5’ 10” and not exactly thin and find it comfortable. If I was pushing 300+ pounds it might be a problem.) It is an excellent shower, though I have had a problem with water flowing out onto the bathroom floor.  (I put a towel on the floor before my shower, as I have on other ships with the same issue.)

Storage is provided with two smaller glass shelves on the wall and another glass shelf hidden on either side under the sinks. (Of course the signature corner glass cabinet housing the Molton Brown amenities, glasses and sundry items is there as well. It has been updated too.)

As for the closet and overall storage, it is much improved.  The dresser at the foot of the bed provides plenty of shelf storage and the closet provides both proper drawers and two rows of hanging space.

 

Top 3 most popular yachts for summers charter

The summer is time - time for mass leave and travel. Hardly anything can be compared with the rest on the magnificent yacht, drifting majestically on the sea. This article is about the yachts, raskazhet you about Yacht Elite class.

But before the tale begins, to make an agonizing choice - to decide which of these beauties Yacht bear you through the waves. To at least partially lift the burden from you, we offer a brief overview of the troika of the best charter yachts. Not all of them are among the longest in the world - the main criterion for selection Yacht serve a sense of style, luxury and completeness of the conditions.


So the most popular boats:
In third place is honorable yacht Lady Lola, yacht for those who yearn for privacy, it is with this desire to be a ride on a yacht with a very playful name Lady Lola. Cabin mate fully occupies the upper deck. The interior is made of precious Yachts class maple wood called «avian eye» and exotic white marble, which in combination gives the yacht glamorous chic. Estimated number of passengers the ship - 12, the rental price - from 330 thousand dollars.

In the second place our Yacht-rating, is located yacht Phoenix - this embodiment of the dream in reality. This magnificent yacht, the rapid and dynamic, with its magnificent interior decoration in the style of «Art Deco», rightfully deserves the title of one of the best creations ever dissecting sea. By becoming and value - boat rental will cost 480 thousand dollars a week. Class yachts - Мегаяхта.

And finally, first place in the ranking list of our yacht, took one of the most famous yachts in the world, once owned by billionaire Aristotle Onasis - Christina O. It can comfortably accommodate about 40 guests. As for partying, then on board the yacht at the same time can be fun at least 250 people. In addition to the bar, dining room, swimming pool, outdoor jacuzzi, gymnasium and library, on the yacht has a spa-center, beauty salon, dance floor, and the boat on water skis and equipment for diving and windsurfing. For the opportunity to feel part of the great stories of this ship, will have to fork out for the round sum of 455 thousand dollars a week, plus - the overhead costs.

The Sojourn of the Seabourn Odyssey Pre-Inaugural Cruise - The Standard Suites Part 1

Here is a peak at the standard suites. I know that makes them seem rather common, but they are anything but. The suites do have same sort of feel as the triplets, so you will be at home, but there are many improvements, some very subtle and others rather important.

As with the triplets, the A, A1 and V1-V6 are identical save the balconies.

Starting with the bed, it is higher and the mattresses are thicker. (A large wheeled garmet bag slipped right under the bed for for storage.) I can also report that the bed are extremely comfortable, as I have now I personally tested mine last evening.

The lighting over the bed is improved with two separate wall lamps plus individual flexible high intensity reading lamps.

Bedside storage now has a cubby for books and magazines as well as a deep drawer.

The lounge area has a nice sized proper sofa (suitable for napping on as my DW tested the sofa yesterday and it passed the test with flying colors) and two very comfortable leather chairs coupled with a glass topped table…perfect for a laptop to write a blog with…err I mean to dine on.

The storage seat is now a leather stool/table with a wood top. The result is a space that is easier to get around and seemingly more spacious, but with more furniture. (The room between one chair and the table is a bit tight, but if you don’t mind things being slightly asymmetrical the fix is simple: move the table slightly.

I have yet to try out the interactive television system, but did note that there is an iPod dock mounted right to the cabinet as it integrates into the entire entertainment system; not just a radio or cd player. (You will see it on the left underneath the television.)

There is a seperate vanity area in the hallway next to the bathroom. The space is great for two reasons: It gives the person using it privacy and it give the person not using it the ability to use the rest of the suite without getting in the way. The mirror is, quite nicely, framed so it does not look like a vanity, but more like an entry nook for keys and such when not in use. One problem is that it is too close to the suite door, so if it is opened the person sitting at the vanity is in full view of whomever is entering...or passing by. Alas it is a great, if imperfect, improvement.

Next up: Bathrooms and Balconies.