There have been many negative comments on cruise forums
about the Seabourn Encore and her sister the Ovation. Long time Seabourn cruisers call them “megaships” and say
they carry too many passengers (600).
We found the Encore to have many features we preferred to the smaller
ships. The configuration of our
cabin, particularly the bathroom, was far superior. We liked the larger Observation Bar, Colonnade (both indoor
and outdoor) and the purpose built Thomas Keller Grill. Seabourn Square was larger and more
comfortable. We found no decline
in service and certainly the quality of the food was just as good as on the
smaller ships. We’ve booked a
cruise for next year on the Encore’s sister, the Ovation.
The itinerary is a very interesting one but I think going in
the fall is probably a better time.
When we did a similar route five years ago it was in October and I don’t
remember it being nearly as hot.
The itinerary is also good for those who like sea days because there are
many of them. If one goes to the
Middle East, one needs to have a very open mind about differences in cultures
because the countries we visited have very different ideas about many aspects
of life that we take for granted.
Petra is a place not to be missed. It is an arduous hike, but truly a wonder of the world. If you go to Dubai, take the time to
visit Abu Dhabi and Sharjah, two of the other Emirates to get a different
perspective. Israel is one of the
most fascinating places we’ve ever been.
It’s worth it to take very comprehensive tours there.
So the 2019 voyage is history. Next year we are celebrating our 50th wedding
anniversary. I was excited to find
a cruise that has us boarding the Seabourn Ovation on our actual anniversary
(and it happens to fall on a Saturday and we were married on a Saturday). We’ll go back to the Baltic and be able
to see more of some ports we visited two years ago. Then we’ll see a few places in Norway, Belgium, England and
Ireland which will be totally new to us.
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