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Seabourn Encore is as strikingly beautiful and as excitingly innovative as any Seabourn has ever debuted. She crowns a fleet of luxury cruise ships that is already the newest, most modern and most acclaimed in the ultra-luxury segment. Modeled on the award-winning trio of ships that came before her, Seabourn Encore represents another welcome stage in the evolution of small ship cruising, which Seabourn pioneered and has consistently expanded and enriched for all of our small ship cruises.
Recently sailed on 14 day Seabourn Encore cruise to Greece and Turkey. While overall, most aspects of the experience were good to excellent, it truly ended up being a "Tale of Two Cruises" for us. The first week (Athens and then back to Athens) had a very chill and classy vibe throughout the week as the ship seemed to be populated by the type of cruise passengers one might expect on a luxury cruise ship. Service was mostly superb, food was good to excellent, cabin service was amazing, entertainment was generally excellent (Double Espresso Duo was wonderful every evening!). Shore excursions were generally fair to good - nothing horrible - just not much that was fabulous either. However, for the second week of our cruise, a new group of passengers boarded in Athens, and it changed everything - and not in a good way. As we learned, the second week 25% of the ship (150 of 600 passengers) was booked by a business group (a financial advising company) who were receiving their "rewards" trip and they were there to party, congregate, and generally be loud and obnoxious, not caring too much about who they disturbed or intruded upon. So, the luxury, chill vibe of the first week completely disappeared and it became more reminiscent of being on a Carnival cruise. To Seabourn's credit they are constantly asking for feedback through their app, and when it was mentioned to them (by multiple passengers) about the behavior of this business group, they began posting in the daily flyer a request for people to be considerate of those around them. The bad news is that it really didn't change anything. While it would be exaggerating to say it ruined the second week, it certainly changed the vibe to one that was much less enjoyable. I could give numerous examples but suffice it to say that if you found a nice relaxing deck area to read a book, it wasn't long before a group of 8-10 of them would congregate and began loudly talking, laughing, and generally overwhelming the entire area with their noise. Hey, I understand they were there to party and have a good time, but I don't think that is the vibe Seabourn wants you to think they embody, but as long as they book these kinds of groups, that's what will happen. I have seen reviews of Seabourn from earlier this year or late last year that interestingly referred to the same kind of experience happening on other voyages. If both weeks had been like the first week, I'd probably be chomping at the bit to book another cruise. But after the way the second week turned out, I'd be very hesitant. Sad but true. I'd be remiss not to mention that there were a number of standout staff and service crew members who we grew to really like and appreciate - very happy, positive folks who got to know your name and preferences - pretty amazingly so in some cases. Plus, our personal cruise consultant, Diana, stayed on top of things during the entire booking process and her communications were always precise and helpful. So, there were a lot of positives, but that second week left a less than positive memory for us.
An evolution of Seabourn’s oceangoing fleet, this ultra-luxury ship offers 13 categories of oceanfront suites with private verandas, capacity for 600 guests, one additional deck, and an enhanced and central common living space with a reimagined Seabourn Square. Suites range in size from 251 to 1,306 square feet of indoor space, with verandas adding an additional 68 to 960 square feet of outdoor living area. All suites offer sweeping ocean views through the glass doors of their verandas.
Seabourn Encore proudly offers a variety of dining options to suit every mood and occasion. No matter where you choose to dine, you'll be treated to award-winning cuisine and flawless service that rival the finest restaurants on land. Of course, your dining is always complimentary, as are the fine wines served throughout lunch and dinner.
In an ongoing quest to provide a world-class experience, Seabourn has created a partnership with world-renowned American chef and restaurateur Thomas Keller. The culinary genius behind a trio of Michelin-starred restaurants – The French Laundry, Per Se, and Bouchon – Chef Keller brings his award-winning French and American cuisine to the ultra-luxury cruise line adding new flavors and flair to complement Seabourn's already celebrated cuisine.
Expand your horizons in our library, at a port lecture or at one of our many inspiring enrichment programs. To encourage and enhance this satisfying aspect of your Seabourn voyage, we invite luminaries of particular interest and accomplishment to join our guests on board – and bring fascinating insights, expert opinions and delightfully entertaining diversions to the conversation.
Each day on board offers delicious dining options, world-class entertainment and enriching activities.
Seabourn’s spas offer a wide spectrum of massages, facials, and beauty treatments, blending traditional practices from around the world with the most up-to-date techniques. Seabourn’s spas are suitable for guests wishing to maintain a personal fitness regime or discover a new one. A well-equipped ocean-view gym and Motion Studio is staffed by professional fitness trainers, and a full-service salon for men and women complement the spas.
Please note: Seabourn Encore does not offer any dedicated Kids & Teens facilities.
