Amanda PhillipsLuxury Cruising onboard Seabourn Quest
Elaine Monteith, from our East Kilbride branch, visited Seabourn Quest when it visited Leith recently. Here she tells all about her experience on board and why, for her, Seabourn is the ultimate in luxury cruising.
As we drove into the car park at Ocean Terminal at Leith in Edinburgh to join the ship, the first thing that struck us was how compact Seabourn Quest was, when compared to some of the mega-ships that are sailing the oceans of the world. She was beautiful from the outside, but as Seabourn is all about intimate luxury cruiing, from the moment we walked up the gangplank we knew that that was just the start of something special – this is no ordinary ship!
You simply don’t get a cabin when you holiday with Seabourn – the all-suite accommodation has every amenity you could want and more. And the public areas reminded me more of a high-end, boutique hotel, with lots of glass and modern decoration which added to the glamorous feel.
Seabourn is a company which prides itself on its hospitality, and has a 1:1 ratio of staff to guests. Every member of staff we met, from the bartenders to the spa therapists and from the waiters to the officers, seemed genuinely happy to see us, and our host Carly told us that every one is a hospitality professional who has a real sense of pride in looking after their guests.
This is an all-inclusive cruise line, and that includes all the restaurants and champagne, as well as mini massages and free sun lotion when you are out on deck. Every little thing you could wish for is here.
Entertainment options on Seabourn Quest include Movies Under The Stars – sadly, Edinburgh was grey and rainy when we were there, but we could imagine how lovely that would be in sunnier destinations! – as well as shows in the Grand Salon, and Rock The Boat dance parties on deck. We could see how easy it would be to make new friends on this ship, and as the art of conversation has always been an important part of the Seabourn experience, the company invites all sorts of experts, such as explorers, artists, chefs and business people to be part of their Seabourn Conversations series, where as well as presenting on their area of expertise, they mingle with the guests and take part in the social side of life too.
From the gorgeous spa to the fitness centre, from the mini golf to the restaurants, everything was really impressive on board. There were two outdoor swimming pools, Jacuzzis, plenty of sun terrace areas where you could sunbathe without banging elbows with the person on the next (very comfortable) lounger, Seabourn Square, with its coffee bar, library and computer centre, and five lounges. The ship is definitely small enough to create a homely, intimate feel, yet large enough to have all that you could want in a home from home on the seven seas.
Smaller ships are able to get into smaller ports and Seabourn’s excursions in each have been planned to be exciting and different. There is something for everyone, such as wine and food tasting in Tuscany, exploring ancient ruins, going kayaking and even touring by helicopter!
We all agreed, as we sipped champagne in the bar before dinner, that we’d be quite happy to settle down on one of the sofas there for a few weeks and be completely pampered! But the delicious dining options in The Restaurant changed our minds – we’d rather spend a few weeks there instead! There was a wide selection of dishes to choose from, all impeccably cooked and served by lovely waiters and waitresses. There are three restaurants on the ship, the other two being the more informal Colonnade and the other the speciality restaurant, Restaurant 2.
For luxury and extra-special service, I’d definitely recommend Seabourn Quest. Every tiny detail seems to have been thought of – one evening on board definitely wasn’t enough!