Cruise & Travel Lifestyles

Seabourn in Asia and the Caribbean... At Par!

Seabourn in Asia and the Caribbean... At Par!

Certain travel experiences come with exceptionally polished service, an authentic and endearing sense of comfort and above all, a sense of being enveloped in such a way as to ensure a captivating time. This invariably leads to a promise to oneself to return again and again.

This is the feeling you can expect every time you cruise with Seabourn, and right now, you can experience it for less with the cruise line's newly expanded Canada at Par offer, which now features two Caribbean sailings, along with some of the cruise line's Asia product on Seabourn Ovation, including the 14-day ‘Holiday Thailand & Vietnam’ sailing departing Dec. 21, 2019; the 28-day ‘Grand Southeast Asia’ itinerary departing Jan. 18, 2020; and the 14-day ‘Gems of the South China Sea’ voyage departing Feb. 1, 2020, among others.

Here are the applicable sailings in the Caribbean:

Seabourn Sojourn’s 12-day ‘Gems of the Leeward Islands’ departs on Nov. 16, 2019, and sails roundtrip out of Miami from Miami to some of the cruise line’s favourite “Uncommon Caribbean” landfalls, including chic St. Barts and Martinique to laidback Iles des Saintes and Jost Van Dyke – plus a ‘Caviar in the Surf’ beach party at St. Kitts.

There is also the 11-day ‘Gems of the Antilles’ – also on Seabourn Sojourn – which departs on Dec. 10, 2019, and sails from Miami to San Juan, stopping to visit historic Santo Domingo, chic Martinique, tiny Terre-de-Haute and glittering Antigua along the way – plus a ‘Caviar in the Surf’ beach party at Isla Catalina.

Cruise Review

A long-standing favourite cruise line of mine for a variety of reasons, ultimately it is the care and attention of every Seabourn staff member, the nuanced, thoughtful and kind interaction with guests that seems to make the difference. It’s often just a notch above any other luxury experience I might enjoy and to be welcomed back into such a familiar and charming embrace is just a delight. I always know that my cruise experience will be impeccable, I will relish the company of my fellow travellers and ultimately, I’ll have an experience on land which will be interesting, inspiring and totally enjoyable.

On a cruise late last summer, I joined the stunning, newly launched Seabourn Ovation for a cruise in northern waters, roundtrip from Copenhagen, visiting Sweden, Norway, England, Scotland and Germany. It was a bit nippy at times and the weather was not completely our friend, but the cooler climes gave way to a warmth generated by the social aspects of the cruise and the onboard sense of family and camaraderie. There’s always a special feeling on a smaller ship – just 600 guests all enjoying the same marvellous ports of call and experiences, visiting some lesser-known spots along with some of Europe’s finest cities and country capitals.

Gothenburg, located on Sweden’s beautiful west coast, is a cultural surprise with a revitalized core full of art galleries, breweries and a host of trendsetting boutiques. We also loved Oslo and Norway’s awe-inspiring and stunning scenery. Our call at the picturesque, quaint village of Arendal was a true delight with its historic and colourful buildings – a place one might not visit other than by ship. We sailed on to England and Scotland and enjoyed a special event with tickets to the Edinburgh Festival Tattoo, and a shipboard overnight in this historic city with ample time for exploration. We gazed at the spectacular backdrop of Scotland’s great castles and lochs – including Loch Ness of course – and finally walked in the somber path of painful clan history at the thought-provoking Culloden battlefield. Scotland’s National Trust has done a great job of curating artefacts from the harrowing battle of 1746 and this part of the country, north of Invergordon, is very beautiful and highly recommended

In a first for me, we paid a visit to the incomparably wild and wonderful Shetland Islands, where we rented a car and explored the heather-clad moors, rolling farmland and craggy hills. And we found a few, adorable Shetland ponies to visit with along the way

During all these excursions and days “out and about”, enjoying all manner of different ports and places, we gladly returned at the end of each day to the charming ministrations of our crew and staff. Each evening, we enjoyed time to relax and savour a pre-dinner aperitif in the Club or the Observation Bar, with great views from high up in the ship – always the place to be for sail away. And then, of courses, there would be yet another delightful dinner.

...To read the rest of Vanessa Lee's review, which appears in the current issue of Cruise and Travel Lifestyles, click here.



Interested?