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Living Large on Seabourn Legend They say living large is a state of mind. However, once you step aboard the Seabourn Legend it becomes a reality. It starts at embarkation -- no long lines. You fill out a short form, and then are immediately whisked away by a staff member to comfortable seats in the show lounge for champagne and finger foods and to have your picture taken for a personalized ship ID card. Then you are escorted to your “suite” where more bubbly awaits. Yes, when you book this cruise you will be in a “suite”, a truly luxury suite. The first thing you notice is its size. At nearly 300 sq. ft., these accommodations dwarf the average basic stateroom found on most cruise ships. Even bigger than the standard Seabourn Suites are the Classic and Owner’s suites that range from 400 to 575 sq. ft. At about this point your doorbell will ring. Every suite has a doorbell! It’s time the personal room stewardess (ours was Chantal from S. Africa. You are asked to select your luxury bath soap from a basket of choices. We sat on the full-size sofa sipping champagne and marveling at the crystal glassware above the fully stocked bar. But wait, this is only the beginning of day one, with much more large living to follow. Getting around the Legend is a breeze. Besides the set of elevators located aft of mid-ship there is an ornate brass circular staircase that ascends from deck three, where the main dining room is located, up to deck seven with the swimming pool and the Veranda Café. The cafe doubles as a gourmet tapas-style tasting restaurant in the evening. One deck up is the open-air Sky Bar. This is where most passengers were drawn as the Legend left port. I suppose caviar canapés with your choice of libation had something to do with it. Today’s drink of choice was a warm coffee drink, as a cold front escorted us past the inlet’s jetty in Ft. Lauderdale. Not to worry, we were headed south, way south! As the ship entered the Gulf Stream and the seas began to increase, I was extremely impressed as to the stability of this small cruise ship, with a length of 439 ft. Under the command of Captain Eric Anderssen, the Legend sliced through a challenging sea. Soon, thoughts focused on dining. One need not wonder what will be served on any given evening, as a dinner menu is included in the Seabourn Herald, the ship’s daily newspaper. With items like Seared Spice Crusted Tuna or Coconut Crusted Jumbo Shrimp, our taste buds were on full alert. Then we realized these were just two of the “first course” options. The newly decorated main dining room has a feeling of warmth (in contrast to the prior monotone décor). This new look set the stage for the gourmet dining experience. Under the watchful eye of American celebrity Chef Charlie Palmer, the Legend’s Executive Chef Thorsten Sengutta (a German culinary artist bent on perfection) puts forth remarkable dining options at every meal. All dishes are prepared upon ordering, and special preparation requests are commonplace and eagerly accomplished.
The dining room is not the only place where guests’ special requests are brought to fruition. Pretty much anything you might want is part of the magic of Seabourn’s service and devotion to your utter happiness. As an example, one evening in the Club Lounge I requested a wine that was being poured in the main dining room. The bartender Marco went all the way to the third deck to retrieve a bottle of a very nice Cote d’Azur French wine. This extra effort to meet your needs is pervasive throughout the staff. On day two of our 10-day cruise we soaked up the sun during our day at sea and planned our ports of call at Grand Turk, Dominican Republic, St. Barths, Virgin Gorda, and Puerto Rico. On this day we had started our ritual of breakfast via in-room dining. On cue, a waiter arrived each morning right on time with everything that had been pre-ordered the prior evening. It’s a great way to start your day. In the sun on deck seven there were ample lounge chairs for the 200 or so guests onboard. Here, mimosas were distributed with servers close at hand for refills or special requests. Two of the three ship’s Jacuzzis are on this deck and were in constant use. Soon it was time to take in an enrichment speaker’s presentation in the King Olav Lounge. The guest lecturer was Sabin Robbins, a noted National Geographic journalist who today spoke on “The Secret Life of Caribbean Whales.” Following a classic grilled hamburger lunch from the Sky Grill on deck eight, activities were led by David Green, the cruise director. Today’s activity was a golf putting competition. Soon it’s time for the daily 4 pm tea service offered in the Midnight Sun Lounge on deck eight. According to Hotel Manager Karl Eckl, all public areas were just refurbished, including the lounge where the piano was moved to the side and a circular buffet was installed in the center of the room. This was largely due to feedback on surveys from past guests, he said. This same refit, which involved 300 workers and 160 crewmembers, took place over a two-week period and included adding new mirrors and flat screen TVs in all the suites as well as updating the exercise equipment in the gym. After tea, it was time to return to the suite to rest and get dressed for dinner. Usual evening attire is resort or elegant casual, with a dinner jacket required for men. There are one or two formal nights per cruise, where a dark suit and tie is apropos for men and a formal gown for ladies. This evening was formal and it was our treat to be invited to dine with the Captain, which is always a treat, and our seasoned captain was especially interesting. Unfortunately, we learned during our dinner that the watersports deck would not be deployed during this cruise due to weather conditions. This proved to be a major disappointment to passengers. Something unique about this cruise was that officers, lecturers, and specialty entertainers dined with guests each evening. This highly enriching experience allowed you to learn a bit about each host’s background and specialty, in addition to the other passengers seated with you at tables of six to eight. One of the most interesting dining experiences was with composer, singer and actor Paul Hampton. Paul has written dozens of well-known songs for prominent singers and at dinner he offered an insider’s view of the entertainment industry. After dinner, options included entertainment in the lounge or a dance band with singers in The Club. On this evening, we chose The Club. This is an active bar lounge with an adjacent small, but professionally run, casino. With this being an all-inclusive cruise, the liquor flows freely not only here, but also throughout the ship. And the brands poured are premium label liquors. After a few drinks and several dances on the ever-moving dance floor, we headed for the casino. The entertaining and friendly staff from Eastern Europe gave this casino an effervescent personality. The next morning, guests were informed that the beach at Grand Turk would be closed due to high surf. No problem, as I had always wanted to visit a highly touted shipwreck museum nearby, and this inclement day was the perfect time to do so. The interactive museum houses artifacts and information on the oldest known wreck in the new world, and was well worth the trip. Back onboard we were eager to try a “tasting dinner” in Restaurant 2. The casual Verandah Restaurant transforms to the intimate Restaurant 2 at the stern of deck seven, offering a totally different dining experience -- to titillate your taste buds via ten distinctly different, but complimentary dishes. Each plate has a medley of ingredients and a variety of flavors. Examples of a few of these gastronomic delights: Spiced Halibut with Crisp Foie Gras and Roasted Pineapple Chutney, Lobster and Chorizo Croquette with Eggplant and Olive Relish, followed by a desert trifecta of White Chocolate Mascarpone Cheese Cake with Cherry Jelly & Sorbet. This still makes my mouth water!
One experience passengers
will have on this cruise line is the crews’ ability to remember your name. By
day two of your cruise, you are regularly addressed by name. I learned that a
book of guest pictures and their names are issued to all staff. Another extra
nice experience is the waiters’ ability to describe and recommend items on the
menu. It was learned that prior to each meal, the wait staff tastes each menu
item and open discussions ensue amongst the waiters on the attributes of each
plate. Another facet of this
cruise that stood out was the opportunity for each guest to request a copy of
his or her favorite entrée, appetizer or dessert. (Check out recipes on Small
Ship Cruises’ sister site at
www.CruiseRecipes.net. Back in our suite, we were
impressed by the creativity displayed by our cabin stewardess. Ok, you’ve seen
the towel animals if you have done more than one cruise, but Seabourn sets the
bar a bit higher with their unique bed-top presentations. Two stood out. One
was a hand-crafted origami paper boat with cutout pictures of us (obtained from
our ship ID picture) inserted in the boat which was placed on a map of the
Caribbean. The other was a small container of sand from one of the beaches we
visited, accompanied by a personalized poem. Very special! But Seabourn nor any other
cruise line can ever be 100% perfect… even though Seabourn desperately tries.
For example, the ship’s newspaper “The Herald,” did not point out interesting
activities or points of interest for ports. We were the only passengers to visit
the shipwreck museum in Grand Turk or to visit an amazing waterfall that was a
short distance from our tender drop-off point in Samana, Dominican Republic.
Another deficiency we encountered was a poor room service experience one evening
when all of our courses were delivered at one time with no possibility to enjoy
them while they were warm. If you have dinner room service, be sure to request
meal segments delivered by courses as they would in the main dining room. And
we always recommend bringing a guidebook for the region you are cruising so you
know all the options in ports that might interest you.
A great positive experience
occurred during our beach day at Prickly Pear Beach on Virgin Gorda. Here we
were greeted with tropical drinks and treated to an amazing onshore buffet.
There was a choice of water sports activities, plus complimentary massages and
an in-the-water caviar and champagne offering. All of this taking place on a
private beach, with lounge chairs and crystal-clear water to snorkel or swim in.
An example of the ship’s staff “going above the call of duty” was
exhibited here as well.
Back on board it was time
for yet another meal. By this time in the cruise you will have met nearly
everyone onboard, and you can re-connect with a few couples in the Club Lounge
for hor d’oeuves and a cocktail and then go to dinner as a group. Running late
after having an extra drink or two … no problem. On Legend you can have dinner
any time you wish. During our evening meal we were having a discussion about
certain wines that we liked, and voila, there came one of our agreed-on
favorites, a very nice French white wine, Sancerre. How did they do that?! Then we were off to the
King Olave Show Lounge. This evening’s entertainment would be special, as
Seabourn had flown in two accomplished violinists for the evening, String Idols,
European artists who played top hits from Broadway to pop. As the cruise wound down,
one thing that stood out in my mind was how the entire staff gave it their all,
with no anticipation of a gratuity. When you calculate all the extras that this
cruise offers at no charge and then factor in the amazing service and premium
accommodations provided, Seabourn becomes a high value cruise and a tremendous
platform for living large.
-- Images and story by Dale Sanders,
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