Jul31
Top Reasons To Cruise The New Seabourn Odyssey
Yes, you want to cruise on the new Seabourn Odyssey. Why? For starters, Odyssey is not only the newest luxury ship afloat but also a totally new concept for Seabourn Cruise Line. There’s quite a lot that will please long-time Seabourn cruisers as well as much to impress those new to Seabourn.
If you’re comparing Seabourn Odyssey to its competitors, here are a few reasons why you may want to choose Odyssey. This is not meant to be a full review of the ship, rather this is a list of a few things that distinguishes Odyssey from her competitors, which includes her own sisters, Pride, Legend and Spirit as well as small ships from Regent, Silversea and SeaDream.
1. Seabourn Odyssey is where South Beach meets Palm Beach. The Restaurant, for example, would not look out of place in South Beach’s trendy hotels while the Colonnade (restaurant) could pass the muster in any of those plush Palm Beach country clubs. Quite simply, Seabourn Odyssey marries the best of South Florida’s trendiest beach resorts with one of America’s poshest cities.
2. Seabourn Odyssey is just so darn new. Let’s face it, the three sisters – Pride, Legend and Spirit – are classics. It was high time for a new Seabourn ship. And with newness comes innovation, such as Seabourn Square, a well-thought-out concept that serves as the ship’s hub for guest services, destination services, coffee shop, boutiques, internet cafe and library. I would not say that Odyssey was the pinnacle of luxury, because its competitors also do a good job at delivering superior experiences. But Odyssey is at the pinnacle of innovation — at least for now.
3. Seabourn Odyssey is an attractive ship. Yes, there are many beautiful ships, but Seabourn Odyssey’s public areas and suites are real stunners, and not in that “look at me now” sort of way. Staterooms are done in earth tones, and bathrooms are arguably the most attractive and functional that I’ve seen on a luxury vessel. The public areas are beautiful also. Seabourn Odyssey is much less bold brass and gaudy glitz than it is refined style and enduring elegance.
4. Seabourn Odyssey features a marina. Yes, its sisters do too, as do SeaDream’s twin yachts. But in the 450-passenger-and-up-luxury-ship category, Seabourn Odyssey is the only vessel to feature a marina. That said, on my sailing, the marina was overwhelmed by the number of passengers. SeaDream, in my mind, has a better marina, perhaps because there are only 100 passengers, instead of 450, vying for what is essentially the same space. In fact, as I write this, SeaDream II is anchored near Seabourn Odyssey in Rovinj, Croatia. SeaDream’s marina is in operation; Odyssey’s is not. On the other hand, Seabourn Odyssey, being a larger ship than the SeaDream vessels, features multiple dining venues, high-energy entertainment, staterooms with balconies and more.
Posted from my Blackberry.
