Really. If you have to ask, the answer is probably no. For you a low cost cruise is what you want. Go with the masses. Don’t leave the ship. Gamble in the casino. Struggle with the buffet. Embark with three or four other cruise ships and deal with 10 or 20 thousand tourists ashore. Save a few bucks. You’ll be happy you did.

If on the other hand, you enjoy being pampered. If you enjoy some ports of call where you will be the only cruise ship in port because the port is not on the hit list or is just too small for the bigger ships then consider Seabourn.

We had a very few things go haywire over 12 days aboard ship with two more days left (booooo) and those were minor. Things like the internet is pretty poor by silicon valley standards, or the weather did not cooperate. I must complain to Seabourn’s GOD connection to get the weather right next time. In reality we only missed the first day due to high winds and could not disembark. I’ve heard that the cruise the month earlier was rained out most of the cruise with cold weather and winds making disembarking difficult if not possible at all.

A cruise is a crap shoot. Most times you luck out, sometimes not. This time has gone smoothly. Our guest services department has warned us that there will be between ten and twenty THOUSAND cruise ship guests disembarking at Venice when we arrive. We will make plans not to take a vaporetto to get to zattere, but take a personal water taxi for a few dollars more. This is the kind of service you both expect and get from Seabourn.

Seabourn offers a discount to repeat customers if booked aboard. We’ll meet with Tony about his trip to Antarctica and may book that cruise in 2017, or book another cruise and change to another in time. I’m fine with going with Seabourn in the future if their destinations match our interests.

Be well, travel well, and enjoy life.

Ron