How our Bliss Filters work
Here are some of the highlights on Seabourn Quest during my recent cruise:
The Caribbean/Amazon cruise I took with my first mate Richard in November 2015 began in Fort Lauderdale, with glorious tropical stops in St. Barts, where we did our usual routine of grabbing towels and water and heading to Shell Beach for some snorkeling and swimming. We also stopped in Barbados, Jost Van Dyke, Devil's Island and Terre-de-Haut before hitting the Brazilian ports of Santarem and Parintins and arriving at the mouth of the Amazon where we witnessed the meeting of the waters (an awesome phenomenon).
The Quest overnighted in Manaus, the capital of the state of Amazonas, where we had a delightful experience shopping with chef Lang in the local market for fish, fruit and vegetables. Our disembarkation in Manaus was Seabourn seamless but sad — we hated to leave. We'd made many friends on board and we loved the crew. But we hopped into a comfortable van and were whisked off to the airport.
During our voyage, the dining experience was first rate, especially the fish, steaks and even the hamburgers on deck, which were a cut above the usual for a ship. On many of the 300-plus cruises we've taken, we've skipped the main dining room in favor of a specialty restaurant or to dine in our stateroom. Not this time.
We dined in The Restaurant, the main dining venue, because we were able to get a table for two, the service was fantastic and we quickly discovered that the food was the best yet of any of the six Seabourn cruises we'd taken. The Restaurant serves multi-course breakfasts, lunches and dinners in a refined setting of white linens, sheer draperies and crystal chandeliers. Menus emphasize high-quality, fresh ingredients and dishes are presented in creative ways.
We found Restaurant 2, which features small-plate tasting menus each night, a bit too clever and creative for our tastes. However, it has now been replaced by a super chef Thomas Keller signature dining venue with a new look and new menus created by the celebrity chefs who runs two of the most popular restaurants in the world, Per Se in New York and the French Laundry in Napa Valley. Can't wait!
Located aft on deck 8, The Colonnade is a more casual indoor/outdoor option serving station-style buffet breakfasts and lunches. Dinners in the Colonnade include regionally themed menus prepared in the open kitchen and served at the table. We loved it as a change of pace during our 15-day sailing.
We also liked the Patio Grill, a casual alternative dining option that offers poolside dining for luncheons and dinners, as well as freshly baked pizzas from its on-site oven all afternoon. During the cruise the crew puts on fun deck parties with barbecues and buffets, lots of Champagne and caviar, served right in the pool by tuxedo-clad waiters.
Room service is available directly from the restaurants during regular dining hours and from a limited menu for 24 hours. I highly recommend taking advantage of balcony dining outside your suite. There's nothing like dining in private under a starry sky breathing fresh sea air and sipping wine or Champagne or both.
Note: Festive beach barbecues are frequent highlights on the Quest's warm-water cruises, with lavish steak-and-seafood grills.
The folks who sail on the Quest are pretty much content to lay back in a chaise or sit in the Square. While there is shuffleboard and a 9-hole golf putting green at the Retreat (deck 11), we never saw anyone using them with the exception of Richard, who took a few swings.
Some other activities on board:
Of note: Seabourn Quest does not have a retractable marina for water sports.
Seabourn refers to the rooms aboard the Quest as suites, and all are certainly spacious and comfortable. There are several choices, such as the 225 Ocean View Suites measuring 295 to 1,682 square feet. A large 90 percent of the suites sport private verandas. For the high rollers, there are five Owners Suites that span up to 1,062 square feet (including the veranda) and four two-bedroom Grand Suites with up to 1,682 square feet of private living space. You can also choose to stay in one of the 22 Penthouse Suites on the uppermost decks, each featuring up to 534 square feet of space.
All suites include a living area and bedroom; a five-foot-wide picture window or veranda; walk-in closet; flat-screen interactive TV featuring music, movies and more; a fully stocked bar; Bose Wave Radio CD; writing desk; spacious bathroom with tub, shower, twin sinks and a large vanity; a direct-dial telephone and a private electronic safe. Suites also offer best-selling audiobooks, CDs and DVDs.
Suite amenities include complimentary Champagne upon arrival, 24-hour room service, personalized stationery, fruit basket replenished daily, fluffy terry-cloth robes and slippers, Egyptian cotton linens, a fluffy duvet, a selection of designer soaps served by your stewardess on arrival that might include Hermes, Bijan and L'Occitane, Pure Pampering Aromatherapy by Molton Brown, nightly turn-down service, daily fax newspaper, World Atlas and an umbrella. Wi-fi works well in the suite though it comes with an added fee: $300 for our entire cruise for unlimited Internet or 40 cents a minute and up for other packages. Best to buy a package.
Here's hoping Seabourn follows the lead of Oceania and Crystal and other lines and begins offering free Internet for some or all of its guests.
The dress code is relaxed on Seabourn with casual nights, elegant casual and a formal-ish night or two when tuxes were not required and hardly won. You can wear jeans at night except to the Restaurant. The folks on this particular cruise dressed nicely but most didn't go overboard with fancy duds (except moi; I like to doll up).
There was an evening show on our Quest cruise called "Too Much Heaven" and that about sums it up for this voyage. It was celestially epic. Keep in mind that we have been on a few hundred cruises so we don't say this lightly.
Some of the most enchanting evenings were dining at the Patio Grill listening to Danny strum his guitar. Another was having the special caviar platter served on Richard's birthday with Champagne on our balcony.
The highlight of our itinerary was the Amazon, a wondrous experience of cruising the calm and muddy waters past rainforests and riverboats that ply the tributary.
Patti Pietschmann was hosted on the Caribbean/Amazon cruise by Seabourn as a travel writer. See Cruiseable's Ethics & Disclosure policy.
Updated from an earlier review.
Have you cruised on Seabourn Quest? We'd love to hear about your experience! Write a review, tell a story about your adventure or leave a comment below.
If you're interested in a cruise on Seabourn Quest, contact a Cruiseable travel advocate at 1-877-322-3773 or by email. You'll get a better deal than you can get by contacting the cruise line directly.
