Seabourn Odyssey ... Luxury Redefined!

When you first see Seabourn Odyssey, it looks similar to other vessels in the line’s fleet, but a whole lot larger—which, of course, it is. Indeed, at 450 passengers, 333 crew and 32,000 gross registered tons, the ship is nearly three times as large as any other of the line’s vessels.

Seabourn Odyssey, constructed at the Mariotti shipyard in Genoa, is the first of a series of three similar vessels scheduled to be delivered to the Yachts of Seabourn in the next three years, with Seabourn Soujourn set to debut next spring and a similar but as-yet-unnamed ship coming out in 2011. The Odyssey also happens to be the first vessel in the luxury category to be built since Regent Seven Seas christened the Seven Seas Voyager in 2003, and it’s the first new vessel for Seabourn since 1993. The three new ships will effectively revamp the Seabourn fleet, which up until now consisted of three nearly identical 250-passenger vessels—Seabourn Legend, Pride and Spirit.

Seabourn’s goal with Odyssey was to keep its signature yacht-like ambience even in a larger ship. While the vessel didn’t seem that small compared to other cruise ships docked in Venice, where Odyssey made its debut in July, it certainly did have a more exclusive feel on board. The ship’s spaces are more intimate, clean and inviting. Surfaces are furnished with light wood paneling and lighter color schemes with lots of glass.

Public Areas and Entertainment

Seabourn Odyssey features much larger lounges and clubs compared to other vessels in the line’s fleet. One completely new space is the Seabourn Square, a combination lounge, coffee bar, Internet Café, library, and purser’s and concierge’s office, which is effectively the center of the ship (even though it’s located near the stern on Deck 7). Seabourn Square brings to mind the Internet Café sponsored by the New York Times on Holland America, Seabourn’s sister line in the Carnival family. Indeed, Carnival Corp. Chairman Mickey Arison says the idea is definitely the same, with the addition of guest service desks. Here, guests can sign up for Wi-Fi and cell phone service or borrow iPods or notebook computers, and book shore excursions.

The Club, located on Deck 5, offers a lively place for dancing and gaming in the evening, as well as afternoon tea. The small adjacent casino has 16 slot machines and three table games, relying on The Club to provide the bar and nightly energy. The Grand Salon, on Deck 6, is the ship’s main theater for performances. The outdoor Sky Bar on Deck 9 overlooks the main pool area, while the Patio Bar, located next to the main pool, also serves refreshing sherbets and cooling drinks. Finally, the Observation Bar, on Deck 10, is a quieter piano bar offering views that overlook the bow (and also serving early coffee and tea). Odyssey also features such on-deck programs as Movies Under the Stars, Dessert Under the Stars and Dancing Under the Stars.

Around the ship’s circular staircase atrium, which is similar to the atriums on other Seabourn ships, are The Collection, a boutique of fine jewelry and watches, and a separate card room on Deck 7. On Deck 5, there are four small conference rooms next to offices for the ship’s hotel staff, as well as two launderettes with washers and dryers. Tender embarkation and the gangway are located on Deck 3, while the ship also has a drop-down Marina on Deck with an in-ocean pool and various aquatic toys.

Accomodations

Odyssey’s 225 staterooms and suites are certainly much larger than those on the line’s other ships—measuring 295 to 1,189 square feet in size. Ninety percent of them have verandas—a shortcoming in previous Seabourn ships, which were built before most luxury ships began featuring this amenity. Indeed, Seabourn refit its older ships with so-called French verandas to create a balcony-like effect with a sliding glass door in the side of the ship, but they were not actual verandas.

Odyssey offers eight different suite categories, including such options as the Grand Wintergarden Suite (1,189 square feet) and Wintergarden Suites (914 square feet), which effectively combine several suites to create more square footage. There are also the Grand Signature Suite, Signature Suite, Owner’s Suite, Penthouse Suite, Veranda Suite and Seabourn Suite categories. There are 166 Veranda Suites in various categories, representing the largest contingent of cabins.

A typical Veranda Suite (300 square feet) has a queen-size bed, separate sitting area with a nearly full-size couch, small flat-screen interactive TV, small refrigerator, walk-in closet, and veranda with deck chair, two chairs and a table. The granite-covered bathroom has two sinks and separate shower and full-size tub. A Penthouse Suite (436 square feet) has a separate sitting area, bedroom, large private balcony, walk-in-closet, and opulent bathroom with whirlpool tub and shower. All suites have such amenities as mini-bars, refrigerators, flat-screen interactive TVs, 24-hour room service, Wi-Fi access, cell phone service at sea, safes and daily fruit basket. There are also Wi-Fi hot spots throughout the rest of the ship.

Dining

Dining areas have been dramatically expanded on Odyssey, though the cuisine is still overseen by celebrity chef Charlie Palmer, who has served Seabourn in that capacity for five years. On Deck 4, the Restaurant can hold the ship’s full complement of passengers for breakfast, lunch and dinner. This main dining facility offers a wide variety of seating arrangements with open seating.

On Deck 8, the Colonnade offers food stations, table service and an open kitchen for breakfast, lunch and dinner, with both indoor seating (128) and outdoor seating (124) in the stern (very popular with guests). Just forward of the Colonnade on Deck 8, the reservations-only Restaurant 2 (seating 48) features a dinner tastings menu by Charlie Palmer. Finally, the poolside Patio Grill on Deck 8 has a menu of hamburgers, hot dogs, pizza and salads. In-suite dining for breakfast, lunch and dinner is also available free of charge.

Pools & Spa

The main Pool Patio, located in the middle of the ship on Deck 8, is much more spacious than that on other Seabourn ships, with a large pool and two whirlpools, as well as cabanas. And if things do get a little crowded in the main pool area, there’s a smaller (and well-shaded) pool and two whirlpools on Deck 5. If that doesn’t appeal to your clients, they can lie on the Sun Terrace in one of 18 double sun-beds on Deck 11 near the bow, or play shuffleboard, chess or mini-golf in an adjacent area, just aft, dubbed The Retreat. This is also where all outdoor fitness and yoga classes are held.

One of the Odyssey’s great new features is a much larger, 11,400-square-foot, two-level spa on Decks 9 and 10. This comes outfitted with a fitness center, as well as a Kinesis Wall, which is a new exercise device that can be adjusted to different weights. There are seven treatment rooms and a Thermal Suite (passes cost $30 a day), as well as two outdoor spa "villas".

Itineraries

Odyssey is currently offering cruises of the Mediterranean but will begin Caribbean itineraries in November. The ship also will embark on Seabourn’s first world cruise, a 108-day voyage departing Jan. 5, 2010. It will sail through the Panama Canal and then across the Pacific, before ending in Greece. Odyssey will then sail on a series of 21-day Grand Voyages in the Mediterranean and Adriatic (which can be sold in seven-night increments), before returning to Fort Lauderdale Dec. 19, 2010, when it will start offering South America cruises.

Selling Points

With its larger size, Seabourn Odyssey offers many more nooks and crannies where guests can find that “special" spot for themselves. The dining options are more extensive than those offered on previous Seabourn ships, and the public spaces and spa are much larger and more varied. The major entertainment and dining venues are located mostly near the stern of the vessel on Decks 5-9, with suites located farther forward on all decks, which makes for an easy flow for guests. Odyssey’s sleek new design is geared for a somewhat younger luxury clientele—a direction Seabourn has been heading in for the past few years now. It also holds appeal for well-heeled first-time cruisers who are seeking all the amenities of a very high-end land resort. Indeed, Seabourn Odyssey should usher in a new level of luxury in the cruise market today.