boarding seabourn spirit

I boarded Seabourn Spirit on Saturday, ready for a 10-day cruise along the Adriatic. Our itinerary goes like this: Venice, Italy; Kotor, Montenegro; Corfu, Greece; Brindisi, Italy; Dubrovnik, Croatia; Split, Croatia; Triluke Bay, Croatia; Rovinj, Croatia.

What I love about Seabourn ships are their small, intimate size. I was aboard Seabourn Odyssey two years ago, which has a capacity of 450 passengers. But Seabourn Spirit is even smaller, with a capacity of 208 passengers. Compared to huge cruise ships, which can carry thousands of passengers, Seabourn offers a quieter, more intimate experience. It’s easier to get to know the other passengers and overall, things just feel calmer aboard the ship. It really struck me when we docked in the small coastal town of Brindisi, Italy … as my fiance and I walked around, we barely saw any other tourists. I couldn’t help but think that if a cruise ship had pulled into port and spit out 3,000 tourists, we would have overrun this quaint little town (and not in a good way). Seabourn’s 200 passengers feel much less intrusive.

Our balcony suite is approximately 277 square feet and while that sounds tiny, it feels ample, spacious even, when you consider the fact that you’re on a boat! There’s a queen-size bed, a tub and a large vanity, plus a separate living room area with chairs, a small sofa and table for dining or working. Oh, and there’s a walk-in closet so you can unpack and hang all your clothes up. That’s another nice thing about cruising. You can unpack for a stretch and not feel like you’re living out of your suitcase. Our cabin attendant Aurelia, from Romania, is a great part of this experience. She’s lovely and after I met her, I felt like I’d made a friend straight away.

Decks 7 and 8 are where all the activity happens. There’s a pool, hot tubs, the Sky Grill for casual al fresco dining and lots of loungers for sun bathing. There are often performances out here, put on by the talented entertainment team. This is the place to hang out during a sea day, with a cold drink and a good book.

We were invited to dine with our Captain, David Bathgate, on the first night of the cruise. Hailing from Scotland, our Captain joined Seabourn in 2010 and it was our great privilege to spend the evening with him.

This is my third time aboard a Seabourn ship and each time, I’m reminded that besides the luxury accommodations and the dreamy destinations, the real appeal is the feeling on board the ship, created mostly by the friendly crew, from the cabin attendants like Aurelia, all the way up to the ship’s captain and everyone in between. Great job, Seabourn.