Seabourn + Alaska: Two of my Favourite Things

Maybe I’m biased but there’s just so much to love about Seabourn :-). Then go and plonk Seabourn in Alaska and you’ve got yourself a winning combination.

⁃ There were some things about our Alaska cruise that didn’t live up to ‘expectations’. Like the weather. So Day 1 and there in your cabin is a brand new jacket. A proper hardcore windproof, waterproof, fleece lined jacket. Fit for Alaska and proudly bearing the Seabourn logo. And unlike the fluffy bathrobe, which makes it clear it is there for your use during the cruise, the jacket is yours to keep. Shame then, that the weather didn’t play ball, as I became as attached to that jacket as I am to my woolly hat. But oh no, instead of the icy wind and the battering rain that me and my jacket were ready for in Alaska, we had glorious sunshine and blue skies. What is all that about?

One of the few opportunities we got to wear the Seabourn jacket, right when we first got onboard

⁃ The weather also shattered my illusions of sipping hot bouillon on deck, or snuggling up with a hot chocolate after returning from a chilly kayak trip. Instead it was more fitting to have a baileys with ice, a chilled shot of vodka or a cold beer. We coped.

⁃ Speaking of beer, Darren soon made his love of craft beer known onboard. Not that we are spoilt but by day 2, the minibar in our suite was topped up with all five of the Alaska Brewing beers available onboard. A few days later there was a tap at our suite door, accompanied by a “special delivery for Mr Hamilton”. This time a six pack of Icy Bay IPA. Happy husband, happy life (or something like that).

We even had beer with the caviar

⁃ Meanwhile, I was trying to avoid drowning in champagne. There’s something about champagne that it seems only right to drink it in the hot tub. Or maybe there’s something about the hot tub that makes it the done thing to drink champagne. Either way, champagne + hot tub on deck, relaxing in the bubbles with the bubbles, as you cruise through the Inside Passage: priceless.

We liked to think of this area at the front of the ship as our own personal hot tub 🙂

⁃ Whilst I tend to over-index on the alcohol, I cannot say enough good things about the food on Seabourn. One of our favorite dining experiences was the outdoor patio grill that they turned into Earth & Ocean in the evening. They did a great take on fresh vs slow-cooked. Like freshly caught local rockfish, simply prepared and seasoned with lemon, garlic and herbs vs 72 hour braised bone-in short rib. Can’t possibly choose? Best to go all in and share. Followed by baked Camembert, oozing with deliciousness. Hang on a minute, dining outdoors gives me that long awaited opportunity to wear my Seabourn jacket 🙂

Of course, I somehow managed to not get any good pics of Earth & Ocean, but this was a special galley market lunch in the dining room onboard

Lobster thermidor in the Thomas Keller Grill restaurant

Beautiful table settings

The outdoor seating at The Colonnade. Orange blankets available if you haven’t got your Seabourn jacket handy

⁃ In between all the hiking, biking and kayaking, believe it or not there was actually some downtime. One of our favorite places to hang out was on our own balcony. Cue kindle, iPad or guide book and depending on the time of day, cheeky pastries, champagne & caviar, or beers while planning the next day’s activities.

Our ‘go to’ breakfast, smoked salmon

⁃ The Seabourn Sojourn Dog. What is his story, I have no idea. A silver daschund (btw not a real dog) that hangs out on the ship. Like a mischievous pixie, he moves only when no one is watching, and then the next day he turns up somewhere else. I did a double take when I spotted one of my favorite pastries in his dog bowl (especially as they had run out of these in the passenger area). Bad dog!

⁃ Our trip coincided with the 4th of July, better known to our friends in the US as Independence Day. This is traditionally celebrated very much in line with Bonfire Night in the UK, i.e. with fireworks. There were some forlorn faces earlier in the day, as the passengers gradually realized that fireworks on a cruise ship were not a thing. Umm, bit of a fire hazard come to think of it! But there was a buzz of anticipation building during the afternoon as the rumor mill started that there would be fireworks after all. The Captain’s announcement over the tannoy finally put the rumors to bed as he announced he was diverting the ship to pass by Ketchikan in order to gatecrash their fireworks display. If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em. His timing was perfect as we cruised slowly along the shoreline, the firework explosions illuminating the skyline, the reflections lighting up the water. When the final burst was done, after a moment of respectful silence, we tooted our thanks with a deep sounding of the ship’s whistle, and continued gliding our way through the dark night.

⁃ On the last evening, all the passengers were encouraged to gather for the big event: an epicurean evening to showcase some amazing food and drink, recognize the ship’s crew, and watch a video. Not just any old video but a video of our cruise, including footage of only the most cool excursions (not surprisingly, our bear trip punched above its weight). When we returned to our stateroom, there on the bed was a USB stick in a Seabourn presentation box, containing the video. Nice touch!

⁃ There’s something about the whole being better than the sum of the parts. I can only give you small touches, things that stood out to us and things that we’ll remember. But if you ever get a chance to do Alaska on Seabourn – I can’t recommend it highly enough.