Seabourn Odyssey

Launched in 2009, Seabourn Odyssey is the first and oldest of Seabourn Cruise Line's ships, together with Seabourn Sojourn and Seabourn Quest.

History - construction and ownership

Seabourn Cruises is a top-luxury (all-inclusive) company founded in 1986 and headquartered in Seattle WA. Seabourn operates on global itineraries, ranging from the 7-day Caribbean to 100+day Around the World voyages. Since 1998, Seabourn is fully-owned by Carnival Corporation - world's largest passenger shipping company. Seabourn is a signature travel brand and a major player on the premium-cruising market, competing for head-on with Silversea and RSSC-Regent Seven Seas.

The 32,346-ton, 450-passenger cruise ship Seabourn Odyssey is line’s first new-class ship that accommodates only 450 guests. At 32,000 GRT Odyssey is the smallest built new vessel by any of all major cruise lines and features the highest ratio space-per-guest in industry.

In 2009, Seabourn Odyssey was named in Venice. She was built in Genoa by the Italian T. Mariotti S.p.A. All guests on that occasion were honored as ship’s godparents. A plaque with guests’ names was mounted permanently on a wall inside Seabourn Odyssey. The ship was designed by Bjorn Storbraaten and Petr Yran – the same architects who designed Seabourn original ships. In addition to larger suites, the biggest size of Odyssey is utilized for creating greater open deck space, a variety of dining venues and public rooms.

Cruise itinerary program

Seabourn Odyssey itinerary program is based on luxury World Cruises from Fort Lauderdale FL, Caribbean, and Panama Canal voyages. In Europe, Odyssey operates on Mediterranean itineraries with departures from Venice, Athens/Piraeus, Istanbul, and Transatlantic repositioning crossings.

Cabins

Like all Seabourn ships, Odyssey is an all-suite vessel. There are a total of 231 suites in 15 categories. The largest aboard Seabourn Odyssey is the Grand Wintergarden Suites (1215 ft2).

All suites have sitting and sleeping areas. Each Seabourn Odyssey cabin has a walk-in closet, safe and a flat-screen TV with special movies’ selections for free. There’s an iPod dock, as well. The bar and refrigerator are stocked in order to suit the guest’s preferences, which have been coordinated before arrival.

Veranda Suite balconies are at 65sq.feet, and each comes with a dining table and two chairs. Penthouse suites are spacious enough (at 436sq.feet) for entertaining. Their bedrooms are separate from living areas, which have a dining table and comfortable chairs. They also have powder rooms. There are several larger suites. The Grand Wintergarden is the nicest of all. Each suite is two-bedroom and has a roomy living room with a huge flat-screen TV. They also have glassed-in private Solarium with a soaking tub and lounging bed.

By company's loyalty program "Seabourn Club", Silver Level and above passengers receive free Internet (limited and unlimited packages), free phone calls (20-30-40 min worldwide), complimentary Spa Massage, Day Pass for Spa Serene Area, free laundry (1 bag for every 7-days on the ship), plus discount pricing on onboard alcohol purchases (premium wines and spirits), future cruise booking discounts, luggage shipping service discounts, access to special offers and exclusive onboard events.

Shipboard dining options - Food and Drinks

Seabourn Odyssey restaurants and bars include: The Restaurant is Seabourn Odyssey main dining venue and open-seating eatery. Restaurant 2 is the alternative venue, specialized in tasting seven-course menus. The menu changes weekly in seven-week rotation, and guests for more than a week will see a different menu. The Colonnade is a casual restaurant, providing both waiter-service and buffet options. In the evenings, it is transformed and becomes a bistro-style restaurant. Menus are themed. One night, it is Italian, the next – Mediterranean, or French. Patio Grill on Deck 8, next to the pool, is the most casual, with tables around the main pool. It offers continental breakfast; burgers, hot dogs, pizza and salads for lunch. Patio Grill is open for dinner in good weather, offering chops, steaks, shrimp, and pizza. Early risers may enjoy continental breakfast in Observation Bar between 6:15 and 8 a.m., as well as a full pastries’ range and special coffees at the Square between 6:15 a.m. and 6 p.m. Tea is served in Observation Bar daily from 4 to 5 p.m. with piano music. Tea selections include Darjeeling Organic, Himalayan Peak, Bleu Peacock Oolong, Mandarin Rose Petal, and tisanes – African Amber and Ginger Twist.

Room service is 24 hours a day, however, the menus do not vary much and you can order hot breakfast and staples, such as chicken, burgers, steaks, and surprisingly delicious pizza. For dinner, you can order from the Restaurant’s menu – your food will be served course by course. Most beverages onboard Seabourn Odyssey, from house wines and cappuccino to soda and martinis, are complimentary. Each cabin will be stocked with two complimentary liquor bottles.

Follows the complete list of Seabourn Odyssey restaurants and food bars.

• The Restaurant (main dining room with open-seating breakfast, lunch, and dinner; the dining amenities are top-luxurious; the Restaurant’s dress code is “elegant casual” with optional “formal” dress on special nights.
• Restaurant 2 (reservation-only; offers an avant-garde dining experience, featuring a rich selection of fine wines and regionally-themed menus)
• Patio Grill (serves the pool area with grilled specialties, salads, and several side dishes; fresh pizza by the slice is offered throughout the afternoon)
• The Colonnade (open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner; its chefs cook in an open kitchen and guests can enjoy watching the food being prepared; the menu for dinner is differently themed each day; the restaurant has an aft Terrace and an outdoor seating area)
• The Grill by Thomas Keller (the menu and ambiance are inspired by the classic American chophouse; a collaboration between designer Adam D. Tihany and 3-star Michelin chef Thomas Keller).

Shipboard entertainment options - Fun and Sport

Most evenings, Seabourn Odyssey guests have three entertainment option – piano music in the Observation Bar, a show in Grand Salon, and dancing in The Club. The main pool area is vast, with attendant whirlpools, ringed by two decks with plenty of room. There’s another pool at the stern, which is smaller, but quieter, and the third spot is on Deck 6 – a large whirlpool, all the way forward.

Seabourn spa covers two decks, although Deck 10 space is limited by two spa villas (private, with treatment beds), double day-bed, oversized whirlpool tub, and wraparound terrace featuring lounge chairs for private sunbathing. The cost is $500 – the minimum for half a day! Seabourn Odyssey spa entrance is on Deck 9 and it leads to a sliding-glass panoramic wall to the outdoor area for relaxation, with six treatment rooms, hydro spa pool, steam rooms, and saunas; fitness studio with free Kinesis training. You will also find all the usual equipment a modern gym is able to provide. The cost is $30 for a spa pass to the thermal area and the pool. Several group classes – Kinesis training, Tai Chi and yoga are available, no fee for them. However, you will have to pay for private sessions and lessons with a trainer.

A typical Seabourn trademark featured on Seabourn Odyssey is the water sports marina. It is situated on Deck 2 and is open typically on one day per voyage, if the weather is permitting so, and only when anchored, not docked. An array of toys are offered – from kayaks and a banana boat to a bizarre activity in which guests sit in the inner tube, after which are pulled by a speedboat to the swimming platform.

Seabourn Odyssey gratuity is included in the fare, so tipping is not required. Seabourn Odyssey is suited primarily to couples. However, solo travelers will also be cared for with needed attention.

Additional amenities include Complimentary 24-hour Room-Service, Internet/WiFi Access, Laundry, Self-Serve Laundromats, connecting cabins (35), wheelchair-accessible cabins (7). Tipping/gratuities - tips are not expected or calculated in the price. Wedding parties on Seabourn ship Odyssey could be held in any of the ship's public spaces (no chapel on board).

Follows the complete list of Seabourn Odyssey lounges, clubs and other entertainment venues for kids, teens, and adults.

• Living room (open-floor area serving as a lounge with a small seating area)
• The Casino (with 1 roulette table, 3 gaming tables for blackjack and poker, 15 slot machines)
• The Club lounge (disco & nightclub)
• The Club Pool area (with one plunge pool flanked by two Whirlpools, served by The Club’s bar)
• Whirlpool (with an open-deck area with loungers)
• Grand Salon (main show lounge for grand productions, featuring a 6-piece band; hosts guest lectures and presentations during the day)
• Card Room (cards playing and bard games room)
• 3 duty-free shops (The Boutique for fashion clothes, perfumes, and luxury cosmetics; The Seabourn Shop for Seabourn-logo merchandise; The Collection for brand watches and jewelry)
• The Coffee Bar (patisserie & specialty coffee bar, serving Seabourn Square lounge area, which has a corner serving as the Library/Computer Centre)
• Patio Pool (swimming pool, two Whirlpools, sunbathing area with loungers, private cabanas; served with drinks by Patio Bar; the pool deck also hosts barbecue parties)
• Sky Bar (serves the Patio Pool’s balcony level)
• The “Spa at Seabourn” (11,400 ft2 wellness area spanning on two decks, with outdoor relaxation deck area, Massage-Treatment Rooms, Steam Room, Saunas, Thermal Suite, glass-roofed Spa pool, Beauty Salon)
• Fitness Center (panoramic-view modern gym)
• Motion Studio (separate Aerobics Room)
• Observation Bar (round-shaped observation lounge with grand piano)
• Promenade (Deck 5); Outdoor relaxation areas (Sun Terrace, Spa Terrace, The Retreat)
• The Retreat (multi-use, open-air relaxation area with a 9-hole Golf putting green and courts for deck games - Giant Chess, Shuffleboard).

Seabourn Cruises Odyssey ship is the line's first of all three newbuilt vessels. Her sisters are the fleet mates Quest and Sojourn. All of the three sisters have been produced under the same ship design. When they were launched, the Seabourn company bragged that this cruise vessel design will be the "game-changer for the luxury segment" of the cruising market. Traditionally for all ships in the Seabourn fleet, all passenger cabins (all are suites) have private verandas.

The Seabourn ship Odyssey is famous for having one of the biggest spas at sea, though the vessel is relatively small compared with other competitor lines' ships.

The naming ceremony of the Odyssey ship took place on the 22nd of June 2009 in Venice Italy. All maiden voyage passengers were honored to as godparents of the ship. A plaque with the all their names were later mounted on an inside wall of the ship. The next day, on the 25th of June, 2009, Odyssey departed on her maiden voyage in the Eastern Mediterranean (Venice to Istanbul Turkey), with ports of call in Croatia and Greece.