Fast Facts

Launched: June 2010

Tonnage: 32,000

Cruising speed: 19 knots

Number of passengers: 450, at double occupancy

Crew: 333

Staterooms: 225 suites, 197 with private verandas

Where she cruises: World Cruise, the Mediterranean, Northern Europe, Canada/New England, South America, Caribbean

Overview

Sojourn was the second of three new luxury “yachts” launched by Seabourn, following Odyssey in 2009, and ahead of Quest which is due to make its debut in June this year. Virtually identical from stem to stern, all three sisters boast are spacious, contemporary yachts with all-suite ocean view accommodation, cuisine by the noted celebrity chef, Charlie Palmer, and innovative new features for the line including a two-deck spa with private villas.

Who Should Go?

Couples.

Things You Might Not Know

Sojourn was christened at a glamorous event in London by the former 60’s supermodel, Twiggy. The ship’s Grand Wintergarden Suite is the largest in Seabourn’s fleet, with almost 110 square metres of space, two verandahs and a glass enclosed solarium with a tub and daybed.

Staterooms

All of Sojourn‘s accommodations are spacious, ocean-view suites, the majority with private verandas large enough for dining al fresco, and all have comfortable living areas with a queen or twin beds. Standard amenities include an in-suite bar and fridge stocked to your preference before embarkation, a spacious closet, flat screen TV, wi-fi, a freehand hairdryer, daily fresh fruit and an umbrella.

Veranda staterooms are generous in size making them great value for money at the luxury end. The decor is subtle yet elegant; bathrooms with marble and granite, full sized bathtubs and Molton Brown amenities, while the overall decor is a classy fusion of chocolate borne, cream and gold. The larger suites an dotted around the ship, including five Owners suites, four two-bedroom Grand suites, and 22 Penthouse suites.

The interactive TV system is one of the best at sea. It is programmed with a huge range of movies, music videos and you can also perform functions such as checking your account and ordering services.

Facilities and Entertainment

Sojourn is a boutique ship, or “yacht” as the line likes to call her, and when it comes to facilities there are many new things to discuss. One is Seabourn Square, a concierge-style lounge featuring a library, boutiques, an outdoor terrace, a cafe, banks of computers for internet access and the traditional customer relations and shore excursion desks. The gym is a decent size and packed with state-of-the-art equipment, and there are two outdoor pools including one on the aft deck which provides a quiet retreat when the ship is busy or the weather is windy.

There are six lounges and bars, an intimate theatre, and a casino. Entertainment is relatively low key, with a nightly show which can either be a solo artist, cabaret or Broadway style, and musicians of various types perform in the key bars before and after dinner. A key new innovation is the Spa at Seabourn, arguably the largest on any ultra-luxury ship and spanning two decks aft. A key highlight are the two spa villas on deck 10, which can be hired for anything from a few hours to half a day or more and come equipped with treatment tables, a lounge area, a bathtub, sun deck and day bed.

Dining

Charlie Palmer is the brains behind the cuisine at Seabourn and his class and creativity shows. There are four venues including The Restaurant, an elegant open-seating venue with the unique capacity to accommodate all guests at any one time. The only time you can’t dine here is on formal nights if you choose to opt out. A favourite is The Colonnade, a venue exclusive to Sojourn and her sisters combining indoor an al fresco dining, an open kitchen, and buffet with a la carte.

Restaurant 2 is an avant-garde dégustation dining expérience where food and wine are paired carefully over a long sitting; it’s also a venue worth of a surcharge, but doesn’t have one. Finally, the Patio Grill is the place for super-casual dining day and night.

The Low Down

Seabourn has steered away slightly from its tiny yachts to built a bigger vessel such as Sojourn and her sisters. While some of the line’s more traditional devotees may not be fans of the increased size and changes such as opt-in formal nights, undoubtedly the ship is attracting a new clientele who prefer a contemporary yet elegant “Four Seasons” experience at sea.

More information

Visit www.seabourn.com

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