This was our 5th Seabourn cruise, but our first crossing and our first on the Ovation. Other than a few "nits" here and there, everything about this cruise met or exceeded our expectations. Food was generally good to excellent. Service was almost uniformly excellent. Speakers and entertainers were very good. We were in Suite 700, and while we were warned about noise from the anchor deploying when reaching ports, since this cruise only had 2 stops that didn't bother us. Just be warned that it *is* noisy and early in the morning. What we were not warned about was the noise of waves hitting the hull of the ship when we were in choppier seas. It was VERY loud and at night made it hard to sleep. As much as I loved the layout of that suite, larger balcony and proximity to the aft hot tub, I don't think I'd book this cabin again on any cruise that had the potential for choppy seas.

The "sommelier" in the main dining room, while very nice, was not really a sommelier. We had made a special order of sweetbreads with the chef, and when we consulted with the designated sommelier, she really had no clue on suggesting an appropriate wine. Not a huge deal, but a little surprising. By contrast, the sommelier in Solis, the specialty restaurant, was excellent.

All of the speakers on the trip were excellent and informative, and I liked that they recorded the talks so you could watch them later in your room if you wanted to. Read more