We have cruised Seabourn and Regent and we love both, for different reasons. Regent has lovely ships and suites and good entertainment and activities, and excellent service. Seabourn has amazing service. It really is the attitude of the staff that makes it special. You feel you are a guest on a private yacht. Everyone is personable and fun, and you quickly get to know everyone on the ship. For port intensive European itineraries Seabourn is wonderful, especially in the Mediterranean where the ships can visit small intimate ports.

However, if there are a lot of sea days, I prefer a larger ship with many more options. For example, I love Regent’s enrichment lectures on sea days, and there is much more variety of entertainment.

On our first Seabourn cruise we had a “balcony” which is really a sliding door that opens up the suite. We opened ours while having breakfast in the suite and loved hearing the sea, but we do not think the doors are worth the extra money. Since the ships are small you never have to go far to be outside and there is a terrific outside bar on the top of the ship where people gather during the day and night.

I need to warn the women, though, that on Seabourn your in-suite breakfast is usually delivered by a very handsome man. For me this meant I could not just jump out of bed to answer the door.

Merril