This week we look at the first of several ships that we will be profiling in upcoming weeks that compete in the luxury/ultra-luxury segment of the cruise industry.
The luxury/ultra-luxury segment is the top tier of cruise ships as far as luxury goes. Guests are pampered by top service and with top quality accommodations and dining. The fares are much higher than the fares for all but the best suites on the premium and mass market ships. However, more is included in the fare.
Luxury/ultra-luxury ships are almost all small ships - - less than 50,000 gross tons. This makes the cruise experience more intimate and gives an impression of exclusivity. Since the guests typically are experienced travelers, they are attracted by itineraries that include ports that are not usually on cruise itineraries. Smaller ships can get into more of these ports than their larger brethren.
Entering service in June 2010, Seabourn Sojourn is one of the more recent additions to this segment. She is the second ship in Seabourn’s Odyssey class and brings much of what is state-of-the-art thinking in the cruise industry to a small ship. I was particularly impressed by how well the outdoor space on the ship is utilized.
Sojourn still sparkles like a new ship. She is clean and well-maintained. She is clean in another way as well - - her interior spaces often rely on clean lines unbroken by decorative frills. It is very much a contemporary elegance rather than traditional luxury.
Beyondship’s profile of Seabourn Sojourn is at http://www.beyondships.com/Seabourn-Sojourn-Profile.html The multi-page photo tour begins at http://www.beyondships.com/Seabourn-Sojourn-Tour-1.html.
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