Grand Africa Cruise Trip Day 96/96 - Home and trip wrap-up plus Viking/Seabourn comparison
After retiring a little before midnight, it wasn't too long before we were awakened by my phone alarm at 2:45. We brushed our teeth, tossed the few items we had gotten out back into our bags, and took the long walk to the elevator. I bring that up as we were in the room the absolute farthest from the elevator, and we were pushing three heavy bags each on thick carpet. It wasn't fun last night, and it wasn't fun this morning.
After retiring a little before midnight, it wasn't too long before we were awakened by my phone alarm at 2:45. We brushed our teeth, tossed the few items we had gotten out back into our bags, and took the long walk to the elevator. I bring that up as we were in the room the absolute farthest from the elevator, and we were pushing three heavy bags each on thick carpet. It wasn't fun last night, and it wasn't fun this morning.
We were downstairs and checked out at 3:15, and the van showed up at 3:20, right on schedule.
Our driver was obviously a frustrated Formula 1 wanna be as she threw that van through roundabouts like she stole it. Luckily, the airport was just a few minutes away, and we survived.
We checked in and got through security by 4:00 and headed to the airline lounge. It didn't open until 4:30. Dang. We decided to grab breakfast at McDonald's. They were open, but this one doesn't offer breakfast. Dang. We sat there until 4:30 and went back to the lounge.
We had a bite to eat and, more importantly, Coke Zeros. We were ready for our day.
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| What an odd size - 237ml - but that does equal 8oz |
As boarding time approached, we wandered to our gate. They started boarding a few minutes later, or so we thought. They scanned our boarding passes, checked our passports, and sent us down the hall to the jetway. The jetway was closed. We all just lined up and waited several minutes until they eventually opened the jetway and we could board.
We're flying business class, so I looked forward to a nice, comfy seat. Wrong. We were on a KLM 737-800. The only difference between a business class seat and a regular seat was that they left the middle seat open.
We also got a better meal. That was it. It was like flying some of the discount South American airlines when we went to Galapagos and Machu Pichu. I didn't expect that from KLM.
At least the flight was only a couple hours from Barcelona to Amsterdam.
We arrived in Amsterdam a few minutes early. We went to the first airline lounge we saw. It was packed. There weren't two seats together anywhere. We walked out and asked if there was another one. She advised us where to go. We went through passport control, making our exit from the European Union, and found the lounge she recommended. It was packed, too. We were able to grab a couple of seats, at least, but it sure didn't have comfortable options. It was a little disappointing as we had nearly four hours to wait.
We made the long walk to gate G4. Schiphol Airport is huge, and the walks between terminals are long. We boarded our Airbus A330 with Delta One personal pods.
The meals were good. We watched some movies, read, snoozed a bit, and just like that, ten hours later, we landed in Orlando.
Seabourn provided Blacklane private car service, and our driver, Joseph, was waiting for us.
We made the 1.25-hour ride home.
So our trip is done. Here are some numbers.
- Days: 96
- Sea Days: 45
- Port, overland, or travel days: 51
- Miles flown: 12,500
- Miles sailed: 23,000
- Countries visited: 21
- Continents visited: 2
- Calories and drinks consumed: <error - number too large>
To say that we enjoyed the trip would be an understatement. We enjoyed it immensely. Were there issues? Sure, there always are. Seabourn responded well, and we liked the experience. Because we have cruised Viking Ocean so much, the comparison seems natural, so here we go.
We have spent 90 nights on Seabourn and over 300 nights on Viking - 21 River, 37 Expedition, and 248 Ocean.
We believe each cruise line, from Carnival, Royal Caribbean, and so on to Viking, Oceania, and yes, Seabourn, all have their own strengths and weaknesses.
The following are our opinions. Not everyone will agree.
We find the service and attention on both Seabourn and Viking (and my Viking comments will all pertain to Ocean and Expedition as River is a different animal) to be outstanding. Whatever you want, just ask, and if it is possible, it will happen. Food, overall, is better on Seabourn. However, Viking is better for destination-specific special meals and providing destination favorites like local beers and wines from along the cruise route. We also like the fact that Viking offers a buffet at dinner. They offer fresh sushi on par with Seabourn's Club sushi, plus crab legs, langoustines, salmon, and other fresh offerings nightly in addition to the same food available in The Restaurant, but you can sample different things. Seabourn, of course, offers their signature caviar events, so if caviar is your thing, Seabourn is your choice. If pizza is your favorite, Viking's pizza in the World Cafe is terrific, and they'll make you a custom pie with whatever you want, as long as they have it. Solis on Seabourn is outstanding, and Manfredi's on Viking is also outstanding. Overall, food is a close call, and it depends on what is important to you.
Entertainment is better on Seabourn as it is an afterthought on Viking. Lectures and enrichment are close between the two. I'll call that a toss-up. On that note, Viking streams all lectures and entertainment simultaneously into the staterooms. That's outstanding because sometimes, you might want to see a show but don't feel like going to the theater. The lectures are also recorded and are available on demand. Seabourn doesn't stream anything into the rooms, at least on Sojourn. The lectures are recorded, but there is no camera work. The video just shows the slides, not the speaker. It's hard to watch. Viking gets an edge on in-room viewing experience.
Viking includes an excursion in every port - a terrific perk. We have found Seabourn's excursions, at least on this Grand Africa itinerary, to be quite expensive when compared to similar excursions on other lines. Viking also provides a QuietVox listening aid in all rooms, making listening to tour guides much easier. Viking's pre/post stays are also better as they include excursions/tours. Seabourn's overpriced pre-stay included a hotel with breakfast. We could have booked on our own for much less. Excursions go to Viking.
Seabourn includes all drinks, including alcohol. Viking includes beer and wine with lunch and dinner. The Silver Spirits package is $27/pp per day (as of Jan 1, 2025). Drinks go to Seabourn.
The rooms are generally nicer, with more storage on Seabourn. Seabourn has better storage and a small but usable walk-in closet. The bathroom with two sinks is also nice. But...the shower is ridiculously small for a luxury line. Plus, they include a large tub. If you like baths, that's a win. If you don't (like us), it's a huge waste of space and would be better used in a livable shower. Viking's bathroom floors are heated. That's a great touch, especially on cooler climate cruises. The shower is also larger, even in base rooms. All rooms include a balcony. Some Seabourn rooms only have windows. What's important to you in a room will determine the winner here.
Both lines offer similar in-suite entertainment with movies and music on demand and the standard satellite TV with MSNBC, Fox, CNBC, BBC, Sky News, and so on.
Ship size - all Viking Ocean ships hold 930 passengers, with new ones coming at 990. Seabourn's are smaller. We've never felt crowded on Viking, but the theater definitely can't fit everyone. Some people simply want a smaller and more intimate ship, and Seabourn fits that bill. But Viking's ships are still on the small size, especially when compared to mainstream 2,500-7,000 passenger ships.
I'll address crew one more time - both Viking and Seabourn hire the absolute best crew.
Seabourn is more formal in terms of attire. They have formal nights with suits or tuxes expected in the main dining venues. Viking is much more relaxed, with no requirements for jackets or ties for men ever.
If you're a spa junkie, Viking wins hands-down. The spa is OK on Seabourn, but Viking ships have a sauna, snow grotto, cold plunge pool, cold dump bucket, thermal pool, and thermal whirlpool, all included.
So, which one is better? It depends on what you want. Only small ships? Seabourn. Outstanding service? Both. Better quality entertainment? Seabourn. Better lectures? I would choose Viking because of the in-room options. Better food overall? Seabourn. Excellent destination food and beverage offerings? Viking. Larger rooms and each level of room? Seabourn. Innovating and interesting itineraries? Both offer great itineraries.
Viking does not offer any shareholder benefits, even though it went public in 2024. They also don't offer any loyalty program other than a couple hundred dollar discount for past cruisers. Viking also regularly requires payment in full 365 days before sailing, although some incentives have moved that to 180 days. Seabourn offers shareholder onboard credit to Carnival shareholders (100 share minimum), an aggressive loyalty program that provides benefits based on your loyalty level, and has a more reasonable payment in full date. Seabourn wins here.
One last thing - onboard credit. If you have some applied to your account before you sail, like shareholder benefit or credit as part of a promotional fare, you can use it before the cruise on Viking. You can book optional excursions using that credit. Not so much on Seabourn. None of your onboard credit is available before you get on the ship, so you have to pay for your excursions out of pocket, stranding your non-refundable onboard credit. This forces you to buy more on the ship or lose the credit.
The bottom line is that you should choose a cruise line based on the things they do better that are important to you and one that has compelling itineraries that satisfy your wanderlust.
So, what's next? Stay tuned starting in late April for our first Regent Seven Seas cruise from Bangkok to Dubai with side trips to Angkor Wat and the Taj Mahal!
Thanks for traveling with us!
