Atrium Staircase
Observation Bar
Thomas Keller The Grill
Verandah suite with full bath and separate shower. The
suite bar stocked with a choice of beverages.
Stephanie Anevich, Vision Travel, Vanessa Lee &
Lindsay Pearlman, Ensemble Travel
This new Seabourn Encore is both luscious and amazingly lyrical. My overall take: she is just so damn beautiful! The stunning atrium staircase alone is worth the price of admission.
The lyrical feel comes in all the swooping curves -- making me think of the John Legend lyric: “Love your curves and all your edges. All your perfect imperfections."
However, I would go so far as to say that the design of this ship is, for me, without any noticeable imperfections. I haven’t explored it all as yet, but so far she’s a rare beauty.
Seabourn Encore is indeed a feast for both the eyes and the senses. She is a remarkable ship. The design is an evolution of the three Odyssey-class ships and there’s certainly an aura of familiarity – but, it’s as if those young teenagers Odyssey, Sojourn and Quest have matured into a full-fledged and sexy woman.
Much has been made of the impeccable credentials of designer Adam D. Tihany, and he has wowed in every aspect and in each small detail -- the ceilings, furnishings, positioning of glass, the chandeliers, sconces and so much more.
The intuitive super-yacht design provides a flow to the ship, making it easy to get around. Public rooms are aft and suites mid to forward. Each deck is anchored by that remarkable atrium staircase, which is the focal point of the ship in more ways than one.
Add to that some really fine cuisine, delightful, attentive and thoughtful service from the staff and crew, and you have a ship and a cruise line worthy of an array of accolades.
My Splash column will focus on Encore next week. Stay tuned for more ...
Vanessa Lee Columnist
An internationally-known luxury cruise expert, Vanessa is publisher and editor of Cruise and Travel Lifestyles magazine. She contributes a column every other Friday for OJ’s Splash News and appears with Nina on the bi-monthly video Cruise Factor.
