Founders members John and Sue Lockwood recently set sail in the Mediterranean aboard Seabourn Encore. From Athens they visited the Greek islands, Italy, Montenegro and Croatia. In this beautiful article, Sue explains how totally enamoured she is with the incredible ship and its incredible surroundings. She tells us all about the itinerary, the service and more.

John and Sue's Seabourn Encore review

The day has dawned bright and clear in Athens and we are about to board Seabourn Encore on a tour of some of the smaller Greek islands, as well as Italy, Montenegro and Croatia. Boarding is fast, efficient and effortless, and being greeted by our first glass of champagne sets the scene as we are shown to our suite before enjoying lunch in Colonnade. Outside, of course, at the stern of the ship. Here we feast on fresh seafood and sip French rosé whilst meeting new and interesting fellow passengers. Everybody is wonderful, and the intimate atmosphere on board this Seabourn ship enables us to make new friends so easily.

The next morning I am sitting quietly on our expansive forward-facing balcony, slipping slowly into the bay in Delphi—a beautiful Greek mainland small town where we will anchor for the day. I am mesmerised by the sound of the clear blue water lapping against the hull as the sun rises over the hills beyond. It is only 6.40am, and I’m excited for our Seabourn adventure to continue for another day.

Our itinerary is packed with beauty, history and mythology and seems to get better each day. Last night was the (only) formal night, when the captain and his senior officers introduced themselves to passengers in a fun and relaxed way. We dined in Solis, brand-new for 2024, the only restaurant aboard which you have to reserve and experience only once, but John and I feel that it’s the best food we’ve eaten on any cruise ship. You can try the fabulous curated cocktails in the Solis bar any evening. They are the best on board, bar none.

We dined on wonderful seared scallops followed by an entrecôte de boeuf for two with a strawberry dessert to finish—and it’s all complimentary! The service was exemplary, with Fabian the maître d' ensuring everyone received the best attention. This restaurant is an experience not to be missed. Tonight is the deck party so we expect lots of fun and dancing under the stars.

Tomorrow another small Greek mainland tender port awaits, the sailaway at 5pm will be enhanced by a live performance of operatic and modern songs by the Seabourn singers. But this afternoon the captain announced that we could have a Marina Day, so we headed down to the marina platform at the stern and we took a double kayak straight off the ship. It was a great experience!

Last night the sailaway from Kotor was magnificent. Again, to live music but this time with duelling guitar—music from the Gypsy Kings to the Eagles. Everyone sang along.

This has been our first experience with Seabourn for 5 years—and we can’t wait for the next!