The Seabourn Encore under way. Photo / Supplied
Isobel Marriner sails aboard the Seabourn Encore
The ship: Seabourn Encore, variously described as "Encore-class" or a "mega-yacht". Built by Fincantieri for Seabourn and launched in 2016. Pretty as a picture and still has that lovely "new-ship" feel.
How big: Just over 210m.
How many on board? Up to 600 passengers with one crew member to every two of them. No waiting around for service, which always came with a a smile.
The cruise: Around New Zealand in 16 Days. With a side trip to Norfolk Island, where we didn't make landfall because of heavy weather. Australia/New Zealand is one of Encore's home bases.
What's included: This is a high-end, luxury cruise so everything, apart from shore tours, personal purchases and some (properly) premium wines and spirits.
Check-in: Smooth and cheerful.
Suites: Spacious, gracious, all with verandas and glamorous marble bathrooms. Plenty of storage, a full-sized table and couch and a huge, comfortable bed.
Food and drink: A huge mix of styles and venues to choose from and the food was sophisticated and delicious. The fish was perfect, always a good sign on a ship. There's even a speciality sushi restaurant. (Note to Travel Ed: there is lobster thermidor, in the Thomas Keller celebrity restaurant [I'm in - Travel Editor]). And not forgetting the best cheese straws in the world. Proper cocktails at the bars from personable and knowledgeable bar stewards.
Entertainment
: Top notch from the talented Seabourn Singers, the very personable cruise director Chris, and some well-chosen guest stars. Interesting, informative lectures in the afternoons.
Facilities
: A modern, well-equipped gym, swimming pools, numerous whirlpools, spa with wellbeing classes. A classy casino, and yes, there was a laundry. Many lovely spots to lie in the sun. A well-stocked library with international papers to read every morning, including, importantly, the New Zealand Herald, and a cafe with great coffee. Even the public restrooms were delightful, with top-notch toiletries and real fluffy towels.
Wi-Fi: Pricey (as is often the case on board cruise ships), but it worked well.
Service
: Not sure whether this is down to Seabourn's staff selection or training, but the service was absolutely flawless: warm, charming people who made the trip an absolute pleasure. The captain, Mark Dexter, is a Kiwi.
Shore tours
: Many options and a mix of prices. We chose a couple run by Seabourn's Ventures team, who were informative and approachable.
What's good about this trip?: Faultless. It really felt like I was a guest on a good friend's (very big) yacht, being looked after by people who really cared.
And the bad: Nope. I have nothing. I had a wonderful time.
Ideal for: A superb way to see the country and feel very special.