Prathibha Hettiarachchi

 

Cruise profile: Seabourn's stylish cruisers offer luxury and pampering...but at a price.

As part of our occasional series profiling the big cruise companies so you can plan your perfect voyage, SeaView’s cruise expert David Simpson gives the low down on Seabourn, the up-market cruise line for those who appreciate the finer things in life.

There have to be reasons why just a few cruise lines can claim to be the best. Standing knee-deep in the warm turquoise waters of the Caribbean, champagne in one hand and a blini piled high with caviar in the other, is one of them.

And it is luxuries like this that puts four of Seabourn's cruisers into the world’s top ten best ships in the cruising bible, the Berlitz Cruise Guide, which uses an internationally accepted rating system that examines 400 separate items based on personal cruises.

Life's little luxuries: 'Caviar in the Surf' is just one of the memorable moments Seabourn offers its passengers

Life on a Seabourn cruise is a succession of memorable moments, whichever of the five ships in the fleet you decide upon.

One such moment is the Caviar in the Surf celebration in which guests are whisked from ship to pristine sands for an occasion renowned in cruising’s elite circles.

But don't expect the moments to feature climbing walls and ice rinks as the vessels are small and intimate compared with many of today's monsters of the seas. This allows them to visit ports and docks normally only accessible to smaller vessels.

Take a dip: Don't expect to find climbing walls and ice rinks - Seabourn's vessels are small and intimate compared with many of today's monsters of the seas

Such pampering doesn't come cheaply. Seven days will set you back from about £1,800 for a seven-night Mediterranean cruise - flights are extra - but once on board the only thing you have to put your hand in your pocket for is shore excursions such as horseback beach safaris, submarine voyages to explore the marine life and snorkelling to name a few.

The wine and champagne in the fridge in the upmarket staterooms is included. So too are those dreaded gratuities, unless you feel someone has earned a little something extra for their trouble.

 

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When it comes to dining, you can choose to be intimate or sociable in the open-seating, dine-when-you-like restaurant. And with so few on board - from 200 to 450 depending on ship - there's never a problem finding a quiet corner.

You can expect excellent cuisine and high-level service, before returning to an extremely comfortable stateroom, complete with audio and TV systems and those bathroom bits and pieces. The staterooms naturally improve in space, if not in comfort, the higher the grade you choose.

Cruise in comfort: You can expect an extremely comfortable stateroom, complete with audio and TV systems

Thailand fears floods once more as heavy rain in provinces could spread to Bangkok.

Fears have been raised after up to a quarter of Thailand's provinces, including the tourist resort of Ayutthaya, have been hit by floodwaters.

Thousands fled their homes in northern Thailand after heavy rain caused a major river to overflow at the start of the month, sending up to a metre of water into some towns. So far, four people have died.

The Bangkok Post today reported that the city's Metropolitan Administration has put all 50 districts on alert for 'possible flooding' as heavy rain is forecast between tomorrow and September 17 around many parts of the country.

Concern: A view of residential areas submerged by floodwaters in the Sukhothai province, northern Thailand

It said regions of the city had been told to install water pumps in areas prone to the floods and that thousands of people in vulnerable districts had been warned to be ready to move, should they need to.

Scenes of residents wading through waist-high water and stacking large sandbags around shops and homes in Sukhothai, around 430km north of Bangkok, are a stark reminder of last year's floods that killed more than 800 people.

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office - which then advised against all but essential travel to the capital, as well as central, north-eastern and eastern Thailand - has warned visitors about the current 'localised flooding' in Sukhothai.

Awash: Thai residents are evacuated with boats in a flooded street in Sukhothai

Today, website The Nation reported that the floodwaters in the region had 'begun to stabilise' although water levels were continuing to rise in Phitsanulok, also in the north.

Industrial estates have scrambled to build flood walls and dredge nearby canals in time for this year's rainy season - which runs from May to October, with September and October the height of the monsoon. But other parts of the country remain vulnerable to sudden inundation.

A landslide on September 8 meant the rail service between Lampang and Chiang Mai was suspended, with the FCO urging travellers to contact their booking agents.

In the dry: A family make their escape in a boat as water floods their town

The floods come amid concerns that the country's government failed to act fast enough to strengthen flood defences after last year's devastating floods which swept down into Bangkok.