We have fantastic news to share – today we signed and took delivery of our newest ship, Seabourn Sojourn! It was a wonderful day in Genoa and we are so proud to welcome her to our fleet. Shipyard staff members, who proudly worked on her for the past year, stood at the dock and waved goodbye to Sojourn as she pulled away this afternoon and headed out to sea. For the next few days, onboard crew will be preparing the yacht for two days of exciting festivities in London, where we will officially “name” the yacht and introduce her to the world. It will be spectacular, so stay tuned for more news from the inaugural celebration!

If you’re seeking pure indulgence, look no further than the Spa on Seabourn Sojourn.  It will offer many new amenities and treatments, and will provide the best and healthiest spa experience at sea.

Treat yourself to a relaxing Thai massage, which – by the way – you can only get on a Seabourn cruise.  Try out our newest holistic treatment and step into the new Kneipp Walk pool.  Stay in shape and work out using the latest version of the Kinesis System in the state-of-the-art fitness center.  Or simply sit back on a lounge chair and enjoy some peace and quiet in the new outdoor, cabana-style area.

If you want some privacy, book the Spa Villa, which truly is an ultimate sanctuary.  There will be treatment area large enough for duet treatments; a bathtub big enough for two; a private balcony for sunbathing; a full living room area; a double daybed and a dining area to enjoy healthy snacks.

There is a little bit of everything that is sure to soothe your soul in the Spa on Seabourn Sojourn! Read more about the Sojourn Spa.

Last week Seabourn Spirit transited the famous and very narrow Corinth Canal connecting the Gulf of Corinth with the Saronic Gulf in Greece.

To give you an idea of how narrow it is, the canal is 80.7 feet (24.6 meters) at sea level and 69.9 feet (21 meters) wide on the bottom.  The beam of Seabourn Spirit is 63 feet (19.2 meters), making it a very tight squeeze.  Guests went out on deck and awed in the experience as Spirit Captain Emil Holthe and his team navigated through the canal with the assistance of local pilots.

Spirit Hotel Manager Hubert Buelacher shared some photos taken of Spirit approaching the Corinth Canal and during the transit.  It was so close that you can almost lean over and touch the walls!

Simplicio Paragas, the Dining Out columnist and feature editor for the Honolulu Advertiser, recently sailed on Seabourn Pride and delighted in the many delicious and mouth-watering dishes during his cruise.  One of his top highlights was the Galley Market Lunch on the last day of the voyage, when the chef and his team opened up the galley and prepared one final feast for the guests.

“It was a food lover’s dream and a perfect climax to what had already been a perfect cruise.”

Check out his article to get a taste of Simplicio’s savory dining experience on Pride:

Twiggy

We are very pleased to announce that British supermodel Twiggy will be the Godmother of Seabourn Sojourn.  She will name the yacht during a christening ceremony hosted on board on the River Thames on Friday, June 4.  In addition, we have donated Sojourn on Saturday, June 5, to the non-profit Breast Cancer Haven as the venue for an exclusive fundraising gala event to celebrate the charity’s 10th anniversary.

Twiggy exploded onto the international modelling scene as a London teenager in 1966. She went on to define the term ‘supermodel’ and to become the icon of 1960s style worldwide. In the early 1970s, she became an actress and singer, winning two coveted Golden Globe Awards for her first film “The Boyfriend.” In the 1980s, she took Broadway by storm in the Tony Award-winning Gershwin musical ‘My One & Only.” More recently, she has been a judge on America’s Next Top Model and fronted the phenomenally successful campaign for the British retail giant Marks & Spencer. Along with this, she designs her own clothing and bed linen lines in the U.K. and has just launched her “Twiggy London” collection in the U.S. on the Home Shopping Channel.

She is an ardent campaigner for animal welfare and breast cancer support. Twiggy’s renowned elegance and style perfectly complement the values of Seabourn, reflected in the gracious lines and sophistication of Seabourn Sojourn.

We have no doubt it’s going to be spectacular ceremony in London.  We’re very much looking forward to welcoming Twiggy on board Seabourn Sojourn!

It was an exacting task to align the two pieces perfectly and then weld the seams to form one smooth and sleek hull. That task was finished last week and the entire hull was then towed back to San Giorgio di Nogaro, where they will begin adding the blocks of her superstructure.  Once that phase is complete, Quest will be towed again all the way around the “boot” and up the coast of Italy to the Mariotti shipyard in Genoa, and the yard will begin to outfit the yacht for her arrival in June of 2011.  Before you know it, she’ll be ready for the world to see!

Here is a great picture of Seabourn Quest arriving in San Giorgio.  You can see her name proudly affixed on the bow. Even though she is in the early stages now, you can tell she is going to be a stunner!

Seabourn Legend Hotel Manager Ralph de Klijn sent the following update and photo about a group of cadets who recently finished their Seabourn Academy training on Legend:

Here is a wonderful picture of all the cadets who successfully completed the Seabourn Academy over the last three and a half months on Seabourn Legend. Our training manager, Paul Charsley, has debarked Legend, leaving his pupils behind after a successful couple of months onboard. In total, we had three waves of cadets training on the yacht, and they will now be assigned to begin their careers throughout the fleet, including the new Seabourn Sojourn. It was great having new talent added to the Seabourn family and we wanted to share this as guests, particularly some who sailed during the Legend’s crossing, have asked for an update on their training. From myself and the Legend management, we wish all new Seabourn family members the best of luck in the next years aboard our yachts.

We’re only one month away from the launch of Sojourn and there is a great buzz in the air here at Seabourn!  We are in the midst of finalizing plans for the inaugural festivities in London while workers at the shipyard are putting the finishing touches on the yacht.  We know many of you are just as excited as we are to see her. The debut is right around the corner, but in the meantime, here are some new construction photos of Sojourn. (more…)

The city of Qingdao greeted Seabourn Pride with a warm and festive welcome featuring local bands and Chinese dancing lions.

Seabourn Pride made its maiden call at Qingdao, China, on the morning of Sunday, May 2, 2010, and docked at the Qingdao Olympic Sailing Center, marking the first time a cruise vessel docked at the facility.  There was great fanfare in the city as local residents gathered around the marina to watch the yacht sail into their city.  Pride received a warm and celebratory welcome from city officials, and two local brass and drumming bands assembled on the pier, along with Chinese traditional dancing lions, to greet guests with a lively music performance representing the rich Chinese history and culture.

Seabourn Pride Captain Hamish Elliott and Hotel Manager Laurent Lalouer sent us several terrific pictures from Qingdao.