We love it when we win over the hearts of our guests.  Melissa Biggs Bradley, founder of Indagare and former travel editor of Town & Country, was a little hesitant about cruising and wasn’t sure if it was a good fit for her.  However, she changed her mind after spending a week on Seabourn Odyssey with her two children last summer.  In fact, she wished she could have sailed even longer.

There was something for everyone on the cruise – from the interesting destinations in the Greek Isles and watersports on “Marina Day” to the many dining options and friendly onboard service.  “The greatest treat, for me, though was how easy it was to keep everyone happy.”

Read more of her confessions about her Seabourn cruise experience here: http://www.indagare.com/passions/8/departments/172/10421

One of the biggest highlights on a Seabourn cruise is when guests head for the local markets and go shopping with the chef.  During a recent stop in Syracuse, Sicily, a small group of Seabourn Spirit guests accompanied Chef Paskins to the market to learn about local produce and pick out the freshest ingredients for the Chef’s Dinner.  What was on the shopping list?  Fresh branzini, which is also known as Mediterranean sea bass.

Always friendly and welcoming, the owners of the market warmly greeted the group and shared some delicious cheese and wine during the visit.  Guests were able to see and experience the many delicious flavors of Italy, from pesto, olives, local bread and cheeses, and fresh seafood, and fruit.  And the best part of it all was when the guests were able to feast on the items after Chef Paskins prepared them for dinner and barbeque buffet!

We recently shared with you Seabourn Legend Pastry Chef’s talent of creating beautiful, edible artwork.  Many of our staff members are filled with hidden talents and enjoy a number of hobbies during their time off.  This time, we’d like to introduce you to Gilbert Lagmay, a carpenter and long-time Seabourn employee. Not only is he a maestro at making the yacht shine and keeping it spic and span, he also has a remarkable artistic gift.  He has an ability to look at a picture and recreate the same picture with a pencil in black and white, creating many beautiful drawings.

Gilbert tells us he developed this skill by watching cartoonists and professional portrait artists back home in the Philippines. He is always purchasing pencils and brushes to practice his hobby and perfect his artistic skills.  Impressed and amazed by his talent, his fellow colleagues occasionally ask him to sketch a drawing for them.

Gilbert with a portrait of Captain Erik L. Anderssen’s granddaughter

Gilbert is a “Seabourn Legend,” and we will continue to admire him for his artistic talent and for being a professional and outstanding Seabourn carpenter!

David Simpson, a writer for the Daily Mail in the U.K., experienced Seabourn-style cruising earlier this year when he set sail on a Caribbean cruise aboard Seabourn Legend. It wasn’t long before he realized why Seabourn is the best.

“ Seabourn Legend makes you feel as though you are on your own private yacht”

Read about his Seabourn Caribbean cruise here.

Condé Nast Traveler Editor Kate Maxwell appeared on this morning’s TODAY show to discuss the winners of the magazine’s Reader’s Choice Awards.  You can catch her talk about Seabourn and why we’re the “best small ship cruise line.”

Seabourn won the Readers’ Choice Award for Best Small Ship Cruise Line 2010 from Condé Nast Traveler

We have sure been cleaning up the awards circuit this year!  The latest honor?  Seabourn has once again been awarded one of the cruise industry’s most desirable honors: the Readers’ Choice Award for Best Small Ship Cruise Line 2010 from Condé Nast Traveler.  The prestigious award recognizes Seabourn’s intimate fleet as being at the top of its class in the magazine’s 23^rd annual survey of its readers.

The 2010 award

marks th

e second time in three years that Condé Nast Traveler’s readers have selected Seabourn as the best. We have also earned a spot on Condé Nast Traveler’s coveted “Gold List” for 16 consecutive years from 1994-2010.

“We are very honored to receive this recognition from the readers of Condé Nast Traveler, which speaks high volumes about our staff and their commitment and passion to deliver a unique and personalized cruise experience to all of our guests,” said Seabourn President & CEO Pamela C. Conover.  “Ranking best in a competitive field during challenging times demonstr

ates the dedication of our employees to provide the finest, most rewarding experience on the seas,” she continued, “and we thank the readers of Condé Nast Traveler for singing the praises of our staff.”

We are so very proud of each and every Seabourn team member who has worked so hard to contribute to our success.  We are truly honored and humbled by this recognition, and we remain fully committed to continuing to provide the best travel experience at sea!

Pam was at Condé Nast’s awards ceremony last

night to receive the honor and we will be sharing photos from the event very soon!

Seabourn President and CEO Pamela Conover recently hosted the annual President’s Cruise aboard Seabourn Odyssey for 10 days.  Guests mingled and chatted with Pam throughout the voyage, and also went on several shore excursions together in Greece and Turkey.  Here is a note from Pam about her experience:

One of the events that I look forward to the most every year is the President’s Cruise.  I get to see the staff and crew but more importantly, I also have the opportunity to sail with some of the most loyal Seabourn guests during the voyage.  In a way, it feels like I’m re-connecting with old friends, and this year’s cruise was no different.

It was wonderful to see many familiar faces and to spend some quality time with our guests.  We shared many great experiences together, from having dinner in The Restaurant and Restaurant 2 to exploring some of the most beautiful destinations in the Greek Isles and Turkey.

The special events in Athens and Ephesus were simply unforgettable, and judging by some of the feedback I heard, our guests really enjoyed them, too!  We experienced an amazing evening of Greek culture in Athens and served some of the best desserts at the Greek National Gardens.  Ephesus was phenomenal!  We organized a private classical concert for our guests in front of the legendary theatre with a full moon rising. It was just magical!

Seabourn Odyssey looked just as beautiful as she was the last time I saw her.  I was very impressed with our staff and crew, who did an exceptional job throughout the voyage.  They went above and beyond to “wow” our guests and make sure they had the best time ever on their Seabourn cruise.

It wasn’t easy to say goodbye to Seabourn Odyssey and all the old and new friends I met on the cruise.  It certainly feels like home.

My calendar is already marked for the next President’s Cruise aboard Seabourn Sojourn.  It will be an 11-day northern Europe cruise, Aug. 23 – Sept. 3, 2011, from Copenhagen to Dover, with visits to Helsinki, Tallinn, and Warnemuende; and overnights in St. Petersburg, and Amsterdam.

We just received a couple of shots today of Seabourn Quest under construction in Genoa.  She is coming along very nicely, and we’re counting down the days until her delivery. Can’t you picture yourself on one of the balconies, watching the sunset as you sail in the Mediterranean?