Seabourn Facebook fans and their friends and families are piling on the votes for their favorite Seabourn Moments on our Facebook fan page. Total votes are climbing toward a thousand, and one story already has 163 votes! Start voting for your favorites today. Don’t forget you can vote for your favorite once a day, every day. Voting ends November 7 and the five top vote-getters will be finalists for the free cruise.
Read all the entries and vote here!

We have entered the second phase of our Seabourn Moments Facebook contest.  Beginning October 24 and continuing through November 7, 2011, we encourage all of our Facebook fans to read and vote for their favorite Seabourn Moment.

Winning tips:

• Enlist your friends and families to “like” Seabourn and vote for your favorite entry.
• Fans can vote for multiple entries each day but only once per submission per day.

After the voting period closes, the five most popular Seabourn Moments will be submitted to a panel of judges in November, who will determine which submission will win the lucky storyteller a free cruise for two.

Read all the entries and vote here!

On Wednesday, Oct. 19, 2011, Seabourn Sojourn made its first visit to Charleston, S.C., and docked at the Port of Charleston’s Union Pier Passenger Terminal, located in the heart of downtown. The visit to Charleston was the last stop on Seabourn Sojourn’s current 12-day cruise from Quebec City, Canada, to Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. Local port officials held a ceremonial plaque exchange ceremony with the ship’s staff captain. Here are a couple of photos from Seabourn Sojourn’s visit to Charleston.

Seabourn Sojourn in Charleston, S.C. (Photo courtesy of SC Ports Authority)

(Left to right): Peter Hughes, SVP &CFO, SC Ports Authority; Gary Santos, Port Manager, Inchcape Shipping Services; Byron Miller, VP, Marketing, PR & Planning, SC Ports Authority; Siguard Darbakk, Seabourn Sojourn Staff Captain; Michelle Gordon, Seabourn Sojourn Social Hostess; Pam Everitt, CIO, SC Ports Authority; Peter Lehman, VP, Cruise Development; and Bill McLean, SVP, Operations, SC Ports Authority. (Photo courtesy of SC Ports Authority)

Taste the treasures of the sea at home with this recipe from the Seabourn kitchen. Fresh King crab and Ahi tuna tartare are paired with a spicy avocado salad and topped with a Yuzu sherbet for an elegant, healthy dish.

For Avocado Salad

• 1 avocado, small dice
• 1 lime, juiced
• 1 serrano chili
• 1 tablespoon fresh cilantro, chopped
• 1 tomato, brunoise
• salt and pepper to taste
• hot pepper sauce to taste

For King Crab Legs

• 1 1/2 ounces King crab leg, de shell, separate legs and knuckles
• 1 lime, juiced
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon chives, chopped

For King Crab Salad (Knuckles)

• King crab knuckles
• 1 each lime, juice of
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon chives, chopped

For Tuna Tartare

• 10 ounces Ahi tuna
• 1 tablespoon sesame seed oil
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 lime, zest of
• 1 tablespoon sesame seeds, white
• pinch Piment d’Espelette
• salt and pepper to taste
• sriracha sauce to taste

For Yuzu Sherbet

• 4 cups creme fraiche
• 3 cups simple syrup
• 1 cup yuzu puree
• 1/2 cup yuzu juice
• pinch fleur de sel

Preparation:

• FOR AVOCADO SALAD
  Place avocado in mixing bowl with lime juice, serrano chili, fresh cilantro and diced tomato brunoise. Season with salt, pepper and hot sauce to taste.
• FOR TUNA TARTARE
  Dice Ahi tuna, season with Sriracha sauce to taste. Add sesame oil, soy sauce, lime zest and sesame seeds. Season to taste with salt and Piment d’Espelette.
• FOR KING CRAB SALAD
  De-shell and remove all ligaments from crab legs. Cut into uniform pieces and lay them out on a sheet pan. Season the crab with lime juice and olive oil. Sprinkle with fresh chives. Use all the knuckle meat. Clean it and remove all shells, season with the same seasoning as per the King crab legs and preserve until plating.
• FOR YUZU SHERBET
  Combine all of the ingredients together in a bowl. Pour into ice cream machine and spin until done.
• TO PLATE
  Take a stainless steel ring mold and start layering the salads, beginning with the King crab knuckle salad, avocado salad, tuna tartare salad, and topped with King crab legs. Garnish with a quenelle of yuzu sherbet.

A couple of years ago, a guest sailed on Seabourn Odyssey when she had a bit of a “wardrobe malfunction” with her dress – right before dinner.  Read about her “Seabourn Moment” and how the ship’s team came through for her that evening:

It was my first Seabourn cruise and I was looking forward to the evening’s formal night.  I had packed a special dress just for the occasion, and since there was only one formal night scheduled during the 7-day itinerary, I only brought one formal dress.  To top it off, we had been invited to dine with the Captain that evening so it was shaping up to be a particularly special night.  As I was getting dressed, I reached back to zip myself into my dress, when the zipper broke off in my hand!  My heart dropped because dinner was in 45 minutes, we had already sailed away from port and I had no other formal dresses to wear as a “back-up”.

I picked up my in-room phone and dialed my suite stewardess.  She told me she would take care of it and about 5 minutes later there was a knock on my door.  Standing there was the ship’s onboard tailor, at the ready with needle and thread.  He immediately sewed me into my dress and I was ready to go less than 10 minutes later.  We ended up being early for dinner and had a very memorable evening at the captain’s table – and a great story to share with my fellow Seabourn guests!

Have you experienced a similar situation when sailing on Seabourn?  Did the crew go above and beyond their duty?  If so, we want to hear from you!  Submit your best “Seabourn Moment” on our Facebook contest and you could win a cruise for two!

We’re happy to share several recent photos of several of our ships at sea. To see more pictures, visit our “Postcards from Sea” photo album on our Facebook page. Enjoy!

Beautiful blue skies greeted Seabourn Pride when the ship visited Mahon on the Balearic island of Menorca earlier this week. Here is magnificent photo sent by Captain Sean Whalley.

Seabourn Sojourn is seen against the Boston skyline earlier this month.

Last week, Seabourn Spirit and Holland America Line’s Ryndam were in Kotor, Montenegro, on the same day. Brandi Johnson, Ryndam’s human resources manager, was kind enough to share this picture of both ships with us!

Here is a beautiful photo of Seabourn Sojourn in Quebec, Canada. Thanks to Marco van Belleghem, hotel manager of Holland America Line’s Eurodam, for sharing this with us!

For the second year in a row, Seabourn has been named the “Best Small-Ship Cruise Line” by readers of Condé Nast Traveler in the magazine’s 24^th annual Readers’ Choice Awards.  This is the third time in four years that the magazine’s well-traveled readers have recognized Seabourn as the best.

The honor is a testament to the line’s consistent ability to deliver exceptional vacations and outstanding service that attract and delight sophisticated, affluent travelers.  It is only the latest of many accolades the line has garnered over the years.  Most recently, Seabourn won its third consecutive “World’s Best Small-Ship Cruise Line” from readers of Travel + Leisure magazine. In addition, the line has been included on Condé Nast Traveler’s prestigious “Gold List” of top travel choices for 17 consecutive years from 1994, when the list first appeared, through 2011.

“Condé Nast Traveler readers are very discerning and experienced, and we’re exceptionally pleased that they named us the best once again,” said Seabourn President Richard Meadows.  “We’re gratified that the readers have again rewarded our dedicated and hard-working employees.  This award is for the entire team at Seabourn, all of whom strive every day to provide our guests with the very finest travel experiences at sea.”

John Delaney, Seabourn’s senior vice president of marketing and sales, attended the awards ceremony in New York City on Monday. Here is a photo of John at the event.

Seabourn has launched a “Seabourn Moments” contest on Facebook, calling on the company’s Facebook fans to share their most memorable Seabourn Moments.  The top story based on the judging criteria will win the entrant a seven-day Seabourn cruise for two in 2012.

A special Seabourn Moment can be a unique experience that occurred onboard, or an example of Seabourn’s staff going above and beyond during a voyage, or even an outstanding, unforgettable experience ashore. It can be a romantic or emotional moment, a humorous incident, or an exciting occurrence. Seabourn fans will vote for their favorites and then a panel of judges will select the winner from the top vote-getters.  The “Seabourn Moments” contest will run from October 10 through November 7, 2011.

“Our guests have always told us about unexpected, exceptional moments they have experienced during their Seabourn cruises,” said John Delaney, Seabourn’s senior vice president, marketing and sales. “They are the ones who started calling them ‘Seabourn Moments.’ This contest will allow them to tell our Facebook community about what made their cruises unforgettable.”

Fans can submit their stories from October 10 through October 24, 2011.  To enter, or for more details about the “Seabourn Moments” contest, visit Seabourn’s Facebook page. First-time visitors can “like” Seabourn to see details or enter. Existing Seabourn fans simply click “Enter” and submit a story about their memorable Seabourn Moments.  Limit one entry per person, and every entry submitted will be posted on the page for Seabourn’s Facebook fans to read.

Between October 24 and November 7, 2011, all of Seabourn’s Facebook fans will be able to read and vote for their favorite entries, and entrants can enlist their friends and families in voting for their entries.  After the voting period closes, the five most popular Seabourn Moments will be submitted to a panel of judges who will determine the winner in November 2011.

To enter the contest and for the complete Official Rules and details, visit Seabourn’s Facebook page. No purchase is necessary. Some restrictions apply.  The contest is open only to legal residents of the 50 United States, the District of Columbia, the United Kingdom and Canada (excluding Quebec) who are age 18 or older as of the date of entry.  The contest is void where prohibited.

The holidays are less than three months away and we’re sure many of you are already thinking about where to celebrate.  Many will stay home with loved ones.  Some will travel to visit family.  However, if there is anyone who wants to escape the holiday stress and being pampered, we suggest taking a Seabourn cruise during this festive season.

The holiday spirit is definitely in the air aboard the ships, with each one adorned with holiday decorations, from gingerbread houses and menorahs to trees and garland.  Our staff prepares delicious traditional holiday meals, eggnog and delightful sweet treats.  They consider guests to be their second family and no doubt, they will ensure guests have the best holidays on the cruise.  Most importantly, staff will make sure guests feel like they are home away from home.

Not only will our guests enjoy holiday cheer onboard, they will also sail to several fascinating destinations around the globe.  Here are just a few of the exciting places our ships will visit:

Seabourn Spirit will operate a 14-day Costa Rica, Panama & Belize cruise departing Puerto Caldera, Costa Rica, on Dec. 23, 2011.  On Christmas Day, guests will enjoy the day in Quepos, Costa Rica, where they can explore the rainforest, opt for an adventurous zipline excursion or discover the area on their own!

Seabourn Odyssey will sail on a 16-day Panama Canal voyage departing Dec. 20, 2011, from Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.  Five days later, the ship will transit the Panama Canal — now that will certainly be a unique way to spend Christmas!

Further south, Seabourn Sojourn will be cruising both the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans around South America.  On Dec. 19, 2011, the ship will depart Buesnos Aires, Argentina, on a 15-day Patagonia Holiday cruise. Guests will enjoy a relaxing day at sea on Christmas Day, en route to Ushuaia, Argentina.

You can find the holiday itineraries for the rest of our fleet on our website.  We hope to welcome you aboard our ships during the holidays!

Mr. Mahloy shared with us this photo of the beautiful display.

We always love to share stories about special experiences that occur aboard our ships. Here is one from guests Dave and Lynn Mahloy, who celebrated their 25^th anniversary on a seven-day cruise aboard Seabourn Quest last month.

To help them celebrate this momentous occasion, the ship’s staff put together a special surprise for them on the last night of the cruise.  The Mahloys returned to their suite in the evening to find a wonderful display of kissing swans, a bottle of wine, rose petals and balloons everywhere, and a note from the hotel manager congratulating them on their anniversary.  According to Mr. Mahloy, it was all “VERY lovely!”

This was their first Seabourn cruise and he says that they’re already looking into the next one!

Congratulations to Mr. and Mrs. Mahloy! We wish them both many more years of love and happiness.