Seabourn Odyssey Singers Mark Hill and Amy Coombes and Cruise Director Nick Hale had the climb of their lives when they visited Sydney, Australia, earlier this month. They scaled the ladders and catwalks to the top of the Sydney Harbour Bridge, where they took in the panoramic views of the city. Here is a great photo of them from the bridge climb. You can even see Seabourn Odyssey in the background!
On top of the world!
Here are more photos from the Seabourn Quest World Cruise. Many of these photos were taken by Captain Geir-Arne himself. You can see more pictures on his online photo gallery, as well as on our Facebook page. Enjoy!
After spending a day in Cape Town, guests received a warm welcome by staff members.
Seabourn Quest anchored off the coast of Male, Maldives.
The Seabourn Quest Hotel Manager Vitor Alves sent us this incredible image of sunset in the Indian Ocean. How beautiful and peaceful!
On Sunday evening, February 19, Seabourn Odyssey was sailing the Pacific Ocean some 150 miles southwest of Pago Pago, America Samoa, when the portside bridge watch spotted something in the distance. Captain Mark Dexter found no missing vessel reports, but wondered why this boat would be so far from land. He deviated from his course to investigate further and spotted a small boat adrift some miles away from the ship. As they drew closer, they saw three men jumping and frantically waving their clothing, clearly trying to catch the attention of Seabourn Odyssey. The ship deployed one of its rescue boats and, after determining that they were no threat, rescued three fishermen who had been lost at sea for nearly three weeks! The crew transferred them to the rescue boat and took them to the ship, where they were immediately checked out by the ship’s doctor. While they were dehydrated, hungry and had a few skin sores from the sun, the three men were in surprisingly good health considering they had been drifting at sea for weeks.
They shared their story that evening: they set out to sea from Apia in Western Samoa in early February with the goal of bringing back a chest full of fresh seafood. Unfortunately, they ran out of fuel and drifted further and further away, surviving on their catch of fish and rain water. They had no distress flares, nor any means of radio communication other than a cell phone. Days turned into weeks and they saw no ships until Seabourn Odyssey. They could only hope that the ship would see them and luckily, it did. If Odyssey had been passing in darkness an hour later, the ending might have been tragically different.
The fishermen gave the ship a contact for their employer. When the ship gave him the news, he burst into tears. The men’s families had given up hope and were preparing funerals for them, believing them lost at sea. Those plans have obviously changed and they will be preparing a festive “welcome home” celebration instead! Seabourn Odyssey contacted the U.S. Coast Guard, which had stopped searching for the missing men, assuming the boat had sunk. The ship arrived in Pago Pago the next morning and the fortunate men were turned over to authorities, who assisted in transferring them home to Western Samoa the following day.
During the rescue efforts, Captain Dexter kept his guests informed of the situation. They were so moved by the men’s ordeal that they opened their hearts and wallets. When the fishermen disembarked in Pago Pago, they each received $800, collected from among the guests–money that they can use to purchase a new boat. What an incredibly thoughtful gesture from our guests!
Thanks to the watchful eyes of Seabourn Odyssey’s bridge watch, and the curiosity of Captain Dexter, the three fishermen were saved and will live to tell their terrifying tale. This is the second rescue involving a Seabourn ship in less than a year. It is another example of the amazing skills of our seagoing staff and the timeless code of seamen to look out for each other, which does not change from generation to generation. As the Coast Guard captain put it: “the PV Seabourn Odyssey and its crew deserve a Bravo Zulu for securing these fishermen’s lives!”
The rescue boat approaches the fishermen.
A small boat in the world’s largest ocean.
Safe and sound! They’re never letting go of those water bottles!
Seabourn Sojourn Crew Purser Thomas Lyon sent us this great report from their visit to Pisco, Peru, earlier this month.
A group of Seabourn Sojourn staff members braved the parched landscape of Peru and took part in a Dune Buggy Tour in Pisco recently. The excited and sunblock-lotioned group left the ship just after lunch and headed to Arenero Park to begin their unique and exciting off-road excursion.
After receiving their safety and riding instructions, the crew boarded their dune buggy and experienced the thrill of going up and down the golden waves of sand, and discovered new routes as their driver took them to inaccessible areas in the middle of the hottest dunes. About an hour of exhilarating driving later, and the sand-swept crew stopped to try their hand at boarding the dunes. From boarding fast and furiously down the dunes to tracking all the way up again, everyone thoroughly enjoyed this once-in-a-lifetime experience.
Most of all, they were able to tick this fun adventure off their bucket list … done!
The group is ready for the ride of their lives!
Getting ready to conquer the dunes
Who’s having a great time?? We are! Veronika Tykalova, stewardess; Milena Mandic, stewardess; Ana Sofia Gulama Dos Santos, assistant housekeeper; and Tanya Edwards, vocalist.
Seabourn Odyssey staff members opened up their hearts and wallets to support The Lords Taverners, a charity whose mission is to give a “sporting chance” to children in need. They provide disadvantaged and disabled young people special sports and recreational equipment and transportation to give them the opportunity to participate in a sport.
Our very own Captain Mark Dexter is a proud member and supporter of this organization. Just before Seabourn Odyssey arrived in New Zealand in January, Chief Purser Teresa Haughey and Restaurant Manager Paul Beswetherick organized a charity auction, and staff members were more than happy to get involved. They donated many items for sale and also auctioned off dance lessons with the ballroom dance couple, head and neck massages from the spa team, and dinner with the captain. There was even a “wheel of misfortune” that included the privilege of kissing an ugly fish!
The auction was a great success, raising a staggering $5,000 for Lords Taverners! Thank you to the Seabourn Odyssey team for your generosity!
Going once! Going twice! Cruise Director Nick Hale seeks the highest bidder for a framed photograph of the very talented Seabourn Odyssey chefs.
Seabourn Quest reached the continent of Africa on her maiden World Cruise. Pulling into Walvis Bay on the so‑called “Skeleton Coast” of Namibia, they were greeted by a small, furry ambassador who made himself comfortable on the ship’s bulbous bow. It’s a young South African Fur Seal, obviously delighted with the fashionable new lounging spot mysteriously added to his harbor. In this case, the welcoming committee would probably be happier with a nice plump pilchard rather than a plaque.
A young South African fur seal makes himself comfortable.
A ringside seat on Seabourn Quest’s bow.
It’s been a little more than a month since Seabourn Quest set off on her cruise around the world. The ship sailed along South America’s coast and crossed the Atlantic Ocean to South Africa. Along the way, guests have enjoyed many events both onboard and shoreside, and here are just a few photos from the cruise so far. Stay tuned for more!
When Seabourn Quest stopped at Recife, Brazil, guests went on a complimentary shore excursion to the famed Carvalheira Distillery, which procures cachaça, a liquor made from fermented sugarcane, one of the most popular beverages in Brazil. After touring the facility, guests enjoyed a special tasting, cocktails and canapés and a traditional Brazilian folkloric dance show.
Don’t forget to check out these sites for more photos and stories from the Seabourn Quest World Cruise:
Captain Thue-Nilsen’s World Cruise online photo gallery:
http://www.captain-ga.com/thumbnails.php?album=131
http://www.captain-ga.com/thumbnails.php?album=130
http://www.captain-ga.com/thumbnails.php?album=129
Guests Helen and Vance’s blog: http://helen-haynes-quest.blogspot.com/
For the second year in a row, Seabourn’s intimate, luxury cruise ships sailed to the top of Condé Nast Traveler’s prestigious list of the world’s 100 best cruise ships, based on scores achieved in the magazine’s annual Readers’ Choice poll. Seabourn’s fleet dominated the survey, occupying five of the top seven spots. Once again, Seabourn Odyssey was the highest-rated small cruise ship, with Seabourn Pride coming in second. Seabourn Sojourn ranked fourth, and Seabourn Legend and Seabourn Spirit rounded out the top seven. Seabourn Quest, which debuted to rave reviews in June of 2011, was not included in the poll but is a sister ship to the top rated Odyssey.
“These honors truly belong to Seabourn’s hardworking crew” said Richard Meadows, Seabourn’s president. “We’re extremely proud of them, and we know that these rankings are a direct result of the exceptional way they care for our guests.”
The list, published in the magazine’s February issue, outlines the scores of each ship in a variety of categories, including service, itineraries, food and dining, activities, design and layout, and more. Seabourn Odyssey, Seabourn Sojourn and Seabourn Legend received the highest scores in three categories: 93.5 for design/layout, 97.1 for cabins, and 98.8 for food/dining, respectively.
We can’t say it enough: THANK YOU to our extraordinary staff for their hard work and dedication. We’re very honored to receive this recognition.
Seabourn Legend continues to receive warm and friendly greetings at various ports throughout Indonesia. In both Surabaya, Java, and Larantuka, Flores Island, local officials greeted the ship with much enthusiasm and were very excited to welcome the ship and its guests to their towns.
On January 30, 2012, the ship accomplished another milestone when it arrived at Larantuka, Flores Island, representing the first Seabourn ship to visit the port.
A traditional plaque exchange ceremony was held pierside between Captain Pedder and local officials in Larantuka. This was Seabourn’s first visit to the port.
Prior to that visit, on January 20, 2012, Seabourn Legend received its biggest welcome at Surabaya, Indonesia’s second largest city. There were 100 people on the quay, as well as excellent musicians and singers in the terminal, to welcome guests. Not only did the receive a warm welcome, locals also gave the ship a great send-off on departure.
The Major of Surabaya greets Captain Pedder, who presented the mayor with a Seabourn Legend maiden call plaque. Behind the mayor (in orange) is Miss Surabaya.
Seabourn Legend guests were met with much fanfare and excitement in Surabaya.
A large crowd surrounds Seabourn Legend officers and local officials on the quay.
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