Seabourn Pride and Seabourn Sojourn shared some quality time together in St. Petersburg, Russia recently. The two ships were both advantageously docked at the English Embankment, bringing their guests in close proximity to the city’s main attractions. Guests also enjoyed the city’s famous summer “White Nights.” Seabourn Pride Cruise Sales Specialist Beate Zaderer sent a picture along to mark the occasion.

Sisters Seabourn Sojourn and Seabourn Pride snuggle up in St. Petersburg

Seabourn’s goal is to be serving 100 percent sustainable seafood by the end of the year. To help achieve this, last month Manager of Culinary Operations Bjoern Wassmuth and Corporate Traveling Chef Pascal de Portemont attended a special Lobster and Salmon Academy. The three-day seminar at the new Huntsman Marine Science Centre on the Bay of Fundy in New Brunswick, Canada is dedicated to increasing the value of North American lobster and salmon. Bjoern and Pascal attended the academy to learn more about lobster and salmon and ensure we provide top quality of seafood to our guests.

Industry experts provided valuable insights about the aquaculture industry. Then Bjoern and Pascal visited a salmon hatchery, lobster plant and aquariums. According to Bjoern, the most interesting experience was seeing the entire lobster process from the moment the lobsters are taken out of the water until they are cooked and plated. They boarded a boat and observed the lobstermen catching the lobsters, checking them for suitable size and whether they were bearing eggs. Then, at the plant, he saw how each crustacean was carefully processed strictly by hand – no machines were used.

Lobster is one of Seabourn’s most popular dishes, with approximately 400 pounds served weekly (aboard Seabourn Odyssey, Seabourn Sojourn and Seabourn Quest). We strive to serve top quality seafood, and Bjoern and Pascal attending the Lobster and Salmon Academy is another example of how our staff endeavors to provide only the best to our guests.

Pascal and Bjoern check lobsters for size. Undersized lobsters were released back to the water.

Seabourn Legend Hotel Manager Rico Taubert sent us this report from a recent “Shopping with the Chef” trip in St. Tropez:

Seabourn Legend Chef Imre Vago led guests on a walk in St. Tropez including a taste of local rosé wines, cheeses and breads. Armel Aloche, the owner of the bodega La Cave Du Golfe right next to the market was very accommodating and helpful setting everything up for the group. All 44 in‑transit guests were invited, and joined Chef Vago, Public Rooms Manager Dominik Hofstetter and myself, and had a great time tasting some of the local flavors just before lunch time.

Dominik and Rico serve the guests at La Cave du Golfe in St. Tropez.

Last Thursday night, Seabourn collected a fourth consecutive title as the World’s Best Small-Ship Cruise Line from the readers of Travel + Leisure at a party in New York City celebrating the 2012 edition of the magazine’s prestigious annual poll. Pictured below is John Delaney (center), Seabourn’s senior vice president of marketing and sales, accepting the 2012 World’s Best Small-Ship Cruise Line award from Travel + Leisure Editor-in-Chief Nancy Novogrod (left) and Travel +Leisure Vice President/Publisher Jean-Paul Kyrillos (right).

Seabourn Odyssey staff recently threw a celebration on board for her third birthday. Executive Pastry Chef Tony Fernandes baked a cake in the shape of the ship, and also created an elaborate, classic lemon tart for guests to enjoy that evening. Seen showing off the tart are (L-R) Executive Sous Chef Stanley Dnetto, Restaurant Manager Julian Petrasuc, Chef Fernandes and Corporate Executive Chef Rajat Adhikary.

We know our guests are among the most seasoned and knowledgeable travelers, and no doubt you’ve had unforgettable experiences at many destinations around the world. Did you test drive a Ferrari on the streets of Italy? Or did you hike to the crater of a still-active volcano in Greece?

Here is your chance to share some of your best tips and memories, and you can win a Seabourn cruise for two! Condé Nast Traveler magazine is asking readers to submit their best tips for how to spend a day at any cruise port. The best tip wins a seven-day Caribbean cruise on either Seabourn Legend or Seabourn Spirit, including roundtrip airfare.

For more information about the contest and grand prize, please click here.

You can enter as many tips as you want, so we encourage you to do so! Good luck!

Guests sailing on Seabourn Quest’s 116-day World Quest departing Fort Lauderdale on January 6, 2013 will be treated to ten exceptional experiences ashore, providing indelible memories of the places and ports of call along their way. Five of these are reserved strictly for those booked for the full world cruise, and the remaining five are also open to all guests sailing on that particular segment of the voyage.

Full World Cruise events include a privileged viewing of the Panama Canal’s mighty Miraflores Locks operation; an exclusive “dinner in the sky” high above Sydney, Australia; afternoon tea in the Members Enclosure at a Hong Kong horse-racing track; a desert sunset in the world’s highest restaurant at Dubai’s Burj Khalifa and a fabulous Turkish festival dinner in a romantic Aegean resort in Bodrum, Turkey.

The five experiences to which all guests are invited include a delicious “castaway” barbecue on a Polynesian motu off Bora Bora; a colorful, kaleidoscopic cultural festival on Bali; a private visit to the Prasart collection of antique Thai arts and crafts in Bangkok; a lively afternoon among elephants and floating markets at Phuket’s Village of Four Regions and a vivid performance of Croatian folk music and dance in Dubrovnik’s medieval Revelin Fortress.

These shoreside experiences will be supplemented by a stellar array of expert enrichment speakers, special guest entertainers, celebrity chef demonstrations and a wonderful series of gala parties and festivities on board throughout the voyage, ensuring that even travelers who are unable to take the whole voyage can enjoy the unique atmosphere of a true world cruise while on board.

“A world cruise is a dream voyage for travelers,” noted Richard Meadows, Seabourn’s president. “Guests stepping aboard to sail around the world expect to return somehow changed by experiences they encounter along the way. I am certain that these exclusive events will be among many moments they will remember forever.”

For more information on Seabourn’s 2013 World Cruise, please visit www.seabourn.com.

Chelsea and Kyle Johnson, the winners of our “Seabourn Moments” Facebook contest, just returned from their seven-day cruise aboard Seabourn Sojourn in Northern Europe. Not only was this their winning cruise, but it was also a special trip to celebrate their anniversary!

Chelsea and Kyle in front of Catherine’s Palace in St. Petersburg. They attended Seabourn’s exclusive, intimate evening featuring a private tour of the palace, followed by a champagne reception and a live orchestra.

They had a fun time discovering the treasures of the Baltic, and St. Petersburg, in particular, was their favorite port on the itinerary. They explored the city as much as they could, visiting the Hermitage and Catherine’s Palace, walking through the Church on Spilled Blood, watching the ballet, seeing Peter and Paul’s Cathedral and experiencing the “White Nights.”

“We left the city feeling a sense of accomplishment I do not believe we have experienced, at least to that extent, when traveling previously,” said Chelsea and Kyle. “Two of the most enjoyable activities we did were browsing the market behind the Church on Spilled Blood and stopping for pelmeni (Russian dumplings) off of Nevsky Prospekt,” she added.

We also asked them if they experienced any new “Seabourn Moments” during the cruise, to which they replied, “We have a lot!!” They rattled off a few unforgettable experiences, including the moment they stepped onboard and staff greeted them immediately with champagne in their suites. By day two, the staff was addressing them by their names – even those they hadn’t met yet! Chelsea and Kyle were impressed by the never-ending exceptional service and meeting and getting to know different members of the staff.

“In particular, we met Dani, a bartender at the Sky Bar above the pool, and we told her our story about winning the trip. She immediately asked if we liked caviar, to which we responded we had only sparingly tried it in the past. Without hesitation she ordered us a huge portion of caviar and poured us two glasses of champagne,” said Chelsea and Kyle.

Seabourn Sojourn staff surprised the couple with a wonderful cake and bottle of wine to celebrate their anniversary!

It didn’t end there. Knowing they would be celebrating their anniversary, the staff went above and beyond to make the occasion even more special … and to give them another “Seabourn Moment” they will never forget. Chelsea and Kyle happily shared this story with us:

“The Restaurant Manager surprised us at dinner in Restaurant 2 with the most delicious cake!  Our actual anniversary isn’t until July, but we were celebrating a bit early on this trip! We were having the best time experiencing the tasting menu in Restaurant 2 when the staff brought over our special cake. We had a full plate of deserts to try on the tasting menu, so they delivered the cake to our suite for us to have later. When we returned to our suite later that night, there was a note from the staff and a bottle of wine along with our cake. It certainly was another Seabourn Moment!

Overall, we just had the most amazing time on our cruise. We are already looking at cruises for 2013 to see if it might be possible to do another! I’m also working on convincing my parents they need to go on one. We are definitely Seabourn fans for life, and we won’t even consider going on another cruise line. You have lifelong Seabourn customers!“

Thank you, Chelsea and Kyle! We’re thrilled you had a wonderful time and look forward to welcoming you aboard again soon!

Click here for more photos from their cruise.

Seabourn has announced a diverse line-up of prominent guest speakers who will be among those enhancing the 116-day World Cruise aboard Seabourn Quest in 2013. The speakers’ breadth of knowledge is as worldly as the cruise itself, including such notables as the sly, witty comedienne Rita Rudner, NASA astronomer Dr. Norman Caisse and satirical author Christopher Buckley. Seabourn Quest’s world cruise will depart January 6, 2013 from Fort Lauderdale, Fla., and end in Venice, Italy on May 3.

Rita Rudner

Luminaries including scientists, historians, scholars, maritime experts, documentary filmmakers and politicians will share their expertise and provide valuable insights on destinations to Seabourn Quest guests during their memorable world cruise.

“This is a very exciting group of speakers with personalities and portfolios as diverse as the ports of call the cruise will visit,” said John Delaney, Seabourn’s senior vice president, marketing and sales. “Many of them specialize in the regions we visit, and their knowledge will undoubtedly enhance our guests’ cruise experiences and entertain them on their way around the globe.”

Seabourn Quest’s 2013 lineup of World Quest guest speakers and destination experts will include, among others:

Entertainment/Literature

• Rita Rudner – American comedienne, actress, screenwriter, author. She has starred in numerous television specials and performs live in the U.S. and U.K. April 27 – May 3.
• Christopher Buckley – American political satirist and novelist. March 26 – 31.

Science

• Dr. Norman Caisse – NASA engineer and astronomer who participated in a variety of space exploration projects. January 16 – 30.

Destination Experts

• Dr. Roderick A. McDonald – professor, author, Caribbean and Latin American historian. January 6 – 16.
• Dr. Michelle Craig McDonald – professor and author of Early American, Caribbean and maritime history. January 6 – 16.
• Dr. Adrian Kerr – author and historian in ancient civilizations. April 8 – 21.
• Farhana Qazi – international relations analyst and expert on Middle Eastern political conflicts.  April 12 – 23.

Military History/Foreign Relations

• Captain Peter Martin, Commander, Royal Australian Naval Reserve. – one of Australia’s few titled Masters and Commanders; maritime expert and foreign affairs scholar. February 22 – March 2.
• Col. Ralf Vargas – retired U.S. Army officer, former Chief of the NATO Situation Center, specializing in European Affairs. April 23 – May 3.

Exploration/ Geography/Ethnology

• Dr. Lawrence Blair – adventurer and documentarian whose acclaimed TV series Ring of Fire highlights his10-year exploration of Indonesia. March 1 – 23.
• Paul Deegan – mountaineer and award-winning author whose ascents include Mount Everest and other major peaks worldwide. March 9-19.

The onboard enrichment lineup augments an extensive array of daytime and nightly entertainment that ranges from dynamic, up-to-the-minute vocal revues, classical recitals, comedy, engaging quiz shows, dance classes and live music for dancing.

For more information on Seabourn’s 2013 World Cruise, please visit www.seabourn.com.

On the evening of July 4^th, Seabourn Sojourn threaded the narrow entry to the tiny Trollfjord, a two-km-long side branch of the Raft Sound that snakes between the Lofoten Islands and the Vesteraalen islands. The entry is just 100 meters wide, and nearly invisible until you are just in front of it.

The entry requires a tight turn and there is an apocryphal story about a captain who was giving a tour of the fjords to a member of the European royalty. As he steamed confidently toward the apparently sheer granite cliff, a nervous royal bodyguard drew and cocked his pistol and held it to the captain’s head. Once the opening came into view, and the captain began his turn into the breathtaking fjord, the bodyguard quietly un-cocked the pistol and put it away.

Because it is so narrow and the peaks are so high on either side, it is a high point of the journey along the inside passage of Western Norway. Note the sunlight shining on the peaks—this is 10:30 PM!  Thanks to Assistant Maitre d’Hotel Arek Przytula for the photos.

In the Hall of the Mountain King

Threading the fjord

Little House on the Fjord: not much to speak of, but the driveway is awesome!