Seabourn Odyssey successfully completed her sea trials off the coast at Genoa over the weekend.  These pictures were shot on Saturday, and show Odyssey underway at last under sunny skies. She really shows the family resemblance, doesn’t she?

Among the many activities that are ramping up during The Yachts of Seabourn’s launch of Seabourn Odyssey is the company’s presence on social media websites. The Seabourn Odyssey blog, located at http://blog.seabourn.com, has attracted a healthy following, and after a recent enhancement, the company’s main website at www.seabourn.com continues to garner heavy traffic. But the introduction of the industry’s first new luxury cruising vessel in over six years –  and Seabourn’s first newly built yacht in more than 15 years — has been the occasion for Seabourn to mount a concerted foray into the interactive social media universe. Seabourn’s company Facebook fan page is already on line. (more…)

A few words from Jack E. Mannix, CTC, president and CEO, Ensemble Travel Group…

Ensemble Travel Group is bullish on The Yachts of Seabourn because Seabourn shares the same priority as our network of nearly 900 expert premium- and luxury-focused travel agencies in the U.S. and Canada – and that’s you, the customer and guest.
We are both committed to exceeding customers’ expectations. Ensemble Travel Group accomplishes this through strong personal relationships and by offering clients a lineup of standout products and programs. (more…)

We already told you that Seabourn’s Destination Services department has grown to allow more types of services and accommodate the growing fleet with the addition of Seabourn Odyssey. Well, it didn’t take long for that investment to start paying dividends for Seabourn’s guests. This week they are announcing two new programs that Seabourn will offer in Venice, where Seabourn Odyssey will debut in June. (more…)

Spin the globe and stop it with your finger – chances are The Yachts of Seabourn go where it lands in 2010-2011.  It’s the most extensive and diverse year yet. Cruises now can be viewed at www.seabourn.com. A cruise catalogue will be published in April.

With the addition of Seabourn Odyssey in June 2009 and Seabourn Sojourn in June 2010, Seabourn can explore more far-flung ports of call, such as Palopo on Sulawesi; Zanzibar; and Madagascar. (more…)

Awhile back, we showed you some pictures of the new wave of  Seabourn cadets serving their on-the-yacht training period aboard Seabourn Spirit in Southeast Asia.  Well, another group of cadets is currently learning “The Seabourn  Way” aboard Seabourn Legend, sailing through Panama, Belize and Costa Rica.  Captain Erik Anderssen has sent along some pictures of this group as they learn the ins and outs of the all-important “Champagne and Caviar in the Surf” beach barbecue at Hunting Caye (off the coast of Belize.) The first picture shows the sunny faces of the cadet corps on the dock at Hunting Caye with Seabourn trainer Oliver Ellinger (right,) showing them the ropes. The second picture is the group at the beach site where the actual barbecue buffet will be set up, with Oliver illustrating his point, and probably discussing the subtle art of serving food and drinks while walking in fine, white sand.

We often see online articles where our fellow cruise community members are kind enough to mention Seabourn. The articles are always fun and interesting, so we thought it would be fun to feature them on the Odyssey Blog and call them Recent Raves. For instance, have you ever visited bestblogsatsea.com? Written by John Heald, Senior Cruise Director of Carnival Cruise Lines, it recently named the Odyssey Blog as one of the “Top 10 Best Cruise Blogs” online. We posted John’s introduction to Best Blogs At Sea below… (more…)

Once again, Seabourn sailors revealed a deep knowledge of mythology and an effervescent spark of imagination in  endeavoring to guess the name we have selected for our second new yacht when she is launched in 2010. (more…)

Raoul Jack

Hi, I’m Raoul Jack and I work as the Project Manager responsible for all three new Seabourn yachts. I have been involved in Shipbuilding for Carnival Corporation since 2001 and was originally responsible for all Electronic and IT systems onboard new ships. This position is very close to my heart, as I used to work for Cunard/Seabourn in Miami and am rewarded to work with so many past colleagues.

Q: How is a world cruise like falling in love?

A: Because there’s only ever one first time, and it’s something you’ll remember as long as you live.

And Seabourn Odyssey’s first world cruise in January 2010 will also be the first one ever for The Yachts of Seabourn, so that makes it even more special.

Guests aboard the Seabourn Odyssey will be privy to plenty of exciting experiences when the Inaugural World Cruise sets sail. The 108-day journey will span four months and 42 ports.  As if a cruise around the world wasn’t enough, a series of splashy shoreside events aptly named Shoreside Spectaculars will make the tour even more fun. (more…)