The spirit of giving is in full swing at Seabourn’s headquarters in Seattle. This holiday season, Seabourn teamed up with New Beginnings, a local organization that provides services to those whose lives have been affected by domestic violence, to provide gifts and necessary items to many families in need through the organization’s “Adopt-a-Family” program.

Seabourn’s Sales & Marketing team happily agreed to get involved and adopted a family of three – a mother and two daughters. After receiving the family’s wish list, the team went on a shopping spree to fulfill every item on the list, from dolls and toys to home and kitchen items.

The holidays are all about giving, and the team’s kindness and generosity will undoubtedly bring many smiles to this family!

Happy holidays everyone!

One of the best parts of sailing on Seabourn is the pleasure of meeting interesting people with interesting stories. Actress Stefanie Powers certainly qualifies in that regard. In an exceptionally durable career that started in 1960, she has portrayed countless characters in films and television series, portraying vixens, villains and victims in comedies, romances and mysteries. It is in that last category that she has excelled, most memorably as Jennifer Hart, the enchanting helpmate and foil to Robert Wagner’s suave Jonathan Hart in the long-lived TV series Hart to Hart. Ms. Powers will be sailing on board Seabourn Quest during the final segment of its 2013 world cruise departing Dubai on April 7, 2013. Will any mysteries be cleared up? Perhaps…

Actress Stefanie Powers will join guests on Seabourn Quest in April

Just as migratory birds fly south for the winter, Seabourn Pride and her crew departed the Northern European seas where they have spent the summer and entered the Mediterranean. They paused at Seville for a crew drill, and afterward snapped a quick farewell wave as they proceeded on their way through the Strait of Gibraltar toward Greece, Suez, the Red Sea and Singapore. Thanks to Hotel Director Nick Burger for sending us this photo.

Adios from sunny Sevilla!

The beautiful new 2013 – 2014 Seabourn Cruise Collection is now available for download or reviewing on Seabourn’s website. The 150-page catalogue contains full details of Seabourn’s array of cruising vacations through the first quarter of 2014. It also has pages and pages of descriptive information about Seabourn’s ships, special features and amenities and complete deck plans for all ships. You can turn page after page and marvel at the gorgeous images, the fascinating port highlights, and the amazing variety of travel adventures available for you during the next 15 months.You can find it here:

 http://www.seabourn.com/luxury-cruise-destinations/EBrochures.action

 Enjoy!

Seabourn Legend had a few wedding vow renewals in October. They do them up right on board. Cruise Director David E. Greene sent along some pictures, including this one. David E. and Hotel Director Karl Eckl are putting the finishing touches on a display of a cake that Chef de Cuisine Franck Sollazzo and Pastry Chef Joseph Padauan prepared for the couple and their guests. It may just be too pretty to eat!

Karl Eckl and David E. Greene make adjustments

Seabourn has launched a “Seabourn Difference Suitestakes” on Facebook that provides followers the opportunity to win a suite for two on a seven-day cruise. The suitestakes runs through Dec. 31, 2012, and the winner will be chosen in January, 2013.

The suitestakes invites Seabourn’s Facebook followers to discover the “Seabourn Difference” – nine unique features that exemplify the line’s award-winning cruise experience. Visitors are then asked to choose the three features that make the most difference to them. They can also share their choices with their friends on their Facebook wall.

To enter the suitestakes, first-time visitors must first “like” Seabourn’s Facebook page. Existing Seabourn followers can click on the “Suitestakes / Win a Cruise” tab on the company’s Facebook timeline. Once on the contest page, Seabourn Facebook followers can complete and submit the entry form for a chance to win the cruise.

Complete official rules and more information can be found at http://www.facebook.com/Seabourn.

Seabourn and Holland America Line welcomed Carnival Corporation & PLC senior management to Seattle. The team is in town for their annual meeting with Seabourn and HAL executives Oct. 9-10 to review 2012 successes and plans for 2013.

The Carnival Corp. group includes Chairman and CEO Micky Arison, Vice Chairman and COO Howard Frank, Sr. Vice President and CFO David Bernstein, Sr. Vice President of Shared Services Richard Ames, Vice President of Corporate Planning Marie McKenzie, Vice President of Investor Relations Beth Roberts and Chairman and CEO Carnival Asia Pier Foschi.

Other special visitors include President and CEO of Princess Cruises Alan Buckelew, President of Holland America/Princess Alaska Charlie Ball, Vice President of Finance and Administration for Holland America/Princess Alaska Dave Musselwhite, Sr. Vice President and CFO of Princess Cruises Tim Howie and Executive Vice President of Reservations, Sales and Guest Services for Princess Cruises Dean Brown.

The meeting at Seabourn and HAL headquarters follows the Carnival Corp. quarterly board meeting, which was held yesterday in downtown Seattle.

Seabourn and its partners, Molton Brown and Black River Caviar, hosted a display at the second annual Travel + Leisure Global Bazaar in New York City’s Lexington Armory. The Bazaar featured displays, live entertainment, merchandise from all around the world and plenty of delicious food and drinks.  It was open Friday, Saturday and Sunday September 28, 29 and 30. The booth featured a 9-foot gold surfboard bar serving Champagne, a large video screen showing our signature Caviar in the Surf beach party, another section where complimentary Black River Caviar was served, and two booths where Molton Brown personnel were offering complimentary hand massages.  Seabourn’s site was a traffic-stopper from opening to closing each day. Hope some of you were able to come by!

Television personality Katie Couric attended the Kick-Off Party on the first night and stopped by Seabourn’s display to pose with our uniformed staff members, Stijn Creupelandt and Jo Poelmans.

Companies Cite a Shared Dedication to Excellence

Hublot, the luxury Swiss brand which brings the “Art of Fusion” to watchmaking, has been named the Official Timekeeper of the award-winning ultra luxury cruise line Seabourn.

Guests enjoying voyages on any of Seabourn’s six intimate, all-suite ships will now be kept abreast of the current ship’s time by means of handsome Hublot wall clocks, designed and finished with the same flair and elegance that have made Hublot’s wristwatches multi-faceted icons of a constantly evolving Swiss watchmaking tradition, which pay tribute to it by connecting it with the future.  The clocks are a perfect complement to the stunning beauty of the ships themselves, adding a luxurious accent and an eye-catching cachet to various locations throughout each vessel. 

“Hublot‘s distinctive porthole-styled timepieces are crafted with a commitment to innovation grounded in respect for tradition.” noted Seabourn’s president Richard D. Meadows. “They display a dedication to excellence and an attention to detail that resonates with Seabourn‘s mission. Our companies share a common goal – to be the very best at what we do.”

“This partnership is a story of friendship, a human story. It is about mutual great respect based on a shared passion for the sea, a love of sport and the quest for performance and excellence.” added Hublot’s Chairman of the Board Jean-Claude Biver. “Hublot and Seabourn share many core values. Hublot has always been close to the sea world, through its very name of course, which is the French word for a porthole, but also through prestigious partnerships such as with the Yacht Club of Monaco, the Monaco Oceanographic Museum and the Real Club Nautico de Palma to name just a few of them. Today, teaming up with Seabourn is an honor and forms a perfect extension.”

In addition to the ship’s clocks, Hublot will represent a stylish presence on Seabourn’s website and in other marketing materials, and the ships will host select trunk shows of Hublot timepieces to guests on selected cruises.

Seabourn and Hublot share a reputation for excellence that has earned both companies recognition and awards from authoritative critics and loyal support from a discerning clientele.

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.