Seabourn Quest Executive Chef de Cuisine Thorsten Gillert took a party of about 20 guests on a “Shopping with the Chef” excursion on Grand Terre, Noumea in New Caledonia. They visited a local fish market, where they perused cases filled with beautiful fresh Pacific Ocean fish from the surrounding seas. To the delight of the guests, Chef Gillert picked out over 120 pounds of gorgeous fresh seafood that was displayed on ice later that evening in The Restaurant.

Caption: Chef Gillert and his group of guests look over the wares in Noumea.

Caption: Chef Gillert watches as more snappers are added to his haul of fresh fish.

Unanimous decision

Guests aboard Seabourn Odyssey were challenged by the entertainment team to create sea-worthy craft from materials on board. All guest-created ships were to be tested in the pool to ensure they would float, and preferably remain upright. The tank-testing was done on March 12 by Captain Bjarne Larsen and Staff Captain Todor Kantchev, and a clear winner emerged. Dubbed Seabourn Fashion, the elegant craft was laden to the gunwales with flair, and a bountiful cargo of je ne sais quoi that placed it at the head of the fleet. Mrs. Catherine Claus, who headed the winning team, had the following comment:
“It is my pleasure to send you herewith the picture of the winning ship Seabourn Fashion, built as an homage to all Seabourn elegant travelling ladies by a team of Belgian, French and Swiss engineers on their way to Bali!”

Seabourn Odyssey received a lot of love when it visited Cairns, Australia, earlier this month. Captain Bjarne Larsen sent us this report from that day:

“One of our loyal guests, Mrs. Ronwyn Corcoran, who lives in Cairns, posted this banner on her balcony as we sailed by her home. During our stay in Cairns, I asked her to come on board for dinner with her sister and a friend, and they were all taken well care of by our excellent Social Host Michelle Gordon. Mrs. Corcoran mentioned to me that she is considering cruising with me to Antarctica on board the Seabourn Quest. I truly hope to see her again.”

Wow! What a wonderful way to welcome Seabourn Odyssey to Cairns! Thank you for the love, Mrs. Corcoran, and we do hope you’ll join us on one of our Antarctica voyages!

Seabourn Odyssey receives a very warm welcome in Cairns.

Mrs. Corcoran waves hello to the ship!

Seabourn Pride’s Executive Housekeeper Linda Duvenhage had a special request from two guests to host her team on the foredeck as a thank-you for their excellent service. The guests, Steve Lanza and Jason Smith, provided Champagne for the celebration, which was held inbound to Ho Chi Minh City.

Salute to Seabourn Pride’s housekeeping team. Front row (L-R) Bianca Tonkinson, Gina Wood, Guests Steve Lanza and Jason Smith, Luitha van Loggenberg, Kate Granovska, Svitlana Olinykova and Exec. Housekeeper Linda Duvenhage. Back row (L-R) Asst. Housekeeper Claire Maasdorp, Charne Cain, Belinda Harmse, Sonja Bornkhorst, Mariska Botes, Stoyanka Raycheva and Marina Sanches.

After the first two months of a world cruise, interesting phenomena begin to occur on board. Seabourn Quest Cruise Director Handré Potgieter reports: “Recently we held a ‘Fancy Dress Trivia’ in which the teams were challenged to present something original using only onboard resources. Teams were judged for originality, team spirit and overall impression. What fun! It’s amazing to see how guests use just about everything from Seabourn Coasters to Room Service Menus.”

Contest Judges Captain Geir Arne Thue-Nilsen (kneeling center) and Guest Services Manager Colleen Ellis (right) with the winning team “Who Cares” and runners-up “The Aristocrats.”

But that’s not all. Handré notes that “People are often creatures of habit and approximately 80 guests or so participate in trivia on every sea day. They mostly sit in the same spots and have their favourite drinks and snacks. I wish you could have seen the expressions on our guests’ faces when everyone arrived for trivia, and their intuitive bar team had prepared each guest’s favourite drink — and had it ready and waiting for them in their habitual spots …. Wow, this was a Seabourn Moment to witness!”

The elated bar team celebrates pulling off the perfect surprise: (L-R) Chistia Reisener, Carolina Fiore, Balazs Soter, MiMi Popovic, and Adam Jubb. Good one, guys!

On Friday, March 1, Seabourn Sojourn made her final call of the season in Port Stanley in the Falkland Islands/Islas Malvinas. Former Seabourn Captain Sean Whalley snapped a photo of the ship anchored in Port William, an inlet leading into Port Stanley, and kindly sent it to us.

On Tuesday, March 5, the ship is scheduled to arrive in Buenos Aires, Argentina, where it will sail on a pair of cruises exploring the natural beauty of the Amazon before departing for Europe for the summer.

Luxury Cruise Ship, Seabourn Sojourn, anchored off of Port Stanley.

We would like to introduce you to Robin West, the expedition leader for Seabourn’s Antarctica & Patagonia voyages.

Robin West

West’s venture into exploring the Antarctic and the South Pacific began in the world of elite expedition cruising aboard a luxury private super yacht. During these voyages over the last 10 years, he gained a wealth of knowledge that has given him the experience to lead expeditions on every continent and across every ocean, including polar exploration of both the Arctic and Antarctic. To date, he has participated in some 40 Antarctic voyages.

“Antarctica is a place like no other,” said West. “Taking guests to see two-mile-long tabular icebergs, thousands of penguins, leopard seals and blue whales — the largest animals to have ever lived on the planet — it is a place that makes you realize just how insignificant we are and at the same time makes you feel bigger than life itself. Saying all of that,” he continued, “Antarctica cannot be put into words — it has to be experienced to be understood.”

West studied Biokinetics at the University of Port Elizabeth in South Africa, where he qualified as a Master Scuba Diver Trainer by the Professional Association of Diving Instructors. During his time on and under the water, he developed a passion for the sea. He pursued his interest and first established his own two companies specialized in outdoor adventures and scuba diving. West was born in Port Elizabeth and currently resides in The Netherlands.

We have no doubt our guests will have an in-depth and unforgettable experience under the expertise and guidance of West. He will be sailing on all four Antarctica & Patagonia cruises aboard Seabourn Quest. To learn more about these voyages, please visit our website.

Seabourn has announced an exciting schedule of European cruises for the 2014 season, featuring nearly 100 departures aboard its intimate, award-winning luxury ships. Seabourn’s ships will explore more than 150 different destinations during cruises from seven to 21 days in length, from the Arctic Ocean and majestic fjords of Norway to the stunning Greek and Dalmatian isles and the Black Sea. Seabourn’s 2014 Europe cruises are now available for booking, and complete itineraries, fares and other details can be viewed on www.seabourn.com.

Luxury Cruise Ship Seabourn Odyssey In Turkey

The 2014 Europe season will comprise Seabourn’s signature selection of intriguing itineraries, featuring a varied and interesting mix of well-known ports and smaller, hidden gems. The schedule includes more than 20 destinations that are either maiden calls or ports the cruise line has not visited in years. Overnight stays are also included in a number of popular cities, such as St. Petersburg, London, Bordeaux, Venice, Seville, Istanbul, Malta, Barcelona, Copenhagen, Rouen (Paris), and Amsterdam, allowing guests ample time to explore these premier destinations. Many of the Mediterranean voyages will also feature a Marina Day, where guests can enjoy a number of complimentary watersport activities such as kayaking, water-skiing, sail-boards, swimming and more from Seabourn’s signature onboard marinas.

“There is something truly magical about Europe that draws travelers to visit this remarkable continent repeatedly,” said John Delaney, Seabourn’s senior vice president of marketing and sales.  “There is really no better way to see Europe. Our ships can take them to the heart of all the great cities and charming hidden treasures that Europe has to offer, in incomparable Seabourn style.”

Three Seabourn ships will sail among the seaside towns, yacht harbors and picturesque islands in the Mediterranean.  Seabourn Sojourn will offer a series of 10-day cruises from Barcelona, Athens and Monte Carlo, visiting ports on the Italian and French Rivieras, and in the Greek Isles. Most cruises can be combined into longer voyages of up to 30 days without repeating ports, providing up to 10 percent additional savings and the ultimate Mediterranean cruise experience.

Seabourn Spirit will sail alternating 10- and 11-day voyages from Venice to the best of the Adriatic and Dalmatian coasts. Guests can explore many fascinating medieval towns like Dubrovnik or Kotor, as well as enjoying an overnight stay on board in Venice at the end of the cruise.

Seabourn Odyssey will traverse the waters in the Eastern Mediterranean, exploring the Greek Isles and Turkey on seven-day cruises alternating between Athens, Istanbul and Venice.  The ship will also sail the Black Sea on three seven-day cruises, featuring a full day and overnight on board in Istanbul. Seabourn Odyssey’s seven-day voyages are easily combinable for more variety and extra savings.

Seabourn Quest and Seabourn Legend will summer in the waters of Northern Europe. Seabourn Quest’s seven-day Baltic cruises between Copenhagen and Stockholm include the line’s signature three-day stay in the heart of magnificent St. Petersburg, Russia.  In late summer, Seabourn Quest will cross the North Atlantic on a 24-day cruise from London to Montreal, stopping at Ireland, the Faroe Islands, multiple new ports in Iceland and Greenland, as well as Newfoundland and Québec.

Seabourn Legend will sail two cruises along the Atlantic coast of Western Europe, between the Mediterranean and its summer voyages in Scandinavia. Seabourn Legend will offer nine- to 12-day cruises in the Baltic and Scandinavia, as well as the Norwegian Fjords, and a 21-day cruise to Spitsbergen and the North Cape that skirts the edge of the polar ice pack in the Arctic Ocean.  In addition, Seabourn Legend will sail on a single 15-day roundtrip cruise from London to the British Isles, Ireland and Belgium. The voyage includes an overnight stay in London at the end of the voyage, as well as scenic cruising on the Thames River.

For reservations or more details on Seabourn’s 2014 Europe season, please contact a professional travel agent, call Seabourn at 1-800-929-9391 or visit www.seabourn.com.

A couple of weeks ago, Seabourn Spirit and Seabourn Legend met up at the island of St. Kitts on a DATE. Seabourn Spirit Cruise Director Rachel Vago and Seabourn Legend Cruise Director Simon Gillespie came up with the idea to host a special shoreside epicurean affair for the guests of both ships. The culinary team pulled out all the stops and made an elaborate setup in the terminal reception area that included ice carvings, bread displays, a bar with frozen shots and an opulent buffet. The entertainment team performed a number of songs and made sure guests were having a great time.

“I was truly proud to be part of the Seabourn family, and it was easily the highlight of my Seabourn career so far. I think ‘Seabourn Moments’ were created for a lot of people,” Vago said.

After a changeable day of weather, the sun blessed the event and the bright yellow terminal was aglow with golden light, great food and good cheer. Well done all!

Two lovely ladies side by side at the pier as the day begins.

Restaurant Managers Paul Charsley and Altin Alija show off the ice carving that welcomed guests to the epicurean event.

A perfectly elegant casual evening in St. Kitts.

(L-R) Seabourn Legend Captain Andrew Pedder; Seabourn Spirit Executive Chef Imre Vago; Seabourn Legend Executive Chef Franck Sollazzo; Seabourn Legend Restaurant Manager Paul Charsley; Seabourn Legend Hotel Director Rico Taubert; Manager of Restaurant & Bar Operations Luca di Matteo; Traveling Executive Chef Rajat Adhikary; Seabourn Spirit Hotel Director Daniel Putzhammer; Seabourn Spirit Restaurant Manager Altin Alija; Seabourn Spirit Bar Manager Roland Nema; and Seabourn Spirit Captain David Bathgate.

Cruise Directors Simon Gillespie and Rachel Vago are elated that the event was a success!

The bands and entertainers from both ships perform “YMCA” together.

Would anyone like some caviar and champagne?

Sea duty (L-R): Waiter Florin Dumitrescu; Bar Mgr, Roland Nema; Waiter Trine Johansen; Restaurant Mgr. Altin Alija; Exec. Chef Imre Vago; Waiters Karoline Dannemueller and Joshua Burt; Bartender Roberto Castillo; Sen. Asst. MD Warren Kree.