On June 6, 2010, Seabourn Sojourn debuted in London and then set out on her Maiden Voyage.  Dubbed the North Star Sojourn, the 14-day cruise included Scotland, the Faroe Islands, Iceland, Norway and Amsterdam in the Netherlands. Seabourn’s Destination Services staff created very special shoreside events during the voyage, exclusively for Maiden Voyage guests. At the port of Reykjavik, Iceland, a special venue outside of town welcomed guests into a re-creation of a Norse settlement in the early days of the colonization of Iceland.  After seeing this and meeting the inhabitants, Seabourn guests were seated in a tent for a multi-media presentation recounting the saga of Iceland’s history through music and dance. At the conclusion of the event, each guest was given a small box containing a piece of fresh lava rock from the 2010 eruption of Eyjafjallajökull volcano, and the promise that for each Seabourn guest who visited, a tree was planted in the rich new soil of Iceland, to add new life and beauty to the country and the world.

Here is a beautiful shot of Seabourn Sojourn in Dover, England, just a day before her spectacular debut in London.  It was a gorgeous morning, the perfect shade of blue.  There wasn’t a cloud in the sky, and the light was just so beautiful on her.  Doesn’t she look stunning?

Thanks to our director of marketing, Karen Sinclair, for snapping this incredible photo of Sojourn that morning.

While the sun was rising this morning, Seabourn Sojourn sailed up the Thames River to London.  It was truly a beautiful morning, perfect for the arrival of the most luxurious ship to sail through the Thames Barrier.  Moored mid-river near Canary Wharf, the yacht looks stunning, and staff is preparing the vessel for two days of inaugural celebrations.  Tonight, British supermodel and fashion icon Twiggy will officially name the vessel during a sunset ceremony.  The following day, Seabourn donated the yacht to Breast Cancer Haven as the venue for a gala fundraising event to celebrate the charity’s 10th anniversary.

Here are some great shots of Sojourn navigating the waters of the River Thames.  Stay tuned for photos from tonight’s naming ceremony!

We have fantastic news to share – today we signed and took delivery of our newest ship, Seabourn Sojourn! It was a wonderful day in Genoa and we are so proud to welcome her to our fleet. Shipyard staff members, who proudly worked on her for the past year, stood at the dock and waved goodbye to Sojourn as she pulled away this afternoon and headed out to sea. For the next few days, onboard crew will be preparing the yacht for two days of exciting festivities in London, where we will officially “name” the yacht and introduce her to the world. It will be spectacular, so stay tuned for more news from the inaugural celebration!

Pamela Conover, Seabourn’s president and CEO, just returned from a hardhat tour in Genoa, Italy, to survey the progress of Seabourn Sojourn in the shipyard.  She was joined by several senior officers and senior executives from headquarters.  Here is her update: (more…)