During a call at Oslo, Norway on June 13, Seabourn Sojourn hosted a luncheon on board for members of the local chapter of the Chaine des Rotisseurs. The Chaine is the oldest and largest organization in the world dedicated to the preservation and appreciation of food and wine cultures, having been founded in Paris in 1950, but tracing its origins to 1248. Seabourn is a member. The Oslo members toured the ship and met Executive Chef Andrew Soddy, as well as enjoyed a special menu paired with appropriate wines for luncheon.

Chaine des Rotisseurs members (L-R) Jan-Goerg Hoffman, Torbjoern Marthinussen, Torunn Tronsvang and Olaf-Jacob Syrdal Christiansen meet Chef Soddy.

Chaine members Tarje Helebust and Mr. Hoffman with Chef Soddy.

Chef Soddy shares a laugh with Mr. Hoffman and Mr. Marthinussen.

Torunn Torsvang, of Oslo Cruise Network, who organized the event, with Sojourn Sommelier Yoan Vernus.

Seabourn Sojourn staff assembled pier-side to welcome guests back aboard at St. Petersburg, Russia. The guests had been enjoying an evening of ballet and a gala event at the Catherine Palace. This picture was taken at approximately 11 p.m.!

One busy evening in Seattle, our manager of Culinary Operations, Bjoern Wassmuth, was stuck in a major traffic jam on his way home. He and his carpooling colleagues were not moving at all, so instead of sitting idly in the car, they went to a local pizza restaurant to wait for the traffic to ease. It was a charming mom-and-pop restaurant and according to Bjoern, it served some of the best pizza he’s ever had!

“It was real Italian pizza,” he said. What made it so delicious? The crust.

Always thinking about new dishes and recipes for the Seabourn ships, Bjoern asked the restaurant owner what kind of flour they used and turns out, it’s pizza flour all the way from Italy. So, he ordered a batch and did a pizza tasting at the test kitchen in Seabourn headquarters. Bjoern molded the dough, tossed it in the air and topped each pizza with a variety of tasty toppings – prosciutto, mushrooms, basil and more. The critical part of the process was knowing how much water to the flour.

“I played with the liquid content to get the crust just right,” Bjoern said. “Pizza flour from Europe is very different from American flour so it’s important to add the right amount of water to make the crust perfect.”

It certainly worked. Six pizzas later, the judges – which included several executives with a hearty appetite – were all smiles and gave two thumbs up to the delicious pizza.

It’s a good thing Bjoern was caught in the traffic jam that day. He discovered a new source for a key ingredient for one our most popular dishes onboard!

Up in the air!

Covered in tomato sauce

Voilà!! The finished product!

Seabourn President Rick Meadows and other Seabourn executives hosted a group of U.S. travel agency partners and media during a special sneak‑preview voyage aboard the new Seabourn Quest. The three‑day cruise provided agency principals and managers and writers with the opportunity to explore the company’s newest vessel and experience Seabourn’s top‑notch amenities and award‑winning service. Seabourn executives also met with agents to discuss how the line can further support them to meet their businesses’ goals and objectives.

Guests had opportunities to experience some of Seabourn’s signature services and amenities, including the 11,400‑square foot Spa at Seabourn, the ship’s unique watersports Marina and a rollicking “Rock the Boat” cocktail party on the night before disembarkation at Monte Carlo.

Master Chef David Burke, one of America's most accomplished chef restaurateurs, provided guests with a cooking demonstration on Seabourn Quest. Assisted by Seabourn chefs and waiters, he prepared a simple but elegant tuna tartar parfait, as well as tuna tartar tacos in crisp taco shells he had carefully transported from the States.

At the end of the demonstration, Seabourn waiters distributed a sample of the tasty dish to each member of the audience.

Seabourn Quest Sommelier Johannes Kahrer and Assistant Sommelier Melinda Hegyi conducted a wine tasting on board during the three day preview voyage. Wine tastings are a popular and regular feature on Seabourn's ships, and all dining service staff members receive ongoing training from the sommeliers in wine appreciation and wine and food pairing.

Seabourn Quest makes a stop at Le Lavandou, France, where the ship opened up the marina for guests to enjoy.

You can see more pictures from the Seabourn Quest cruise on Facebook page — http://www.facebook.com/seabourn.

On May 2, Seabourn and Holland America held a celebration to welcome new Seabourn staff to the Seattle office and recognize employees who are supporting the transition efforts. Employees who relocated to Seattle from Miami were greeted with welcome baskets full of Northwest-themed gifts including local travel books, chocolates and coffee. Here are some photos from the special celebration!

John Delaney, senior vice president, Seabourn Marketing & Sales, presents Karen Sinclair, director, Seabourn Marketing Communications, with a welcome basket.

Members of the executive team spent time chatting with employees during the celebration. From left: John Delaney, senior vice president, Seabourn Marketing & Sales; Stein Kruse, chairman, Seabourn and, president & chief executive officer, Holland America Line; Richard D. Meadows, president, Seabourn, and executive vice president, Marketing, Sales and Guest Programs, Holland America Line.

Some of the Seabourn employees who moved from Miami and were able to attend the event gather for a photo. Front row: Karen Sinclair, director, Marketing Communications; Olav Torvund, director, Technical Systems; Ove Olsen, technical superintendent; Rick Meadows, president. Second row: Tim Littley, director, Itinerary Development; Chris Prelog, director, Hotel Operations; John Cook, product manager; Bruce Good, director, Public Relations; John Delaney, senior vice president, Seabourn Marketing & Sales.

John Delaney and team serve up some delicious cake for attendees. In photo from left: John Delaney; Trina Holm, administrative assistant, Seabourn Marketing; Patty Desharnais, administrative assistant, Seabourn Marketing & Sales; Peggy McNeil, sales specialist, Seabourn.

Photos are courtesy of Steve Schimmelman.

As promised, here are some more pictures of Seabourn Quest from the shipyard.  Take a look at two of our most popular spots, The Colonnade and Seabourn Square.  They may be empty now but before you know it, both of these rooms will be filled with guests and brimming with enthusiasm and activity!

Up Close with Seabourn Quest

Seabourn Quest

The Colonnade

Seabourn Square

Earlier this week, Seabourn Spirit met up with her big sister, Seabourn Sojourn, in the Ionian Sea.  Guests and crew came out on deck and waved to each other as the ships sailed past each other.  Seabourn Spirit Cruise Director Nick Hale hopped on the rescue boat and took these pictures of the rendezvous.  It will be a while before the sisters meet again, as Seabourn Sojourn will be sailing in Northern Europe and Seabourn Spirit will be in the Mediterranean this summer. So long for now!

During a recent stop at Funchal, Madeira, the Seabourn Odyssey food and beverage team went on a mission for the freshest seafood.  They scoured the local markets, met with local fisherman and brought back a bountiful amount — 160 pounds of swordfish and 150 pounds of tuna and red snapper!  The team created a beautiful display to show off the fish during the Galley Market Lunch, where guests were invited behind the swinging doors into the wonderfully decorated kitchen.  Here is a photo of Restaurant Manager Anthony Bernardi and Executive Chef Andreas Schiffer, smiling proudly with their “catch.” You can just tell the chef was thinking of different dishes to serve to guests that night!

Restaurant Manager Anthony Bernardi and Executive Chef Andreas Schiffer, smiling proudly with their “catch.”

Seabourn Odyssey is currently sailing around South America and visiting many stunning ports and towns on the continent, from the spectacular Machu Picchu to the majestic Torres del Paine National Park.  Here are some great photos from the cruise. We hope these will entice you to join us on our next South America voyages in late 2011/early 2012!

Torres del Paine National Park

Odyssey sails under the first bridge ever built across the Amazon. It is under construction and will save traffic a three day ferry ride from Belem to Manaus linking the north and south sections of Brazil.

They spotted guanacos at Torres del Paine!

Machu Picchu

Seabourn Odyssey Manager of Destination Services Carol Frey makes friends with some of the locals at Machu Picchu.

One of the top tasks on hand for Richard Meadows, Seabourn’s new president, is to meet and get to know our senior officers throughout the fleet.  During the annual senior officers meeting in Genoa, Italy, he met with captains and hotel managers and other staff members, and shared his vision and goals for the line.  It was also the perfect opportunity for him to take a hard hat tour of Seabourn Quest and see how construction was progressing. With the ship scheduled to be delivered in just three months, there was no denying the great sense of excitement and anticipation in the air!

Here is a photo of Richard (sixth from left) with the entire group in Genoa.