They say a rising tide lifts all boats, and a tide of enthusiasm from cruise travelers has elevated our entire fleet to the top of Condé Nast Traveler magazine’s prestigious annual survey of its readers.

Seabourn was ranked above all other cruise ships, regardless of size, in the three all-important categories of Service, Food, and Accommodations in the 2011 edition of Condé Nast Traveler’s prestigious Gold List, published in the magazine’s January issue.  In the February issue, individual ship results show the 450-guest Seabourn Odyssey as the highest-rated cruise ship regardless of size. Odyssey’s smaller, 208-guest sisters Seabourn Spirit, Legend and Pride, are ranked number two, three and five respectively in the small-ship category. Odyssey’s twin sister, Seabourn Sojourn, debuted in June of 2010 and was not rated in the poll. Seabourn Legend, meanwhile, achieved the highest scores in several categories, including a perfect 100 for Crew/Service, 99.1 for Food/Dining and 97.4 for Schedule/Itineraries.

You can read more about the scores here: http://www.concierge.com/images/cnt/pdf/2011CruisePoll.pdf

“Scores like these would be an outstanding achievement under any circumstances,” noted Richard D. Meadows, Seabourn’s president. “But the fact that they were earned during a period of very rapid fleet expansion is a testament to the professionalism and passion of Seabourn’s onboard management and their staffs.”

Receiving such distinguished awards would not be possible without our stellar staff, who are 100% committed to providing lifelong travel memories for our guests.  We’re very honored for this recognition … THANK YOU!!!

Our onboard staff always strives to wow our guests and we would love to share another story of our happy guests.  Ms. Agran Ostffor recently sailed on Seabourn Legend to celebrate her birthday, and one evening after a delicious dinner, she returned to her suite to find a beautifully created birthday cake on the table made of towels.  She so thrilled and cheerfully shared her story the next day with Captain Anderssen and other fellow cruisers. Our long-time and loyal stewardess, Ms. Paula Sanda, put together the “cake” and did a great job to wow Ms. Ostffor!

Seabourn Sojourn glided into Sydney Harbour Saturday, Feb. 5, making her first ever visit to the city as part of her maiden world cruise.  It was a beautiful morning as the ship sailed past the famed Sydney Opera House, and guests were lined up on deck to soak in the view.  Seabourn President and CEO Pamela Conover was on hand to greet the ship and welcome guests to Sydney. Here are some amazing photos of the ship’s arrival.

Seabourn Sojourn is in the midst of a 111-day World Cruise, which will also include stops around Western Australia, Indonesia and Southeast Asia, India, Arabia and the Mediterranean.

In a little less than four months, we will be taking delivery of our newest ship, Seabourn Quest, in May.  She represents the completion of Seabourn’s three-year fleet expansion, and we are counting down the days until she joins the fleet!

We’re not the only ones who are highly anticipating her arrival!  Seabourn Quest’s pre-inaugural cruises and Maiden voyage are already sold out, with many guests eager to be among the first to sail on her.  There is still space available during her maiden season, which includes seven-day Eastern Mediterranean cruises, operating alternately between Athens and Istanbul, and Venice and Athens, as well as a seven-day Black Sea voyage.  On January 5, 2012, Seabourn Quest begins a 109-day World Cruise from Ft. Lauderdale to Venice on a unique eastbound course via South America, South Africa, the Indian Ocean, Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and the Mediterranean.

As you can see from the recent photos below, construction is progressing quite well at the Mariotti shipyard in Genoa.  We’ll continue to post more updates and pictures on Seabourn Quest, so stay tuned!

Seabourn offers an array of active, heart-pumping excursions allowing guests to experience local cities “in motion” – from trekking and biking to paddling and speed. During his Seabourn Sojourn cruise, Avid Cruiser’s Ralph Grizzle takes an “in motion” excursion to explore the village of Flåm, Norway.  Check out his video as he bikes his way through the beautiful countryside with spectacular views of waterfalls, mountains, and the valley.

This young sea lion isn’t sure where this funny new rock came from, but it makes a nice warm place for a quick snooze in the Chilean summer sun. The colorful whiskered birds in the foreground are called Inca Terns. The picture was sent by Bozi Copic, Odyssey’s Restaurant Manager. Odyssey left Valparaiso, Chile yesterday, taking a full complement of travelers on a “Patagonian Passage” cruise through the Chilean Fjords, around Cape Horn, to the Falkland Islands and up to Buenos Aires.

If you haven’t had a chance to sail on the new Seabourn Sojourn yet, you can take a tour of the ship in this great video by Avid Cruiser’s Ralph Grizzle. Follow him as he takes you inside Sojourn, from the popular Seabourn Square to the relaxing Spa at Seabourn. Welcome aboard!

Stay tuned for Ralph’s next video, which will explore Sojourn’s gourmet dining experiences and range of onboard dining choices.