Seabourn Odyssey at Port Everglades

Seabourn Odyssey has made it to the USA!  It was a beautiful morning in South Florida as the new luxury ship breezed into Port Everglades at Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on the morning of November 10, carrying more than 400 guests who sailed in her maiden transatlantic cruise. The ship and guests received a warm welcome from the port with the display of colored spray arching from a port-sponsored fireboat, as well as from Broward County’s very own Nova High School Titan Band, which assembled on the dock in their green and black uniforms and greeted them with lively, energetic music.  It was the first coastline the pampered guests had seen since they left the Portuguese island of Madeira on November 2.

Seabourn Odyssey’s maiden call in the U.S. will begin with inspections by the U.S. Coast Guard and U.S. Public Health Service.  That will be followed by a two-day open house. The first, on November 11, is for the proud staff who work at Seabourn’s Miami headquarters, and the next day is for travel agents eager to see the vessel USA Today called “…quite simply a game-changer for the luxury segment.”

On November 13, Seabourn is sponsoring “Arts Odyssey,” a gala overnight cruise benefiting the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts and three of its resident companies: The New World Symphony, Florida Grand Opera and the Miami City Ballet.  The gala will also feature a performance by Broadway star Bernadette Peters.

Odyssey’s World Cruise departs January 5, 2010 from Fort Lauderdale, Florida. During the next 108 days, it will visit 42 fascinating ports on six continents, and 25 countries. Many of those countries require visitors to have visas. In a number of them, Seabourn Odyssey is able to acquire the visas for guests on arrival, but there are a number that require visitors to have visas before they arrive. That means that World Cruise guests have to apply and get their visas before they embark for their voyages.  If any guest has not done so, it is important that they check on Seabourn’s website to see what is required for their nationality and their itinerary.

Here are some visa requirements  for most nationalities:

• United States: Non-US citizens or residents must follow the regulations to acquire a visa to enter the United States. Those vary by nationality.
• Australia requires a visa to be acquired in advance for entry.
• India requires an individual visa to be acquired in advance for entry.
• Guests who are taking an Overland Journey in China (from the port of Hong Kong) are required to acquire a visa in advance of arrival. Those just sailing to Hong Kong do not require a visa in advance.
• Visas are also required for entry into Vietnam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Oman and Egypt, but these can be purchased on board for your convenience.

Q: How is a world cruise like falling in love?

A: Because there’s only ever one first time, and it’s something you’ll remember as long as you live.

And Seabourn Odyssey’s first world cruise in January 2010 will also be the first one ever for The Yachts of Seabourn, so that makes it even more special.

Guests aboard the Seabourn Odyssey will be privy to plenty of exciting experiences when the Inaugural World Cruise sets sail. The 108-day journey will span four months and 42 ports.  As if a cruise around the world wasn’t enough, a series of splashy shoreside events aptly named Shoreside Spectaculars will make the tour even more fun. (more…)