Get a glimpse of what it will be like to sail aboard Seabourn Quest to Antarctica and Patagonia. In this video, Expedition Leader Robin West and Assistant Expedition Leader Jarda Versloot-West share their insights on what guests can expect when they sail to the White Continent – from the history and diverse wildlife and to the unique and stunning landscape. They possess a wealth of knowledge, with more than 80 trips to Antarctica combined under their belts, and will undoubtedly ensure guests experience the trip of a lifetime.

“It’s this beautiful serene wide landscape that you cannot explain unless you’ve been there. It’s incredible,” Jarda said.

Leopard seals, elephant seals, penguins, humpback whales, birds and more – there will no shortage of opportunities to view the distinct wildlife in Antarctica.

“The great thing is in Antarctica, when you come ashore, you can go 20 meters, sit down, and everything’s right there in front of you,” Robin said.

Seabourn Quest will be the most luxurious ship to sail to Antarctica. After spending a day ashore, guests will return to the ship and enjoy the luxuries and signature touches of Seabourn. The onboard dedicated will take every care to ensure the comfort and well-being of our guests.

“It’s incredible to be out on glaciers, see penguins, see whales and then in the evening come back, glass of champagne, dress and enjoy the luxuries of the ship,” said Robin.

We hope you enjoy this video about Seabourn’s “Antarctica & Patagonia” cruises, which will certainly be a journey of a lifetime. Robin and Jarda will be on board all four cruises – won’t you join them on one of the voyages?

It seems like a few of our sisters have been meeting up with each other lately. Earlier this year, Seabourn Legend and Seabourn Spirit had a dinner date in St. Kitts, while Seabourn Odyssey and Seabourn Quest met up last month in Safaga, Egypt. And just a few days ago, sister ships Seabourn Pride and Seabourn Legend rendezvoused in Livorno, Italy.

In true Seabourn style, the hotel directors of both ships put their heads together to organize a special “Welcome Back” experience for their guests returning from the full-day tours. They rolled out the red carpet and the bands from both ships played as one.

“Both teams gave our guests a wonderful ‘Seabourn Moment,’” said Seabourn Legend Hotel Director Nick Burger.

Together again in Livorno!

Seabourn Legend Hotel Director Nick Burger and Seabourn Pride Hotel Director Philip Reutener give their teams four thumbs up!

The talented bands from both ships welcome guests back to the ships.

Seabourn has announced a diverse line-up of prominent guest speakers who will be among those enhancing the 116-day World Cruise aboard Seabourn Quest in 2013. The speakers’ breadth of knowledge is as worldly as the cruise itself, including such notables as the sly, witty comedienne Rita Rudner, NASA astronomer Dr. Norman Caisse and satirical author Christopher Buckley. Seabourn Quest’s world cruise will depart January 6, 2013 from Fort Lauderdale, Fla., and end in Venice, Italy on May 3.

Rita Rudner

Luminaries including scientists, historians, scholars, maritime experts, documentary filmmakers and politicians will share their expertise and provide valuable insights on destinations to Seabourn Quest guests during their memorable world cruise.

“This is a very exciting group of speakers with personalities and portfolios as diverse as the ports of call the cruise will visit,” said John Delaney, Seabourn’s senior vice president, marketing and sales. “Many of them specialize in the regions we visit, and their knowledge will undoubtedly enhance our guests’ cruise experiences and entertain them on their way around the globe.”

Seabourn Quest’s 2013 lineup of World Quest guest speakers and destination experts will include, among others:

Entertainment/Literature

• Rita Rudner – American comedienne, actress, screenwriter, author. She has starred in numerous television specials and performs live in the U.S. and U.K. April 27 – May 3.
• Christopher Buckley – American political satirist and novelist. March 26 – 31.

Science

• Dr. Norman Caisse – NASA engineer and astronomer who participated in a variety of space exploration projects. January 16 – 30.

Destination Experts

• Dr. Roderick A. McDonald – professor, author, Caribbean and Latin American historian. January 6 – 16.
• Dr. Michelle Craig McDonald – professor and author of Early American, Caribbean and maritime history. January 6 – 16.
• Dr. Adrian Kerr – author and historian in ancient civilizations. April 8 – 21.
• Farhana Qazi – international relations analyst and expert on Middle Eastern political conflicts.  April 12 – 23.

Military History/Foreign Relations

• Captain Peter Martin, Commander, Royal Australian Naval Reserve. – one of Australia’s few titled Masters and Commanders; maritime expert and foreign affairs scholar. February 22 – March 2.
• Col. Ralf Vargas – retired U.S. Army officer, former Chief of the NATO Situation Center, specializing in European Affairs. April 23 – May 3.

Exploration/ Geography/Ethnology

• Dr. Lawrence Blair – adventurer and documentarian whose acclaimed TV series Ring of Fire highlights his10-year exploration of Indonesia. March 1 – 23.
• Paul Deegan – mountaineer and award-winning author whose ascents include Mount Everest and other major peaks worldwide. March 9-19.

The onboard enrichment lineup augments an extensive array of daytime and nightly entertainment that ranges from dynamic, up-to-the-minute vocal revues, classical recitals, comedy, engaging quiz shows, dance classes and live music for dancing.

For more information on Seabourn’s 2013 World Cruise, please visit www.seabourn.com.

Longtime Seabourn shipboard stalwart Luca Di Matteo has joined the hotel operations staff in Seattle as manager, restaurants and bars. Luca has recently moved his family to the Pacific Northwest. Many of you know probably know Luca from his days on the ships, and we’re pleased to welcome him to Seattle.

On a sunny day, the veteran Seabourn team gathered together for a team portrait at the company’s headquarters.  What a fine looking group! (Left to right): Chris Jurasas, manager of onboard programs; Christopher Prelog, director of hotel operations; Bjoern Wassmuth, manager of culinary and beverage operations; Di Matteo, and Stijn Creupelandt, manager, hotel administration and guest services.

Seabourn Manager of Culinary Operations Bjoern Wassmuth and Corporate Traveling Chef Raj Adhikary recently held a tasting in the test kitchen at Seabourn’s Seattle headquarters of Hot Chocolate Sticks. Sourced from the world-famous chocolate mecca of Belgium, the treats look like speared chocolate truffles, but are meant to be stirred into a cup of hot milk to create delicious hot chocolate on the spot.  We tried them and they work, stirring up a rich, yummy cup!  They come in various flavors, but those tested were milk, dark and caramel chocolate.  This was just implemented on Seabourn Sojourn and will be featured aboard the rest of the ships soon. Stay tuned for more photos!

Three Squares: A lineup of the new Hot Chocolate Sticks.

Got hot milk? Raj Adhikary, Jafar Al-Shibibi, deputy director of purchasing, Bjoern Wassmuth and Christopher Prelog, director of hotel operations, sample the Belgian treats.

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’s superb service comes in all sizes.  Here are two Seabourn Sojourn staff members – Ian Clements, public rooms manager, and Johan Lovgren, bar waiter – welcoming guests back from a long day in Warnemünde, Germany.  While there is quite a height difference between them, both Ian and Johan have the same big smiles as they cheerfully greet returning guests with a special drink — warm coffee infused with Baileys Irish Cream.

We have uploaded more images from the Seabourn Quest Naming Ceremony, as well as photos from Blythe Danner’s tour of the ship on the day prior to the event.

Seabourn President Richard Meadows, Seabourn Quest Godmother Blythe Danner and Seabourn Quest Captain Magnus Bengtsson

Visit our Facebook page to view the pictures! http://www.facebook.com/seabourn.

As the sun set over the waterfront of the Spanish Mediterranean city of Barcelona, Seabourn introduced the new 450-guest Seabourn Quest to the world on June 20^th during a glittering naming ceremony presided over by Blythe Danner. The award-winning actress served as godmother to the new luxury vessel, Seabourn’s third new ship and the sixth to join its fleet, completing a three-year expansion for the line.  

Guests booked on Seabourn Quest’s Maiden Voyage had the unique opportunity to participate in the festivities.  A full orchestra was arrayed on either side of the swimming pool, and a projection screen set above the deck allowed guests to view the climactic moment when a bottle of champagne smashed against the bow of the ship.  Adjacent to the screen, a contingent of crew members who had served in the start-up teams of all three new ship launches instantaneously broke confetti-filled champagne bottles in a synchronized wave pattern and as the bottle crashed. The memorable evening was capped off by a dazzling fireworks display sparkling against the city’s skyline.

“Seabourn Quest is the embodiment of Seabourn-style cruising,” said Richard Meadows, Seabourn’s president.  “She is sleek and stunning, with spacious decks and public rooms, luxurious suites, a variety of award-winning dining experiences, and an amazing crew offering intuitive and highly personalized service. We can assure guests the very finest travel experiences when they cruise with us on this beautiful ship.”

Following the naming ceremony, Seabourn Quest departed on a 14-day Maiden Voyage to Athens, and will stop at beautiful seaside towns and ports in France, Italy, Greece and Turkey.

Seabourn President Richard Meadows proudly looks on as award-winning actress Blythe Danner names Seabourn Quest.

 

It was a beautiful naming ceremony!

 

The newest member of the family: Seabourn Quest

 

From the entire Seabourn family — both at sea and ashore — we would like to wish all of our readers and guests a very happy holiday season.  We hope the new year will bring you joy and take you on new journeys and travels across the globe!