Readers’ Polls, Critics, Travel Agents and Experts Agree on Top Rankings

In 2012, Seabourn continued to occupy the top ratings of the most prestigious awards in the travel industry. In annual surveys, high-profile consumer publications Condé Nast Traveler and Travel + Leisure discovered their readerships to be unified in naming Seabourn the Best Small-Ship Cruise Line, for the third and fourth consecutive year respectively. Cruise-specific consumer magazine Porthole’s annual readers’ poll showed Seabourn honored as Best Luxury Line, offering the Best Accommodations and Seabourn Sojourn named as the industry’s Best Small Ship. Seabourn also maintained its perfect record of inclusion on Condé Nast Traveler’s “Gold List” of top global vacation choices every year the list has been published, and became a charter inductee of the magazine’s Platinum Circle of the most consistent winners.

“We truly appreciate these magazines giving Seabourn’s customers a venue to express their support and endorsement,” said Seabourn president Richard D. Meadows. “These awards are absolutely a testament to the hard-working hospitality professionals who serve our guests on board. Of course everyone likes to be told they are the best,” he continued, “but in truth there is no greater honor than to see past guests returning up the gangway to sail with us again. Nothing makes our staff more proud than that.”

The ultra-luxury line also garnered some more specialized accolades in 2012.  The Spa at Seabourn has twice been awarded a SpaFinder® Wellness Readers’ Choice Award as Best Spa on a Cruise Ship, including this year. The newsletter Ocean & Cruise News, published by the World Ocean & Cruise Liner Society cited Seabourn cruises as the Best Cruise Value in the highest, Ultra-Deluxe, 6-Star+ category.

Professionally edited cruising guidebooks concur, with Stern’s Guide to the Cruise Vacation awarding the Seabourn fleet Six+ Black Stars, its highest rating, and the Berlitz Guide to Cruising and Cruise Ships awarding Five Stars and listing the Seabourn fleet among the highest-rated ships in the world.

With so many of Seabourn’s guests utilizing the convenience and expertise of a travel agent to handle their travel arrangements, it is important to note that the travel trade publication Travel Weekly’s annual Readers’ Choice Awards named Seabourn as the Best Luxury Cruise Line.

Finally, the prestigious American Academy of Hospitality Sciences has once again awarded Seabourn its highest honor, the Six Star Diamond Award.

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!!!

The awards and accolades continue to roll in for Seabourn! The editors of the websites CruiseCritic.com and CruiseCritic.co.uk have both singled out Seabourn for the 2010 Editors Pick awards in the luxury segment. Here is what they said about Seabourn and why they chose us as the “best.”

On the U.K. site, the editors cited Seabourn as Best for Luxury, noting that “Seabourn, renowned for its superb cuisine, service and small-ship ambience, has long been a contender in the best luxe category. With the debut of its new, slightly-larger Sojourn and Odyssey that build on its traditions while offering a more contemporary atmosphere, the line clearly sets the standard for luxury cruising.”

Editors on the U.S. site specifically identified Seabourn’s two newest yachts, Seabourn Odyssey and Seabourn Sojourn, as Best for Luxury, saying “Seabourn’s new Odyssey and Sojourn are the largest true luxury ships in cruising, and yet the size works. It allows for more on board choice — especially the fantastic Seabourn Square, a combination library, coffeeshop, bakery and social hub — and yet attention to detail in its cuisine, service and upscale yacht-like ambience, is impeccable.”

Thank you, Cruise Critic, for these honors! We’re very proud of the entire staff and the wonderful job they do every day!

Seabourn won the Readers’ Choice Award for Best Small Ship Cruise Line 2010 from Condé Nast Traveler

We have sure been cleaning up the awards circuit this year!  The latest honor?  Seabourn has once again been awarded one of the cruise industry’s most desirable honors: the Readers’ Choice Award for Best Small Ship Cruise Line 2010 from Condé Nast Traveler.  The prestigious award recognizes Seabourn’s intimate fleet as being at the top of its class in the magazine’s 23^rd annual survey of its readers.

The 2010 award

marks th

e second time in three years that Condé Nast Traveler’s readers have selected Seabourn as the best. We have also earned a spot on Condé Nast Traveler’s coveted “Gold List” for 16 consecutive years from 1994-2010.

“We are very honored to receive this recognition from the readers of Condé Nast Traveler, which speaks high volumes about our staff and their commitment and passion to deliver a unique and personalized cruise experience to all of our guests,” said Seabourn President & CEO Pamela C. Conover.  “Ranking best in a competitive field during challenging times demonstr

ates the dedication of our employees to provide the finest, most rewarding experience on the seas,” she continued, “and we thank the readers of Condé Nast Traveler for singing the praises of our staff.”

We are so very proud of each and every Seabourn team member who has worked so hard to contribute to our success.  We are truly honored and humbled by this recognition, and we remain fully committed to continuing to provide the best travel experience at sea!

Pam was at Condé Nast’s awards ceremony last

night to receive the honor and we will be sharing photos from the event very soon!