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 Legend Chief Purser Albe le Roux sent along a picture that the onboard staff arranged as a gift to the guests. They give departing guests a postcard of this picture, and they thought maybe you’d like to see it, too.

Seabourn Legend staff: spiraling, but in control.

We recently shared with you Seabourn Legend Pastry Chef’s talent of creating beautiful, edible artwork.  Many of our staff members are filled with hidden talents and enjoy a number of hobbies during their time off.  This time, we’d like to introduce you to Gilbert Lagmay, a carpenter and long-time Seabourn employee. Not only is he a maestro at making the yacht shine and keeping it spic and span, he also has a remarkable artistic gift.  He has an ability to look at a picture and recreate the same picture with a pencil in black and white, creating many beautiful drawings.

Gilbert tells us he developed this skill by watching cartoonists and professional portrait artists back home in the Philippines. He is always purchasing pencils and brushes to practice his hobby and perfect his artistic skills.  Impressed and amazed by his talent, his fellow colleagues occasionally ask him to sketch a drawing for them.

Gilbert with a portrait of Captain Erik L. Anderssen’s granddaughter

Gilbert is a “Seabourn Legend,” and we will continue to admire him for his artistic talent and for being a professional and outstanding Seabourn carpenter!

Seabourn Sojourn has reached an important maritime milestone, after completing four days of sea trials in the Mediterranean. She “stretched her legs” and took to the sea for the first time, sailing under her own propulsion power off the coast of Genoa, Italy.  Sojourn has returned to the T. Mariotti shipyard, and the staff is putting the final touches on the vessel before she is delivered in May. (more…)

In the spirit of the Easter holiday, Seabourn Odyssey staff members organized an Easter Egg Scavenger Hunt, which had 19 teams scrambling around the yacht looking for eggs and vying for prizes. (more…)

Guest Services Specialists

Preparations for Seabourn Sojourn are not only taking place at the shipyard in Italy but at Seabourn’s Miami headquarters, as well.  Last week, a team of 16 trainees arrived to the offices to prepare for their role as Guest Services Specialists, where they will manage the “business heart” of Sojourn and handle all guest inquiries at Seabourn Square. (more…)

What is this country, and who are these people that, from a standing far behind in the race, and greatly helped by our Western consumerism and technology, have fought their way ever closer to the front of the pack, and now are slated to play a dominant role in every conceivable way as this century progresses?  (more…)

Seabourn Destination Master Peter Cox gives some insight below on why a cruise to China should be in your future…

Although China has this incredible and ancient civilization that flourished when the Greeks and Romans enjoyed theirs, and there certainly remain many sites that represent this rich heritage all over China, a coastal cruise – with the exception of the pre/post Beijing stay – will hardly bring guests near those sites that filled the Beijing Olympics media travelogues. Yet, it is China’s coast that gave birth to and nourished this awakening giant, which came out of the post-Mao dark ages only a few decades ago. (more…)

Peter Cox

Peter A.M. Cox is Seabourn’s Director of Itinerary Planning and Development.  He is one of the most experienced, knowledgeable and insightful destination experts in the world. Originally from The Netherlands, Peter started his travel career as an enthusiastic amateur, hitchhiking across North Africa and traveling in Asia during the off-season from his summer jobs as a tour director in Europe. His itineraries included South America and the United States as well (he once spent three and a half months driving around the U.S. in an old Ford Falcon.) (more…)

Raoul Jack sent along a few more shots of Seabourn Sojourn alongside the fitting-out dock at the shipyard in Genoa. It was obviously a rather gray day, but we can get a good look at her sleek shape, which is looking lovely already, even without her coat of paint. (more…)