During a recent stop at Funchal, Madeira, the Seabourn Odyssey food and beverage team went on a mission for the freshest seafood.  They scoured the local markets, met with local fisherman and brought back a bountiful amount — 160 pounds of swordfish and 150 pounds of tuna and red snapper!  The team created a beautiful display to show off the fish during the Galley Market Lunch, where guests were invited behind the swinging doors into the wonderfully decorated kitchen.  Here is a photo of Restaurant Manager Anthony Bernardi and Executive Chef Andreas Schiffer, smiling proudly with their “catch.” You can just tell the chef was thinking of different dishes to serve to guests that night!

Restaurant Manager Anthony Bernardi and Executive Chef Andreas Schiffer, smiling proudly with their “catch.”

When Seabourn Quest debuts in the summer of 2011, the ship will feature Seabourn Square, an innovative concierge lounge with a “club room” ambiance, offering a variety of attractions and amenities making guests feel at home during their cruises.

It is one of the most distinctive features of the ship and considered to be “hub” of the ship.  Need a café latte? Check.  Want to check your email from loved ones?  Check. Have a question about a shore excursion or a charge on your shipboard account? Check.  Want to read a book or the latest headlines?  Check. Or how about just sitting back and taking in some fresh air overlooking the wake of the ship? Check, check.

The Coffee Bar in Seabourn Square aboard Seabourn Quest

Open from 6:15 a.m. until 6 p.m., the lounge is furnished with comfortable sofas, easy chairs and cocktail tables, and the walls are lined with fiction, nonfiction and reference books.  Eight computer workstations are available for guests to check their emails or surf the Internet during their cruise.  One of the most popular spots in Seabourn Square is the European konditorei-style coffee bar, with a tall, gleaming espresso machine serving specialty coffees, drinks, sandwiches, pastries and gelati.

The Seabourn Square aboard Seabourn Quest

In the center of the room is an enclave housing a team of Guest Services Specialists.  They sit discreetly at individual desks, ready to assist guests 24 hours a day with any inquiries they may have, from onboard account questions and money exchange to reserving shore excursions and giving advice about ports of call.  The Destination Services staff is also present in Seabourn Square, and there is a separate desk where the onboard Cruise Sales Specialist can discuss guests’ future bookings in privacy.

Guests who are planning to sail on Seabourn Quest will no doubt enjoy Seabourn Square’ relaxed atmosphere. It was designed to encourage sociability and we’ve heard much positive feedback about the Square from guests who sailed on Seabourn Odyssey and Seabourn Sojourn.  We want to hear from you: what do you like most about Seabourn Square?

A new Seabourn tradition has started among our guests who sail on a World Cruise. They wake up early in the morning, don their bathrobes and slippers, and enjoy a glass of champagne as they watch the sun rise from the bow of the ship. It first began on Seabourn Odyssey’s world cruise last year and it continued on Seabourn Sojourn this year. Here is a photo of the annual “All-Arounders Bathrobe Party” meeting on deck as Seabourn Sojourn entered Hong Kong Harbour last month. Cheers!

Seabourn Odyssey is currently sailing around South America and visiting many stunning ports and towns on the continent, from the spectacular Machu Picchu to the majestic Torres del Paine National Park.  Here are some great photos from the cruise. We hope these will entice you to join us on our next South America voyages in late 2011/early 2012!

Torres del Paine National Park

Odyssey sails under the first bridge ever built across the Amazon. It is under construction and will save traffic a three day ferry ride from Belem to Manaus linking the north and south sections of Brazil.

They spotted guanacos at Torres del Paine!

Machu Picchu

Seabourn Odyssey Manager of Destination Services Carol Frey makes friends with some of the locals at Machu Picchu.

One of the top tasks on hand for Richard Meadows, Seabourn’s new president, is to meet and get to know our senior officers throughout the fleet.  During the annual senior officers meeting in Genoa, Italy, he met with captains and hotel managers and other staff members, and shared his vision and goals for the line.  It was also the perfect opportunity for him to take a hard hat tour of Seabourn Quest and see how construction was progressing. With the ship scheduled to be delivered in just three months, there was no denying the great sense of excitement and anticipation in the air!

Here is a photo of Richard (sixth from left) with the entire group in Genoa.

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!

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.