Sisters Seabourn Odyssey and Seabourn Quest met up a few weeks ago when both ships were in Safaga, Egypt. Both ships were en route to the Mediterranean to begin their Europe summer season. Seabourn Quest Captain Geir-Arne Thue-Nilsen sent us this wonderful photo of the ships in port. Don’t they look like they’re speaking to each other? If ships could talk, what do you think they’re saying to each other?
Seabourn Odyssey and Seabourn Quest together again!
Seabourn Quest Hotel Director Vitor Alves sent along some ravishing pictures of their “Celebration of India” deck party during the World Cruise.
Welcome: Candice Kimmon De Villiers Swart and Kinga Fazekas were transformed into lovely Apsarases, enchanting Hindu temptresses inviting guests to enter a garden of earthly delights.
Currying favor: A sumptuous array of spicy sub-continental treats awaited guests in the Colonnade buffet.
The Far Pavilions: Meanwhile the Pool Patio became a Mughal encampment fit for a Maharajah.
A splendid show of Indian music and dance added a stirring climax to the evening’s festivities.
Four New Suites aboard Seabourn Quest Feature Spa Access, Amenities, Concierge
Seabourn is enhancing its spacious, all-suite accommodations with the introduction of Penthouse Spa Suites on its award-winning new trio of intimate ships. Seabourn Quest will emerge from a scheduled drydock in May, 2013 boasting four new elegant Penthouse Spa Suites located directly above the industry leading Spa at Seabourn facility. The Spa at Seabourn has twice been awarded the SpaFinder® Wellness Readers’ Choice Award as “Best Spa on a Cruise Ship.” Guests will access the suites by means of a spiral staircase in the lobby of the spa, and enjoy unlimited access to the spa’s Serene Area, as well as spa amenities in the suite itself and the services of a spa concierge during the voyage. The new suites will also be added to Seabourn Odyssey and Seabourn Sojourn during their next scheduled drydocks.
“A growing number of our guests choose Seabourn’s new ships specifically because of our beautiful on-board Spa at Seabourn facilities,” said Seabourn President Richard Meadows. “Some of these guests have expressed a desire to incorporate a more complete spa vacation experience into their cruises, and our Penthouse Spa Suites are designed to fulfill that wish.”
The spacious living room in the new Penthouse Spa Suite.
Seabourn commissioned the Norwegian architecture and design firm of Yran & Storbraaten — who designed Seabourn Odyssey, Seabourn Sojourn and Seabourn Quest — to come up with a plan to utilize the section of Deck 10 directly above the spa for the new accommodations. The result is four spacious suites with 516 to 538 sq. ft. (48 – 50 sq. m.) of inside space, with expansive private verandas of 172 sq. ft. (16 sq. m.) with views over the ship’s stern and the sea. The suites’ décor is coordinated with that of the Spa at Seabourn, and all feature a living and a dining area with seating for four, a separate bedroom, walk-in closet, glass door and floor-to-ceiling windows onto the veranda, a bathroom with a tub and special spa shower, and two flat-screen TVs.
The new suites will offer guests a variety of healthy amenities and spa specialties. Along with the guests’ personal beverage preferences, a second in-suite bar will also be fully stocked with flavored water and fruit juices, and a selection of mixed nuts, dried fruits and healthy snacks. Guests can choose a calming fragrance from a selection of four by L’Occitane, to be diffused throughout the suite during the evening turndown. Relaxing, soothing spa music will also be available as a background soundtrack in the suite. The bathrooms will feature a new menu of Molton Brown specialty spa products, such as exfoliating body wash and polish and thermal salts body soak, in addition to the company’s high end line of bath products that are currently available in every suite. Upon arrival, guests will be invited to select from a menu of luxurious bath sponges, as well as designer soaps by Hermes, L’Occitane, Baudelaire and Salvatore Ferragamo.
The bedroom will feature floor-to-ceiling windows.
A Spa Concierge will assist guests booked in the Penthouse Spa Suites with reservations for their personalized treatment regimes throughout their stay on board. Guests will have daily access to the spa’s Serene Area, which features heated lounges, an aroma steam bath with salt inhalation, and a herbal bath. In the Serene Area aboard Seabourn Odyssey is a large hydro-pool, while Seabourn Quest and Seabourn Sojourn features a Kneipp Walk Pool, which provides holistic, water therapy treatment and healing remedies designed to enhance circulation.
The bathroom will have a tub and special spa shower.
The Spa at Seabourn offers a variety of unique, healthy spa experiences and luxurious pampering services and treatments, including Chinese reflexology, aromatherapy, and Thai massages. The fitness center features a range of high-tech exercise, cardio and strength equipment; a motion studio with the Kinesis System; and a variety of fitness classes, including yoga, Pilates and tai chi. Personal trainers are also available to develop customized workout routines for guests.
Guests sailing on Seabourn’s “Ultimate Antarctica & Patagonia” voyages aboard Seabourn Quest will be in excellent hands under the guidance and care of our very experienced expedition team. Take for example Jarda Versloot-West, one of the two assistant expedition leaders on these cruises. Jarda has traveled all over the world, including 40 visits to the White Continent, and she will ensure that our guests have the best Antarctic cruise experience.
For the past 10 years, Jarda has been working full-time on expedition ships. At 18, she bid farewell to her native Holland to explore Australia, where she discovered her passion for travel and her love for the ocean. After completing her bachelor’s degree in International Tourism Consultancy, Jarda began working on expedition cruise ships, which has taken her to the world’s most remote corners and all seven continents. She is a qualified PADI rescue diver, Zodiac driver and a remote first aid responder.
Jarda will be sailing on all four Antarctica & Patagonia cruises aboard Seabourn Quest. She will be part of a very skilled and knowledgeable expedition team, and they will plan and manage the cruise and coordinate special landings in Antarctica. Guests will visit one of the world’s most remote destinations and some of the best ports in Patagonia, including the Chilean fjords, Cape Horn, the Falkland Islands/Islas Malvinas and more. All the while, they will enjoy Seabourn’s highly rated ultra-luxury cruise experience. The hardworking staff aboard Seabourn Quest will take every care to ensure the complete comfort and well-being of our guests.
Each cruise will include the following exclusive amenities and activities designed to enhance every moment:
We hope to see you on board! To learn more about our “Ultimate Antarctica & Patagonia” voyages, please visit our website.
This week Seabourn’s headquarters received a special visit from Chris Srigley, who will be an assistant expedition leader on our “Ultimate Antarctica & Patagonia” voyages. A veteran of more than 60 Antarctic voyages, Srigley addressed Seabourn’s U.S. and international sales team in Seattle, where he shared tales of his experiences and illustrated facts and tips about Antarctic cruising. In addition, he met with various departments – from marine and hotel operations to marketing – to discuss and prepare for the line’s upcoming Antarctic cruises.
With a passion for the natural world that did not go unrecognized by a former employer, Srigley started his career in the expedition cruise industry onboard the famed M/S Explorer as shopkeeper and Zodiac driver. Quickly he found his way directly onto the expedition team as a naturalist as he displayed his knowledge of the natural world.
Seven years now passed, he has spent as many as nine months of each year splitting his time between Antarctica, Central and South America, Northern Europe, Svalbard, Iceland, Greenland and Canada as naturalist/Zodiac driver, assistant expedition leader and polar bear guard. To Antarctica alone, he has participated in over 62 trips for elite expedition operators.
His interest in natural history was cultivated through spending time on his family farm and at their remote cabin on the Eastern shores of Georgian Bay in Ontario, Canada, where he would vanish for days, sometimes weeks at a time, exploring the wilds around him.
Considering himself a “generalist,” Srigley has become well versed in all aspects of the regions in which he travels with many intriguing stories accumulated along the way. Once guests have traveled with him, his only hope is that he has been able to transfer his passion and knowledge of these stunning places they experienced on to them so that they may pass them along to others.
Srigley will be sailing on all four Antarctica & Patagonia cruises aboard Seabourn Quest. To learn more about these voyages and the rest of the expedition team, please visit our website.
Chris Srigley visits the Seabourn office in Seattle.
On the longest day of the year, Seabourn Legend and Seabourn Quest met in passing at the island of Lipari in Italy. Seabourn Quest’s Cruise Sales Specialist Sara Ferreira sent us these pictures of Seabourn Legend. She commented: “Today Seabourn Legend and Seabourn Quest meet each other in Lipari – Italy. Unfortunately they were too far apart to get a picture of both, but we were able to get the attached photos when the Legend passed right by the Quest. Was great to see crew and guests waving to each other as true family.”
Performances by local artists are an integral part of the entertainment program on Seabourn, with hundreds of local shows presented yearly across the fleet in destinations from Bali to Barcelona to Brisbane. On a sunny afternoon in the Black Sea resort of Yalta, guests on board Seabourn Quest enjoyed a stellar performance by the Black Sea Navy Ensemble. This group has been performing for the past 80 years in Ukraine and has toured extensively across Europe and the United States. Guests clapped along to the skilled singers, balalaika players and the energetic dance troupe, giving them a full standing ovation at the end of the performance. Authentic local entertainment of this caliber created a true Seabourn Moment, and many guests commented that this was one of the highlights from their Black Sea cruise.
All hands on deck: The Navy Ensemble dancers thrill Seabourn guests.
In harmony: Members of the Navy Ensemble chorus lift their voices.
It’s been one year since Seabourn Quest joined the Seabourn family, and to mark this special occasion, the staff put on a big birthday celebration when the ship was in Santorini on May 30. Hotel Manager Guenter Steinbrunner and Cruise Director Handré Potgieter sent along the following report and photos about that evening’s festivities:
One could not imagine an evening more perfect on board Seabourn Quest. The spectacular backdrop of Santorini plus a late departure and picture perfect weather formed the ideal setting to celebrate the ship’s first birthday.
As a memento of the ship’s first birthday, guests received a signed certificate by Captain Magnus Bengtsson. Hotel Manager Guenter Steinbrunner and the entire F&B team presented a culinary symphony with our signature pre-dinner “Seabourn Epicurean” event, along with live music and white-glove service. Captain Magnus paid tribute to the officers, staff and crew and toasted to this special evening. He complimented the ship for her true elegance in the way she sailed around the globe during her first year.
After dinner, all guests were invited to indulge in an assortment of desserts under the stars followed by a very special birthday edition of our popular ‘Rock the Boat’ dance party featuring the entire entertainment team. It was a spectacular event guests and crew will cherish and smile about in years to come.
Seabourn Quest Hotel Manager Vitor Alves tried to take a picture of the ship this morning when it was in Pylos, Greece, but the fog got in the way!
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.
