Q: How is a world cruise like falling in love?

A: Because there’s only ever one first time, and it’s something you’ll remember as long as you live.

And Seabourn Odyssey’s first world cruise in January 2010 will also be the first one ever for The Yachts of Seabourn, so that makes it even more special.

Guests aboard the Seabourn Odyssey will be privy to plenty of exciting experiences when the Inaugural World Cruise sets sail. The 108-day journey will span four months and 42 ports.  As if a cruise around the world wasn’t enough, a series of splashy shoreside events aptly named Shoreside Spectaculars will make the tour even more fun.

Let’s get the details of the Shoreside Spectaculars straight: There are five complimentary events for guests who book the entire world cruise. An additional seven ports feature complimentary shoreside experiences for all guests on board, regardless of the length of their voyages.

On the night before departure, guests who booked the full World Odyssey are invited to a luxury resort in Ft. Lauderdale for a gala Bon Voyage Ball. After sailing off on the 450-passenger Seabourn Odyssey, World Cruise guests will partake in five festive Shoreside Spectaculars. The first event is a January whale-watching expedition from Cabo San Lucas where a nature guide will escort passengers through a colony of sea lions. Two February events include a Polynesian candlelight feast in Papeete Tahiti and a sunset dinner cruise around Sydney Harbor complete with a performance at the famed Sydney Opera House. A Chinese extravaganza in Hong Kong will comprise the fourth event, and the Shoreside Spectaculars will conclude with a climactic visit to a Thai cultural village at the end of March.  Village attractions will include painted elephants as well as traditional Thai dance and boxing exhibitions. Full World Cruise passengers will also receive the bundle of valuable extras below:

•    First class round trip air or a $4,000 air credit (per person)
•    Private car transfer , including door-to-door from your home
•    Shipboard credit of $1,000 (per person)
•    Personal Valet luggage service
•    Gala Farewell event
•    Other special gifts

Seven additional amazing events will be complimentary for everyone on board. Seabourn describes these events as “an afternoon tour of Cultural Cartagena in Colombia’s Caribbean port city, A UNESCO World Heritage Site; a re-creation of the classic “Aloha Boat Days” at Honolulu’s Royal Hawaiian Hotel; a Maori cultural discovery experience at Lyttelton (Christchurch), New Zealand; an introduction to the arts and cultures of Borneo’s 32 diverse ethnic groups at Kota Kinabalu; a visit to the spectacular Sanctuary of Truth at Pattaya, Thailand from Bangkok; a spellbinding evening at an oasis near Dubai; and a sortie from Sharm el Sheikh into a sheltered valley in the mountainous Sinai desert for tea, traditional folkloric music and dance at a Bedouin encampment.”

If you would rather not take the entire World Cruise, there are a bunch of World Voyage Cruise choices from 16 to 69 days, several of which also offer value-added benefits. Seabourn makes it fun and painless to plan a vacation that is just the right length, time and location for you. Visit the Plan Your Journey tab above and see the selections for yourself.

After all, how else could you possibly become “well-traveled” …and only unpack once?

Tags: Odyssey World Cruise, Seabourn Odyssey, Seabourn Odyssey Journeys, Seabourn Odyssey News, Seabourn Shoreside Spectaculars

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