The Long and the Short of It
The Yachts of Seabourn offer a trip for every traveler, from seven-day cruises for busy executives to world voyages for those who relish the good life
The world consists of many travelers, from busy executives hard-pressed to take a week off to retirees who have nothing but time to roam the globe. Many exclusive travel providers target discriminating clients but pigeonhole them into a specific location or type of vacation. The Yachts of Seabourn, by contrast, offer a range of travel options that appeal to both executives and retirees. They also deliver the journey of a lifetime.
The secret to Seabourn’s success has much to do with the yachts it designed for a discerning clientele and the service culture that makes each yacht an exclusive five-star hotel on the water. Seabourn Pride, Seabourn Spirit, and Seabourn Legend, the original yachts, carry 208 guests, and have a staff-to-guest ratio of about 1:1. This unusually high service quotient, combined with onboard gourmet restaurants and the world’s most intriguing destinations, propel these yachts to the pinnacle of luxury vessels.
The most recent launches, Seabourn Odyssey, Seabourn Sojourn, and, launching in 2011, Seabourn Quest, carry up to 450 guests, with more space per guest than any other cruise vessel. All of the accommodations are spacious suites with ocean views, and almost all have their own verandas. Beyond the gourmet restaurants and other exclusive facilities, the new yachts also have the largest spa facilities on any luxury ship—11,400 square feet on two decks.
“Our guest capacities are in a ‘social sweet spot’ that provides a very comfortable group onboard,” says Pamela C. Conover, president and CEO of Seabourn. “The group size is about the same as a moderate wedding party. But unlike a private charter yacht, you’ll always have the opportunity to meet people and make new friends. Our guests tell us that this is the second-most compelling reason they return to sail with us. The first is our unparalleled service.”
Guests Elice and Rhodes Haverty, from Atlanta, have enjoyed the Seabourn experience many times. “We’ve done 49 cruises, adding up to more than 600 days,” says Elice, who was preparing for a Seabourn cruise to Iceland in June. “Our last trip was 70 days onboard. We loved being onboard for that long, every day of it.”
The Havertys have made many solid friendships from their Seabourn trips. The friendships are so strong, in fact, that they often visit their new friends in their home countries. “You get to know so many interesting people on the trips,” she says. “Those are friendships that last a lifetime.”
Of course, the reason the Havertys keep coming back is because of the unrivaled lifestyle that Seabourn offers. “In nearly 50 trips, we had only one stewardess who was not up to their standards,” she says. “But when we saw her on another trip, she treated us like long-lost family, so she may have been having a bad day. The staff knows your name by the second day. They really try their best to please, and we found that makes the experience so much nicer than other vacations we have taken.”
The Havertys have sailed with Seabourn to every continent, with stops ranging from Venice to Vietnam. “We’re not the only ones who travel a lot,” says Elice. “We see many of the same people again and again. Some couples have more than 2,000 days on Seabourn trips. Many even prefer Seabourn to owning a second home.”
“We create schedules to allow flexibility,” notes Conover. “Most of our cruises are one-week itineraries, but many can be strung together for a longer experience that reaches many different ports of call.”
Seabourn’s Grand Voyage series fuses the finest destinations of several cruises, lasting 21 to 28 days. The Grand Voyage from Venice to Athens, for instance, is an extravaganza that explores the best of Italy, Croatia, and Greece, with 26 stops along the way. The 20-day Grand Voyage Japan to Hong Kong offers the best of Asia, stopping at ports in Japan, South Korea, China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong. The 20-day Rivieras and Monte Carlo Voyage highlights the best of the western Mediterranean, beginning in Barcelona, with stops in Marseille, St. Tropez, and Monaco, before journeying to Italy and Sardinia and returning to Monte Carlo.
For the full global experience, Seabourn’s World Cruises can extend for up 111 days, with the potential to visit 45 ports on five continents. “A World Cruise is an excellent option for snowbirds or others who just want to get away and see the world during the northern winter,” says Conover. “It has big advantages over maintaining a winter residence. You don’t have to worry about where you’re dining, there is a variety of entertainment, and the view changes every day.”
Certainly that variety appealed to the Havertys, who relished the sunshine, good company, and haute cuisine, while their neighbors in Atlanta experienced an unseasonably harsh winter. “We watched people pack their bags to leave the ship, and we just smiled, knowing we’d be onboard for weeks,” says Elice. “I can honestly say we never got bored. There’s always something to do on the yacht, and the destinations are interesting. I love the local food and crafts and exploring the ports.”
Seabourn also offers Enrichment Programs, in which luminaries from the arts, cooking, media, and literature make educational presentations or simply share their experiences. Noteworthy guests have included Walter Cronkite, Hugh Downs, Alex Trebek, and Michelle Phillips, while celebrity chefs Mary Sue Milliken and Paulette Mitchell shared their culinary secrets with guests.
Seabourn’s Personal Valet is another nice touch that makes the Seabourn experience so special. A guest’s luggage is picked up at their home and delivered to the onboard suite. No checking it on the airplane, no clearing customs, no baggage claim. It’s that type of white-glove service that Elice Haverty appreciates about Seabourn. “They really put themselves out for you,” she says. “They’re so generous and try like heck to accommodate whenever they can.”
Of course, frequent travel aboard a Seabourn yacht also has financial perks. “The longer you cruise, the greater the savings,” says Conover. “Of course, on world cruises, and even shorter segments, there are value-added features like included airfare, onboard credits, free luggage shipping, and exclusive shoreside events. The benefits add up.”
As Seabourn expands its fleet, the company is offering new incentives that make the experience even more financially attractive. “We are basically offering all our cruises through the fall of 2011 at up to 65-percent discounts,” says Conover. “The value for these cruises is superb. Our yachts are getting the highest ratings from guests I can recall, so the product is delivering beautifully. The quality of the experience is top-notch. When you put those two factors together, you have an experience that is unlike any other.”
For more information, contact a travel agent, call Seabourn at 1-800-929-9391 or visit www.seabourn.com .