Maiden Voyage Guests Named Godparents of Seabourn Odyssey

I really like the way Seabourn executives think. First they held a contest for guests to name their forthcoming vessel, due to start sailing in June 2009. (The winning entry dubbed the new ship the Seabourn Odyssey, by the way.) Now the cruise line has announced that all 450 guests sailing on the ship’s maiden voyage on June 24, 2009, will be named a "godparent." What a clever way to tip their hat to the very people who’ve helped make Seabourn what it is today. (In fact, just this month Seabourn was named third-best Small-Ship Cruise Line in Travel + Leisure magazine’s venerable World’s Best Awards ’08. The award has staying power since actual travelers vote, and not magazine editors sitting in their ivory towers…far away from the open seas.)

Upper management at Seabourn certainly appreciate the kudos from past guests and feel they owe maiden voyage travelers something special. “Everything we do at Seabourn is focused on our guests who, in a very real sense, are the reason this superb vessel is being built,” says Pamela C. Conover, president and CEO of The Yachts of Seabourn. “Those joining Odyssey’s maiden voyage will not only be treated like a celebrity, but will become a part of the vessel’s history, representing the many guests who have sailed with us in the past and those who will sail on her in the years to come.”

Maiden voyage guests will hold the title of godparent throughout the life of the Seabourn Odyssey and their names will be engraved on a plaque that will be proudly displayed onboard the yacht.

Departing from Venice, Italy on June 24, 2009, the 14-day maiden voyage will call upon ports along the Dalmation coast, the Greek islands, and Turkey.

The 32,000-ton, 450-passenger Odyssey is actually one of three new ships being built for Seabourn. Ninety-percent of the all-suite accommodations—measuring from 290 to over 1,600 square feet—will have private verandas. Guests will enjoy five restaurants, five lounges and bars, a pool and sunbathing area, and a very special 11,400-square-foot two-deck, indoor/outdoor spa facility. The next two ships from Seabourn will debut in 2010 and 2011, respectively.

In 2009, the Odyssey will sail the Mediterranean and Caribbean before heading off on Seabourn’s first World Cruise in January 2010.

For more information, contact your travel agent, call Seabourn at (800) 929-9391, or visit their website.

American Safari's New Safari Explorer

We returned from Alaska two weeks ago and we still can't believe we were lucky enough to spy such varied wildlife. The journey especially sparked our interest in whales and we've been doing a bit of research on whale songs. If you're visiting Alaska with American Safari Cruises, ask your expedition leader/naturalist to explain how whales communicate. It really is fascinating!

As I mentioned last week, while in Alaska we also got to visit the Safari Explorer: American Safari's newest 36-passenger yacht (manned by a crew of 16). She'll sail Alaska each summer and Hawaii in the winter. This 145-foot yacht was christened in May and began her season on May 30 in Juneau.

It's a lovely ship and quite different from the Safari Spirit. The biggest difference is the size. While the Safari Spirit can accommodate 12 passengers, the Explorer welcomes 36 guests per voyage. Since the ship is larger, the Safari Explorer also offers additional amenities such as suite accommodations complete with Jacuzzi tubs and balconies, complimentary massages from the onboard masseuse, and yoga classes.

Here are the stateroom categories aboard the Safari Explorer:

• Commodore Suites (2)—king or twin beds, separate sitting area, sliding glass door overlooking a small balcony, bath with Jacuzzi tub and shower
  
  
• Admiral Staterooms (4)—king or twin beds, windowed door or view window, bath with Jacuzzi tub and shower
  
  
• Captain Staterooms (2)—king or twin beds, view window, windowed door, bath with shower
  
  
• Mariner Staterooms (9)—queen or twin beds, view window, windowed door, bath with shower
  
  
• Single Stateroom (1)—single bed, view window, windowed door, bath with shower (pullman berth available)

*Note: Both Commodore Suites and two Admiral Staterooms are available as triple accommodations.










Outfitted with two skiffs (larger than the one used by the Safari Spirit), the Safari Explorer offers a larger dining room (with eight tables) and salon, as well as a bar and wine library. And, two naturalists sail with this ship to easily accommodate all guests.





All the guests we met aboard the Safari Explorer were having a ball and it was evident in the camaraderie they displayed amongst each other. So, while there are more guests on that ship compared with the Safari Spirit, the atmosphere still seems quite intimate.

The Safari Explorer's seven-night Alaska itinerary, Voyagers' Glacier Country, takes passengers roundtrip to and from Juneau, visiting Funter Bay, Glacier Bay National Park, Sitkoh Bay, Icy Strait, Frederick Sound, Admiralty Island, Saginaw Bay, Brothers Islands, Petersburg, Tongass National Forest, Gambier Bay, Ford's Terror, and Endicott Arm to view Dawes Glacier.

When cruising the Hawaiian Islands, the Safari Explorer visits Kailua-Kona and Hilo on the Big Island, Molokini, Lahaina on Maui, Lanai, and Molokai. This seven-day itinerary includes a helicopter tour of Volcanoes National Park on the Big Island, a sail-by of Kahoolawe, an excursion to Maui's Haleakala National Park, and a day-long mule ride down a mountain ravine on Molokai to visit Father Damien's 19th-century leper colony on the Kalaupapa Peninsula.

To learn more about American Safari Cruises, visit their website.

Photos courtesy of American Safari Cruises.

Double Keels Laid for Seabourn's Newest Vessels

Pamela Conover, CEO and president of Seabourn, has got to have the coolest job in the business these days. With three luxury vessels on order—the first, the Odyssey, making its maiden voyage next June—Pamela is always jet-setting around the world to check on the progress of her team.

Here she is on July 1 in San Giorgio di Nogaro, Italy, with Marco Bisagno, president of T.Mariotti S.p.A. The duo are holding coins that were ceremoniously welded onto the keel blocks for two yet-to-be-named vessels that will be launched in 2010 and 2011, respectively.

T.Mariotti is also the shipbuilder responsible for the Seabourn Odyssey, which is currently at the company's facility in Genoa where finishing work is being done before the ship sets sail in June 2009.

This is all exciting news for Seabourn fans since capacity will increase 217% over the next three years! Hopefully this means it will be easier to snag your favorite suite category the next time you book a Seabourn voyage.

For more information, talk with your travel agent, call Seabourn at (800) 929-9391, or visit their website.