The Yachts of Seabourn.

 

Worldwide has always been enthusiastic about the Seabourn product. They not only deliver an incredible experience built around exciting and unique itineraries, but the ships are also such a wonderful size for an exclusive charter experience.  Over the years Worldwide has placed a considerable number of charters as well as some high end groups on-board of Seabourn's ships and we are happy to say - we have NEVER had a disappointed client.

 

With three identical mega-yacht vessels, Seabourn Cruise Line has just 624 total berths spread between three small, 10,000-GRT ships.  However, what it lacks in size, though, the line makes up for in quality, service and an elegant onboard ambience.  With new exotic itineraries for 2005 and 2006, as well as new hardware and software upgrades Seabourn signals its intentions to keep its fleet in the forefront of the luxury small ship market.

 

The Seabourn hardware is very good, and they're investing appropriately. Seabourn plans to refurbish all the ships with new soft goods, changing all the carpeting in passageways, landings and stairways, using a nice blue and cream color, tying the look of the spaces in with the suite decor. Currently in progress is a rolling re-upholstery project in suites and public rooms; for example, the line just completed installing new coverings on furniture in the ships' Veranda Cafes and The Club. The Veranda Cafes also now have new Rosenthal China. The luxurious suites which ranging from 277 to 575 square feet, are receiving new bedspreads and Frette linens. The line has just changed all the mattresses as well, and will replace most marble tops in the bathroom sink areas with an elegant composite that is less prone to cracking and easier to maintain. In the suites, the electronic hardware is also under review for upgrading.
 

Rick Meadows, Seabourn's senior vice president of sales and marketing, said "For us, the experience of the product itself is that the physical product has to be excellent."  However, Meadows stresses that although the line has to be good at the hardware, "the whole difference about Seabourn and what makes it truly special is in how we approach the product and how we approach adding value to the guest experience." That's achieved through a highly inclusive product. Wine, cocktails, champagne, sodas and bottled water are included in the cruise fare. So are mini-massages on deck, use of water toys from the ship's onboard watersports marina, and in-suite aromatherapy baths that a cabin attendant will "draw" upon request. Nice small touches include waiters offering course-by-course dining in the guest's suite, or the line's complimentary selection of in-suite soaps by Hermes, Chanel, Bijan and Bronnley.

A big perk for guests is the fact that gratuities for onboard crew and port charges (excluding government taxes and fees) are included. Seabourn offers one complimentary "Exclusively Seabourn" shore experience on every single cruise. In Turkey, Meadows says the line offers "a truly awesome event," an evening concert in front of the library at Ephesus, the ancient facade ablaze with lights.

Over the years, it is the small touches that have really helped separate Seabourn from the other luxury cruise companies.  Seabourn's renown service is both gracious and professional and certainly not stuffy. From room service waiters to the purser's desk staff and the maintenance crew, the shipboard staff delivers service not with the words "yes" or "okay," but with the phrase "my pleasure" and they truly mean it.
 

"We have an innate service culture that just doesn't say 'no,'" emphasizes Meadows. "We want to exceed the guest's service expectation on a daily basis." That means that when one guest casually mentions to another that a particular hors d'ouevre is "excellent," the waiter who overhears moves quickly to ask the guest if she'd like another. But it's the truly out-of-the-ordinary service experiences that bring Seabourn's product to life. One elderly guest on a holiday cruise had trouble remembering how to tie his tie for a black tie dinner, so his daughter went out into the corridor and corralled a male waiter, who came to the guest's suite, happily assisted and left with a smile, although clearly the task was far from his job responsibilities. A few days later the hotel director obliged at performing the same task with a smile.


The line attracts loyal guests who love traditional cruising, these guests enjoy dressing up in elegant dresses and a tuxedo. Seabourn has for some years been reaching out to a younger audience in a successful effort to encourage baby boomers and generation X-ers, and they prefer casual elegance. To satisfy both, Seabourn continues to offer a fairly elegant and dressy standard within the dining room with several black tie evenings on each cruise, but at the same time, its Veranda Cafe, always a popular destination for breakfast and lunch, is now doubling as an evening casual dining experience, with eclectic themed dinners and indoor and outdoor dining. 

 

Research showed that "even our most loyal past passengers wanted a choice and wanted a change," says Meadows. So while Veranda Cafe diners must still wear a jacket on formal nights, they don't need a tie. On less formal nights in the main dining room, Veranda Cafe guests can dress even more casually, but the line discourages shorts or jeans. The casual venue is now fully booked almost every night, says Meadows. 

 

Seabourn also plans to make some major changes in entertainment this year. "The difficulty is how to enhance entertainment on a small-ship product because we just don't have the space, so we have to be very creative," notes Meadows. Seabourn has been testing the use of a hot chocolate bar on deck in cool weather destinations; guests sample several recipes and styles of hot chocolate in mugs while enjoying live music. Always a hit is Seabourn's Caviar in the Surf program, but the line is now adding more caviar tastings onboard such as during sail-away parties. Look for more new enrichment offerings this year as well.

On a sales front, the strategic split of the marketing for Cunard Line and Seabourn several years back has benefited both brands with better differentiation. Since he came onboard several years back Meadows has also developed several strategic branding alliances and upgraded the product marketing.

Seabourn has some enticing new itineraries planned. For 2005 they going back to Southeast Asia in the winter months with a very comprehensive program on Seabourn Spirit, things in Asia are looking better and better and Asian countries are certainly becoming very proactive in how they approach the issues that affect travel. In winter 2006, the Seabourn Spirit will sail to Australia and New Zealand, rather than within Asia, but the line plans to return that ship to Asia again in winter 2007. 

For summer 2005 and 2006, Seabourn will put all three of its ships in Europe during the summer. One will ply northern European and Baltic waters, the others will sail within the Mediterranean. New for 2005, and also not yet announced, is the fact that the Seabourn Legend will use Monte Carlo as its summer turnaround point, rather than Nice, France.