The luxury cruise Yacht Seabourn Sojourn

In its first new route went liner luxury Sojourn Luxury Passenger Yacht, which replenished the fleet of the company Yachts of Seabourn, a member of the holding company Carnival Corporation. Route 14-day journey aboard the Seabourn Sojourn includes stops in Scotland, Denmark, Iceland, Norway and the Netherlands. Cruise will end on June 20 in Dover.
The ceremony of christening the ship took on board the ship during a cruise on the River Thames. Godmother of the new super-liner was the famous British supermodel the 60's, the actress and singer Twiggy (Twiggy). According to her, elegant interior and smooth contours make the ship one of the most elegant in the sea.





The luxury cruise Yacht Seabourn Sojourn.

Seabourn Sojourn Inaugural and Maiden Voyage - Part VII

Two nights ago started out with a wonderful experience and ended with a disappointing one on the Seabourn Sojourn.

First, the disappointment. The entertainment was, to be honest, bad. The Seabourn singers were amateurish and awkward. I don’t tend to do the shows and this only reinforced my disdain for them. Enough of that.  (Postscript June 12, 2010 - The second show was much improved.  While still not my personal cup of tea, what was both amazing and encouraging were the number of US and UK guests who made a conscious effort - with enthusiasm - to say how improved the second show was.  Possibly a case of opening night jitters??)

Now the wonderful experience: Dinner at the Seabourn Sojourn’s Restaurant 2 was great. For those of you who are not familiar with this unique alternative restaurant (which is provided at no extra cost – Silversea, are you listening?), the concept is to provide a number of small and contrasting “meals” each of which is quite complex. There are no choices and there is no salt or pepper provided. You also dine in the order the food is presented. You might consider this restrictive, but the reality is that it frees you from any thought. You just go with it. The restaurant is modern in black with white and touches of red and each plate is unique and designed to assist with the presentation of each course. In other words, it puts you off balance…in a good way.

Think of a luxury experience…not one of slapping half-cooked meat on a stone (ala Silversea’s Hot Rocks) or oversized portions of commonly cooked steaks or crab (ala Regent Seven Seas Prime 7). Yes, there is a place for everything, but calling something luxury or classy doesn’t make it so. This experience IS luxury and classy!

Our meal started with Crispy Foie Gras with a Port Wine Splash.

This was followed by a plate of three dishes: Lobster Roll with a yogurt and caviar sauce; Bacalito (codfish) Fritter with avocado and tomato sauce; and, Seared Panela Salmon with a white bean salsa and piquillo coulis. At this point the score was 4 great dishes.

Next up was an Oxtail and Manchengo cheese potsticker with a wonderful beef consume; an Asparagus Vanilla Cappuccino (a favorite of mine) and a Mushroom Toast (not my favorite). Now I am thinking what is with Restaurant 2…it seems more like Restaurant 3? And after seven small plates one begins to understand that small amounts of incredibly well prepared food are very satisfying…and enjoyable.

The main course, if you will, was Turbot marinated in sake with Swiss chard and a hazelnut vinaigrette and Braised Veal with mascarpone mash potatoes. Oh, Restaurant 2 now makes sense.

Only three rounds of desserts to go! Limon cello Tiramisu Foam with marinated oranges; then a trio of Dark Chocolate Panache (with a wonderful cookie base), Espresso Citrus Pane Cotta and a condensed milk ice cream. Last but not least: a Kahlua Frappe “shot”.

There was not a portion that was over 2 inches in size or much over an ounce of liquid. Elegant, complex flavors, beautiful presentation and incredibly satisfying.

Yesterday we were in Invergordon, Scotland. We went off on our own. My wife being from Scotland decided that now would be a great time for me to purchase a kilt. That (no photos to follow!) was followed by a short visit to The Dalmore distillery and a “wee dram” of a very nice whisky. After a visit to the local grocery store to stock up on British candies, we walked to the nearby down of Alness where we sought out a haggis supper – haggis deep fried with French fries.

And this is where travel is wonderful. As we are waiting for our “gourmet” lunch at the local chippy (Food Feast) I notice a number of Turkish items on the menu. So I ask if they are from Turkey and the next thing I know my wife (who lived in Turkey) is have a conversation in Turkish about Istanbul! Who would have thunk?! The funniest thing was that when one of the Turks spoke in English he had a pretty good Scottish accent!

And now for another Seabourn moment: The chef called me and said he ran out to buy haggis for me and my wife, so tomorrow for lunch: Haggis, Neeps and Tatties! (He refuses to eat it, but obviously will cook it.) Why lunch? Because friends of ours have ordered a special lamb curry dinner tomorrow evening that we will be joining them for.

Not only is this so totally Seabourn, it is pretty amazing that on a Maiden Voyage things are going so smoothly that special requests are not only not a problem, the chef is going out of his way to create them!

Life is good aboard the yacht known as the Seabourn Sojourn...other than the cold I picked up.

Seabourn Sojourn Inaugural and Maiden Voyage - Part VI

Today is a sea day; thankfully so! Last evening was the Maiden Voyage celebration.

After an early dinner, we had to be on deck by 8:45 p.m. for the sailaway. Seabourn surprised the guests with the British Royal Marine Band followed by a fireworks display. Considering the large British contingent onboard and Pamela Conover’s British heritage, it was quite touching.

The evening progressed into a bit too much champagne with friends and then the sharing of some reserve whisky that Seabourn arranged as a surprise for another guest until far too late into the night.

But I now digress. It was extremely interesting to be onboard with no other guests. I walked the ship observing the Seabourn crew confidently, but excitedly, getting ready for the Seabourn Sojourn’s first real guests. There were some butterflies obvious, but things proceeded with a very “We know our jobs. We can do this with Seabourn style.” Because there are so many crew from the other ships, and the lessons learned on the Seabourn Odyssey having been integrated, things proceeded almost flawlessly. (I wasn’t given Glenfiddich, but vodka. I mean really!Hahaha.)

Probably the most telling of how well things are going was the Q&A session this morning with Pam Conover. There was not a single complaint…other than wanting Seabourn to some itineraries they don’t do or the discontinuation of others that are loved. Quite a testament indeed. Honestly, I think Pam Conover was presently shocked that not a single negative was uttered.

This afternoon I was treated to a private wine, cured meat and cheese tasting in the Seabourn Sojourn’s main galley. Executive Chef Bjoern Wassmuth and Sommelier Tilmar Pfefferkorn put on quite a show. I am not sure I have them all or are noted correctly, but here goes:

Wines – Barolo DOCG, Cancello del Barone Barolo (2000); Brunello di Montalcino DOCG, Antinori; and Graham’s Late Vintage Port.

Meats – Parma ham; salamini mignon (3 types), salami feline, spinata calabra

Cheeses – Taleggio; pecorino paglia fieno, local cow’s milk cheese, an unlabeled cheese wrapped in vine leaves, a wonderful local sheep’s milk cheese; pulgia(?)

It was quite a fun and enjoyable experience among friends.

Tonight is the first formal night. As I have enjoyed the menu on a previous night (the Inaugural), I am dining in Restaurant 2 . I will let you know how it goes.

Seabourn Sojourn Inaugural and Maiden Voyage - Part V

After two days onboard the Seabourn Sojourn I am so very pleased to report (and enjoy) that all seems to be running extremely well.  Everyone from President Pamela Conover to Executive Chef Tony Eggar to the stewardesses and waiters have smiles and confidence in anticipation of the guests who will be arriving in just a few hours for the Maiden Voyage.  It is, honestly, everything Seabourn is about. It is a treat to see it from the "inside" as I get to observe things as both a partner and a guest...but before the guests arrive.

Last night was a charity gala for the 10th Anniversary of Breast Cancer Haven.  I had the true privilege of dining with Howard Frank, the CFO of Carnival Corp. and his wife, Mary.  What wonderful and friendly people.  I anticipated a rather strained and formal evening, but it was anything but that.  We spoke of everything from the start of Carnival and his fondness and respect for Ted Arison to grandchildren to Venetian art history.  The evening was both inspirational and a joy.  It flew by.

After an evening cocktail (or two) at the Sky Bar I retired to my suite.  After my wife fell asleep I just sat on my balcony watching the Thames drinking a nice whisky and smoking a Cohiba one of my dear friends gave me as a bon voyage gift yesterday.  Life is good aboard the yacht!

Starting later today the ship will be up and fully functioning, with all the venues open and cruising guests aboard.  I can't wait.  It does seem a little like Christmas morning...just waiting for everyone to wake up so you can watch them unwrap the presents and see their faces.

The Quest of the Seabourn Sojourn - The Inaugural & Maiden Voyage Travelogue - Part IV - The Naming and Inauguration

I am aboard the Seabourn Sojourn and I am happy to report the ship is, well…Ship Shape!

The staff is smiling and on their game with friendly and familiar faces greeting us at the gangway after our short tender ride from the Four Seasons Canary Wharf – the staging area for the very quick boarding process.

The champagne is flowing, the stewardess arrived promptly with more champagne, canapés and a choice of Hermes, L’Occitane or Essence soaps. Our suite (No. 622) is perfectly completed…as is the rest of the ship.

No crew rushing around. No apologies. No making things work. No, the issues with the delivery of the Odyssey are pretty much non-existent. Even the little things, like the deck on my balcony is clean and the trim freshly painted. All the furniture is not only in place, it is all perfectly staged with towels, cushions, awnings, etc.

My stewardess was literally bragging that within four days of arriving in Genoa from the Seabourn Pride the crew area was complete and she was able to move onboard. That allowed her, and the rest of the staff, to get into their routines early and consistently. So they confidently present a polished product right from the start.

I guess I must ask myself, “Why am I even mentioning the problems with the delivery of the Seabourn Odyssey?” And I guess the answer is because the delivery of the Seabourn Sojourn shows, once again, why I am such a believer in Seabourn. Seabourn may not be perfect, but the people of Seabourn will do everything they can to make it so.

I have notice a few changes/improvements; most of which are quite subtle (such as the elimination of the large silver “walls” at the rear of the Grand Salon – what a difference!), but the Spa has really been improved in a few significant ways. I will discuss these in a later post – with specifics – but the focus has been on delivering a consistent product at the highest levels of quality.

I was going to delay in describing the Inaugural Events because I don't want to ruin anything for those attending the charity event tonight or the Maiden Voyage events, but I have been told that other in the UK have published some of the details.  Soooo, with the preface that it is pretty hard to get Iamboatman to tear up, there were quite a few watery eyes last night.  It started with a wonderful cocktail party on deck in 75 degree weather which included beautiful flower arrangements everywhere...including the center of the pool....a huge martini ice bar (complete with Seabourn insignia) and wonderful passed tastes. 

Twiggy was announced and made her grand entrance, followed by her brief and very classy speech including the requisite, "This is My Yacht" and a bottle of champagne ran on a line running from the forward mast to a plague christening the Seabourn Sojourn.

After a wonderful dinner - flawless service and with great cuisine (my halibut was perfect, but Bjoern is the chef!), it was back to the pool deck for the big event.  A quartet of beautiful women played some incredible upbeat classical music that was mesmerizing.  Then, with the strings in full crescendo...Fireworks.  And the fireworks were seemingly times to the music.  It was, without question, very emotional.

It was, without question, very Seabourn.  A new, more energized and youthful Seabourn.

As I dine, drink and am entertained I will write more. But for now, if you are booked on the Sojourn you can rest easy (and with positive excitement). If you have been waiting to book because you were concerned about the shape of the ship on delivery…wait no more.  I feel like I am on one of my flawless Seabourn cruises and that the Quest has been very, very successful.

Leisure yachts. Yacht Charters

Today in the world, there are several varieties of the charter, depending on the degree of comfort and the type of services provided. This, in turn, helps clients choose the best option.

The first type of charter - the so-called "bare-boat", ie yacht without crew. This yacht offers tourists without a professional team, ie tourists themselves should manage it. Naturally, before the adoption of a tourist boat owner must prove that he can handle such a vessel. Despite the lack of a professional team, the yacht is fully equipped with everything necessary for such a voyage. They must be available means of communication (radio), rescue equipment, means of alarm (emergency buoy, flares). With regard to supplies of goods and liquids, the yacht is issued to the client is fully fueled and water. After the boat trip should be returned to the owner, too, fully fueled and water. Yachts are also usually equipped with detailed descriptions of the suggested routes and maps navigation. In the descriptions of the routes, except for places may be even pointed out where the good fishin 'and some hotels and stores on their way most advantageous. Suggested routes usually start and end at the same port, but by agreement with the charter company you can leave the boat at any convenient for you to port.

There are two varieties of this type of charter. In one of them gets a tourist boat on the form of "bare-boat", but with skipper-guide on board. A modification of this type of charter is the so-called "charter of the fleet." This is a sailing trip with a group of yachts, you can make yourself or join the fleet, organized charter company. The flagship of the fleet managed by an experienced skipper, ready to help, but you remain responsible for the yacht and crew. Fleets are organized by charter companies, primarily for those who just received a license and still not feel sufficiently confident in a separate trip. In addition, the flotilla adds communication, fun, introduces an element of racing excitement. Often this form of charter is used for corporate rest. Also, very often charter companies conduct rally race. It's as simple sporting regatta, which may be open to all, regardless of the level of training.

The next widely practiced form charter - the so-called "crewed charter". This implies that the yacht must be equipped with. Tourist on a boat is a "guest" and if he does not want, he does not necessarily participate in the management of the yacht. The team usually consists of a captain, the number of men depends on the size of boats and the number of passengers, often in the team include the Coca-steward. Maintenance of this type of charter greatly increases its value, but it saves tourists from liability for the vessel and allows them to more fully enjoy swimming.

Seabourn Sojourn - She Is Ready For Her Close-Up!

I have heard from the Seabourn Sojourn and have been advised she is beautiful and "completely ready"!

For any of you considering a Northern European cruise this summer, but were afraid to consider the Sojourn after the problems associated with the delivery of the Seabourn Odyssey, you may want to consider booking now.

I have some incredible fares available with my Private Sale that are very limited and extraordinary values.  Don't complain when you wait and there is no availability. But if you are still not sure, think about it for a couple of days and I will let you know from my personal observations as I board her on June 4th for nine days.

You know me:  I am always available!