Seabourn, the world’s finest ultra-luxury travel experience, is returning to Europe in 2020 with hand-crafted itineraries created with a blend of coveted favourite cities and less-visited boutique ports for guests to discover the natural beauty, bespoke cultures, wonders of art, architecture, history of the continent.

From touring Icelandic fjords and Norway’s North Cape to the Rivieras of the Mediterranean, the Greek Isles, and Istanbul’s Golden Horn, four of the line’s five vessels will spend at least part of 2020 exploring Europe with elegance and ease, including Seabourn Encore, Seabourn Quest, Seabourn Odyssey, and the line’s newest, Seabourn Ovation. Together, they’ll offer nearly 50 individual departures from 16 different embarkation gateways.

The season will include cruises of seven to 28 days around Europe, visiting more than 200 different destinations, including a return to Turkey. The ships will sail the Mediterranean from the Canary Islands and Morocco, through Iberia and Italy to the Adriatic, and Croatia, Greece and Turkey beyond; as well as Northern Europe, visiting shining cities, picturesque villages and stunning sights of Scandinavia and Russia, the scenic British Isles, and Greenland and Iceland.

“We have such an exciting year planned for our ultra-luxury vessels headed to the harbours and coasts of Europe,” said Richard Meadows, president of Seabourn. “With more than three decades operating in and around Europe, Seabourn is expert in European luxury travel, providing access to opportunities and explorations that guests can’t find anywhere else. Each of our four vessels bound for Europe in 2020 will offer desirable overnight stays, new and notable ports of call, and selected itineraries enhanced by popular programming, including ‘Seabourn Conversations’, ‘Shopping with the Chef’, and, on Seabourn Ovation and Seabourn Quest in Northern Europe, guide-led, optional and for-charge ‘Ventures by Seabourn’ expeditions in select ports to give guests more enjoyable choices.”

Seabourn strives to include in its itineraries the most-interesting ports of call to intrigue first-time and loyal guests alike. The 2020 season in Europe will offer more than a dozen new and notable destinations that the line either hasn’t previously visited or hasn’t been to in years, including Alta, Farsund, and Sortland (Vesterålen), Norway; Fethiye, Turkey; Sanary-Sur-Mer (Île Des Embiez) and Saint-Cyr-Sur-Mer, France; Kinsale and Inishmore, Aran Isles, Ireland; Oran, Algeria; Viareggio, Italy; Skíathos, Greece; Ystad, Sweden; and Skagafjördur and Stykkishólmur, Iceland.

There are many ways to size up Seabourn’s ambitions for the 2020 season in Europe, perhaps best done ship-by-ship:

• • Seabourn Ovation will return to Northern Europe offering 7-, 10- 14- and 15-day voyages including in the Baltic between Copenhagen and Stockholm, as well as along the North Cape and to St. Petersburg, Russia. Then the line’s newest vessel will head to the British Isles and swing around the continent from Dublin to Lisbon via Paris. In the fall, Seabourn Ovation will sail the Mediterranean from the Iberian Peninsula to Morocco, the French and Italian Rivieras, and finally Greece and the Turquoise Coast of Turkey.
  • Seabourn Encore will be bound for most popular regions of the Western Mediterranean with a selection of 7-, 8-, 10-, 11- and 12-day cruises highlighting the Iberian Peninsula, Malta, Morocco, Sicily, and the Italian & French Rivieras, before finishing the season in Monte Carlo, Monaco in September.
  • Seabourn Quest will head to Northern Europe with voyages of seven to 15 days exploring the spectacular scenery and wildlife of the British Isles, Norway, including the North Cape, and Iceland. Guests will be accompanied on board these voyages by an exceptional expedition team with numerous optional for-charge Ventures by Seabourn Zodiac, hiking and kayaking excursions available. The ship’s season will culminate with “Route of the Vikings,” offering 24 days from Southampton (London) to Montreal, Québec, with island and mainland ports in Ireland, Scotland, Iceland, and Canada along the way.
  • Seabourn Odyssey will cruise to popular ports throughout the Mediterranean, including the Aegean and Adriatic coasts. The ship’s 7-, 11, and 14-day voyages will explore the spectacular Greek Isles and the Turquoise of Turkey, picturesque destinations in Croatia, Slovenia, Montenegro and Malta, as well as Italy including Sicily, Naples (Pompeii), and Civitavecchia (Rome), to name a few.

With dozens of departures available, Seabourn guests have plenty to peruse. Here are some quick cruise highlights for the 2020 season ahead in Europe:

• 14-Day Greek Isles Odyssey (Seabourn Odyssey, August 29 – September 12) – Celebrate springtime off the coast of Greece with a round-trip cruise from Piraeus (Athens) to island destinations such as Nisos Mykonos and Crete before crossing the Ionian Sea to Sicily, Italy; and Malta. Back on the other side, explore Santorini, Rhodes, Nisos Symi and Nisos Paros.
• 14-Day Spanish & Moroccan Sunsets (Seabourn Ovation, May 9 – 22) – Sail from Barcelona, Spain to explore coastal destinations of the Mediterranean including Sète (Montpellier) and Le Lavandou, France; Cartagena (Murcia), Melilla, and Motril (Granada), Spain; Gibraltar, British Territory; and Casablanca and Tangier, Morocco.
• 7-Day Romance of the Rivieras (Seabourn Encore, July 18 – 24, August 22 – 29) – Live the beautiful lifestyle of the Rivieras on both sides of the Mediterranean, if only for a week, with cruising between Barcelona, Spain and Civitavechia (Rome) with Monte Carlo, Monaco; St. Tropez and Bastia, Corsica, France; and Portovenere (Cinque Terre), Italy in between.
• 14-Day Scenic Norway & Fjords (Seabourn Ovation, June 6 – 19) – Sail from Amsterdam, The Netherlands for two days in Hamburg, Germany including scenic cruising on the Elbe River, and then through the North Sea to the stunning coast of Norway with ports including Bergen, Ålesund, Geiranger, Olden, Flåm, and Stavanger.
• 15-Day British Isles & Iceland (Seabourn Quest; June 8 – 22) – Depart from Dover (London), England to explore ports throughout the British Isles including Skomer Island, Wales; Dublin and Greencastle (Londonderry), Ireland; Fort William, Invergordon (Inverness), Copinsay Island and Kirkwall, Orkney Islands, Scotland. Then it’s on to the Atlantic to Iceland with Seydisfjördur, Djúpvogur, Helmaey, Westman Islands and Grundarfjørdur before concluding the journey in Reykjavík.
• 24-Day Route of the Vikings (Seabourn Quest, August 7 – 31) – Pack your horned helmet for this extended journey tracing the Vikings from Southampton (London), England to Montréal, Québec, Canada. Sights and scenes include Cobh (Cork) and Dublin, Ireland; and Holy Loch and Tobermory, Isle of Mull, Scotland before heading across the North Atlantic to Iceland. After Reykjavík, Vigur, Isafjörour and more, cruise the Denmark Strait and Prince Christian Sound to points in Greenland, and then the Labrador Sea and the Atlantic to arrive in St. John’s, Newfoundland, with destinations including Saguenay, Québec City, Québec, and Trois-Rivières in Canada beyond.
• 7-Day The Baltic & St. Petersburg (Seabourn Ovation, June 20 – 27, August 1 – 8 & 17 – 22) – This popular 7-day option departs from Stockholm, Sweden bound for Tallinn, Estonia, followed by three days in beautiful St. Petersburg, Russia. Afterwards, enjoy Helsinki, Finland, and then cruise the Baltic Sea to finish in Copenhagen, Denmark.

Seabourn represents the pinnacle of ultra-luxury travel with intimate ships offering key elements that set the line apart: spacious, thoughtfully appointed suites, many with verandas and all oceanfront; superb dining in a choice of venues; complimentary premium spirits and fine wines available on board at all times; award-winning service and a relaxed, sociable atmosphere that makes guests feel at home on board. The ships travel the globe to many of the world’s most desirable destinations including marquee cities, UNESCO World Heritage Sites, and lesser-known ports and hideaways.

Regular guests of Seabourn will continue to find a number of innovative offerings and programs, including partnerships with a select group of companies and individuals whose dedication to superior quality, exceptional service and consistent customer satisfaction matches Seabourn.

Such programs include ‘An Evening with Tim Rice’, the new evening entertainment experience created exclusively for the line in association with Belinda King Creative Productions; ‘Shopping with the Chef’ excursions in select ports, with an expert Seabourn chef as guide to learn about regional markets and see how the freshest ingredients are selected; ‘Seabourn Conversations’ with special guest speaker including knowledgeable historians, naturalists, marine biologists, destination experts and more; Spa and Wellness with Dr. Andrew Weil, offering guests a holistic spa and wellness experience that integrates physical, social, environmental and spiritual well-being; and The Grill by Thomas Keller, reminiscent of the classic American restaurant from the 50’s and 60’s. Exclusive to Seabourn, The Grill is a unique culinary concept for Chef Keller, focusing on updated versions of iconic dishes. Guests will be treated to table-side preparations of Caesar salad and ice cream sundaes, as well as a range of other favourites like premium steaks, whole roasted chicken, and Lobster Thermidor, presented à la carte.

For more information or reservations, contact a travel professional, call 13 24 02 or visit www.seabourn.com.

SOURCE: Seabourn