Our History

Seabourn’s award-winning, all ocean-front suite ships combine nimble power and grace with beautifully designed spaces and amenities. They can access smaller ports where larger ships cannot go, yet provide some of the most generous ratios of space per guest in the industry. Each ship features a world-class spa, a variety of dining experiences, inviting lounges and bars, pools, and broad teak decks.

A Seabourn ship is like a luxurious resort, where the staff knows you and remembers your favorite drink. But this elegant resort magically transports you from one fascinating place to another, while you enjoy a memorable meal and evening entertainment. You awaken each day in a new destination, with the promise of another thrilling, authentic discovery.

In 1986, a small cadre of luxury hospitality and cruising executives including Norwegian industrialist Atle Brynstad and veteran cruise line executive Warren S. Titus re-invented luxury cruising. Their model was the casual, relaxed elegance previously available only to owners of the world’s most fabulous private yachts. They commissioned the 10,000 GRT Seabourn Pride, an intimate ship nimble enough to visit both great cities and the picturesque harbors preferred by international yachtsmen. When Seabourn Pride was launched in 1988, the ship’s 208 guests enjoyed:

• Spacious all-suite accommodations with expansive views of the sea
• A variety of public spaces scaled intimately to encourage relaxed socializing
• A novel fold-out platform at the stern became a watersports Marina, turning the ship into a private beach resort.

But as unprecedented as these ideas were, the ship itself was not the most innovative part of their plan.

Seabourn understood that guests came aboard not merely for transportation. Thus they were never considered passengers. Rather they were members of a select seagoing society, sharing travel together in a relaxed, club-like atmosphere. In that spirit of easy-going hospitality:

• Virtually everything required for guests’ enjoyment was included in the price of the fare
• Dining never incurred an extra charge in any onboard venue
• Beverages including fine wines and spirits were complimentary throughout the voyage
• A bar in each suite was stocked in advance with the guests’ beverage preferences

It is in the quality and style of service on board that Seabourn truly excelled.

• Onboard staff numbered nearly as many as guests on each ship
• They were recruited, trained and managed to focus on the delight of each guest
• Tipping was neither required, nor expected
• Regardless of suite category, all guests received the same skilled attention and sincere hospitality from the staff

Seabourn’s guest-oriented philosophy is based on a belief that choice is fundamental to the experience of luxury. Everything Seabourn does, from the design of its ships to its itineraries, shipboard activities, dining options and even the entertainment on board, is crafted to offer a variety of appealing choices wherever and whenever possible.

Taken together, these aspects of a cruise vacation on the newly launched Seabourn Pride were revolutionary enough in 1988 to cause one journalist to pronounce the line “…quite simply in a class by itself.”