Seabourn Conversations

Sue Barker was born in Devon, England and from the age of 11 was coached by legendary tennis coach Arthur Roberts.

Sue won Junior Wimbledon age 17 and the French Open in 1976. She was a semi finalist at Wimbledon in 1977. Sue ranked British number one and ranked as high as world number three and was in the top ten for almost a decade.

Sue retired from tennis in 1984 and moved in to broadcasting, first with Channel 7 Australia, Sky Television and then exclusively for the BBC in 1993.

During her 30 year broadcasting career with the BBC, Sue covered a variety of high profile events including the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, and presented the Wimbledon Championships for the past 30 years. Sue retired from the BBC in 2022.

Seabourn Venture
April 5 to April 13, 2025
Barcelona - Civitavecchia (Rome)

Winston E. Scott is a retired U.S. Navy Captain and aviator. During his Navy career, Captain Scott served as a helicopter pilot with Helicopter Anti- Submarine Warfare Squadron Light Thirty- Three at NAS North Island, CA flying the SH-2F helicopter. He later served a tour of duty as a fighter pilot with Fighter Squadron Eighty Four at NAS Oceana, Virginia flying the F-14 Tomcat fighter/ interceptor. He subsequently served as a production test pilot and engineering director at the Naval Aviation Depot at NAS Jacksonville, FL. Additionally, Scott served as a research development test and evaluation (RDTE) pilot and Deputy Director of the Tactical Aircraft Systems Department at the Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division in Warminster, PA.

Seabourn Ovation
November 9 to November 23, 2024
Barcelona - Bridgetown

Louise Penny is the multi-award winning author of the Chief Inspector Gamache novels, set in her home province of Québec, Canada.  Her books, including STATE OF TERROR written with Hillary Rodham Clinton, have sold more than 18 million copies, topped international bestseller lists, including the New York Times, and been translated into 32 languages.  The recipient of both the Order of Canada and l’Ordre national du Québec, her country’s highest civilian honours, her Three Pines Foundation reaches out to those in crisis and offers financial and emotional support, with a special focus on literacy as well as dementia care.  Her husband, Michael, died of dementia in 2016.  She lives with her Golden Retrievers Muggins & Hunny in a village south of Montréal.

Seabourn Encore
March 9 to 16, 2025
Hong Kong - Kobe

Ambassador (ret.) Marisa Lino is an Adjunct Political Scientist at the RAND Corporation. In 2019, she retired from Northrop Grumman Corporation after 10 years as a Director in Government Relations.  From 2007-2008, Ambassador Lino served as the Assistant Secretary for International Affairs at the U.S. Dept. of Homeland Security.  Prior to that, she was the Director of the Johns Hopkins University’s School of Advanced International Studies' (SAIS) Bologna Center from 2003-2006

Seabourn Encore
September 29 to October 20, 2024
December 8 to December 22, 2024
June 15 to June 29, 2024
Athens - Athens

Pamela grew up in Taiwan but has spent her entire adult life in the UK. Pamela loves making magic with simple ingredients and bringing people together with delicious healthy food. She is always eager to share her knowledge and skills on making quick, easy, and delicious Eastern food, although her family regularly ‘eat their way around the world’ for their dinners. 

Pamela has done many cookery demonstrations in large festivals and taught in prestigious cookery schools in the UK. She also plays with bugs and bubbles a lot these days. Oh, the never-ending rotation of fermenting bottles and jars in her kitchen!!

Seabourn Encore
Dec 28, 2025 to February 1, 2026 - Singapore

Robert K. Wittman joined the FBI as a Special Agent in 1988. As a result of specialized training in art, antiques, jewelry and gem identification, he served as the FBI’s investigative expert involving cultural property crime. During his 20 year FBI career he recovered more than $300 million worth of stolen art and cultural property which resulted in numerous prosecutions and convictions. 

As a result of his unique experience Mr. Wittman coauthored the FBI Cultural Property Investigative Manual in 2001. In 2005, he created the FBI’s rapid deployment national Art Crime Team (ACT). Mr. Wittman has represented the United States throughout the world conducting investigations and instructing international police and museums in recovery and use of high value asset security techniques in more than 20 countries. Mr. Wittman recently concluded a series of regional security and protection of cultural heritage training lectures to government agencies representing countries in Asia, Central Asia and Serbia sponsored by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). 

Mr. Wittman is the recipient of numerous awards and commendations including the Order of Merit for Distinguished Service-Officer Level, presented by the President of Peru, the White Cross of Law Enforcement Merit with Distinction, by the government of Spain, Director's Award for Outstanding Contributions in Law Enforcement from the U.S. Department of Justice, Robert Burke Award for Cultural Property Protection from the Smithsonian Institution, and the S.A.F.E Beacon Award from Saving Antiquities for Everyone.

In 2010, Mr. Wittman penned his New York Times bestselling memoir “PRICELESS: How I Went Undercover to Rescue the World’s Stolen Treasures.” His second book, “THE DEVIL’S DIARY: Alfred Rosenberg and the Stolen Secrets of the Third Reich” is a worldwide best seller published in 29 languages in more than 30 countries. He was featured in the History Channel series “Lost History’ and recently filmed an investigation into the lost artifacts of General George Custer’s brigade at the battle of Little Big Horn in Montana. Mr. Wittman has served as an expert witness in multiple state and federal court cases. Mr. Wittman is now president of Robert Wittman Inc. the firm specializes in consulting in art matters which include expert witness testimony, investigation and collection management.

Seabourn Quest
October 6 to October 18, 2024
Montreal

Described by The Spectator magazine as having one of the finest palate’s in Britain Will Lyons is a wine writer, author and broadcaster. For nearly two decades he has published a weekly column on drinks, formerly in The Wall Street Journal and now The Sunday Times. His humorous, informed, down-to-earth writing has been recognized in both the Glenfiddich and Roederer wine writing Awards and in 2022 his podcast Wine Times was named Podcast of the Year at the British Media Awards. He began his career in London, where he developed a love for the classic wines of Europe working in St James’s for Justerini & Brooks and Berry Bros. & Rudd.

He co-authored “Selecting, Drinking, Collecting & Obsessing A Wall Street Journal Guide to Wine” with fellow Wall Street Journal wine writer Lettie Teague and contributed to “Reds, Whites & Varsity Blues ’60 years of the Oxford & Cambridge Blind Wine Tasting Competition.” Known for his discerning palate and accurate predictions Will is also an accomplished blind wine taster and has lectured on the art of wine appreciation at Oxford, Cambridge and Edinburgh Universities. He is a Visiting Fellow at the University of Oxford, a past president of the Edinburgh University Wine Society, a Commanderie de Bordeaux and a Freeman of the Vintners’ Company. Will is Vice President of The Sunday Times Wine Club and co-host of the award winning Wine Times podcast.

Seabourn Venture
March 29 to April 5, 2025
Barcelona

Seabourn Ovation
July 31 to August 10, 2025

Alessandra Borchi is a professional in international cultural heritage protection. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in International Relations and a Master’s Degree in Tourism Valorization of Cultural Heritage from Paris 1 - Panthéon Sorbonne University (France). She has been working for UNESCO (the agency of the United Nations in charge of Education, the Sciences and Culture) since 2005, both at Headquarters and at country level, in a variety of roles and responsibilities related to the backstopping of intergovernmental processes, the management of culture programmes and the coordination of emergency response operations. 

Seabourn Sojourn
Dec 27, 2024 to January 13, 2025.
Capetown

Seabourn Venture
April 20 Barcelona to May 4, 2025
Bordeaux

Seabourn Encore
June 8 to June 15, 2025
Istanbul

Seabourn Encore
August 17 to August 31, 2025
Athens

Seabourn Encore
December 21, 2025 to January 4, 2026
Singapore

After marshalling a 47-strong team to clean up Mount Everest, a teenage Paul turned his back on a promising career in refuse collection to become an accidental mountaineer. His exploits include leading an expedition to a massif described by the BBC as “one of the world’s last unexplored ranges”. 

When Paul returned to Everest to try to reach the summit, he became embroiled in its most infamous tragedy. Paul vowed to never return to the mountain. But eight years later, and on the eve of his wedding, he made a final attempt to touch the top of the world.

Away from climbing and Paul has worked with scientists on the frozen skin of the Arctic Ocean, encountered the Nicobarese people on their seldom-visited island, and rowed a boat on Willy Wonka’s chocolate river. He still picks up litter wherever he goes.

Sailing TBC

Zelda was born in Apartheid South Africa. In 1994 Zelda accepted a job in President Nelson Mandela’s office.  She was promoted to become one of the President’s private secretaries in office and upon his retirement he chose Zelda to start his post Presidential office, now called the Nelson Mandela Foundation. Until his death in 2013 Zelda served President Mandela in various capacities as Office Manager, Spokesperson, Aide-de-Camp, Private Secretary and his personal aide.  

Seabourn Sojourn
January 13, 2025 to January 22, 2025
Durban

Jim Kennedy retired from NASA as the Director, John F. Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in 2007 after 36 years of service.  As Director he was responsible for 15,000 men and women who processed, launched (and landed as appropriate) the Space Shuttle, International Space Station and Expendable Launch Vehicles.   His education includes a BS Mechanical Engineering from Auburn, University and MBA from Georgia Southern University.  Retirement has brought opportunities to tour with the Mannheim Steamroller Band, consult with the aerospace industry, and lecture on Space Exploration and Leadership around the world.   Jim is married to Bernadette and they have two children and four beautiful grandchildren. 

Seabourn Encore
March 16, 2025 to March 31, 2025
Honolulu