Company sells no-crowd cruises

Zoomer | January 1st, 2006

Think you know all about Caribbean cruising? Think again. Seabourn Cruise Line says it’s going to ‘re-invent’ the Caribbean cruise industry, with small ships (50 to 100 couples) offering a different experience — for those with both the inclination and the money, of course.


This upscale line has created brand new cruises of four to 14 days that combine natural and unspoiled islands such as Jost Van Dyke and Dominica, with celebrity favourites such as Mustique and Nevis. The new cruises are also available on two distinct types of vessels:


  • The 208-guest luxury mega-yacht Seabourn Legend
  • The 116-guest casual luxury yachts, Seabourn Goddess I and II.


“Our ships don’t look like other ships,” says Seabourn’s Larry Pimentel. “They can go places larger ships can’t, and they do things larger ships can’t. So there’s really no reason for us to follow the crowd in the Caribbean.”


BBQ ashore
Seabourn’s ships will search out pristine stretches of sand for a ship-catered barbecue ashore, complete with crystal, china and linen service and the line’s signature ‘Champagne and Caviar in the Surf’ beach extravaganza. At another cluded cove, the ships lower their unique water sports marinas housed in the stern, to create a private dock for swimming, snorkeling, sailing, water-skiing and jet skiing.


And don’t worry about having to spend your time ashore traipsing through countless duty-free stores on these cruises. Seabourn’s ‘shore excursion experts’ have already scouted out activities that sound a little better than the average shore leave, including:


  • Private catamaran sailing to the Tobago Cays
  • An excursion to the privately-owned enclave of Mustique, renowned retreat of rock stars and royalty
  • A photo safari on St. Croix, with a local guide who knows the island’s most photogenic secrets
  • Horseback riding along the beaches, charming villages and shoreside trails of Nevis. And so on.


Seabourn cruises also promise ‘privileged proximity’ to celebrities and personalities, who are either speakers in the company’s enrichment lecture program, or simply fellow-guests. You can even go shopping with the chef as he makes the rounds of local island markets.


For those who can afford it, a Seabourn cruise sounds like very good value (fares start at $2,853 U.S. per person for a seven-day cruise). The rest of us can dream or keep on buying those Loto 6/49 tickets.