As writer André Gide said: “Man cannot discover new oceans unless he has the courage to lose sight of the shore.” While likely writing about travel in general, we are keen to take Gide’s words at face value and turn our attention to traveling the world by sea. And, more specifically discovering new favorite places by ship. 

Cruising—especially luxury cruising—is the ultimate travel experience. It brings together the open sea, ports and cities large and small. One can seek out life at its most urbane and well-heeled, or kick up one’s feet and embrace life outdoors and quieter moments under the sun. Exquisite dining, unparalleled adventures at sea and on land, and time spent doing all that is most important, make traveling the world by cruise ship, time incredibly well spent.

Seabourn Cruise Line pioneered ultra-luxury cruising with sophisticated guests on smaller ships and remains the epitome of this genteel means of travel. 

If you’re thinking large crowds and buffet service, think again. Seabourn’s ultra-luxury is best described as intangible. It is the combination of extreme personal attention—almost clairvoyant in anticipating a guest’s needs; exclusive access—both to unreachable places and like-minded people; and amplifying time—making you feel like everything is possible because the journey by ship is just as fulfilling and carefree as the destination. 

On the occasion of one of their guests dropping their wedding ring in the water at a port, Seabourn’s captain organized for divers to search for the ring. The captain returned the ring to the shocked yet overjoyed guest later that evening, creating a moment never to be forgotten. Seabourn’s collaboration with Chef Thomas Keller makes dining on their ships a 6-star experience, much like that of their mind and body spa-program designed with Dr. Andrew Weil. And, to see, up close, World Heritage sites through Seabourn’s official UNESCO partnership, or to partake in one of Seabourn’s Ventures expedition-style excursions which take you by kayak and Zodiac further into untouched corners of the world’s seven continents guided by experts, is to appreciate the legacy of history and nature in a way no one else can. 

It goes without saying that all of the above is enjoyed in the ultra-luxury of a ship appointed to standards you’d be hard pressed to experience elsewhere, on land or sea, tended to in a near one-to-one ratio of guests to hosts. And, once on-board, having arranged all of your plans, all luxury is included so you’ll not once be required to reach for your wallet.

We are excited to share more about the Seabourn Experience in future articles. But, for now, to lose sight of the shore, aboard a Seabourn cruise, is how we hope you will experience ultra-luxury for the first time, or the first time… again.