Last night the Seabourn formally introduced Seabourn Encore at a festive evening ceremony pier side in Singapore. International recording artist and world’s best-selling soprano Sarah Brightman presided over the naming ceremony as godmother of the new 600-guest ship, the first of two new all-suite vessels for the company.
I attended the events and toured the ship. Later this week, I’ll post photos from my ship tour. To give a brief initial impression: Elegant, open, light, curvaceous, sexy, yacht-like, fun, and destined for memory-imprinting adventures and exalted moments on a ship sure to be celebrated – starting last night, in fact, with its christening.
I was among more than 1,000 guests (some of those from Seabourn Sojourn, which was docked in Singapore) and VIPs.
We joined Seabourn staff to celebrate the vibrant, entertainment-filled launch festivities as a projection screen showed the climactic moment when Brightman sent a bottle of champagne smashing against the bow of the ship, a time-honored ship christening tradition. A host of local musicians and cultural acts, including lion dancers and stilt walkers, energized the event to send the ship and its guests off in style.
“The launch of Seabourn Encore marks the start of a new era of ultra-luxury cruising,” said Richard Meadows, President of Seabourn. “Seabourn Encore marks a major step forward in terms of growth for our company. This ship is stunningly beautiful and I know guests are going to be absolutely captivated as they step aboard and see it firsthand.”
Following the naming ceremony, Seabourn Encore departed on its Inaugural Voyage, the 10-day Gems of the Java Sea cruise, bound for Indonesia. The ship will then move on to a 16-day Great Barrier Reef & Gold Coast and back-to-back 16-day Australia & New Zealand voyages. The ship will then reverse the earlier 10-day Gems of the Java Sea cruise to Singapore, proceed on 16-day Jewels of India & Arabia cruise to Dubai, and finish her first season with a 19-day Arabian Gems & Holy Land voyage before ending her winter season at Athens on May 5.
Seabourn Encore will spend summer 2017 along the Mediterranean, offering rich and diverse itineraries including a 7-day Greek & Italian Jewels cruise departing from Piraeus (Athens), Greece on May 6, followed by a 7-day Riviera Allure voyage departing Civitavecchia (Rome), Italy on May 13. She will go on to offer a series of 7-, 10-, and 14-day cruises throughout the region, including a dynamic Mediterranean Moments itinerary that departs Barcelona (Spain) on June 3 and makes stops along the charming cities and coastal villages of France, Monaco, Italy and Greece. In August, the ship will finish summer with a 10- or 20-Day UNESCO Gems of the Western Mediterranean cruise, arriving in Barcelona, Spain, on September 13 for the start of its autumn season.
Seabourn Encore is the fourth ultra-luxury vessel to join the Seabourn fleet and the first of two ships to be designed by hospitality design icon Adam D. Tihany. The second, Seabourn Ovation, is currently under construction and is scheduled to launch in spring 2018.
Intended by Tihany “to feel more like a luxury yacht,” Seabourn Encore features modern design elements and innovations in keeping with Seabourn’s reputation for understated elegance, as well as one additional deck and newly expanded public areas. New features include The Retreat, a secluded for-charge sanctuary for guests to stretch out and relax in private cabanas, and Sushi, a one-of-a-kind dining destination found on no other ship in the Seabourn fleet.
With the inaugural voyage, Seabourn Encore is also marking the formal debut of several new onboard partner programs. Spa and Wellness with Dr. Andrew Weil is being introduced in partnership with The Onboard Spa by Steiner, offering guests a holistic spa and wellness experience that integrates physical, social, environmental, and spiritual well-being. A new production show, ‘An Evening with Tim Rice’, created exclusively for Seabourn in association with Belinda King Creative Productions, will also have its debut on board in the ship’s Grand Salon. Seabourn Encore will also feature The Grill by Thomas Keller, a restaurant inspired by the classic American chophouse that first opened on Seabourn Quest last year. All three partner programs will be rolled out across the entire Seabourn fleet by 2018.
For more details about the award-winning Seabourn fleet, or to explore the worldwide selection of Seabourn cruising options, visit www.seabourn.com.
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An avid traveler and an award-winning journalist, Ralph Grizzle produces articles, video and photos that are inspiring and informative, personal and passionate. A journalism graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Ralph has specialized in travel writing for more than two decades. To read more cruise and port reviews by Ralph Grizzle, visit his website at www.avidcruiser.com.
