Seabourn Picks Name for Its Newest "Baby"

It's Thursday, January 7, 2010 and The Yachts of Seabourn announced the name of its newest mega-yacht: Seabourn Quest. As you'll recall, Seabourn ran a contest in which travelers could guess the name of the ship in the hopes of winning a 7-night Seabourn cruise aboard Quest during its maiden season.

2,100 people played the Guess-the-Name contest and 120 individuals guessed "Quest". Kevin Staub ended up winning the cruise from the pool of 120 correct answers. Congratulations, Kevin!

Seabourn Quest will set sail in 2011 and will join her sisters, Odyssey (sailing now) and Sojourn (debuting in London on June 6, 2010).

—Andrea M. Rotondo for LuxuryCruiseBible.com

Three Romantic Valentine's Day "Best Bet" Cruises

It's 3 degrees in Minneapolis, MN right now... 24 in New York City... 28 in Sante Fe, NM and 41 in Jacksonville, Florida. It's cold everywhere today!

Nasty weather has gripped just about all of the United States and if you don't have a cruise booked this winter, you may want to reconsider! There's actually still time to book a Valentine's Day cruise.

Below you'll find three of my Valentine's Day suggestions. The cruise lines aren't all in the luxury category, but the itineraries definitely rank high when it comes to the romance factor!

My Three Valentine's Day Picks

Antigua Roundtrip Aboard 112-Passenger SeaDream II from SeaDream Yacht Club
February 14, 2010
Antigua • Guadeloupe • Little Bay, Montserat • Gustavia, St. Barthelemy • Anguilla • St. Martin • Nevis, British West Indies • Antigua
VacationsToGo.com is advertising this cruise for $5,299 per person.

Barbados Roundtrip Aboard 312-Passenger Wind Surf from Windstar Cruises
February 14, 2010
Barbados • Bequia, Grenadines • Roseau, Dominica • St. Lucia • Mayreau, Grenadines • Grenada • Tobago • Barbados
VacationsToGo.com is advertising this cruise for $1,399 per person.

Note: The smaller Windstar Wind Spirit embarks St. Martin for a very enticing roundtrip on February 13. I just hate flying in to St. Martin, but if you don't mind a steep landing and takeoff, take a look at this itinerary too.


Phuket, Thailand Roundtrip Aboard Star Clippers' Star Clipper
February 13, 2010
All ports are in Thailand unless otherwise noted: Phuket • Surin Island • Similan Island • Hin Daeng • Ko Rok Nok • Langkawi, Malaysia • Ko Kraden • Phang Nga • Ko Khai Nok • Phuket
VacationsToGo.com is advertising this cruise for $1,375 per person.

Note: Star Clipper is not a luxury experience but the ports are fantastic!


As for us, we'll spend a quiet Valentine's Day at home as we each have deadlines hitting throughout February!

—Andrea M. Rotondo for LuxuryCruiseBible.com

Photo of Phuket, Thailand courtesy of iStockPhoto.com

My SeaDream Caribbean Cruise Wish List

I've talked with many travelers who've just raved about their cruises aboard SeaDream Yacht Club's two vessels: SeaDream I and SeaDream II. The all-inclusive experience is meant to offer everything you'd expect from a luxury cruise as well as many surprising perks that make SeaDream unique.

Here are the things I'm most looking forward to:

1. Sleeping on deck under the stars. That's right, those super comfy queen-size bed/loungers on Deck 6 may be reserved for those who wish to sleep under the stars. SeaDream will make up the bed for you (Balinese Dream Beds are Deck 6 aft and the Sun Beds are Deck 6 forward). This may not be for everyone, but we're looking forward to it!
   
   
2. Trying out a wave runner at the Marina. SeaDream II is one of the few luxury ships that offers an onboard marina (Seabourn Odyssey and m/s Paul Gauguin also have onboard marinas). From the SeaDream Marina you can borrow one of several PWCs (personal watercraft). If I'm brave enough, I'll try a wave runner while my husband will definitely want to snorkel and kayak. There's also water skiing, a banana boat, tubing, and Sunfish sailing.
   
   
3. Siting by the pool and let the crew cater to my every whim. Decadent? Absolutely! That's what cruises are for! The SeaDream crew anticipates the needs of the passengers and strikes the right balance of attentiveness without being obtrusive. From drinks and cool snacks to complimentary sunglass cleaning, the pool attendants know how to treat sun-worshippers!
   
   
4. Checking out the "surprise" embarkation gift. If you read a lot of cruise reviews, you already know the in-room gift SeaDream leaves for each guest upon embarkation. I'm not going to tell you what it is though! There aren't enough nice surprises in the world these days!
   
   
5. Enjoying a romantic al fresco dinner. SeaDream II has dozens of hidden alcoves that are perfect for sharing a quiet meal under the stars. Weather permitting, we hope to do this at least once during our Caribbean cruise.

If you've sailed aboard SeaDream II (or I), please share your favorite things about the yacht. What's not to be missed?

—Andrea M. Rotondo for LuxuryCruiseBible.com

Photo courtesy of SeaDream Yacht Club