Affluent Page Features: Sea Breeze

Although most travelers have at one time or another aspired to cruise to exotic locations in luxury, it can be difficult to find a company that can truly fulfillthis promise and all that it means, from proper staffing to excellent appointments. For this reason, it is reassuring to know then that there is at least one company still offering worldwide cruises where luxury is not just a word but a way of life.

The Yachts of Seabourn was designed to provide ultra-luxury cruises to the world's premier destinations while creating a lifestyle for passengers that is both highly personal and utterly carefree. This company focus originates from President and Chief Executive Officer Pamela C. Conover and is personified by the staff. Conover explains that, in an effort to create the most highly personalized experience possible, the crew specializes in the art of the delightful surprise. This means that crew members will take the time to learn about the individual desires of Seabourn passengers in an effort to anticipate every need.

While Conover ensures the highest standard of luxury and staff preparedness on Seabourn's yachts, she is also determined that the destinations frequented on the company's tours be both among the most desirable in the world and the least known and hardest to reach. This aspect of Seabourn's program is designed by Director of Itinerary and Land Development Timothy Littley. Littley crafts diverse itineraries that blend marquee destinations, such as the Amalfi Coast, Italy, Alexandria, Egypt and Hong Kong, with ports in hitherto unknown and exotic locales. In Conover's opinion, the most exotic location that Seabourn frequents is Nuku Hiva, the largest of the Marquesas Islands in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. She notes that Nuku Hiva is difficult to reach by any means other than yacht, making it exotic, exclusive and a favorite destination of passengers.

While this combination of exotic and marquee locales sets Seabourn apart from other cruise lines, the company also seeks to maintain an even balance between days at sea and in port. This desire is motivated by Conover's personal preferences and experiences; as she explains, she loves to explore new ports of call when the opportunity is available. However, she recognizes that a new port may break into a passenger's sense of relaxation as the serenity of the cruise is replaced with the excitement generated by exploring an unknown place. Though Conover looks forward to new experiences in different ports, she also treasures those mornings when there's no pressure to go anywhere. As she says, referring to the relaxation one can have at sea, "I don't get a lot of that in my life." Since most of her passengers also don't get as much relaxation as they would like, a mixture of days on and off the water is as welcome to them as it is to the CEO herself.

An ocean cruise is the perfect method of combining the nearly mutually exclusive pastimes of travel and relaxation. Travel is often not very relaxing, but with a cruise on a fully appointed Seabourn ship, as Conover points out, "You cannot beat the convenience of traveling on a ship.  You unpack once, and then your perfect, small hotel moves with you so you never have to check in or out, make a plane or train, [or] re-train staff about how you like things." With The Yachts of Seabourn, you need only worry that you have chosen a long enough cruise to fulfill your needs. Luckily, Seabourn offers cruises that last as long as 111 days. The prices for such a cruise range from between $50,000 to $233,000. For those with less relaxed time constraints, cruises as short as 12 days may also be had depending upon availability. Regardless of the duration that one chooses, however, The Yachts of Seabourn is a premier provider of ultra-luxury worldwide cruises.

The Yachts of Seabourn, 800.929.9391, www.seabourn.com