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Why You Should Book the Seabourn Spirit or Seabourn Legend Before They Leave the Fleet (With Goldring Travel…Of Course!)

Food Wine Cruise, Seabourn, Seabourn Legend, Seabourn Sojourn, seabourn spirit

In just a few months the Seabourn Spirit and Seabourn Legend will be no more. While the hardware will, like their older sister, the Seabourn Pride, will pass to Windstar Cruises, the essence of Seabourn will leave them forever.

But before I get to that, I want to address an issue that some people have obsessed over to the point of, let’s just say, “concern”. When the Spirit and Legend leave the Seabourn fleet, the world will not come to an end, luxury cruising will continue to exist (and even get better) and many, if not most, of those guests who swore they would never sail on the larger Seabourn ships either love them even more than the smaller ships or are happily satisfied with the alternative.

Most of those few grumbling folks don’t even know that Seabourn started out with even smaller ships…which now sail as SeaDream Yacht Club’s SeaDream I and II…and that move allowed Seabourn to offer more: Like spacious suites, marble bathrooms, alternative dining, multiple lounges and more. The move from 100 to 208 didn’t destroy Seabourn’s luxury or elegance, it enhanced it and actually made Seabourn more popular and able to meet even more of the demands and desires of the increasing number of luxury cruise travelers.

A case in point is the recent Food & Wine Cruise on the Seabourn Sojourn. Now while it cannot compare to the Goldring Travel Food & Wine Cruises (with such exclusive events as a private tour and tasting at Chateau Margaux, a Tokaji wine tasting in Budapest including a $750 bottle of the finest Tokaji or a tasting of fresh branzino pulled right from the Adriatic Sea Slovenia or the onboard tastings such as 11 paired courses prepared ala minute), what it can do is provide some pretty outstanding experiences for the lucky 450 guests.

As one of my clients wrote to me:

Cruise was A-W-E-S-O-M-E. All new food menus. Wine was unbelievable.

So much to tell you. Seabourn, what took you so long!!! Themed cruise was determined an undisputed success within the first 24 hours. More planned for 2015.

Tony Egger, consulting chef, says hello to his good friend Eric!

OK, now back to the Seabourn Spirit and Legend! These are special ships because they were for many years the heart and soul of Seabourn. It was, alas, from these ships that many of Seabourn’s trademark events arose. (Did you know that Seabourn invented, and still has, Movies Under The Stars? Yep, it wasn’t Princess Cruises…and Seabourn’s is a bit more elegant!)

I love these smaller ships and they were the ships that got me off to a successful travel agency business. There is an intimacy that is fantastic. And the ship’s short-comings like a pool that is too small and tucked in a corner and the lack of true balconies are easily over-shadowed by the incredible service and cuisine (by the same staff that are on the larger Seabourn ships…so not to worry).

A client recently returned from the Seabourn Spirit and wrote:

I have been remiss in contacting you since we got home from our Spirit adventures-since I have had to return to doing our cooking, housekeeping and other “chores” that were done for us in our 21 days of “Heaven” on Spirit.

I will sum up our trip in three words: FABULOUS, FABULOUS and FABULOUS. We loved cruising the Adriatic, which was so clear and clean, and discovering Croatia and all it has to offer. We took two Seabourn tours-a visit to Magna Grecia Farms outside of Katakolon Greece and Truffle Hunting out of Rovinj-both were wonderful.

The Spirit Team was professional, gracious and classy-they do have great employees. Our weather was fantastic-only 1/2 day of rain in three weeks. Met lots of people from all over the world and had interesting conversations.

I can’t thank you enough for turning us on to Seabourn. We have been spoiled for life and look forward to future travels on the “bigger sisters”-all booked through Goldring Travel of course!

I could go on and on with wonderful details of our trip/cruise-the memories will not quickly fade. Thanks again for all you do-and you do it so well!

I encourage you to get away from the cold of winter and head down to the Caribbean for a week or two on one of the two smaller Seabourn ships before they leave the fleet. With prices starting at $2,199 + tax per person (and, if you have never sailed on Seabourn Goldring Travel will give you at least a $400 per suite discount right off the top!), you have everything to gain and – as my client’s say – nothing to lose!

Give me a call at (877) 2GO-LUXURY or email me eric@goldringtravel.com ,