Seabourn Quest glides into her new home in Ft. Lauderdale

Welcome the Seabourn Quest to Ft. Lauderdale.

At dawn today, the new Seabourn Quest quietly slipped into her new homeport at Ft. Lauderdale. Departing from Europe nine days ago, the Seabourn Quest spent the last five months cruising the ports of the Eastern Mediterranean. Last June in Barcelona, Blythe Danner as the godmother to the Seabourn Quest, christened the new ship.

Fanfare and ship tours are on the agenda for the new Seabourn Quest.

There’s a bit of protocol involved when you’re the new ship on the block. For the next two nights, the Seabourn Quest will be a gracious host when she welcomes aboard local travel agents, their guests and media. All will be treated to a special dinner and a show on both evenings.

Once those two nights are history, the ship will complete a series of thirteen and fourteen night Caribbean itineraries from Ft. Lauderdale. After that, the Seabourn Quest and her 450 passengers will embark on a unique 109-day Maiden World Voyage. The ship will head from Ft. Lauderdale to Rio de Janeiro in South America, across the Atlantic to Africa and continuing eastbound to Asia. After visits to many exotic ports including Shanghai and Ho Chi Minh City  the Seabourn Quest will travel to India, pass through the Suez Canal and eventually sail gracefully into Venice harbor.

“Since her Europe debut in the summer, Seabourn Quest has received many rave reviews and positive feedback from guests, travel agents and press alike,” said Richard Meadows, Seabourn’s president. “We are very proud to show her off to agents and their clients in South Florida, so that they can see what the excitement has been all about in recent months.”

Of the six ships which comprise the Seabourn fleet, the Seabourn Quest is the third sister ship to the Seabourn Odyssey (2009) and Seabourn Sojourn (2010). All have mainly the same features: 225 all-suite accommodations-most have a verandah, complimentary fine wines with lunch and dinner, a wide selection of specialty restaurants without a cover charge, an ensuite fully stocked mini bar and gratuities are included. Truly an all-inclusive luxury cruise.

One of the most innovative features of the Seabourn Quest (and the other two sister ships) is the Marina. Located at the ship’s aft, it’s basically a drop-down gangway where you can literally walk off the ship and onto small kayaks and other personal watercraft, free of charge.

Into cuisine? Look no further

Seabourn has always been a food-forward cruise line and it’s no more apparent than in the dining aboard the Seabourn Quest. According to Seabourn, the Seabourn Quest offers “gourmet dining experiences in four dining venues that rival the finest restaurants anywhere.” Seabourn Cruises is a proud member of the Chaine des Rotisseurs, a very prestigious international gastronomic society founded in Paris.

Of the four places to dine, the one that focuses on a fine dining gourment experience is The Restaurant and is the main dining room. Restaurant 2 is a small, reservations only dining room with the health-conscious small-plate menu concept.

For an al fresco dining interlude, there’s the Patio Grill for relaxed poolside dining and the indoor/outdoor Colonade featuring a breakfast and lunch buffet and bistro-style dinner with table service.

Guests who wish to do more than simply enjoy the wonderful food, Seabourn Quest has many other things to occupy your days onboard. There are two swimming pools, six whirlpools and a 11,400 square foot spa facility where you can even rent your own spa villa for a more private, relaxing experience.