Seabourn’s Signature Service Desk Knows More Than You Do

John · 04-03-2007, 01:59 PM

MIAMI, April 3, 2007----Puzzled about Portofino? Curious about Callao? Seabourn Cruise Line has come up with a solution for its yachting guests who want to plan a picture-perfect day in any of its far-flung, and sometimes unfamiliar, ports of call. Seabourn’s Signature Service Desk uses privileged, up-to-date local knowledge and assistance to create customized shoreside experiences tailored to the guests’ individual tastes. There is no charge for this concierge service – like the rest of Seabourn’s award-winning service –it’s all included in the fare.

Whether a guest dreams of a massage and steam bath in an exotic Turkish hammam, a visit to a factory in Stockholm that manufactures the same sort of widgets the guest does at home, or a private tasting at a tiny boutique winery in the Provencal countryside, Seabourn’s Signature Service Desk can help transform any port call into a uniquely personal, perfect day.

“Travelers who book a Seabourn vacation do so largely because of where we go and the style in which we take them there,” noted the line’s president and CEO, Pamela C. Conover. “They expect fascinating places and they value highly personalized service,” she continued. “Our Signature concierge staff is an evolution of that promise, ensuring that we meet or exceed their expectations on both counts.”
Special-interest arrangements might also include a tour of Berlin for classic-car lovers, a chance to operate a virtual full-size cargo ship on an innovative computer simulator, or a fantastic super-cold freezing treatment in a Finnish spa, where participants experience therapeutic temperatures of minus 166 degrees Fahrenheit.

For those who would like a custom experience but aren’t sure what they’d prefer, the staff has a vast menu of special-interest concepts from which undecided travelers may choose, including Signature Series tours, which have long been the gold standard for shore excursions, and “Insider Tips” provided by editors of Condé Nast Traveler magazine.

Signature Service Desks on board each of the line’s three intimate, all-suite ships are manned by a tour staff capable of creating a wide range of custom arrangements in ports along the way. However, guests can create more elaborate plans and finalize costs and details long before they embark on the ship. Seabourn guests or their travel agents can call toll-free at 1-800-929-9391 and ask for the Signature Service Desk to start the process. Once the guests have voiced their wishes, the Seabourn’s staff will do the research and report back on availability and costs for the various adventures. Finalized arrangements are paid in advance.

Back on board, guests on the line’s 208-guest Seabourn Pride, Spirit and Legend enjoy a continuing series of thoughtful enhancements to shipboard and shoreside services that add luxury and value. These “Signature Delights” include Exclusively Seabourn complimentary shoreside experiences in selected ports of call; free Massage Moments on deck; complimentary service of spirits and wines including French champagne throughout the cruise, gourmet cuisine created by celebrity chef Charlie Palmer, and indulgent Pure Pampering therapeutic bathing selections from Molton Brown.

Seabourn is the highest-rated cruise line for two consecutive years in Travel + Leisure’s World’s Best Awards, and has been honored in every annual edition of Condé Nast Traveler’s Gold List and voted the top luxury cruise line by readers of Departures, published exclusively for American Express Platinum and Centurion Card members.