Heading to Istanbul to Join Seabourn Odyssey

Today's the day we leave for Istanbul, Turkey. (Thank goodness for dog sitters and house sitters!)

We'll have one short day to enjoy the city before joining Seabourn Odyssey for a seven-night Eastern Mediterranean voyage.

As long as the Internet is up and running, we'll be sharing information, photos, and videos about this itinerary and the newest luxury cruise ship from Yachts of Seabourn via:

• Daily blog posts
  
  
• Articles at the LuxuryCruiseBible.com website
  
  
• On Twitter
  
  
• At the LuxuryCruiseBible.com YouTube.com channel

Come with us (virtually) as we discover Istanbul, Dikili, Kusadasi, and Bodrum in Turkey and Santorini, Navplion, and Athens, Greece.

And, if you have any questions about Seabourn Odyssey, let us know and we'll try to find out the answer on your behalf.

—Andrea M. Rotondo

At a Glance: Luxury Cruise Ship Seabourn Odyssey

Since we're joining the Seabourn Odyssey this week in Istanbul, Turkey, I thought I'd prepare a quick "at a glance" worksheet to introduce you to this new luxury cruise ship from The Yachts of Seabourn.

Maiden Voyage: June 24, 2009 (Venice, Italy to Istanbul, Turkey)

Cruise Director: Barry Hopkins (formerly of Regent Seven Seas Cruises)

Technicals

• Built by T. Mariotti of Genoa, Italy
• 32,000 tons
• Length: 650 feet
• Beam: 84 feet
• Draft: 21 feet
• Speed: 19 knots
• Twin screw propellers operated by diesel-generated electricity
• Two bow thrusters
• Two stabilizers
• 11 decks
• 450 passengers
• 1-to-1 crew-to-passenger ratio

Accommodations

• 225 ocean view suites
• 90 percent of the suites have a veranda
• Suites measure between 295 and 1,682 square feet
• Five Owner's Suites
• Four two-bedroom Grand Suites
• 22 Penthouse Suites
• Handicap-accessible suites: Category V6, Suites 715, 813, 913; Category PH; Suite 635; Category V2, Suite 519; and Category Suite A, Suite 408

Dining

• The Restaurant—open seating, Charlie Palmer menus
• Restaurant 2—dishes are served as tasting portions
• The Colonnade—open-kitchen indoor/outdoor restaurant serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner
• Patio Grill—serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner outdoors
• In-Suite Service—24-hour room service; during the dinner hours you can have your meal served course-by-course in your suite

Lounges

• Observation Lounge
• Sky Bar

The Spa at Seabourn

• 11,400-square-foot two-deck spa
• SkinCeuticals skincare products and treatments available
• Seven private treatment rooms
• Fitness center quipped with cardio, strength, and weight-training gear
• Hydropool
• Two herbal steam rooms
• Private trainers available
• Kinesis Wall
• Full-service beauty salon
• Two 750-square-foot Spa Villas for half-day private spa retreats: two treatment beds, indoor double bed lounger, oversized whirlpool tub and separate shower, separate seating and dining areas, and a private wraparound terrace with outdoor chaise lounges

Marina

• Back-of-ship built-in marina offering swimming, snorkeling, windsurfing, kayaking, and waterskiing

On Deck

• Two outdoor swimming pools
• Poolside massages available
• Six outdoor whirlpools

Daytime Entertainment

• The Retreat, featuring a contoured nine-hole mini-golf course, a giant cheese board, and shuffleboard

Evening Entertainment

• Casino
• The Club
• Movies Under the Stars
• Dessert Under the Stars

Seabourn Square

• Concierge lounge
• Library
• Upscale shops, including a private diamond showroom
• Coffee bar
• Outdoor terrace

Extras

• Apple iPods and netbooks available for loan

We'll be sharing a lot more information about Seabourn Odyssey this week. Don't miss our blog posts, Twitter tweets, YouTube videos, and LuxuryCruiseBible.com articles.

—Andrea M. Rotondo

I Need Your Help! Which Cruise Directors Are Where?

I'm working on a new feature article for LuxuryCruiseBible.com and I need your help! I'm creating a database of cruise directors (and assistant CDs) and would like your assistance in notating who is working on what ship.

If you've been on a cruise within the last year, let me know who your CD was. I'll upload the list to LuxuryCruiseBible.com as soon as I have a few more holes filled in. (I especially need information for Crystal Cruises and Silversea.)

Add a comment below or contact LuxuryCruiseBible.com privately. Thank you!

—Andrea M. Rotondo