The Yachts of Seabourn has announced that Seabourn Quest will be the name given to its newest vessel. Poised to become the third of three new launched by the small-ship cruise line in as many years, Seabourn Quest will debut in June 2011.
Seabourn Quest will be the third iteration of the sleek design that first appeared on Seabourn Odyssey in June 2009. The second sister ship, Seabourn Sojourn, will debut next June in Greenwich, England, and is already selling strongly for its maiden year. Together, the three new vessels represent a capacity increase of over 200% for the line in a three-year period - underlining the company's confidence in a burgeoning demand for top-shelf cruising options in the leisure travel market. At 32,000 GRT and carrying just 450 guests each, the three new Seabourn yachts are the smallest cruising vessels being built by any major cruise company.
"The selection of the name Seabourn Quest completes the triad of names we chose for these three new vessels," noted Pamela C. Conover, Seabourn's President and CEO. "Taken together, we believe that Odyssey, Sojourn, and Quest represent the passion for adventure and discovery that spurs our guests' desire to travel in Seabourn style."
Last September, the cruise line launched a contest inviting people to guess the name they will give to the newest addition to its fleet, with a complimentary cruise for two aboard the vessel as the prize. The contest drew more than 2,100 email responses by the time it closed on December 31st, some offering as many as a hundred different possibilities.
The contest winner is Kevin Staub of Newtown, PA, who submitted "Quest" along with 15 other suggestions. Staub wasn't alone in admiring the name, and so his name was drawn at random from a pool of 120 contestants who submitted correct guesses. Staub and his guest will enjoy a complimentary seven-day cruise on Quest during the vessel's maiden year of operation.
