COVER STORY


From a


Goddess Dream


to a The Story of SeaDream Yacht Club


Andrew Maclear charts the 30-year journey of ultra- deluxe cruising in words and pictures


I


t’s possible to argue the current form of ultra-deluxe cruising dates back exactly to 1984. That’s when Norwegian entrepreneur Atle Brynestad brought out a radical new yacht- style ship, the SeaGoddess I, which was quickly followed by a sister vessel. Together, the Sea Goddess duo charted a new course in the cruise world. Small, exclusive, refined and totally service- orientated to the point of decadence, they were unlike anything else seen on the high seas. Initially chartered to Cunard in 1986,


they served for another 13 years before being transferred to the Seabourn line (co-founded by Brynestad in 1988), as part


of the big Carnival takeover. Deemed surplus to requirements by Seabourn in 2001, Brynestad promptly bought them back and set them loose as SeaDream Yacht Club. Today, SeaDream is recognised


year-on-year by the Berlitz Guide as being the world’s number one boutique small passenger line – no small feat for ships that made their debut almost 30 years ago. Although other companies have tried a


similar template, SeaDream has encapsulated the concept with the catchphrase “It’s yachting not cruising” and has firmly established a position as the premier small luxury cruise company. Fundamentally, the concept has not altered since Brynestad first conceived it: Precise attention to detail, premium service and adherence to the old comforts and values of sailing vessels.


Autumn 2013 I WORLD OF CRUISING


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