Luxury line Seabourn wins approval to restart cruises
Add Seabourn to the list of cruise lines promising a summer restart.
The Seattle-based luxury line on Tuesday said it has gotten a greenlight to resume operations in the Greek Islands in July from the government of Greece.
Seabourn said it planned a series of Greek Islands sailings out of Piraeus, Greece (the port for Athens) starting on July 3 that would mark its return to cruising after a 16-month hiatus.
Seabourn said it would resume sailings with just one of its five vessels at first, the 600-passenger Seabourn Ovation. The ship will sail a series of seven-night Greek Islands trips out Piraeus that alternate between two itineraries.
“The entire Seabourn family is truly excited to provide our award-winning travel experience aboard Seabourn Ovation starting again this July in the Greek Isles,” Seabourn president Josh Leibowitz said in a statement accompanying the announcement. “We’re grateful to the people of Greece for welcoming Seabourn back to the Mediterranean this summer.”
One of the two Greek Islands itineraries that Seabourn plans will feature calls at the Greek destinations of Agios Nikolaos, Rhodes, Mykonos and Nafplion as well as Limassol, Cyprus.
The second itinerary will bring visits to the Greek destinations of Patmos, Rhodes, Thira and Spetsai along with a call at Paphos, Cyprus.
The two seven-night sailings can be combined to create a 14-night sailing that hits all the above ports. The voyages will open for bookings on April 12.
Seabourn said customers would need to show proof of a COVID-19 vaccine to board Seabourn Ovation for the trips.
In addition, passengers will be required to comply with any other health protocols that may be in place at the time of the sailings, the line said. These include policies that may be in place to reach Greece for the trips or to travel homewards.
The trips will be open to passengers from any country.
Greece is quickly becoming a main hub for what appears to be a rapidly evolving comeback of cruising.
Earlier Tuesday, Norwegian Cruise Line announced plans to resume cruising in July with a single ship sailing to the Greek Islands out of Piraeus. The line plans to add two more vessels back to service in the Caribbean in August.
Norwegian's announcement came just days after Celebrity Cruises announced it would resume Greek Islands cruises out of Piraeus in June and Royal Caribbean said it would launch Greek Islands sailings out of Cyprus in July.
Greek Islands cruise specialist Celestyal Cruises also has announced plans to restart operations with sailings in the Greek Islands starting in May.
As part of Tuesday's announcement, Seabourn said it was still finalizing details of the new Greek Islands sailings, including details of the shoreside experiences that will be available. The line promised more information in the coming weeks.
In related news, river and cruise operator Viking on Tuesday announced plans for a handful of "welcome back voyages" out of Bermuda and Reykjavik, Iceland, starting in June. There will be four sailings out of Bermuda, all focused entirely on Bermuda. There will be six sailings out of Reykjavik that only include calls in Iceland.
Viking already has announced plans to restart cruise operations in May with a handful of sailings out of the U.K.
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- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
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| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
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Why We Chose It
There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)Pros
- 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter and $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter, respectively)
- 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
- Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
- Solid welcome bonus
Cons
- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
- Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
- Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.