Keel Laid For Seabourn Cruise Line's New Ultra-Luxury Vessel Seabourn Encore

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Sep 15, 2015, 11:13 ET

SEATTLE, Sept. 15, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, the award-winning, small ship cruise line Seabourn celebrated the keel laying ceremony of its new ultra-luxury ship, Seabourn Encore, at the Fincantieri shipyard in Marghera, Italy. Set to launch in late 2016, today's ceremony is the latest in a series of recent milestones and announcements made by Seabourn as the project continues to move forward.

Various executives from Fincantieri and Seabourn celebrated the keel laying ceremony in Marghera, Italy on Sept. 15, 2015.

The ceremony was attended, among others, by Holland America Group Executive Vice President Fleet Operations Keith Taylor and Antonio Quintano, director of Fincantieri's Marghera shipyard. Seabourn Encore is the first of two ultra-luxury cruise ships that Fincantieri will build for Seabourn over the next three years.

"Set to debut as the most modern and acclaimed ship in the ultra-luxury segment, the keel laying of Seabourn Encore represents another pivotal stage in the evolution of small-ship cruising," said Seabourn President Richard Meadows. "This is an important milestone and we look forward to revealing further progress and highlights of Seabourn Encore in the months ahead."

Modeled after the award-winning trio of Seabourn's Odyssey-class ships and designed by leading hospitality designer Adam D. Tihany, the all-suite 41,700-GRT ship will be configured with one additional deck, new expanded public areas and is expected to carry just 600 guests, maintaining Seabourn' s high ratio of space per guest. In addition, every suite will feature a private veranda.

To follow the progress of Seabourn Encore, please visit the ship's dedicated microsite: http://encore.seabourn.com.

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Notes to Editors:

Seabourn is consistently ranked among the world's top travel choices by professional critics and the discerning readers of prestigious travel publications such as Departures, Travel + Leisure and Conde Nast Traveler. Its stylish, distinctive cruising vacations are renowned for:

Intimate ships with no more than 300 suites
Unique itineraries visiting must-see cities and hidden gems where larger ships cannot follow
Intuitive, gracious service provided by a staff passionate about pleasing our guests
Spacious all-suite accommodations with sweeping ocean views - many with verandas
Gourmet dining experiences as fine as the best restaurants anywhere
Open bars throughout the ship and fine wines poured with lunch and dinner

Seabourn is a proud member of World's Leading Cruise Lines. The exclusive alliance also includes Carnival Cruise Lines, Holland America Line, Princess Cruises, Cunard Line, Costa Cruises, AIDA, P&O Cruises UK and P&O Cruises Australia. Seabourn is a brand of Carnival Corporation and plc (NYSE/LSE: CCL andNYSE: CUK). It has formed a partnership with United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) to help protect World Heritage, and also supports the Ocean Conservation & Tourism Alliance, dedicated to education and promotion of best practices for protecting the marine environment.

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20150915/266681

SOURCE Seabourn