FEATURED INTERVIEW Luxury built on loyalty With guest expectations evolving and new luxury brands emerging, Seabourn continues to focus on exceptional staff, personalised service and curated global experiences, as Mark Tamis shares with Laura Hyde Since 1988, Seabourn has provided its guests with a luxury cruising experience onboard intimate ships with highly attentive staff. However, with new cruise brands entering the market and guest expectations constantly evolving, the brand is strategically curating its onboard and shoreside experiences to sustain customer loyalty while differentiating itself from competitors. “When our first ship was in the water, the idea of luxury cruising was fairly new,” says Mark Tamis, president of Seabourn. “We have a lot of guests who have sailed thousands of days on Seabourn, but their loyalty is something we have to earn, so we focus on delivering an exceptional luxury product through our people, and that’s what has always made Seabourn different. “It’s fantastic to see all these brands entering the luxury cruise market and most are affiliated with a luxury hotel brand, so they’re focused on delivering what their guests want. Generally, they haven’t cruised before, so a new clientele is being introduced to cruising. The more people that are interested and aware of luxury cruising the better, and some of them will start researching and asking ‘who has the most experience and the best ratings’ and that will bring them to us. Rising tides lift all ships, as they say, so there’s room for everyone in the luxury cruising sector.” Tamis joined Seabourn as president in December 2024, bringing a wealth of experience in the cruise, luxury and boutique hotel space having previously worked for Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, Royal Caribbean International and Carnival Cruise Line. This experience has cemented his belief that staff, service and interactions are the three essential components of delivering an exceptional experience. “I was with Four Seasons for 17 years and when I started, there were nine hotels and the company was committed to delivering a luxury experience to guests through its staff,” says Tamis. “When I took on this role at Seabourn and spent time on our ships, I saw for myself the relationship that has been built between our staff and our guests over the years. A travel partner suggested I pay particular attention to how staff welcome guests onboard on embarkation day, and it was incredible to see how many of our team hugged guests. I found it so heartwarming and it’s something I look forward to seeing every embarkation day. Our teams really understand how to deliver a personalised experience for guests and that builds customer loyalty. Luxury hospitality has always been about people, but Seabourn takes it to a different level. It’s hard to articulate; it needs to be seen and experienced.” Alongside intimate, all-inclusive ships, Seabourn prides itself on offering handselected itineraries, with specially curated shore excursions, to all seven continents. But how does it balance offering guests a sense of adventure and unrivalled access to destinations with the levels of comfort and service guests expect from a luxury cruise brand? 50 “ Loyalty is something we have to earn, so we focus on delivering an exceptional luxury product through our people”
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