CruiseScandinavia has a wealthy friend who's been sailing Seabourn religiously year after year for the past decade. CruiseScandinavia is at times overwrought with envy about this.

Seabourn is the Porsche 911 of the cruise industry, its ships small, sleek, luxuriously decorated and extremely expensive. Sailing Seabourn is like cruising on the personal yacht of a Saudi prince, sans harem.

There's a lot going on with Seabourn too. Thanks to the vast wealth of parent company Carnival Corporation, Seabourn added three new ships to its fleet in 2000, taking over Cunard's Sea Goddess I and II (renamed as the Seabourn Sea Goddess I and II), as well as Cunard's larger Royal Viking Sun (renamed Seabourn Sun).

CruiseScandinavia recommends: Taking advantage of installed amenity aboard the Seabourn Legend and Pride - suites featuring French Balconies for a bird's-eye view of the passing scenery.