10th March 2014 – Seabourn has contracted hospitality design icon Adam D. Tihany to create the indoor and outdoor guest areas of its new ship being built in Italy and due to launch in 2016.Tihany is Art Director of the Culinary Institute of America, and sits on the advisory Board of the New York School of Interior Design and the Holon Design Museum. His outstanding contribution to the world of design has been recognised with numerous honours and awards, including an Honourary Doctorate from the New York School of Interior Design and induction into the Interior Design Hall of Fame.

For Seabourn, Tihany will create a design vision for the entire vessel including multiple dining venues; the Spa at Seabourn; showrooms; casino and lounges; outdoor deck areas; and the innovative and popular Seabourn Square multi-purpose space.

Tihany is renowned for his restaurant projects for high-profile celebrity chefs, including Heston Blumenthal, Daniel Boulud, Wolfgang Puck, Thomas Keller, Jean Georges Vongerichten, Charlie Palmer, and Paul Bocuse and, as well as luxury hotel projects worldwide, such as South Africa’s One & Only Cape Town resort, Mandarin Oriental Las Vegas, King David Hotel in Jerusalem, The Oberoi Hotel in New Delhi, The Beverly Hills Hotel, The Breakers in Palm Beach and Hotel Cipriani in Venice to name just a few.

“Adam Tihany’s artistic sensibilities are a wonderful match with Seabourn,” said Richard D. Meadows, Seabourn’s president. “His designs convey the essence of ultra-luxury with a vitality that is lively and exciting yet perfectly embodies the relaxed elegance that has always been the heart of Seabourn’s hospitality.”

Another value that Tihany shares with Seabourn is a dedication to personalisation. The designer takes pride in drawing inspiration from his clients’ backgrounds or preferences.

“What I strive to do is to find an aesthetic that expresses the personality of the brand,” said Tihany. “Thus, my goal is to design a beautiful, and very uniquely Seabourn ship, one that will reflect Seabourn’s aura of casual elegance and thoughtful attention to detail, that will make their guests feel welcome and invite them to experience Seabourn’s special brand of ultra-luxury.”

The new ship continues a fleet expansion that Seabourn began in 2009 with the launch of Seabourn Odyssey. This award-winning class of ships, which includes Seabourn Sojourn (2010) and Seabourn Quest (2011), won acclaim from luxury cruisers, travel agents and journalists alike. The configuration of the new, 40,350-GRT vessel will be based on the Seabourn Odyssey-class ships, with one additional deck and new expanded public areas.

The ship is being built by Fincantieri S.p.A., with delivery scheduled for mid-2016. It is expected to carry just 604 guests, based on double occupancy of the all-suite lower berths. The design will maintain Seabourn’s high ratio of space per guest and enable highly personalised service by nearly one staff member per guest on board. In addition, every suite will feature a private veranda.