Seabourn Elevates Tea Time with Enhanced Daily Afternoon Tea Service

Seabourn is inviting guests to sip tea at sea with an enhancement to our beloved Afternoon Tea Service across the entire fleet. Steeped in the tradition of proper English tea service, yet as fresh and memorable as a newly brewed pot, our new daily tea service is the latest innovation designed to ensure that every detail of the Seabourn experience is constantly evolving and delighting you at every turn.

The key element of Seabourn’s new Afternoon Tea Service is the addition of the finest luxury tea brand TWG Tea. Established in Singapore in 2008, TWG Tea (which stands for The Wellbeing Group) offers the largest collection of over 800 different single-estate, fine harvests, and exclusive tea blends from renowned tea estates in every tea-producing region around the globe.

“We are always looking at ways to take the amenities and services at the heart of the Seabourn cruise experience to the next level, and our new Afternoon Tea Service does just that,” said Gerald Mosslinger, Seabourn’s senior vice president of Hotel Operations and Onboard Revenue. “New guests will be delightfully surprised, while returning guests already familiar with our tea traditions will be impressed with the upgrades we’ve made to brighten their afternoons.”

In keeping with English tradition, Seabourn’s new Afternoon Tea Service is nestled conveniently between lunch and dinner, available from 4 – 5 p.m. daily in the Observation Bar. Loose-leaf tea selections from TWG Tea, the finest luxury tea brand whose collection is the largest in the world, include choices such as English Earl Grey, Imperial Lapsang Souchong, and Highlands BOP Ceylon. They are delivered to the table by the highly trained staff and properly served on handcrafted china from Bernardaud, the family-owned French porcelain company originally established in Limoges, France in 1863. Bernardaud remains in the elite of design and innovation and each piece that bears the company’s signature brings the grace of simple luxury to everyday life and demonstrates that, after two thousand years, porcelain continues to prove its worth as an exceptional material.

Afternoon Tea will also be accompanied by a set selection of sweet desserts and savory snacks that will change daily on a rotating cycle, including gluten-free and vegetarian options, presented upon a stylish three-tiered display tray at the guest’s table in the Observation Bar. A sand clock, started as soon as the tea hits the water, is left at the table to ensure that guests can steep their tea precisely the way they like it while the service staff explains the tea’s origins and how different steeping times can enhance the flavor.

Afternoon Tea is a traditional British tea service served at 4 p.m. between lunch and dinner, focused on serving light fare that includes scones, finger sandwiches, jam and marmalade. With roots going back for generations, history says that Afternoon Tea dates back to the mid-1800s and the Duchess of Bedford. At the time, kerosene lamps in wealthier homes helped usher in a late dinner, often served around 8 or 9 p.m., leaving people of the era, including the Duchess, feeling a bit hungry between meals. She decided to regularly invite friends over for tea and a selection of snacks during the late afternoon.

The idea of Afternoon Tea eventually spread across society, growing into a social occasion that continues to draw people together for interesting conversation to this day.

Seabourn’s enhanced Afternoon Tea Service is now being offered across the Seabourn fleet, with the TWG brand implementation ongoing and set to be completed in the coming weeks.

Seabourn’s High Tea, a variation on Afternoon Tea, is offered on select afternoons with formal white glove service and live cooking features or themed menu options as accompaniments. Examples of High Tea themes may include The “Viennese” High Tea with Applestrudel, The “Parisian” High Tea with Crêpes Suzette, The “Venetian” High Tea with Zabaione, and The “Royal” High Tea with English Trifle, which will typically feature more substantial food items than the Afternoon Tea service. Live piano music also accompanies the High Tea experience.

We look forward to you enjoying our new Afternoon Tea Service on your next Seabourn cruise.

For more information about booking your next cruise and joining us for tea, please contact a travel advisor, call Seabourn at (800) 929-9391 or visit www.seabourn.com.