Seabourn Announces Senior Officers for 2020 World Cruise

Seabourn has announced its officers for its 146-day world cruise aboard the Seabourn Sojourn.

The vessel will depart Miami on January 4, 2020, and travel eastbound, before ending in San Francisco on May 28, 2020.

“As any world explorer knows, one can’t mount an extraordinary journey without extraordinary talent. This group is among the best at what they do in the luxury cruise industry, and all of them are looking forward to providing the finest service as Seabourn Sojourn takes our guests on a memorable voyage around the globe for our World Cruise,” noted Gerald Mosslinger, vice president of Hotel Operations for Seabourn.

The Seabourn Sojourn will call at 62 ports in 36 countries on five continents throughout the course of the sailing.

The voyage will include 16 overnights in port, and linger into the late evening another 18 times. 

Officers: 

Captain Timothy Roberts (pictured, above) – Born in Liverpool, he was raised in Lancashire village of Bolton-by-Bowland, and gained his nautical qualifications at South Tyneside Marine College. Roberts has sailed on a variety of vessels over his 40-plus-year nautical career. After 20 years on the cargo ship circuit, he diversified into the cruise industry and served as captain on several cruise lines, including Holland America Line’s Statendam and Prinsendam before joining Seabourn in 2016 as master of Seabourn Sojourn. Roberts will be at the helm of the ship when it embarks on the World Cruise, as well as toward the end of the long voyage.

Captain Hamish Elliott – Born in rural Norfolk, England but raised in London, Elliott found a passion for the sea at an early age inspired by the stories of his grandfather who commanded a vessel in the Merchant Marine. Following his studies at London Nautical School along the River Thames, at age 16, he joined an oil tanker in Singapore. He worked on cargo ships for several years before moving into the cruise industry as a First Officer in 1996. He has worked in various capacities on a variety of former Seabourn vessels. A veteran of nine World Cruises, Elliott is currently Seabourn’s longest-serving captain, having taken command of Seabourn Sojourn upon its launch in 2010. He will join the World Cruise as master one month into the voyage and will be at the helm for approximately three months.

Hotel Director Luca Di Matteo – A native of Naples, Italy, Di Matteo started in hospitality cooking his mother’s recipes during his military service in the Italian Navy. Later, after earning a degree in agriculture, he decided to pursue his true passion and enrolled in hotel management school in Torquay, England. He joined Seabourn in 2001 as a waiter, and with his natural ease and confidence with guests, he advanced to maître d’ in 2005. Di Matteo transitioned to Seabourn headquarters in Seattle as Corporate Manager of Restaurants & Bars in 2012, but he returned to sea in 2017 as Food & Beverage Manager and was later promoted to his current role as Hotel Director.

Cruise Director Handré Potgieter – Potgieter has had a passion for people, entertainment, travel and fashion since growing up in South Africa. He attended the Liverpool Institute of Performing Arts and later worked as an arranger/composer before establishing his own production company and winning the South African Young Entrepreneur of the Year award in 1997. He has been at sea since 2002, and with Seabourn since 2009, including Seabourn Spirit, Seabourn Odyssey, Seabourn Sojourn, Seabourn Quest, Seabourn Encore and Seabourn Ovation. The 2020 World Cruise will be Potgieter’s third World Cruise with the line.

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