MIAMI, Jan. 24, 2002 -- Ultra luxury cruise operator Seabourn Cruise Line reports that it has experienced a three-month wave in which it booked net revenues exceeding those in the same period last year by 307 percent. This trend follows a six-week downturn immediately after the terrorist attacks on September 11th, 2001.

"Prior to September 11th, we had accrued twelve weeks of sales exceeding the same weeks in the prior year," said Rick Meadows, CTC, senior vice president of sales and marketing for Seabourn. "We experienced the same drop- off as everyone else after that," he continued. "But after only six weeks, sales climbed back well above prior year, and they have continued to build since then, right through the holidays. It started with close-in business, but now we are booking well into the summer season and beyond."

Meadows attributes the strong results to a renewed confidence in Seabourn among upscale travel agents and their clients. He pointed to several key actions by the line which he believes have contributed to this confidence.

Initially, the line re-positioned the brand as The Yachts of Seabourn, focusing on the excellent reputation of its intimate, exclusive, 208-guest Seabourn Pride, Spirit and Legend among travel agents selling to affluent, luxury-seeking clients. New advertising, collateral and direct mail were created, concentrating on the exceptional level of personalized service made possible by the Seabourn ships' intimate size and nearly one-to-one staff to guest ratios.

Simultaneously, the company introduced a continuing series of enhancements to the onboard product that included complimentary fine wines and spirits, Exclusively Seabourn shoreside experiences included on every cruise, free mini-massages on deck and popular Movies Under the Stars on deck. Further refinements that have been announced for 2002 include exciting new dinner menus created by renowned chef Charlie Palmer and Seabourn's Pure Pampering program, featuring fine personal well-being products and a selection of soothing and revitalizing bathing experiences by Molton Brown, London.

"People who have sailed on the Yachts of Seabourn are coming back and telling their agents about their experience," said Meadows. "The buzz among the agents and the guests is clearly that Seabourn is back. And the good news for agents and for us is that we still have prime inventory left to sell."

Tom Baker of CruiseCenter.com in Houston, Texas recently sailed on Seabourn Legend. Asked about his experience, he said: "I have been cruising since I was five years old, and I've sailed on over a hundred different ships, including the most highly rated ships in the world, and this was without doubt the finest service I have ever experienced. And that includes any hotel or restaurant anywhere. The food was superb and the service was just magnificent. There are some other ships out there that claim to be six star, but Seabourn clearly surpasses them all."

For information on the Yachts of Seabourn contact a travel agent, call Seabourn at 1-800-929-9391 or visit www.seabourn.com(America Online Keyword: Seabourn).

The yachts of Seabourn provide the ultimate in small-ship, ultra-luxury cruise vacations to the most desirable destinations on Earth. The Seabourn fleet includes Seabourn Pride, Spirit and Legend. Seabourn Cruise Line is a member of the exclusive World's Leading Cruise Lines alliance, which also includes Carnival Cruise Lines, Cunard Line, Holland America Line, Costa Cruises and Windstar Cruises. Together, these member lines share a commitment to quality and value, offering cruise vacations that appeal to a wide range of lifestyles and budgets and sail to some of the world's most exciting destinations. Seabourn Cruise Line: 1-800-929-9391. Website: www.seabourn.com. America Online Keyword: Seabourn.