Actress Blythe Danner christened Seabourn's 450-passenger Seabourn Quest in Barcelona on Monday.
Danner served as godmother to the new luxury vessel, Seabourn's third new ship and the sixth to join its fleet, completing a three-year expansion for the line.
Guests booked on the Seabourn Quest's maiden voyage were invited to join in the festivities. An orchestra performed on the ship, and a projection screen set above the deck allowed guests to view the moment when a bottle of champagne smashed against the bow of the ship. Adjacent to the screen, a contingent of crew members broke confetti-filled champagne bottles in a synchronized wave pattern and as the bottle crashed. The event closed with a fireworks display.
"Seabourn Quest is the embodiment of Seabourn-style cruising," said Richard Meadows, Seabourn's president. "She is sleek and stunning, with spacious decks and public rooms, luxurious suites, a variety of award-winning dining experiences, and an amazing crew offering intuitive and highly personalized service. We can assure guests the very finest travel experiences when they cruise with us on this beautiful ship."
The Seabourn Quest is the third iteration of the design that first appeared as the Seabourn Odyssey in June 2009. The second sister-ship, the Seabourn Sojourn, entered service in June 2010.
Following the naming ceremony, the Seabourn Quest departed on a 14-day maiden voyage to Athens, with port calls in France, Italy, Greece and Turkey.
The Seabourn Quest's maiden season includes seven-day Eastern Mediterranean cruises, operating alternately between Athens, Istanbul and Venice, as well as a seven-day Black Sea voyage. In the fall, the ship will cross the Atlantic Ocean from Malaga, Spain, to Fort Lauderdale, where it will operate a series of roundtrip voyages in the Caribbean. On Jan. 5, 2012, Seabourn Quest will begin a 109-day world cruise from Fort Lauderdale to Venice on an eastbound course via South America, South Africa, the Indian Ocean, Southeast Asia, the Middle East and the Mediterranean.