Seabourn Unveils “Authors at Sea” Program

Seabourn is launching “Authors at Sea,” a program on select sailings featuring best-selling authors, historians, and biographers, with live events and workshops for aspiring writers.

Starting in 2025, Seabourn will host literary figures, including Debbie Macomber, Ann Cleeves OBE, Robert King Wittman, and Lord Jeffrey Archer, on sailings from March to December. “Authors at Sea” is part of the Seabourn Conversations program, allowing guest authors to interact with passengers during meals, shore excursions, and discussions.

“Onboard entertainment and enrichment are so important to the Seabourn experience, and our ‘Authors at Sea’ program brings together celebrated writers to connect with guests in a meaningful way through engaging conversations and interactive sessions,” said Handre Potgieter, Seabourn’s director of entertainment and enrichment. “We are dedicated to creating extraordinary experiences and memorable moments at sea, and this new program was designed to further inspire and enrich our guests when they sail on Seabourn.”

Seabourn’s line-up of guest authors includes:

Debbie Macomber
A New York Times best-selling author, Macomber has over 200 million books in print and her novels have spent more than 1,000 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list, with 15 reaching number one. Known as “the official storyteller of Christmas,” six of her holiday-themed books have been adapted into Hallmark movies. She will host a writing workshop for aspiring authors.
Sailing: April 27 – May 16, 2025 – 20-Day Pacific Passage: Golden Week to Glacier Bay, Seabourn Quest – Yokohama to Vancouver

Lady Sandra Howard
Once a top international model and the first to grace the cover of American Vogue for two consecutive months, Howard is now a novelist and freelance journalist. Her novels often reflect her unique experiences, including encounters with Frank Sinatra and the Kennedys. Her latest work is set during WWII in Cairo and East Africa.
Sailing: May 10-18, 2025 – 8-Day Western Mediterranean Mosaic, Seabourn Quest – Lisbon to Civitavecchia (Rome)

Lord Jeffrey Archer
As a global best-selling author with over 275 million copies sold in 115 countries, Archer is the only author to have achieved number one bestsellers in fiction, short stories, and non-fiction. A former athlete and politician, he has served in both the House of Commons and the House of Lords. His latest novel, “Traitors Gate,” is part of the William Warwick series.
Sailing: July 1-11, 2025 – 10-Day Spain & Moroccan Gems, Seabourn Ovation – Roundtrip Barcelona

Robert K. Wittman
A former FBI Special Agent specializing in art crime, Wittman has recovered over $300 million worth of stolen art and founded the FBI’s Art Crime Team. He has written bestsellers, including his memoir, “Priceless,” and “The Devil’s Diary.”
Sailing: May 17-30, 2025 – 14-Day Iberian Coast & Bordeaux, Seabourn Sojourn – Barcelona to Dover
Sailing: August 30 – September 9, 2025 – 10-Day Tyrrhenian Treasures & Malta, Seabourn Ovation – Monte Carlo to Barcelona
Sailing: April 24 – May 15, 2026 – 22-Day World Cruise: Golden Week to Glacier Bay, Seabourn Sojourn – Tokyo to Vancouver

Ann Cleeves, OBE 
A mystery writer with 37 acclaimed novels translated into over 20 languages, Cleeves won the CWA Diamond Dagger in 2017, the highest honor in crime writing. She created popular detectives featured in ITV’s Vera, BBC’s Shetland, and ITV’s The Long Call. During her voyage, she will present a crime-writing workshop and a live murder mystery event.
Sailing:  December 20, 2025 – Jan. 4, 2026 – 15-Day Australia & New Zealand Holiday, Seabourn Quest – Sydney to Auckland
Sailing: May 30 – June 6, 2026 – 7-Day Scotland & Iceland’s North Coast, Seabourn Ovation – Dover to Reykjavik

Zelda La Grange
La Grange was an international motivational speaker who served Nelson Mandela as his aide for nearly 20 years. She shares life-changing experiences inspired by one of the most influential statesmen and humanitarians.
Sailing: April 27 – May 9, 2026 – 14-Day Atlantic Crossing, Seabourn Quest

Seabourn Conversations is the line’s complimentary onboard enrichment program, designed to enlighten, inform, and entertain guests. It provides opportunities for passengers to interact with experts in literature, history, science, and more. Each speaker shares insights and expert opinions through presentations, shared meals, excursions, and social interactions throughout the voyage.

Will you be exploring Seabourn’s Authors at Sea program? Let us know in the comments!