From a rescue at sea to experiencing exceptional service by staff to meeting new friends and reconnecting with old ones, these were just some of the hundreds of stories Seabourn received in its “Seabourn Moments” contest on Facebook. After weeks of submissions, voting and judging, Seabourn selected the winning story submitted by Chelsea and Kyle Johnson of Madison, Wis.

The contest ran from October 10 through November 7, and received more than 200 stories from fans sharing their most memorable Seabourn Moments.  A special Seabourn Moment can be a unique experience that occurred onboard, or an example of Seabourn’s staff going above and beyond during a voyage, or even an outstanding, unforgettable experience ashore. Seabourn fans voted for their favorites and then a panel of judges, consisting of a combination of Seabourn executives and an independent judge, selected the winner from the top five vote-getters.

“There were so many amazing, heartwarming stories from our fans and we truly enjoyed reading about the special Seabourn Moment they experienced when they sailed with us,” said John Delaney, Seabourn’s senior vice president, marketing and sales. “We thank our guests for sharing their wonderful stories with us and would like to congratulate the Chelsea and Kyle on winning our ‘Seabourn Moments’ contest.”

Entitled “The Diamond Odyssey,” the winning entry tells the story of the Johnsons who sailed on Seabourn Odyssey to celebrate their honeymoon. After spending a day exploring the fortress walls of Dubrovnik, Croatia, they returned to the ship and enjoyed an early evening dinner.  When they returned to their suite, Mrs. Johnson realized that the diamond on her engagement ring was missing. With the assistance of their suite stewardess and another staff member, they searched their suite from top to bottom.  Mr. Johnson decided to search the ship and retraced their steps from earlier that evening. He went to The Restaurant, where staff and even other guests helped him search the venue for the diamond.  Feeling defeated, Mr. Johnson left The Restaurant when a bright flicker caught his eye, and there in the middle of the black marble floor was the missing gem. He picked it up and quickly went back to the suite and presented the precious diamond to his wife. As they hugged each other with joy, fireworks lit up the sky.

“This will always be one of our greatest memories,” the Johnsons said.  They are winners of a seven-day Seabourn cruise, where they will likely experience even more unforgettable Seabourn Moments.