The Pair that Set the Standard for Luxury Small Ships is Back Together

Miami, August 13 - Atle Brynestad, Norwegian industrialist who founded the former Seabourn Cruise Line, sold it to Cunard, and recently repurchased two of its luxury Yachts, today announced that Larry Pimentel, CTC, high profile international travel executive, will become Co-owner, Chairman and CEO of a new seagoing venture involving the two yachts called SeaDream Yacht Club. The yachts will be known as SeaDream I and SeaDream II.

The announcement marks a successful and exciting culmination to widespread travel industry speculation concerning Pimentel's future that followed his departure (in February, 2001) from the offices of President and CEO of Cunard Line Limited.

In commenting on the addition of Pimentel to the team, Brynestad said, "Larry Pimentel is a widely respected travel marketer who brings a unique wealth of marketing, sales and business acumen from a variety of other industry disciplines. His perspectives on marketing and sales of luxury products are well known and admired. He is a creative and imaginative executive with strong leadership skills. I am delighted to have him at the helm of our new endeavor. Under his leadership in the 90's, the luxury cruise line he directed consistently garnered top awards, honors and accolades from travel and cruise guidebooks and other authoritative publications."

Pimentel stated: "I am thrilled to re-join my close entrepreneurial friend and associate Atle Brynestad in this exciting new club venture. We will operate the twin yachts on their existing published schedules through the end of April 2002 at highly favorable rates until they are entirely refurbished. This will provide a rare opportunity to sample these splendid yachts at value-packed pricing. These famous twins were the prototypes of intimate, ultra luxury seagoing vacations. These yachts have maintained their image and loyal following largely due to the outstanding crew."

"In May 2002 we will totally refit and refurbish these yachts for an exciting reincarnation. We cannot discuss that re-birth now, but we promise to provide the unexpected. The product to be introduced will not be a cruise line product, but an extraordinary, ultra luxury, mega yachting experience not currently available. These yachts will be the top choice of individuals relentlessly seeking casual perfection. Expect the Unexpected! "Pimentel said.

Prior to joining Brynestad in 1992, Pimentel served for eight years as President and CEO of Classic Hawaii, a premier upscale tour company.

Frequently called a marketing maverick and offbeat business strategist, Pimentel is known as a tireless champion of travel agents and has long urged those in the travel industry, both on the agency and supplier side, to continue career-focused education. He became Chairman and a member of the Board of Trustees of the Institute of Certified Travel Agents (ICTA) and has held positions with a variety of travel industry organizations including the American Society of Travel Agents (ASTA) and the United States Tour Operators Association (USTOA). He is a founding member of the prestigious Luxury Marketing Council of New York City.

A frequent public speaker, Pimentel has appeared on programs at the Harvard School of Business, Cornell's acclaimed Hotel School, Morgan Stanley, Preferred Hotels and Resorts Worldwide, the Ritz-Carlton Company and many other business and marketing seminars and workshops. On several occasions he has been named one of the world's most influential travel executives, and in 1997 he received the Global Man of the Year award at the World Travel Mart in London alongside Andrew Lloyd Weber. In 1999 when he was Chairman of ICTA he shared Travel Agent Magazine's Person of the Year award with Bob Lepisto, then President of ICTA. He is a past director of the United States Tour Operators Association (USTOA) and a past director of the education committee for the American Society of Travel Agents (ASTA).

Pimentel promised further announcements in December to unveil a new and exciting genre of leisure lifestyle travel.