Seabourn, the ultra-luxury ocean and expedition cruise line, is embarking on a new era of adventure on the high seas with the launch of Seabourn Venture. The first of the line’s two new ultra-luxury expedition ships, Seabourn Venture entered service and welcomed its first guests on board today, July 27, 2022, on a 12-day Northern Isles expedition, departing Tromsø, Norway, and bound for the Arctic and the Svalbard Archipelago, one of the world’s northernmost inhabited areas and home to wildlife from puffins to polar bears.
“Exploration has always been part of our brand legacy, but the launch of Seabourn Venture turns the page on a new chapter for us, offering our guests opportunities to explore remote destinations in every corner of the globe and truly be a part of the natural wonders, wildlife, history, and culture they’ll find there,” said Josh Leibowitz, president of Seabourn. “Seabourn guests are as passionate about discovery as they are about traveling in ultra-luxury, and Seabourn Venture offers a new type of expedition experience allowing our guests to discover the magnificence from the Arctic to the Antarctic.”
A First Season to Remember: Arctic, Greenland, Iceland, Antarctica, Amazon and more
Seabourn Venture begins its inaugural season with a series of 12- to 15-day voyages exploring the Arctic, Greenland and Iceland, and the Canadian Arctic Archipelago in Nunavut, the most remote and least-populated destinations explored during Seabourn Venture’s Arctic season. Destination highlights include Scoresby Sound, Greenland, home to the largest and longest fjord system in the world; Sermilik Fjord, located in southeastern Greenland and renowned for the many icebergs that flow from multiple glaciers at its head into the Denmark Strait; Svalbard; and Pond Inlet, Nunavut, the eastern entry to the Northwest Passage.
The ship will make its way south in October 2022, stopping at various locales in the Caribbean, Central America, Columbia, Ecuador, Peru, and Chile on a series of 10- to 14-day voyages. There will be opportunities to explore in Zodiacs under cliffs teeming with birds, kayak among tropical coral islands, visit ancient Incan sites, and snorkel unspoiled Caribbean coral gardens, as well as a transit of the magnificent Panama Canal.
Between November 2022 and February 2023, Seabourn Venture will invite travelers on adventures of discovery cruising scenic sounds, fjords, channels and glaciers in Chile, sailing to Antarctica, and crossing back to explore South Georgia and the Falkland Islands. The ship will sail on 11- to 22-day voyages to “The Great White Continent” that will include the “Antarctic Experience,” offering up-close encounters with untamed wilderness and wildlife including bobbing icebergs, waddling penguin colonies, and feisty fur seals, as well as visits to research stations that have footholds on the continent. The voyages will include multiple daily operations using the Zodiacs for landings and cruising along the Antarctic Peninsula. Optional excursions will also be available, such as kayaking and the ship’s submarines, allowing guests to explore the vast frontier below sea level.
In March and April 2023, Seabourn Venture will embark on a series of 7- to 12-day expedition voyages in Brazil and the Amazon. The ship will visit many colorful colonial cities on the coast of Brazil and sail into the heart of South America through one of the world’s greatest rivers, where guests can cruise in Zodiacs along the Amazon River and visit ancient sites and indigenous villages.
Designed for Exploration and Outfitted for Adventure
Seabourn Venture is designed and built for diverse environments to PC6 Polar Class standards and includes modern hardware and technology that extends the ship’s global deployment and capabilities. The ship is a brand-new innovative design, created specifically for the ultra-luxury expedition traveler, and includes many features that have made Seabourn ships so successful.
Along with an attentive crew providing every level of Seabourn’s renowned service, the ship is staffed with a world-class 26-person Expedition Team whose role is to give guests the most from expeditions on land and at sea. Comprised of highly regarded wilderness experts, scientists, historians and naturalists, the team will regularly interact with guests, providing in-depth insights into the history, ecology and culture of the places they visit. Their valuable insights are offered both in formal presentations on a variety of topics and in more casual conversations over meals, on deck during scenic cruising or leisure experiences.
Wherever they’re headed, guests on Seabourn Venture are in for quite an extraordinary travel experience in the embrace of stunning interiors and exteriors. Designed by Seabourn partner and hospitality design icon Adam D. Tihany and managing partner Alessia Genova of New York-based atelier Tihany Design, the vessel’s spectacular allure blends sumptuous authenticity at sea with modern romanticism. The ultra-luxe setting is a perfect complement to a ship purpose-built for exploration and arrayed with features and amenities to enrich and enlighten guests on board, on shore, and even beneath the waves.
As on every vessel in the Seabourn fleet, the 132 oceanfront suites of Seabourn Ventureare defined by thoughtfully crafted furniture, tactile materials, and bespoke details that capture the timeless luxury of travel and elevate the experience. Public spaces throughout the ship have narratives all their own, with tactile and elemental materials employed to evoke ruggedness, the spirit of adventure, and the thrill of discovery balanced with Seabourn-style luxury and comfort. Among a dozen settings sure to be magnets for guests are the Expedition Lounge on Deck 4; the adjacent Discovery Center, generously sized for all guests to gather in a classroom-like setting and enjoy natural history and cultural programming; and the Bow Lounge, a prime setting for watching marine life with the closest access to the water on the ship. The highest indoor viewing point on Seabourn Venture is the Constellation Lounge on the top deck, with stunning, 270-degree views and an intimate interior dressed up in dark blue and red inspired by constellations in the night sky.
The ship is equipped with kayaks and enough Zodiacs to transport every guest on expeditions at once, as well as two custom-built submarines, each with capacity for six and capability of exploring shipwrecks and natural wonders under the sea in luxurious comfort.
For reservations or more details, please contact a professional travel advisor; call Seabourn at 1-800-929-9391 or visit www.seabourn.com. A dedicated shore excursion call center is available for guests at 1-800-984-3225.