Seabourn Names New Expedition Ship Seabourn Venture

Seabourn has announced the name of the first of its new luxury expedition ships: the Seabourn Venture. The line says that the name pays tribute to remote destinations and the brand’s Ventures by Seabourn excursions program. 

The new Seabourn Venture is the first of two new ships that will aim to build on the luxury cruise line’s growing presence in the expedition cruise space. The luxury line first began offering expedition experiences during its first sailing to Antarctica in 2013. Since then, it has launched a number of similar optional experiences as part of the Ventures by Seabourn program, including Zodiacs, kayaks and guided hikes in destinations including Alaska, Australia and New Zealand, South America, Norway and Greenland. The two new ships will be the line’s first purpose-built expedition vessels. 

The Seabourn Venture is scheduled to launch in June 2021, followed by its as-yet-unnamed sibling ship in May 2022. The first ship is currently planned to sail in the Arctic in late summer 2021, with a full summer season in Antarctica to follow. 

Each will be designed with a high level of autonomy and a global deployment capability, which Seabourn says will allow them to go farther north and south than any ship in parent company Carnival Corporation’s history, visiting both warm and cool weather destinations. As previously reported, each will be built to PC6 Polar Class standards, allowing them to operate in both summer and autumn in medium first-year ice in Antarctica and the Arctic. The ships will be propelled by Azipods complemented by three bow thrusters, allowing for greater maneuverability. 

Other features include shell doors at the ship’s waterline, which will allow guests to move easily on and off the ship via its onboard complement of Zodiacs. Additionally, dynamic positioning systems will provide the ship increased operational flexibility when it comes to maintaining its position. 

For guests, the new ships will have approximately 29,600 square feet of open deck space, complemented by high-quality optics mounted in various areas on the decks when conditions permit, to maximize opportunities to view wildlife and dramatic scenery. Also notable: the ships will carry two onboard submarines for underwater exploration, as well as a complement of kayaks and 24 Zodiacs. Shore experiences will build on the brand’s existing Antarctica and Ventures by Seabourn programs, the cruise line said. 

In terms of accommodations, each ship will have 132 oceanfront veranda suites, allowing for a capacity of up to 264 guests. 

Onboard crew will include a 26-person expedition team, who will regularly interact with guests. These experts are also part of the Seabourn Conversations program, providing insights into the history, ecology and culture of the places the ships will visit. The expedition team will be available to guests in both formal presentations and casual conversations. 

Specific details about itineraries and booking availability will be released this spring, Seabourn said. 

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