SEABOURN Expeditions

Seabourn had at one time offered an expedition-style program in Antarctica with the 458-passenger Seabourn Quest, then truly entered the small expedition ship segment with two brand-new purpose-built expedition ships in recent years.

Seabourn Venture (launched in July 2022) and Seabourn Pursuit (due in 2023) carry up to 264 passengers in 132 all-veranda suites.

Seabourn Cruise Line introduced a trio of ships that offered a new high standard of luxury accommodations beginning with Seabourn Pride in 1988 with 208 passengers, the identical Seabourn Spirit the following year, and slightly larger Seabourn Legend 1996.

These ships were sold to Windstar Cruises, as Seabourn turned its focus to a new, much larger fleet: Seabourn Odyssey (2009), Seabourn Sojourn (2010), and Seabourn Quest (2011), taking up to 458 passengers and Seabourn Encore (2016) and Seabourn Ovation (2018) with 600 passengers.

These ships exceed QuirkyCruise’s passenger limit of 300 for coverage on the site, but the new expedition vessels are a perfect fit.

Let’s have a look at these exciting new luxury expedition ships.

Seabourn Quest is currently operating expedition cruises until the first expedition ship arrives in mid-2021.

Seabourn Fleet

Seabourn Venture (built 2022 & 264 passengers)

Seabourn Pursuit (b. 2023 & 264 p.)

Seabourn Pursuit from Seabourn Expeditions

The Seabourn Pursuit. * Rendering: Seabourn Expeditions

Price

$$$ Top Dollar

Passenger Profile

Expect to sail with past Seabourn passengers, as well as many adventurous travelers who want to experience the immersive qualities of an activity-filled expedition cruise on a luxurious all-inclusive ship that retains a casual feel.

Most passengers will come from the U.S. and Canada with plenty of Brits and cruisers from Australia, as well.

Included Features

All expedition activities (Note: The ships each carry two submarines, and rides on these cost extra.)
Meals
Wine, beer & cocktails
Taxes & port fees
Use of fitness center

Seabourn Itineraries

Seabourn expedition itineraries go to the Arctic region, including Spitsbergen, Iceland, Greenland and northern Canada and Antarctica.

You can also book voyages that traverse the Northeast and Northwest Passages, the Amazon River and cruises that explore Alaska and Japan.

Sample Itineraries

The “Spectacular Svalbard and Greenland” cruises will be a 15-night delight for adventurers.

This itinerary goes from Oslo, Norway, to Reykjavik, Iceland, visiting the dramatic islands of Svalbard, with icebergs and polar bears setting the scenes in the high arctic region. The voyage also includes five days of stops at Greenland before visiting Iceland.

Seabourn’s cruise to “The Great White Continent” is an immersive experience in Antarctica that include pre-cruise stays in Buenos Aires and embark from Ushuaia at the southern tip of South America.

You have five days of adventures with penguins, sea lions, seals and sea birds at the most remote place on Earth.

Why Go?

These all-inclusive expedition cruises on purpose-built ships offer a new level of comforts and amenities not seen in years past for travelers looking to explore such remote and fascinating locations while getting up close to amazing wildlife.

Seabourn’s ships offer modern luxury alongside a range of fun toys to get out and see the destinations with subs, kayaks and Zodiacs.

Onboard, a highly curated enrichment program features expert naturalists and guest speakers make these experiences even more rewarding and memorable.

When to Go?

Seabourn Venture and Seabourn Pursuit will cruise in the polar regions during the ideal seasons.

The ships will offer long expedition voyages that relocate from one pole to the other each year, and along the way, segments can be booked to visit destinations like the Chilean fjords, Brazil, the Caribbean, Morocco or Western Europe.

Seabourn Venture of Seabourn Expeditions

The Seabourn Venture. * Rendering: Seabourn Expeditions

Activities & Entertainment

Seabourn’s expedition team (26 members on each ship) leads daily excursions, such as Zodiac sightseeing tours, shore walks, hikes snorkeling and kayak outings.

Insight is offered through enrichment talks at the Discovery Center theater and from guest lecturers as part of the Seabourn Conversations series.

Dining

Two restaurants are available onboard. The more casual buffet-style eatery Colonnade is an indoor-outdoor venue that offers the choice of the gourmet buffet or table service for breakfast and lunch and a bistro-style seated meal for dinners. The Restaurant is the traditional main dining room with open seating, no set dining time and full table-side service and a rotating menu of regional flavors.

You can also find light bites around the ship. Sushi in The Club features sushi bites in this lounge every evening. Seabourn Square, the ship’s living room, has a coffee bar with sandwiches, pastries and gelato. There is a self-serve Pantry in the Bow Lounge, and 24-hour room service is offered.

The Ships

Public Rooms

Seabourn Square is a main public area and loyal Seabourn cruisers know it from the other ship in the fleet. It offers seating areas set before looking out windows, the coffee shop and guest services desks. This venue also serves as the ship’s library, and you can get magazines and newspapers, too.

Discovery Center theater is a large lecture space with high-definition screens. The Expedition Lounge is a relaxing bar and lounge area where cruisers gather before and after their daily excursions. Touch-screens feature info related to your journey, with photos, navigational charts and weather readings.

The Bow Lounge and Constellation Lounge are two spaces designed especially to offer the best views of wildlife and the surrounding environment.

A fitness center and spa on Deck 7 features a sauna and yoga studio, as well as a gym facility with windows so you can soak up the serene scenes as part of the wellness regimen.

The Club and Sky Bar are situated at the aft on Deck 9, and the Landing Zone is the launching area/mud room for expeditions, located down on Deck 3.

Seabourn Expedition Cabins

The ships have 132 veranda suites, and cruisers can choose to book in any of four categories, with all cabins measuring at least 355 square feet. All suites are designed to sleep up to three people, with a pullout sofa that converts to the size of a twin bed.

The Veranda Suite (355 square feet), Panorama Venranda Suite (417 square feet) and Penthouse Suite (527 square feet) all feature living rooms, spacious balconies, walk-in closets, interactive TVs with music and on-demand movies, stocked bar and mini-fridge and a bathroom with separate shower and tub.

The premier suites (Owners Suite, Signature Suite and Wintergarden Suite) all feature at least 1,000 square feet of space and beautiful custom designs from noted designer Adam Tihany.