Seabourn has announced the inaugural itineraries of its upcoming luxury expedition cruise ship, the Seabourn Venture. Wild & Ancient British Isles Voyage and Scottish and Norse Legends Expedition set sail in APR 2022.
Both itineraries are now open for booking.
“We’re looking forward to the dawn of a new era of expedition cruising, and our inaugural Seabourn Venture itineraries through the British Isles, Scotland and Norway are the perfect beginning,” said Josh Leibowitz, president of Seabourn. “Our first purpose-built expedition vessel, Seabourn Venture, is a ship unlike any other, with a perfect blend of luxury and adventure to break boundaries and create lasting memories in destinations brimming with natural and cultural marvels.”
The first of the line’s two new, purpose-built expedition vessels, Seabourn Venture is scheduled to depart for its inaugural voyage on 10APR 2022 to explore the U.K. on the 12-day Wild & Ancient British Isles voyage from Greenwich (London), England, to Leith (Edinburgh). Afterwards, the ship will sail on a 12-day Scottish and Norse Legends Expedition out of Leith (Edinburgh) on 22APR to explore Scotland and Norway en route to Tromso, Norway.
From Tromso, Seabourn Venture will embark on its previously announced deployment for its first summer season in the Arctic, starting on 04MAY 2022. The ship will set sail in the Arctic, exploring destinations in Svalbard, the North Cape and other locations in Norway, as well as Iceland, Greenland, and the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Guests looking for a longer journey can combine the two new itineraries into a 24-day British Isles & Norse Legend Expedition voyage. Guests looking to extend their itinerary can combine the two new itineraries with the following 11-day Svalbard Exploration sailing for a 35-day voyage.
Highlights from Seabourn Venture’s inaugural voyages can be found below.
Wild & Ancient British Isles Voyage
The 12-day inaugural voyage starts in Greenwich (London) before setting sail to Tresco Island and its Abbey Gardens. Guests can visit Dublin, UNESCO’s City of Literature, taste whiskey from remote Islay distilleries, and take a Zodiac cruise to see Staffa Island and Fingal’s Cave. Other highlights include a visit to Iona, where St. Colomba established an Abbey in the year 563, watching puffins by their nests on Lunga Island, a trip to the UNESCO site on the Orkney Islands, and a Zodiac cruise to the seabird colonies of Copinsay.
Scottish and Norse Legends Expedition
On this itinerary, guests can see the the Fair Isle in the North Sea where 70 inhabitants live in traditional crofts, visit Mousa and its Iron Age round tower, take a trip to the UNESCO site of Bergen, and take in the art nouveau city of Ålesund. Other highlights include a Zodiac cruise through the Lofoten Islands and into narrow Trollfjord, another UNESCO site visit to Vega Archipelago, as well as the opportunity to set foot on Nordkapp, the northernmost end of Europe.
UNESCO World Heritage
Seabourn Venture takes advantage of Seabourn's official partnership with UNESCO World Heritage to offer UNESCO Partner Tours that visit a number of World Heritage Sites around the globe. On the first two itineraries, the ship will visit many destinations home to UNESCO sites, including:
- Am Bile, St. Kilda, Scotland – A volcanic archipelago including some of the highest cliffs in Europe where large seabird colonies nest.
- Bergen Norway – Visit Bryggen, the old wharf where the Hanseatic League ran its trading empire in the 14th century.
- Dublin, Ireland – The inspiration for renowned authors Jonathan Swift, Oscar Wilde, and Nobel Prize-winner James Joyce, with their inspirations woven into the city through named bridges, streets, and buildings.
- Flåm, Norway – Fjord landscapes with mountains that plunge from 1,400 meters into the sea.
- Greenwich (London), England – Visit the historic town center, Royal Park, and related institutional buildings – architectural symbols of English artistic and scientific endeavors from the 17th to 19th centuries.
- Kirkwall, Orkney Islands, Scotland – Home to archaeological discoveries including Skara Brae, the Ring of Brodgar, the Stones of Stennes, and Maeshowe tomb.
- Leith (Edinburgh), Scotland – The old town with a medieval fortress and adjacent new town with neoclassical form has influences on European urban planning and gives the city its character.
Seabourn Venture
The Seabourn Venture, as well as its sister ship, will offer shore excursions at nearly every destination the ships will visit. In addition, the ships offer expedition experiences such as hiking, snorkeling, scuba diving, and Zodiac cruising. Guests will have the opportunity to explore the cruise destinations through sea-level adventures, to trekking the islands, observing wildlife, and more. In addition to complimentary excursions, the ships will also offer optional shore excursions and Seabourn Expeditions with kayaking and two custom-built submarines at select destinations.
The ships’ 26-person expedition team of scientists, scholars and naturalists will operate and lead all of the Seabourn Expedition experiences. On Seabourn Venture’s first two voyages, the following expedition experiences are scheduled for exploration:
- Ålesund, Norway – via kayak and submarine
- Baile Mór, Iona, Scotland – via Zodiac landing and kayak
- Brønnøysund, Norway – via kayak
- Hugh Town, Isles of Scilly, UK – via kayak and submarine
- Isle of Runde, Norway – via Zodiac cruise, kayak, and submarine
- Mousa, Shetland Islands, Scotland – via Zodiac landing and kayak
- Rathlin Island, Northern Ireland – via Zodiac cruise and kayak
- Skarsvåg, Norway – via kayak, and submarine
- Staffa, Scotland – via Zodiac cruise, kayak, and submarine
- Svolvar (Lofoten), Norway – via Zodiac landing, kayak, and submarine
- Tobermory, Isle of Mull, Scotland – via kayak, and submarine
- Trollfjord, Norway – via Zodiac cruise
For more information on Seabourn, Seabourn Venture and its two new itineraries, visit www.seabourn.com.
