Seabourn has launched the first of its two new luxury expedition ships, Seabourn Venture.

The ship entered service on 27 July and welcomed its first guests 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 travelling 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.”

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 travellers 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 is a brand-new innovative design, created specifically for the ultra-luxury expedition traveller, 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.

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.

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.