Seabourn Announces Brand New 2024-2025 Expedition Voyages
Cruise Line & Cruise Ship Seabourn February 24, 2023
WHY IT RATES: New expedition destinations, including The Kimberley region of Australia, are all on offer for the luxury line's 2024-25 cruising seasons. — Lacey Pfalz, Associate Writer, TravelPulse
Seabourn, the leader in ultra-luxury voyages and expedition travel, has unveiled a program of new exciting expedition voyages for summer 2024 and winter/spring 2025 on its two new purpose-built expedition vessels, Seabourn Venture and Seabourn Pursuit. Both ships will explore remote corners of the globe, from the South Pacific and Antarctica to the Arctic, Greenland, Iceland and more. The program also includes the line's first visit to the Kimberley region in northern Australia, where Seabourn Pursuit will travel between June and August 2024.
In addition to the Kimberley, Seabourn Pursuit will visit Papua New Guinea, Indonesia, and sail to the South Pacific from Chile to Melanesia between March and October 2024. Meanwhile, sister ship Seabourn Venture returns for another season in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Norway, Greenland, Iceland and the Canadian Arctic. Both ships will sail to the "The Great White Continent" at the end of 2024 and early 2025. All of the new 2024 and 2025 expedition voyages are now on sale, with full itinerary details available at www.seabourn.com.
"These new expeditions are going to be thrilling and offer so many opportunities for guests to discover the natural and cultural wonders found in some of the farthest corners of the planet, including our first-ever visit to the Kimberley in Australia," said Robin West, Vice President and General Manager of Expeditions. "Best of all, guests will be experiencing everything in the company of Expedition Team members who will bring the wonders of each destination to life. We're looking forward to many 'Seabourn Moments' with our guests, filled with thoughtful experiences for reconnection, discovery and adventure."
Seabourn Pursuit sails to the Kimberley and South Pacific
The Kimberley
With ancient, otherworldly landscapes, wildlife from short-eared rock-wallabies to flying foxes, and Aboriginal culture that traces back some 50,000 years, the Kimberley is an experience all its own in northernmost Western Australia. With the Expedition Team geared to lead Zodiac rides to Horizontal Waterfalls and guided hikes to surreal sandstone escarpments, spectacular gorges, and visits with the Traditional Landowners to see primeval caves tagged with rock art, Seabourn Pursuit will offer six 10-day voyages to the region between Broome and Darwin in June, July and August 2024.
Highlights include:
— Immersion in the remote Indonesian island of Matakus, with sandy beach access to swimming and snorkeling above coral in the Timor Sea.
— Visits to incredibly remote settings such as the Bungle Bungles, El Questro National Park, and the Ord River.
— Exploration of King George Falls, dual waterfalls and the highest in Western Australia, and miles-long Zodiac rides through rivers and sandstone gorges crowded with incredible geological formations.
— Talbot Bay, offering once-in-a-lifetime viewing of the Horizontal Waterfalls, while incredible "boab" trees will provide backdrops for photography and local stories.
— Helicopter viewing of the Hunter River and the Kimberley en route to the triple falls of Mitchell Plateau.
— Montgomery Reef, an ancient and biologically rich reef formed some 1.8 billion years ago and recognized today as one of the most significant geological marine environments in the Kimberley.
Papua New Guinea & West Papua
Seabourn Pursuit will operate a series of 15-day voyages to the Papua New Guinea and West Papua in May and June and again in August and September 2024, with combination voyages up to 35 days also available. Some of the world's most incredible snorkeling and diving wait at protected reefs off the mainland and islands surrounding Papua New Guinea and West Papua.
Guests will be welcomed warmly ashore at the village of Watam near the Ramu River, where traditional homes constructed of sago palm line the banks; front row seats for the sacred Baining Fire Dance at Rabaul under an active volcano on the island of New Britain; and mixing with locals in the matrilineal society of the Trobriand Islands, where yams are a form of currency. The itinerary also includes a rare visit to Agats, built on stilts amid a river that swells with the rising tide, as well as exploration of the Misool, Wayag, and Gam Islands, part of Raja Ampat ("Four Kings") of Indonesia, characterized by limestone rock formations called karsts that rise from the sea, and some of the most bio-diverse tropical waters on the planet.
The South Pacific from Chile to Melanesia
In March and April and again in September and October 2024, Seabourn Pursuit will sail between the islands of the South Pacific and the coast of Chile via a series of voyages of 14, 17, and 20 days, with combination voyages of up to 37 days also available.
Voyage itineraries will offer guests a wealth of opportunities for adventure, such as exploring the remote Juan Fernandez Archipelago off the coast of Chile, where dramatic and rocky coastlines harbor pink-footed shearwaters and fur seals; spending time at Easter Island with travel to the quarry where volcanic rock was excavated to carve the haunting moai that look longingly from the island's perimeter; visiting the volcanic islands of the Pitcairn group across hundreds of miles of ocean; visiting Marae Taputapuatea on Ra'iatea Island in French Polynesia, an incredible destination once considered the most important religious site in the region; and arriving ashore at the remote Yasawa Islands of Fiji to explore the incredible limestone formations of the Sawa-I-Lau Caves. Mysterious Ambrym Island and Pentecost Island of Vanuatu are also on itineraries.
Seabourn Venture heads north to the Arctic
The United Kingdom & Ireland
Seabourn Venture will offer three 14-day voyages between Greenwich (London) and Leith (Edinburgh) in April and May 2024, with two different itineraries and availability for combination voyages up to 28 days.
See world-renowned Tresco, home to the subtropical Abbey Gardens; Iona, where St. Columba established an Abbey in the year 563, with a Zodiac cruise to Staffa to look into naturally acoustic Fingal's Cave; and explore remote St. Kilda, a fascinating double UNESCO World Heritage Site on the edge of the world. Other highlights include the ancient archaeological treasures of Neolithic sites on the Orkney Islands; explorations of the vast seabird colonies of Copinsay by Zodiac and the rugged landscapes of tiny Lochinver in the Scottish Highlands by foot; and visits to Cape Clear and Schull on the rugged coast of West Cork, the historic architecture of ancient Kinsale, and the charming seaport town of Plymouth, abundant with traditional architecture, local gin production, and beautiful coastal nature.
Norway, Greenland, Iceland & the Canadian Arctic
Guests will experience unexpected discoveries as Seabourn Venture sails through Norway, Greenland, Iceland and the Canadian Arctic from June through September 2024. Expedition options include a series of 11- and 12-day Svalbard itineraries, a 15-day voyage from Svalbard to Greenland to Iceland, an 11-day circumnavigation of Iceland, and 11 to 15-day voyages in Iceland and Greenland before closing out Summer 2024 with a 14-day voyage from West Greenland to St. John's, Newfoundland. Combination voyages of 28 days will also be available.
Savor a safari-like experience in search of the majestic polar bear; the golden light of the midnight sun; the geological wonderland of Iceland teeming with volcanic features and great wildlife and cultural experiences; and a walk around Greenland's capital, Nuuk, where the National Museum preserves the famed Uummannaq mummies. Explorations via Zodiac include the cliffs and seabird colonies of Bear Island, Bjørnøya; the mouth of the UNESCO site Ilulissat Icefjord with an opportunity to kayak among the largest icebergs in the northern hemisphere; and the populous seabird colonies of Heimaey Iceland, known for its fascinating geological history. Destinations of discovery also include the world's longest and most beautiful fjord system in remote East Greenland, the waterways of Prins ChristianSund in Southern Greenland, and the Viking farm of Brattahlið where Leif Eriksson departed to discover Vinland en route to unknown North America.
Antarctica
Both expedition vessels will spend time at the bottom of the world, with Seabourn Pursuit offering the Seabourn Antarctic Experience on a 21-day voyage starting in February 2024, and then on 11 voyages of 11, 13, or 21 days from October 2024 through mid-March 2025. Seabourn Venture will also be bound far south following its exploration of the Arctic with nine voyages of 11, 13, or 21 days featuring the Seabourn Antarctic Experience from November 2024 to March 2025.
Whichever ship one chooses, their voyage will be nothing short of magical. Spy penguins, whales, and seals in their natural habitats; kayak around icebergs and massive glaciers; and hike along the edge of the continent to see its wonders up close in the company the Expedition Team, many of whom have made Antarctica the focus of their life's work. Highlights include the 600-mile crossing of Drake Passage between South America and Antarctica; spotting majestic seabirds including albatrosses, whizzing prions, and petrels; sailing the beauty of jagged glacier-covered mountains and mazes of blue-tinted icebergs; and explorations of frigid waters via kayak and underwater realms where marine worms, crustaceans, and brittle stars thrive via submarine. Some of the voyages will also explore the rich wildlife of the Falklands Islands and rugged South Georgia, a naturalist's paradise and sanctuary to elephant and fur seals, a half million pairs of King Penguins, more than 1 million Macaroni Penguins, and many other bird species.
Designed for Exploration and Outfitted for Adventure in Luxurious Comfort
Identical except for their names, Seabourn Pursuit and Seabourn Venture are designed for guests to enjoy life-expanding moments in exquisite, ultra-luxury comfort. Both vessels are built for diverse environments to PC6 Polar Class standards and equipped with the most modern hardware and technology to extend their global employment and capabilities.
Each expedition ship stretches 558 feet, with close to 30,000 square-feet of deck space apiece. Indoor and outdoor guest areas offer nearly 270-degree views, while a 4K GSS Cineflex Camera mounted on the mast of each ship's Constellation Lounge broadcasts imagery of natural wonders from up to 5 miles away. There are 132 oceanfront suites per vessel, all with verandas, as well as features to ensure exciting off-ship excursions including two custom-built submarines, 24 Zodiacs and kayaks and a 24-person expedition team.
SOURCE: Seabourn press release.
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