Seabourn, has opened for sale the revised inaugural expedition season itineraries for Seabourn Venture, the line’s first ultra-luxury purpose-built expedition ship. Between December 2021 and April 2022, Seabourn Venture will sail on a series of 10- to 14-day Norwegian Winter voyages, cruising the beautiful coastlines in Norway with ample opportunities for travellers to discover the country’s splendid winter landscape and its snow-draped scenery, to learn about each region’s fascinating Viking history and culture, and to search for the majestic Northern Lights.

“Our Norwegian Winter itineraries were carefully designed to offer guests the potential to view one of Earth’s true wonders, the Northern Lights,” said Josh Leibowitz, president of Seabourn. “There’s no better way to explore Norway’s winter beauty than on our new ultra-luxury expedition ship and all the activities it offers.”

The Norwegian Winter voyages will offer a new selection of both inclusive and optional expedition outdoor activities, such as skiing, snowshoeing, ice fishing, dog and reindeer sledding, and more. Dedicated excursions in search of Northern Lights will be available, including overnight camps at optimal viewing locations. In addition, there will be a new Seabourn signature event on all voyages for all guests on a complimentary basis: Concert in the Northern Lights Cathedral & Seabourn Signature Evening Event at the northern town of Alta, Norway. Seabourn Venture will also carry two six-seat custom submarines, expedition kayaks and 24 Zodiacs, providing additional opportunities for guests to explore Norway’s stunning winter landscape and diverse wildlife. Development of the shore excursion program is ongoing, and more details will be available in the coming months.

Guests on each of Seabourn Venture’s Norwegian Winter voyages will receive complimentary custom-designed jackets and backpacks outfitted by outdoor apparel company Helly Hansen, the official apparel partner for Seabourn. The PolarShield parkas will feature a Helly Tech® outer shell coupled with a removable insulator puff jacket inside. A waterproof WaterShield backpack will also be provided.

Dates and featured destinations of Seabourn Venture’s Norwegian winter itineraries in 2021 and 2022 include:

• Norway, Northern Lights & North Cape – Seabourn Venture will embark on a 12-day inaugural voyage from Greenwich, England, to Tromsø, Norway, departing December 11, 2021. The sailing is already sold out based on pre-booking for past Seabourn guests.
• Holiday Northern Lights, North Cape & Norway – Guests may spend the holidays and ring in 2022 on Seabourn Venture’s 14-day holiday voyage from Tromsø to Copenhagen, departing December 23, 2021.
• Norway & North Cape – In Search of Northern Lights – These 12-day voyages sail between Tromsø and Copenhagen. Departures from Tromsø: January 18 and March 7, 2022. Departures from Copenhagen: January 6 and 30, February 23 and March 19, 2022.
• Norway & North Cape – Two 12-day voyages sailing between Tromso & Copenhagen March 31 and April 12, 2022
• Norwegian Spring – The 10-day cruise will sail roundtrip from Tromsø, departing April 24, 2022.

Featured destinations planned to bring the region to life for guests include:

• Ålesund: Stretching into the Borgundfjord and backed by the Sunnmoere Alps, popular with skiers, Ålesund abounds with natural beauty. The town itself dates from the 9th century, when it was a Viking base for establishing settlements in France. Following a great fire in 1904, the town was rebuilt in the popular Art Nouveau style of the time. Today, the towers, turrets and romantic facades make this one of the loveliest towns in all of Norway. The city is also the world’s largest supplier of “klippfisk,” or dried cod, but the main attraction by far is the scenic beauty of Ålesund’s fjords and surrounding peaks, including 550-foot Mt. Aksla, which offers wonderful views of the town.
• Svolvær: Fishermen flock to the towering Lofoten islands, elected as some of the most beautiful islands in the world by National Geographic, when the herring gather in winter. Artists adore their picturesque, rugged peaks, shining seas and extraordinary light conditions. When the tides are right, the currents between them create large maelstroms. Visit a traditional fishing camp or a ride on small but mighty Icelandic horses. The Northern Lights are often visible here and kayaking and snorkeling are also on the agenda.
• Narvik: This fjord town north of the Arctic Circle has a modern War Museum recounting its place in World War II, and another with displays about the culture of the nomadic Sami reindeer herders. Nearby is a Polar Park offering close-up looks at Arctic wildlife, and a cable car to the top of Fagernesfjellet peak, as well as the scenic Ofoten railway that runs from Narvik through breathtaking fjords and mountains to Sweden.
• Alta: Sitting at the head of its namesake fjord on the coast of Norway’s northern Finnmark province, Alta is a popular place for visitors to view the Northern Lights in season, inspiring its soaring modern Northern Lights Cathedral. In this winter adventure capital of Norway, guests can snowmobile, snowshoe and fat-bike. Walk the paths beside nearby Hjemmeluft Bay, viewing the thousands of petroglyphs and visiting the UNESCO World Heritage Rock Art Centre, or see the steep canyon of the Alta River south of town.
• Honningsvåg: This working fishing port doubles as the access port for the North Cape (Nordkapp) cliffs on the windswept island of Magerøy nearby, marking the very top of the European continent. Its looming cliffs rise directly from the sea to a plateau as flat as a table. At 71° 10’ 20” N latitude, it is just 1,306 mi/2012 km from the North Pole and offers astonishing views of the Aurora Borealis during the winter months. Here the Norwegian Sea, part of the Atlantic Ocean, meets the Barents Sea in the Arctic Ocean.
• Cruising the Norwegian Fjords: Because of its size and design, Seabourn Venture can cruise the fjords to provide hours-long panoramas of scenic beauty and points of interest that unfurls on either side of the ship. Quaint villages nestle on shore and tiny farms cling impossibly to mountainsides. Waterfalls tinsel the slopes, frequently frozen into bizarre sculptural artforms. The Expedition Team members will be available to interpret the scenes, answer questions or just chat with guests.

Seabourn Venture is scheduled to launch in December 2021, with a second yet-to-be-named sister ship slated to launch in 2022. The ships are being designed from conception for expedition travel blended with ultra-luxury and personalized service by leading travel experts and seasoned professionals with great depth of experience in expedition, hospitality, and luxury cruising.

Hospitality design icon Adam D. Tihany will develop a design vision and create the indoor and outdoor guest areas for the ships, including multiple expedition spaces and lounges; all categories of luxurious guest suites, multiple dining venues; Spa & Wellness with Dr. Andrew Weil; outdoor deck areas; and the innovative and popular Seabourn Square multi-purpose space.

Both ships will be designed and built for diverse environments to PC6 Polar Class standards and will include a plethora of modern hardware and technology that will extend the ships global deployment and capabilities. The new ships will be a brand-new innovative design, created specifically for the ultra-luxury expedition traveler, and will include many features that have made Seabourn ships so successful. A new and exciting offering will be two custom-built submarines carried onboard, providing an unforgettable view of the world beneath the ocean’s surface. The ships will also be designed to carry expedition kayaks and 24 Zodiacs that can accommodate all onboard guests at once, which will allow for a truly immersive experience. Each ship will feature 132 luxurious oceanfront veranda suites. More details and full-color renderings of the ship and its interior spaces will be released in the months ahead.

Both expedition vessels will feature an onboard crew that will include outstanding and well-traveled expedition teams comprised of highly regarded wilderness experts, scientists, historians and naturalists. During each sailing, team members regularly interact with guests, providing keen insight to deliver a rich holistic travel experience. These fascinating, accomplished experts are also part of the Seabourn Conversations program, 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 at leisure.

More details about public spaces and suites on the new expedition ships will continue to be revealed in the coming months. 

For further details, availablity and a personalised quotation please call Deluxe Cruises on 01202 767926

Image Courtesy of Alex Conu visitnorway.com