The sex lives of seahorses are even racier than you could imagine. And believe it or not, the global intrigues that led to what became known as the Guano Wars are more fascinating than any spy novel.
These are among the many surprising things you can learn in talks from experts on a cruise aboard Seabourn Venture, a new expedition ship that adds enlightenment to exploration. It’s an experience that will have you thinking in new directions and visiting places you wouldn’t be likely to visit any other way.
But is shipping out for adventure on Seabourn Venture right for you? Let’s get on board and find out.
The ship is small and very personal
The all-suite guest Seabourn Venture and an identical new sister ship Seabourn Pursuit carry a maximum of 260 guests and have crews of 120. While the ship is 10 decks tall, it’s easy to get around and there are plenty of opportunities to get to know fellow guests, crew and the dozens of experts on the team.
The innovative ship is tough enough to break through Arctic ice and agile enough to reach the remotest corners of the earth, but it also offers the elegance and luxury you expect from Seabourn Cruises. We’re fortunate enough to be among the first guests in its inaugural season heading toward a winter in Antarctica, where it’s summer time.
The itinerary of this two-week segment was somewhat untypical of the ship that’s outfitted for exploring to the polar extremes. This trip began in Lima, Peru and ended in Santiago, Chile where a new group of passengers would board to head to Antarctica.
While the cocktail reception on the first night included a presentation on how to make a wet landing from an inflatable boat and how to rinse off boots in a Mud Room after a wildlife watch ashore, as it turned out, on almost all of our port stops in South America the ship we were docked in a town and many of our expeditions were into deserts rather than wetlands. Still, every day was an incredible adventure.
A day on board is what you make it
You won’t hear announcements it as you do on bigger ships promoting Jackpot Bingo, Name that Tune and races down water slides. While there is a casino, there are no poker tournaments or slot machine challenges. On Seabourn Venture you’re free to set your own itinerary.
Days start as early as you want them. The casual Constellation Lounge offers an Early Morning Riser continental breakfast that’s very popular even on days when the ship is at sea and folks could sleep in.
Morning will find wildlife experts on deck to explain the birds and sea life and guests can join the viewing using binoculars provided in their suites. A popular spot is the Bow Lounge on Deck 6, close to the water where guests can step out onto the front deck to take in the scene. The lounge features instruments displaying the same navigation and weather data that’s coming into the ship’s bridge two decks above.
During the day there are wildlife and history talks and photography advice sessions led by specialists who know how to make them entertaining as well as thought provoking. For instance, did you know, that European military ship builders and arms makers supplied much of the technology during wars over resources between Peru, Bolivia and Chile? The nineteenth century conflicts were handy proxies to test the effectiveness of ship armor and weapon technology in real battles before being installed on warships in Europe and the United States. Hmm…do you suppose things like that still happen today?
And who would have imagined rocks could be riveting? Among the specialists on this cruise was geologist and volcanologist who offered literally in-depth presentations of what’s going on underground in the volcano-rich west coasts of Chile and Peru that have seen some of the world’s largest earthquakes.
An afternoon highlight is an enhanced afternoon tea service featuring fresh pastries and gourmet teas. At sunset, there are cocktails and tapas in the Constellation and sushi in the Club lounge.
You meet the most interesting characters
A big focus of expeditions is the opportunity to get close to wildlife and Seabourn Venture has an array of equipment and a roster of experts and zodiac and submarine pilots who can get you face to face with elegant seabirds, preening penguins and personable sea lions.
On days in port, there were complimentary shore excursions and even though we didn’t have to hop into zodiacs and make wet landings to get ashore, there were generally options for getting on a zodiac to check out wildlife on remote islands.
It’s a revelation that much of the west coast of South America receives almost no rainfall. Most of the land experiences required bus rides through desert terrain that actually proved fascinating. Many hillsides feature enigmatic rock sculptures that have survived centuries without being washed away. And yet the desert can still bloom and local markets were stocked with fresh produce.
Seabourn is the official cruise partner of UNESCO World Heritage as part of a multi-year agreement to promote sustainable tourism at World Heritage properties. Tours include visits to ghost towns that once had huge populations mining nitrites. Saltpeter that was more valuable than silver because it was what gave gunpowder its explosive oomph in the days of cannons. It was the cause of the so-called Guano Wars between Chile, Peru and Bolivia in the nineteenth century that had Britain and the United States actively pulling strings behind the scenes.
Even when we were docked in a port, there were options to head out to remote coves and islands to view wildlife. To do a tour in a Zodiac, you need to put on a life vest, although the ones on Seabourn are ultra high tech and fit more like a neck support than the typical spare tire-size life vests.
And of course, while you’re exploring, you get to know the fellow guests, who are a well-travelled group with fascinating stories of their own. Conversations start up naturally over coffee in the Seabourn Square, which is the social hub of the ship and continue on the day’s expeditions which tend to be small group affairs, often with no more than a dozen.
Every bite is a gourmet experience
Seabourn is known for its fine dining and they keep up the quality even when the ships are far from civilization. Premium spirits and fine wines are all complimentary and, of course, you can order caviar with blinis with drinks in the lounges or as an appetizer at dinner.
The main dinner option on the ship is The Restaurant, an open seating fine dining restaurant open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. The Colonnade is a more casual alternative for buffet or table service breakfasts and lunches and themed dinner served tableside. Menus include family-style dishes inspired by Seabourn’s Michelin-star winning chef Thomas Keller. On pleasant evenings you can also dine on the outdoor Patio that has the same menu as the Colonnade and is a prime place for star-gazing.
An option is Sushi in The Club lounge, which has two sushi chefs creating a range of sushi each evening. You can make it a meal in the lounge with its cozy fireplace and the music of a duo each evening.
Seabourn Square, which is the social hub of the ship the social gathering space in the middle of the ship features a coffee bar that ages its beans for the best flavor and serves pasties and cereals at breakfast; switching to sandwiches, snacks and home made gelati through the day. There are also light snacks in a pantry in the Bow Lounge.
Life is not a cabaret, but doesn’t have to be
A little light entertainment in The Club–Photo by Wallace Immen
You won’t find lavish song and dance shows or Broadway productions on this ship but the quality of entertainment on Seabourn Venture more than makes up for lack of quantity. After dinner there is a casino, music and dancing in The Club and most evenings had a concert or novelty act in the Discovery Center. One of the headliners as a magician whose act had actually stumped the masters on the syndicated television show Penn & Teller Fool Us. Warning: don’t sit in the front row if you don’t want to become part of the show.
Another highlight before dinner one evening was a gorgeous and evocative video of the cruise highlights taken by the professional videographer on board. It’s exclusively available for guests to stream when they get home.
The cruise lasted two weeks and was ending all too soon. I envied the guests coming on board for the next two weeks of adventure in Antarctica and I wish I could have joined them. While the expedition ships are smaller than other Seabourn ships, ultimately, Seabourn Venture is still a true Seabourn ship. You’ll find it’s a luxury experience that will bring you back for more.
Seabourn Venture will sail on 11- to 22-day voyages to Antarctica, South Georgia and Falkland Islands through March then do a series of Brazil and the Amazon cruises. Between June and August 2023, Seabourn Venture will then explore the Arctic with a series of 14- and 15-day voyages to Greenland and Iceland. On August 27, 2023, the ship will embark on a 23-day journey across the Northwest Passage.
Editor’s note: Seabourn has cancelled Venture’s cruises due to depart from Apr. 7 to Apr. 30, 2023 because the ship needs to go into dry dock for repairs after its Antarctic season.
Story by Wallace Immen, The Cruisington Times
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