Seabourn Cruise Line wants to build what will be the most luxurious expedition ships yet. It’s signed a letter of intent for the construction of two 264-berth ultra-luxury expedition ships in a new partnership between shipbuilders T. Mariotti of Italy and Damen of the Netherlands.
They join a growing proliferation of small exploration ships being built by various cruise lines to explore the Arctic and Antarctic as well as other exotic locations around the world. Seabourn’s new ships will include many features that have made its ships successful, as well as features including two submarines on board and 24 Zodiac inflatable boats to enhance the expedition experience, the line says.
The first delivery is expected in June 2021, with the second scheduled in May 2022. The 558-foot, 23,000-ton vessels will meet PC6 Polar Class standards, able to cruise in first-year ice. They’re larger than the three 525-foot, 20,000-ton ships being built for luxury competitor Crystal Cruises.
“It’s been amazing to watch the growth of our expedition-style experiences since our first sailing to Antarctica in 2013 through today,” said Robin West, vice- president of expedition operations and planning for Seabourn. “A year ago we started developing the concept for this next chapter of our expedition story with dedicated ships built to take luxury travellers to the most coveted places on the planet.”
Details of itineraries and booking availability will be released in early 2019.
