New Seabourn Expedition Cruise Ship Arrives at Mariotti for Outfitting
Construction is proceeding on the next generation of cruise ships. Over the weekend, the hull of the new expedition cruise ship, the Seabourn Venture, completed a more than 1,200-mile voyage between two shipyards. The completed hull will now be fitted out preparing for the cruise ship’s entry into service in December 2021.
The ship, which is the first dedicated expedition cruise ship for Seabourn Cruises, one of the Carnival Corporation’s brands, is part of the wave of new ships being built for the market segment. Expedition cruising is one of the fastest-growing segments of the cruise business. Seabourn, which operates smaller, luxury cruise ships, is building two dedicated expedition cruise ships as part of the wave of new ships underway for the segment. By 2023, 40 new cruise ships, which with nearly 8,000 berths, are expected to enter service offering expedition cruises to exotic destinations.
The hull, with its superstructures built up to deck 9 for the new Seabourn Venture was built at the CIMAR shipyard in San Giorgio di Nogaro, Italy, as part of the order with T. Mariotti and Cimolai. The new ship, after a delicate maneuver, was floated on March 30 in Trieste and then left for Genoa, where she arrived on April 10. The hull has already been outfitted with engines, generators, and the main equipment of the engine room.
Arriving at the T. Mariotti yard in Genoa, the hull will complete the outfitting phase with the integration of further superstructures, built in Genoa in recent months. Technical work will include the installation of the propulsion systems. The yard will also oversee the completion of the interiors and the outfitting of the passenger spaces.
The 23,000 gross ton ship will be part of the new wave of luxury cruise ships for the expedition market. It will have a length of 558 feet with accommodations for up to 260 passengers in 132 oceanfront veranda suites. Designed and built for diverse environments, the hull is being built to PC6 Polar Class standards and the ship will be equipped with a variety of technologies that will increase the ship's capabilities and global reach. Among the passenger amenities, will be two custom-built submarines and 24 zodiacs allowing all guests to go out on excursions at once. Other amenities including a forward view lounge looking over the bow, a discovery center for presentations about the destinations, and ready rooms to prepare for excursions.
The inaugural cruises will take place in Norway during the winter of 2021-2022. The Seabourn Venture is then scheduled to sail to the Arctic and later in 2022 reposition to the Caribbean, Central, and South American before heading to the Antarctic. Her unnamed sister ship is due to enter service in 2022.
"We are proud to welcome the hull of Seabourn Venture, a prestigious order for Mariotti and Genova Industrie Navali Group," said Marco Bisagno, President of T. Mariotti during an event to mark the arrival in Genoa. "The interest shown by the institutions, which I thank for being here today, comforts us also about the future of the shipbuilding industry in Genoa, a sector that employs many people. We are confident that what is being discussed regarding the possible renewal of the Italian ferry fleet can bring new orders for our shipyards."
Seabourn has an ongoing relationship with the T. Mariott shipyard which built the company's current luxury cruise ships. Two of the cruise line’s ships, the Seabourn Sojourn and the Seabourn Quest, also recently arrived at the shipyard. They will be undergoing maintenance before their return to service at a future date. A third cruise ship, the Seabourn Ovation, is scheduled to be the company’s first to return to service sailing cruises from Greece between July and October 2021.