Seabourn Unveils Passenger Submarine Design
Seabourn has revealed the design for its custom submarines that will operate excursions from the line’s two upcoming ultra-luxury expedition ships.
Both Seabourn Venture and her yet-to-be-named sister ship will sail globally carrying two U-Boat Worx Cruise Sub 7 submarines designed specifically for Seabourn.
Each battery-powered sub will carry six guests as well as a pilot and is capable of reaching depths of up to 300 meters. They are certified for continuous diver operations of up to eight hours. Independent certification by classification society DNV GL provides international compliance. The submersibles are battery-powered, and therefore have no adverse environmental impacts.
Guests are seated in two clear acrylic spheres flanking the center pilot’s station. The three passenger seats in each sphere are mounted on a rotating platform. The subs will be outfitted with a 4k underwater video camera system and an internal video recording system. Video footage can then be downloaded and projected on large screens in the Discovery Center during lectures aboard the ships. A six-function manipulator arm capable of lifting up to 32kg (about 70 pounds) will also be mounted on the side of the sub. In keeping with the luxury experience found on Seabourn, each sub on both ships will be outfitted with custom embroidered leather upholstery, two air conditioning systems, a Bluetooth stereo system, and champagne chiller.
The subs will be operated multiple times per day in regions around the world where conditions are suitable. They will be equipped with underwater LED flood/spot lights, imaging sonar and an advanced underwater tracking and navigation system.
“The undersea world is often considered as the last great frontier on Earth, with more than 80 percent of the underwater realm remaining unmapped, unobserved and unexplored according to the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration,” said Robin West, vice president of Expedition Operations for Seabourn. “With these subs, we’re going to take our guests to places that few have ever seen firsthand, leaving them with a perspective on the world around us that is jaw-dropping and will create stories to last a lifetime.”
The new Polar Class 6, 178-meter ships will also be designed to carry a number of kayaks and 24 Zodiacs that can accommodate all onboard guests at once.
The vessels will be sailing globally – from the Arctic to the Antarctic. Seabourn Venture is scheduled to launch in June 2021, and her sister ship is expected to launch in May 2022. Between July 2021 and April 2022, Seabourn Venture is scheduled to visit more than 150 destinations.
Seabourn currently operates a fleet of five modern ultra-luxury ships.