SeaDream Announces Plans for New Yacht Cruise Ship in 2029
SeaDream Yacht Club, an operator of two small yacht cruise ships, announced plans to add a third, larger cruise ship to its fleet in 2029. It comes as the market is undergoing rapid growth and with the company’s two ships now 42 years old.
Plans for SeaDream III were unveiled on September 1, with the company reporting it was opening reservations for the July 10, 2029, maiden voyage from Hong Kong. The company announced an elaborate inaugural year that will see the ship sail from the Orient to Southeast Asia, Indonesia, Australia and New Zealand, India, Arabia, the Mediterranean, Northern Europe, and then across the Atlantic in the fall of 2030 to Canada, the United States, and the Caribbean. On January 5, 2031, it is scheduled to sail the line’s first-ever world cruise, 180 days ending in London.
SeaDream tells The Maritime Executive that the vessel is currently in the engineering phase. It will be built by China Merchants Cruise Shipbuilding in coordination with European engineering and technical suppliers. Plans call for the new ship to be 16,500 gross tons versus its current vessels, which are just 4,333 GT.
Many of the details were not revealed for the new ship, but it will have accommodations for 230 passengers versus the current ships, which each carry just 112 passengers. The new ship will be 151 meters (495 feet) in length and have a crew of approximately 200. SeaDream is emphasizing it will “remain rooted in the defining qualities” of its operation, including an intimate yachting style and personalized service.
The line says that open-air living will be at the center of the design of the new ship, with expansive upper decks, a dedicated pool deck, indoor and outdoor dining spaces and three dedicated watersports marinas. It will also feature an expanded spa and fitness and wellness offerings. SeaDream says every space on the new ship has been reconsidered rather than simply being enlarged. It calls the new ship the next evolution of its experience, building on the iconic design of its two current ships.
The company says there will be a greater selection of passenger accommodations. But unlike others in the ultra-luxury category, which are emphasizing all suites with private balconies, 20 of the staterooms on the new ship will not have balconies.
“SeaDream III has been designed not only to travel farther, but to bring guests closer to the places she visits,” said Atle Brynestad, founder and owner of SeaDream Yacht Club. “Her size will allow her to reach distinctive harbors and sail globally while maintaining the highly personalized experience our guests expect. This deployment reflects the spirit of SeaDream: unhurried exploration, exceptional service and access to places best experienced by yacht.”
The two ships, SeaDream I and SeaDream II, were pioneers in the modern ultra-luxury category, introduced in 1984 and 1985 as the SeaGoddess I and SeaGoddess II. A small private company, it, however, faced severe financial challenges with the ships being chartered in 1986 and later sold to Cunard before shipbuilder Wärtsilä could foreclose and sell the ships to Kloster’s Royal Viking Line. The ships were transferred to Seabourn Cruise Line in 1999 after Carnival Corporation acquired the company, and in 2001 were acquired by Brynestad, who had also been the founder of Seabourn in 1987.
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The two ships have built a loyal clientele and niche following, building on the yacht-style experience. They were last refurbished in 2023 and 2024.
SeaDream had announced plans in March 2019 to build its first new cruise ship. It entered into an agreement with Damen for a Polar 6 class ship that was to be 155 meters (508 feet) in length. The ship was to have entered service in September 2021, but the order was canceled after just a few months.
