Seabourn has announced the 2021-2022 Norwegian Winter Inaugural Season is now open, onboard the new Seabourn Venture, the line’s first ultra-luxury purpose-built expedition ship. Between December 2021 and April 2022, Seabourn Venture will sail on a series of 10- to 14-day Norwegian Winter voyages, cruising the beautiful coastlines in Norway.
Guests will have ample opportunities to discover the country’s winter landscape and its snow-draped scenery, to learn about each region’s fascinating Viking history and culture, and to search for the majestic Northern Lights.
“Our Norwegian Winter itineraries were carefully designed to offer guests the potential to view one of Earth’s true wonders, the Northern Lights,” said Josh Leibowitz, president of Seabourn. “There’s no better way to explore Norway’s winter beauty than on our new ultra-luxury expedition ship and all the activities it offers.”
Expedition Life on Seabourn Venture
The Norwegian Winter voyages will offer a new selection of both inclusive and optional expedition outdoor activities, such as skiing, snowshoeing, ice fishing, dog and reindeer sledding. Dedicated excursions in search of Northern Lights will be available, including overnight camps at optimal viewing locations.
In addition, there will be a new Seabourn complimentary signature event on all voyages for all guests: Concert in the Northern Lights Cathedral & Seabourn Signature Evening Event at the northern town of Alta, Norway.
Seabourn Venture will carry two six-seat custom-built submarines, providing view of the world beneath the ocean’s surface. The ship will also carry expedition kayaks and 24 Zodiacs, providing more opportunities for guests to explore Norway’s stunning winter landscape and diverse wildlife.
Guests on each of Seabourn Venture’s Norwegian Winter voyages will receive complimentary custom-designed jackets and backpacks outfitted by outdoor apparel company Helly Hansen, the official apparel partner for Seabourn. The PolarShield parkas will feature a Helly Tech outer shell coupled with a removable insulator puff jacket inside. A waterproof WaterShield backpack will also be provided.
Tromso, Norway – Northern Lights
Inaugural Season Itineraries
Dates and Seabourn Venture’s Norwegian winter itineraries in 2021 and 2022 include:
Norway, Northern Lights & North Cape: Seabourn Venture will embark on a 12-day inaugural voyage from Greenwich, England, to Tromsø, Norway, departing Dec. 11, 2021. The sailing is already sold out based on pre-booking for past Seabourn guests.
Holiday Northern Lights, North Cape & Norway: Guests may spend the holidays and ring in 2022 on Seabourn Venture’s 14-day holiday voyage from Tromsø to Copenhagen, departing Dec. 23, 2021.
Norway & North Cape-In Search of Northern Lights: These 12-day voyages sail between Tromsø and Copenhagen. Departures from Tromsø: Jan. 18 and March 7, 2022. Departures from Copenhagen: Jan. 6 and 30, Feb. 23 and March 19, 2022.
Norway & North Cape: Two 12-day voyages sailing between Tromso & Copenhagen departing March 31 and April 12, 2022
Norwegian Spring: This 10-day cruise will sail roundtrip from Tromsø, departing April 24, 2022.
Honningsvåg, Norway
Featured Norway Destinations
Featured destinations for the winter inaugural season include:
Ålesund: Stretching into the Borgundfjord and backed by the Sunnmoere Alps, popular with skiers, Ålesund abounds with natural beauty. The town itself dates from the 9th century, when it was a Viking base for establishing settlements in France. Following a great fire in 1904, the town was rebuilt in the popular Art Nouveau style of the time. Today, the towers, turrets and romantic facades make this one of the loveliest towns in all of Norway. The city is also the world’s largest supplier of “klippfisk,” or dried cod, but the main attraction is the scenic beauty of Ålesund’s fjords and surrounding peaks, including 550-foot Mt. Aksla.
Svolvær: Fishermen flock to the towering Lofoten islands when the herring gather in winter. National Geographic elected the islands as some of the most beautiful in the world. Artists adore their picturesque, rugged peaks, shining seas and extraordinary light conditions. When the tides are right, the currents between them create large maelstroms. The Northern Lights are often visible here.
Narvik: This fjord town north of the Arctic Circle has a modern War Museum recounting its place in World War II, and another with displays about the culture of the nomadic Sami reindeer herders. Nearby is a Polar Park offering close-up looks at Arctic wildlife, and a cable car to the top of Fagernesfjellet peak. The scenic Ofoten railway runs from Narvik through breathtaking fjords and mountains to Sweden.
Alta: Sitting at the head of its namesake fjord on the coast of Norway’s northern Finnmark province, Alta is a popular place for visitors to view the Northern Lights in season, inspiring its soaring modern Northern Lights Cathedral. In this winter adventure capital of Norway, guests can snowmobile, snowshoe and fat-bike. Nearby attractions include Hjemmeluft Bay, featuring thousands of petroglyphs, and the UNESCO World Heritage Rock Art Centre.
Honningsvåg: This working fishing port doubles as the access port for the North Cape (Nordkapp) cliffs on the windswept island of Magerøy nearby, marking the very top of the European continent. Its looming cliffs rise directly from the sea to a plateau as flat as a table. It is just 1,306 miles from the North Pole and offers views of the Aurora Borealis during the winter months. Here the Norwegian Sea, part of the Atlantic Ocean, meets the Barents Sea in the Arctic Ocean.
Bow Lounge, Seabourn Venture
Designed for Luxury and Diverse Environments
Seabourn Venture is scheduled to launch in December 2021, and is designed for expedition travel blended with ultra-luxury and personalized service. A second yet-to-be-named sister ship is slated to launch in 2022.
Hospitality design icon Adam D. Tihany will create the ship’s indoor and outdoor guest areas, including multiple expedition spaces and lounges; luxurious suites, superb dining venues; Spa & Wellness with Dr. Andrew Weil; outdoor deck areas; and the innovative and popular Seabourn Square multi-purpose space.
Seabourn Venture has a brand-new innovative design and has been built for diverse environments to PC6 Polar Class standards. The ship will include modern hardware and technology that extends its global deployment and capabilities. Seabourn Venture will also include many features that have made Seabourn ships so successful.
Because of its size and design, Seabourn Venture can cruise the Norwegian fjords to provide hours-long panoramas of scenic beauty and points of interest that unfurl on either side of the ship. Quaint villages nestle on shore and tiny farms cling impossibly to mountainsides.
The ship’s expedition team is comprised of wilderness experts, scientists, historians and naturalists. During each sailing, team members will be available to interpret the landscape and points of interest, answer questions or just chat with guests.
These experts are also part of the Seabourn Conversations program, providing insights into the history, ecology and culture of the places they visit. Their insights are offered both in formal presentations on a variety of topics and in more casual conversations over meals, on deck during scenic cruising or at leisure.
For reservations or more details, please contact us at Global Travel Destinations.
