Seabourn delays launch of expedition vessel

Seabourn has pushed back the UK launch of expedition vessel Seabourn Venture until April next year.

The “pandemic and supply chain challenges” have affected the building of the 264-passenger ship, which is being constructed at the T.Mariotti shipyard in Genoa, Italy, the line said.

Seabourn Venture had been due to launch in Greenwich, London, in December, but will now depart on its maiden voyage from the same port on April 10, 2022.

The ship will sail two UK itineraries next year, including its inaugural voyage from Greenwich, before repositioning and operating cruises in the Arctic. The new voyages will go on sale next week.

Affected passengers that had booked cruises between December 11 and April 24, 2022, will contacted by the line on Tuesday.

Seabourn president Josh Leibowitz said: “We had the opportunity to visit Seabourn Venture at the T. Mariotti shipyard and were amazed at the design and beauty of the ship.

“The ship will now launch in time for the inaugural summer season in the North Pole in 2022.”

Seabourn’s yet-to-be-named sister expedition ship is also under construction at T. Mariotti shipyard.

Both ships will be designed and built for diverse environments to PC6 Polar Class standards and will include hardware and technology that will extend the ships’ global deployment and capabilities.

Each will carry two custom-built submarines, 24 Zodiacs, kayaks, and a 26-person expert expedition team.