The shipbuilder T. Mariotti has cut the first steel for Seabourn’s first-ever luxury expedition cruise ship, Seabourn Venture, at its yard in San Giorgo di Nogare, Italy.
Artists impression of Seabourn Venture
The ceremony marked the official start of the construction project for the ship, which is scheduled to debut in June 2021 and be joined by a yet-to-be-named sister in May 2022. We have been lucky enough to secure a suite for the inaugural voyage from London to Tromso.
The steel-cutting ceremony marks an important milestone in the process of shipbuilding, one that shipbuilder and cruise companies hardly forget,” said Marco Ghiglione, managing director at T. Mariotti. “We are very excited about this new endeavour that will result in Seabourn’s very first expedition ship. This project marks another milestone in our longstanding relationship with Seabourn, a partnership that has always been linked to crucial developments in the cruise line’s strategy.
Designed and built to meet Polar Class 6 standards both Seabourn Venture and her sister will have 132 veranda suites, dining venues, lounge and other indoor and outdoor public spaces designed by Adam D. Tihany, who will also produce bespoke furniture for the vessels. Tihany has previously created the luxury yacht-inspired interiors on Seabourn Encore and Seabourn Ovation, as well as The Grill by Thomas Keller restaurants on Seabourn Odyssey, Seabourn Sojourn and Seabourn Quest. Other highlights will include a fleet of kayaks, two custom-built submarines and 24 zodiacs to enable crew to take all guests on a tour at once.
It’s an exciting time at Seabourn and the cutting of the first steel means we are officially underway in making our first expedition ship come together,” said Richard Meadows, president of Seabourn. “We’re looking forward to watching raw steel transformed into a beautiful vessel. With Adam Tihany’s extraordinary design vision and Mariotti’s excellent and meticulous craftsmanship, Seabourn Venture will undoubtedly be a ground-breaking ship in ultra-luxury expedition travel.
Seabourn Venture will kick off her inaugural season with cruises to the polar regions, sailing to the Arctic for the summer and later move to the Antarctic. (images courtesy of Seabourn)
