On the Seabourn Food And Wine Cruise we defined Seabourn Sense as a genuinely keen interest in offering cruise travelers more.  Seabourn Sense on that special themed sailing brought intense culinary experiences like no other we have ever experienced or know of being offered by other cruise lines.  Seabourn Sense differentiates the ultra-luxury cruise line from others by constantly looking really hard at what they offer in other areas as well.  When there is an opportunity to do better, Seabourn takes it.  Better yet, those who craft what cruise travelers can experience look past obvious opportunities, surprising Seabourn Guests with their perspicacious offerings.  New Ventures By Seabourn is yet another good example of Seabourn Sense in action.

“Combined with our onboard enrichment program that is filled with local, cultural content, Ventures by Seabourn will deliver extensive, authentic destination experiences that our guests are seeking.” – John Delaney, senior vice president of marketing and sales.

Cruise lines can gain a measure of credibility in the world of destination immersion simply by stringing together a number of interesting ports of call.  Throwing in a local guest speaker, a themed menu and/or some other port-specific event and off to the destination races they go, along with a number of other cruise lines.  Seabourn Sense, as we are becoming accustomed to expect, demands more.

Taking The Conversation Ashore

Already in place, the Seabourn Conversations onboard enrichment program brings aboard experts in history, ecology, wildlife and culture. Complementing that popular program, taking it a bit further, making it even better, Ventures by Seabourn offers opportunities to enhance and extend how Seabourn Guests experience destinations…by Zodiac and kayak.

Leveraging the ship’s fold out aft marina, Ventures by Seabourn will begin this summer on three Northern Europe voyages aboard Seabourn Quest

Tour leaders include:

• Dr. Colleen Batey, a senior lecturer in archaeology at the University of Glasgow, Scotland, who has traveled extensively through Scandinavia and its surrounding areas;
• Kara Weller, whose research ranges from whales in the Bering Sea to mouflan sheep in Eastern Europe, and has traveled over 130 times to Antarctica;
• Luciano Bernacchi, whose travels to many destinations and wilderness areas around the world have led to a wealth of experience in adventure travel and ecotourism;
• Matt J. Dolan, who kayaked the entire Inside Passage from Seattle to Muir Glacier in Glacier Bay National Park, Alaska – a journey that encompassed more than 1,300 miles and a feat that few have accomplished;
• Robin West, Seabourn’s Manager of Expedition Operations & Planning, who led the line’s first two Antarctica programs and has tremendous experience in the operations of the expedition business.

Seabourn Sense In Action

This is also a great example of a cruise line taking a good long look at both the people and the hardware that make up their cruise experience, looking to do more with both.

Available in select ports, Ventures by Seabourn will lead take Seabourn Guests through picturesque waterways and fjords, secluded inlets and to scenic islands via sturdy, stable Zodiac inflatable boats or paddling in double sea kayaks launched from the unique fold-out water sports marina already in place on all Seabourn vessels.

Seabourn plans to expand Ventures by Seabourn fleetwide over time, including adding kayaking tours to the Antarctica sailings.  The first wave of Ventures by Seabourn will be offered on three Seabourn Quest voyages through the summer of 2015, including these sailings that still have space available:

• 14-Day Majestic Fjords and North Cape – Two voyages departing June 13 and July 11 from Copenhagen, Denmark. Ventures by Seabourn will offer sea-level exploration and shore excursions at several destinations including the magnificent fjord landscapes of the Lyse area around Stavanger by Zodiac; the Lofoten Islands by Zodiac; Nordfjord of Olden, Norway, by kayak; a zodiac tour of the Storstappen Islands and Nordkapp and a hike to Nordkapp, and more.

• 24-Day Route of the Vikings – Departing August 8 from Copenhagen, Denmark, and traveling to Scotland, Iceland, Greenland, Newfoundland and Quebec, Canada, en route to Montreal. Ventures by Seabourn will offer excursions at several destinations along the way, including a Zodiac exploration of the natural beauty surrounding Ísafjörður, Iceland; a kayak experience to glimpse icebergs and shore birds in and around Qaqortoq, Greenland; a naturalist-led Zodiac exploration of icebergs, plants and wrecks amid the islands surrounding Paamiut, Greenland; and more.

Booked Seabourn Guests can add  Ventures by Seabourn shore excursions online. For reservations or more details, see your travel agent; call Seabourn at 1-800-929-9391 or visit www.seabourn.com.

Here is more on what sailing with Seabourn is like: