In Cruise Lines Build More Small Ships, Faster, we introduced new Celebrity Flora, the first ship designed specifically for the Galapagos Islands. In this second in a series of articles, we take a look at the latest from ultra-luxury Seabourn and a first glimpse of select public spaces on its two new ultra-luxury purpose-built expedition ships.

“Each of these newly designed spaces hits that note perfectly, leaving our guests wanting for nothing and giving them an inviting place to talk to fellow travelers each day about the incredible experiences they had, sharing memorable stories or viewing photos they took.”

-Richard Meadows, Seabourn president

The Expedition Lounge, Discovery Center, and Landing Zone are new for Seabourn and promise to be instrumental in creating a sense of awe and adventure for expedition travelers on board amidst an environment of exceptional, intuitive service.

Let’s take a look at each.

Expedition Lounge: The Expedition Lounge, located on Deck 4, is the heart of the ship. A gathering place for the curious, guests are invited to relax or linger with a complimentary cocktail or glass of fine wine from the bar as they share photos and stories from the day with their fellow travelers and the onboard staff. The Expedition Lounge will be central to the Seabourn expedition operation where guests convene before and after expeditions each day.

Discovery Center: The Discovery Center, which is adjacent to the Expedition Lounge on Deck 4, acts as the teaching & academic center for natural history and cultural programming in an environment spacious enough to accommodate all guests at one time. Each day, guests will visit this venue for insightful lectures, briefings, and Seabourn Conversations enrichment programming designed to help educate them throughout their expedition experience.

Landing Zone: The launch and recovery point for landings, each of the two Landing Zones – Port & Starboard, both located on Deck 3 – will be a generous 60 square meters in size, allowing guests to change and clean their gear in comfort while also providing space to store their rubber boots. The Landing Zone, commonly known as a mud room, has been designed for extreme functionality and accessibility with a durable material palette and optimum location on the ship to allow guests direct access to one of the 24 Zodiacs available for off-ship adventures.

Atrium: The Atrium is a focal point on all Seabourn ships with its elegant winding staircase. On Seabourn’s expedition ships, the sky lit space will continue the wood and metal detailing present throughout the ship with details such as rhythmically placed ropework in place of more traditional spindles and a topography inspired wall treatment. Suspended at the center of the Atrium and echoed again at its base is a captivating art display emulating traditional wind measuring instruments.

More details about public spaces and suites on the new expedition ships will continue to be revealed in the coming months. Specific details about itineraries and booking availability will be released shortly. Stay tuned.

“When you conjure up images of the ideal adventure trip, you would head out into the stunning wilderness for the day knowing that when you return a cozy, welcoming space filled with luxurious materials like leathers and rich woods that invites relaxation and conversation awaits you,”

-Richard Meadows, Seabourn president

Also see: Cruise Lines Build More Small Ships, Faster