By
Alex Smith |
Seabourn has held a launch ceremony for its newest expedition ship. Seabourn Venture, at the T. Mariotti shipyard in Genoa, Italy.
Jarda Versloot-West, Seabourn’s senior manager of expedition staffing, served as godmother for the event. She was joined by Josh Leibowitz, president of Seabourn, and Marco Ghiglione, managing director of T. Mariotti.
"After the steel cutting and keel laying, we are all here to celebrate another important milestone before the final completion of Seabourn Venture," said Ghiglione. "The dedication of all people involved in the construction is a matter of pride for T. Mariotti, and we are absolutely sure that we are building something special: a unique ship that will be the top in the luxury cruise expedition market."
A bottle of champagne was broken against the hull to commemorate the milestone. The ship will now move from its dry dock to the outfitting dock at the shipyard, where she will undergo final construction until the ship is delivered.
“This ceremony carries on a rich shipbuilding tradition, representing a significant step toward the launch of our first purpose-built ultra-luxury expedition ship,” said Leibowitz. “I receive notes from guests and partners across the travel industry on a regular basis, who eagerly await the arrival of this beautiful, very capable ship that will take them to places many people dream of visiting one day.”
Seabourn Venture’s inaugural season will begin on 10 April 2022, with the ship sailing around the UK on its maiden voyage. A second, yet-to-be-named sister expedition ship is also under construction at T. Mariotti. Both ships will be designed and built to Polar Class 6 standards and will carry two custom-built submarines, 24 Zodiacs, kayaks and a 26-person expedition team.