Seabourn’s Newest Vessel, Seabourn Ovation, Is Bound For Northern Europe With Ventures By Seabourn Expeditions On Select Sailings
SEATTLE, May 31, 2018 – Seabourn, the world's finest ultra-luxury cruise line, returns to Northern Europe this summer with its newest ultra-luxury vessel, Seabourn Ovation, leading the way. Dedicated on May 11, 2018, the fifth ultra-luxury ship in the Seabourn fleet will spend nearly the entire season cruising around Scandinavia and the United Kingdom before heading south again to Lisbon in early October.
Northern Europe offers guests an extensive variety of destinations to visit enhanced with many shore excursions, including optional Ventures by Seabourn kayak and Zodiac expeditions led by outstanding and well-traveled expedition teams that include experienced wilderness experts, scientists, historians and Zodiac operators. Ventures by Seabourn excursions are available for-charge, in select destinations and can be booked in advance by guests.
During each Ventures sailing, team members regularly interact with guests, providing keen insight to deliver a rich holistic travel experience. These fascinating, accomplished experts are part of the Seabourn Conversations program, providing your clients in-depth insights into the history, ecology and culture of the places they visit. Onboard, their valuable insights are offered both in complimentary formal presentations on a variety of topics and in more casual conversations over meals or at leisure. In addition, the team chronicles their adventures with stories and photos via Seabourn's Ventures Tracker.
The Ventures by Seabourn program will be offered on two voyages on Seabourn Ovation in Europe this summer:
· Headed round trip from Copenhagen, Denmark and back again, the 14-Day Majestic Fjords & North Cape cruise will find Seabourn Ovation deep in the stunning fjords of Norway with ports of call at Flam, Alesund, Svolvaer (Lofoten), Tromso, Storstappen Island, Honningsvag, Loen (Olden), Bergen and Stavanger, Norway, with dedicated days of scenic cruising in Sognefjord, Trollfjord, North Cape, Nordfjord and Hielterfjord in between. Departure: July 7, 2018
· Departing Copenhagen, Denmark bound for Dover (London), England, this 14-Day Scenic Fjords & North Cape cruise will once again find Seabourn Ovation surrounded by stunning fjords of Norway with ports of call at Flam, Alesund, Svolvaer (Lofoten), Tromso, Storstappen Island, Honningsvag, Loen (Olden), Bergen and Stavanger, Norway, with dedicated days of scenic cruising in Sognefjord, Trollfjord, North Cape, Nordfjord and Hielterfjord in between. Departure: September 1, 2018
"We have always been right at home and warmly welcomed in Northern Europe, and guests on our newest vessel will doubtless experience the region the same way," said Richard Meadows, president of Seabourn. "With Ventures by Seabourn expeditions as part of the Seabourn Ovation experience, guests will have wonderful opportunities to explore with expedition team members who know their way around so many majestic natural wonders."
Members of Seabourn's handpicked expedition team for Seabourn Ovation in Northern Europe this summer include:
· Luciano Bernacchi, Expedition Leader – Having lived and worked amid the beauty of Patagonia for the past 20 years, Bernacchi has a wealth of experience in adventure travel, eco-tourism and lecturing. He has worked as a mountain guide, ski guide, naturalist guide, birding guide, and tour leader, and he is certified in specialties such as Ski Patrol, Climbing Instruction, and as an operator of sailboats and small vessels by Argentina's Coast Guard.
· Sophie Ballagh, Kayak Guide/Naturalist/Lecturer – A Kiwi by birth but a nomad by heart, Ballagh has spent the majority of her years seeking wilderness and adventure. She has a background in outdoor education and has guided extensively around the world including multi-day hikes in the jungles of Thailand, managing expedition sea-kayak journeys along the coast of British Columbia, river trips across the South Island of New Zealand, and Zodiac cruising below the Antarctic Circle.
· Ewan Blyth, Kayak Guide/Naturalist/Lecturer – Born in the wilds of Tasmania, Blyth grew up on a farm while exploring the vast wilderness of his island home. He has led expeditions in Vietnam, summited peaks in Ecuador, undertaken reconnaissance missions for hydropower projects in Papua New Guinea, and much more. He's a certified outdoor instructor in several fields with years of nautical experience, and a great talker about all things polar.
· Patrick Demus, Lecturer – Born in Germany, Demus has been fascinated by water and its organisms since a young age. Since earning a Master's Degree in Behavioral Ecology in 2010, he has done research with primates and several fish species in the laboratory and the field. Throughout his career, Demus has guided more than 1,500 dives and countless days of snorkeling around the world, and has developed a decent knowledge of water currents and reef typographies along the way.
· Robert Egelstaff, Lecturer – The Director of the Outdoor Activity Advisory Service in Pembrokeshire, Wales, Egelstaff has spent most of his adult life working professionally in the outdoors throughout the UK, Europe and beyond. He has climbed all over the world, including in the Alps, Polar regions and Himalayas, and has racked up firsts including crossing the Bering Strait by sea-kayak, circumnavigating Wales by canoe, and leading a canoe descent of Wilberforce Canyon on the Hood River in the Canadian High Arctic. He has also re-created Sir Ernest Shackleton's famous boat journey in Antarctica.
· John Kernan, Lecturer – A veteran of three decades in the expedition cruise industry, Kernan has worked as a lecturer, naturalist, Zodiac driver and expedition leader, leading trips on all seven continents and over 100 countries. Having focused graduate work on invertebrates in the Pacific Northwest, Kernan lectures on a variety of natural history subjects, with a focus on plants, birds and marine mammals.
· Ida Olsson, Lecturer – Born in Sweden, Olsson taught high school-level physical education and history while working as a whitewater rafting and snowmobile guide. Now guiding fulltime, she works in the northernmost part of Sweden via kayak, snowmobile, hiking, glacier and boat trips. She is always looking for adventure, including her latest: skiing to the North Pole.
· Juan Carlos Restrepo, Lecturer – Hailing from the coffee-growing region of Colombia, Restrepo has a graduate degree in geology and is a certified Dive Master. Spending three months of the year in the Arctic and three more in Antarctica, his expedition experiences include the Americas, Africa, Asia, Europe and Australia, as well as sailing throughout the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans.
· Danaë Sheehan, Lecturer – A native of Yorkshire, Sheehan has always been captivated by the natural world. After starting as an entomologist, she switched to ornithology and earned a PhD in the ecology of migratory birds, leading to a 16-year career as a research biologist at the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds – BirdLife International.
· Isaac Yebra, Lecturer – Spanish by birth, Yebra's travel & tourism career spans nearly two decades. He has a dual degree in Environmental Biology and Geoscience from the University of St. Andrews, Scotland, and has actively applied his education in his professional life. He also holds a flight instructor and commercial pilot's license, and has traveled to far-flung places including Antarctica.
For reservations or more details, please contact a professional travel advisor; call Seabourn at 1-800-929-9391 or visit www.seabourn.com. A dedicated shore excursion call center is available for guests at 1-800-984-3225.
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Seabourn is a proud member of World's Leading Cruise Lines. The exclusive alliance also includes Carnival Cruise Lines, Holland America Line, Princess Cruises, Cunard Line, Costa Cruises, AIDA, P&O Cruises UK, P&O Cruises Australia and fathom. Seabourn is a brand of Carnival Corporation and plc (NYSE/LSE: CCL and NYSE: CUK). It has formed a partnership with United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) to help protect World Heritage sites.
For more Information:
Brian Badura
(206) 626-9158 or BBadura@seabourn.com
or
Ashley Fenton
Hawkins International Public Relations
(212) 255-6541 or Ashley@hawkpr.com
