Expedition cruising is a delicate balance between adventure, sustainability and luxury, Seabourn’s President Mark Tamis said.
“It’s a challenge, a juggling act. When you think about adventure, expedition and sustainability you have to make a choice,” he said.
“At Seabourn, we try to balance everything so that we can deliver this luxury cruise vacation at these beautiful expedition environments all the while having the technology to really deliver it in a very sustainable way,” Tamis continued.
The Carnival-owned brand operates two new expedition ships in the 264-guest Seabourn Venture and her sister, the Seabourn Pursuit. The cruise line’s goal is to create authentic expedition experiences paired with luxury, he added, which create meaningful connections both onboard and ashore.
“What we do at Seabourn is legitimate. It’s like the nature shows you watched as a kid—those real explorations, but it’s also accessible. You don’t have to be young and fit to experience it,” Tamis continued.“You can be in a zodiac, so close to incredible wildlife, having experiences you can’t describe unless you’ve seen them yourself,” he said, mentioning Antarctica.“But then you come back to a ship with a beautiful restaurant, fine wine and a shared meal with your family to put a bow on this perfect day.” For Tamis, these moments have “a transformative power” that helps bring passengers together.
Over the course of a ten- or 12-day expedition, guests form bonds that go beyond their initial interactions, he continued. “The first night, you see a lot of couples and pairs dining together. But by day two or three, it’s all big parties. groups of six, eight, twelve people sharing meals, all bonded through these shared experiences.” Tamis highlighted the ship’s Starlink internet service, which he said allows guests to be connected even in remote areas like the poles.Mentioning a recent cruise to Antarctica onboard the Seabourn Venture, he said that the service allowed him to be completely connected 24 hours a day while the company’s product allowed him to “disconnect at the same time.” He also noted an evolution of demographics for expedition cruising, with more kinds of guests being attracted to the niche. “We’re seeing more multi-generational families onboard now, with grandparents and grandchildren all together,” Tamis said.
Expedition brands have an opportunity to serve collectively as “the goodwill ambassadors for the industry,” he added. “Because of where we go, the idea of connecting with the local communities is exactly the way to do it,” he continued.
In 2024, Seabourn launched expedition itineraries in Australia’s Kimberley Region, which led the company into a multiyear commitment with local indigenous people, the Wunambal Gaambera. “It’s not just one time, it’s not just a donation, but it’s building on Jar Island, an accommodation where the indigenous people will be able to return to their island and live there, opening a welcome center that will provide an authentic experience to welcome our guests to Western Australia,” he explained. “It’s those kinds of experiences us collectively creating. It gives us that opportunity to be the goodwill ambassadors for the entire industry.”
