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April 13, 2023

Seabourn marks construction milestone with a traditional coin ceremony for newbuild expedition ship, Seabourn Pursuit

Author: Mariotti Post tags: Seabourn Pursuit , Mariotti , Luxury Ships

Seattle, April 13, 2023 – Seabourn, the leader in ultra-luxury voyages and expedition travel, marked a major construction milestone for its second purpose-built expedition vessel Seabourn Pursuit with a traditional coin ceremony at the T. Mariotti shipyard in Genova, Italy on Thursday, April 13, 2023.

The coin ceremony is a time-honored maritime tradition in which a “madrina” places coins onto the ship as a symbol of good fortune on its voyages. In keeping with tradition, the role of “madrina” for Seabourn Pursuit was served by Lynn Narraway, Seabourn’s vice president of UK and Europe and one of the company’s longest-serving female executives. Narraway welded a box containing four commemorative gold coins to the ship, and was joined by Robin West, Seabourn’s vice president and general manager of expeditions, Marco Bisagno, T. Mariotti Shipyard’s president, and Marco Ghiglione, T. Mariotti’s managing director. Seabourn Pursuit is currently in its outfitting dock and is undergoing final construction in the coming months ahead of its delivery at the end of July 2023.

“It’s such an honor for me to be a part of this incredible tradition and to serve as madrina of Seabourn Pursuit,” Narraway said. “We are very excited for our second luxury purpose-built expedition ship to join the Seabourn family when she launches this summer.”

“Today is such a special day as the coin ceremony is a highly anticipated moment in the construction of Seabourn Pursuit, and I am grateful to T. Mariotti for their partnership throughout the newbuild process,” said Natalya Leahy, president of Seabourn. “We are counting the days until this beautiful ship can take our extraordinary guests to the most out of ordinary destinations that only a few ever visit in their lifetime. Seabourn Pursuit will offer an atmosphere that is full of Seabourn luxury, comfort, and elegance, and we look forward to delivering special ‘Seabourn expedition moments’ to our guests.”

“Seabourn Pursuit is so beautiful. - says Marco Ghiglione, managing director of T. Mariotti - At a time when expedition cruise market is experiencing a strong growth, with several players preparing to launch new products, I can proudly say that this ship is definitely the best in terms of aesthetics and cutting-edge performance - Ghiglione adds - We are very proud to have built it and to be able to give a sister ship that will contribute to Seabourn Cruise's prestige in this type of voyage."

Beginning August 12, 2023, Seabourn Pursuit will sail five voyages in the Mediterranean before embarking on two voyages across the Atlantic and through the Caribbean. On October 10, 2023, the ship will arrive in Barbados from where it will begin its expedition journeys, taking guests to remote corners of the globe. Seabourn Pursuit will head south for expeditions exploring coastal South America, the Amazon, and Antarctica into late March 2024.

Following its inaugural Antarctic season, the ship will head to the South Pacific and Australia, which will include the line’s first exploration of the Kimberley region in northern Australia between June and August 2024. The iconic Kimberley, with its red sandstone gorges, rivers, waterfalls, wildlife, and aboriginal stories, is the ideal setting for a truly, world-class expedition experience. In addition to the Kimberley, Seabourn Pursuit will visit Papua New Guinea, Indonesia, and sail to the South Pacific from Chile to Melanesia between March and October 2024.

With its anticipated launch this summer, Seabourn Pursuit will be the second of two new expedition ships to debut for Seabourn in the past two years. Designed for guests to enjoy life-expanding moments in exquisite, ultra-luxury comfort, the 558-foot vessel is purpose-built for diverse environments to PC6 Polar Class standards and equipped with state-of-the-art hardware and technology to extend its global employment and capabilities. Seabourn Pursuit has close to 30,000 square feet of deck space and special touches at every turn. Those include indoor and outdoor guest areas with nearly 270-degree views, and a 4K GSS Cineflex Camera mounted on the mast of the Constellation Lounge capable of broadcasting imagery from up to 5 miles away on monitors located throughout the ship.

Seabourn Pursuit will provide the same luxury small-ship experience that travelers seek from Seabourn with the addition of world-class equipment that allows the line to offer its widest range of expedition activities led by an expert 24-person team of scientists, scholars, naturalists, and more. Complimentary Seabourn Expedition offerings such as Zodiac cruises, hikes, nature walks, scuba diving, and snorkeling will highlight every itinerary; as will curated complimentary excursions. In addition, the ship will offer optional shore excursions and optional Seabourn Expeditions with kayaking and two custom-built submersibles at select destinations, providing close-up views of wildlife and natural scenery, as well as unforgettable intimacy with wonders that wait beneath the waves.

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