Seabourn Venture Review May 2023

We were lucky enough to spend 24 hours onboard Seabourn’s first expedition ship, Seabourn Venture, last week as she visited the UK for the first time.

Seabourn Venture holds 264 guests in the spacious veranda and well-appointed suites. Upon arrival, we had a friendly welcome and were shown to our suite – wow – a Signature Suite! Upon arrival, our stewardess handed us a glass of champagne and showed us around the spacious suite. We then made our way to the living room, which was comfortable enough to include a large sofa, tv, kitchen, breakfast bar, and desk. The balcony wraps around the lounge and bedroom areas, including sun loungers, tables and chairs, and a sizeable private whirlpool tub.

The master bedroom is separate, with a large bed alongside a choice of pillows and a door to the oversized veranda. From the bedroom, you can walk through your walk-in wardrobe to the bathroom with a double sink, walk-in shower, and jacuzzi bath. Our night’s sleep was excellent! It was so quiet, the bed was so comfortable, and the black-out curtains worked perfectly to shut out the early morning spring sunshine; sadly, it was only for one night.

The Veranda Suite isn’t the only available suite. Other accommodation grades, such as Panorama Veranda Suite. Penthouse Suite/Penthouse Spa Suite, Owners Suite, Wintergarden Suite, Signature Suite and the Grand Wintergarden Suite. In particular, the Wintergarden Suite spreads over two levels, with a lounge area downstairs and a bedroom upstairs overlooking the mesmerising sea. The Owner’s Suite is located at the front of the Suite, one of their largest suites onboard. Our favourite is the Panorama Veranda Suite, where the bed faces out to admire the views from the floor-to-ceiling curved windows, so you can sit and look out to the never-ending sea.

The main highlight of the ship tour was seeing how the expedition program was implemented. Onboard, there are 24 zodiacs for expedition activities, double sea kayaks, mountain bikes, and e-bikes. In addition, we were lucky enough to see the six-person submarine and hear from the expedition leaders about their operation. This was truly amazing and well worth the extra cost of around $500- $1000 for a 45-minute exploration; pre-booking is recommended if you’re interested in taking a trip – as you can imagine, it’s very popular. The expedition lounge is very cosy, almost like a ski lodge feel. It’s a place to spend time before entering The Discovery Lounge for the daily briefings, lectures, and Seabourn Conversations throughout the expedition.

The lunch in The Colonnade was delightful, with excellent choices from the buffet to the attentive service and friendly staff. Seabourn Square provides a great place to enjoy a speciality coffee, sandwich, or delicious gelati. A selection of sushi is also available in The Club if you fancy an early evening snack. The main dining takes place in The Restaurant, which has a light and airy feel. We tried a fantastic goat’s cheese souffle, Beef Wellington, and melting chocolate fondant for dessert, which were very tasty. Of course, this tremendous food had to be accompanied by the finest wines suggested by the sommelier.

The ambience of the lounges felt calm and relaxing, whereas The Constellation Lounge is a great place to socialise and meet for a pre-dinner drink, as is the cosy Expedition Lounge. The Club and Sky Bar is a very peaceful and pleasant area to mingle with other guests, talk about their daily experiences, and make new friends.

Twenty-four hours onboard Seabourn Venture was sadly too short to sample all the onboard experiences and activities available; however, I highly recommend this ship if you are looking to book your next expedition voyage. Look out for our next update about Seabourn Venture as my colleague Paul samples four nights onboard later this month.

What do you think of Seabourn’s first exhibition ship – would you consider a Seabourn Venture cruise in the future? Let us know in the comments below!