Seabourn Cruise Line announced last week that the Seabourn Venture would be undergoing dry dock maintenance to conduct repairs to the ship’s stabilizers. As a result, three cruises scheduled between April 7 and April 30, 2023, have been canceled.

Seabourn, which operates under Carnival Corporation, sent out a letter to guests last week informing them of the changes. Seabourn Venture has only been sailing for seven months, while the stabilizers have been causing issues since December of this year.

Seabourn Venture Impacted Itineraries

Seabourn Venture will be heading to an emergency dry-dock, likely at the T. Mariotti shipyard in Genoa, Italy, to repair the stabilizers. Seabourn Cruise Line canceled three cruises in April this year to enable the dry dock.

The canceled cruise dates are a nine days cruise along the Amazon River, sailing on April 7; a 12 days cruise along the Amazon River and Transatlantic from Manaus, Brazil, to Cape Verde, sailing on April 16; and a 14 day cruise to Cape Verde to Greenwich, UK, with stops in Las Palmas, Spain; Lisbon, Portugal; Cherbourg, France; and Oostende, Belgium, sailing April 28.

Since December, the Seabourn Venture, which first set sail in July 2022, has been experiencing difficulties due to the absence of fully-functional stabilizers. This has been especially problematic for the ship during its Antarctica season as it navigates through the Drake Passage and the Southern Ocean, where the weather can be particularly rough. The vessel celebrated the naming ceremony in Antarctica in December of last year.

Photo Courtesy: Seabourn

Stabilizers are mechanical devices typically located on the sides of a ship’s hull and are used to reduce the rolling motion of the vessel. They work by extending out from the ship’s sides and creating a hydrodynamic lift, which counteracts the forces that cause the ship to roll.

This helps make the journey more comfortable for passengers and crew and improves the ship’s stability and maneuverability in rough seas. They are crucial for luxury cruise ships as they want to provide their guests with a smooth and comfortable journey.

Future Cruises

After the dry dock is completed, Seabourn Venture will sail North to Scotland and, after that, sail several voyages to Iceland.

Later in the summer, the expedition vessel will undertake several crossings of the fabled Northwest passage from Greenland to Nome, Alaska, and vice versa. At the end of November 2023, Seabourn Venture will return to Ushuaia, Argentina, to begin a new season of Antarctica sailings.

While the Seabourn Venture’s canceled cruises are certainly inconvenient for guests, the dry dock repairs are necessary to ensure the ship’s stability and safety. That being said, there have been very few complaints from guests over the last month that the vessel was uncomfortable, and no major accidents have been recorded.

Compensation for guests

Seabourn announced that guests affected by the issue would receive full refunds for their original form of payment, including non-cruise fare purchases such as flights, hotels, transfers, shore excursions, onboard amenities, and more.

Additionally, the company also offers guests a 25% Bonus Future Cruise Credit which can be used on any of Seabourn’s voyages or expeditions sailing by December 31st, 2023.

Furthermore, Seabourn Cruise Line will reimburse certain non-refundable unexpected expenses incurred by the guests, such as air change fees. Eligible passengers must fill out a reimbursement form available on the Seabourn website.

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