When any oceangoing ship has issues with stabilizers—designed to smooth the ride for passengers and crew members during rough seas—it’s a concern comfort-wise. That's particularly the case when the ship is transiting the Drake Passage’s often-rough waters between Ushuaia, Argentina, and Antarctica. In a statement issued to Luxury Travel Advisor this week, Seabourn said that it has “canceled several voyages for Seabourn Venture to undergo dry dock maintenance to conduct repairs to the ship's stabilizers."
But the cancelations aren't for the ship's current Antarctica voyages, which are operating as planned. Instead, here are the three upcoming, spring departures that have been canceled by Seabourn.
- April 7, 2023: Seabourn Venture’s nine-day Amazon voyage from Iquitos, Peru, to Manaus, Brazil.
- April 16, 2023: The ship’s 12-day expedition cruise between Manaus and Praia, Ilha de Santiago, Cape Verde.
- April 28, 2023: Seabourn Venture’s 14-day voyage between Praia, Ilha de Santiago, Cape Verde to Greenwich (London), U.K.
Not a Safety Issue
As voyages continue in Antarctica, Seabourn stressed that “stabilizers are not a safety feature of the vessel and are designed to lessen the ship’s movement under specific seas and navigational conditions. Seabourn Venture is designed to safely sail with or without the stabilizers.” The line did not give additional detail about the nature of the stabilizer issue.
The ultra-luxury line said that it has communicated with travel advisors and guests booked on the canceled voyages and has provided specific details applicable to those bookings. Varying by departure date, they include a refund and a future cruise credit.
Deborah Deming, independent travel consultant, Frosch Classic Cruise and Travel, doesn’t have any clients booked on the canceled sailings. That said, she just returned from a Seabourn Venture sailing in Antarctica with a group of 18 people she booked. Having been informed by Seabourn about the stabilizer issue in late December, she says the group members “chose to continue on our long-awaited journey in spite of the stabilizer issues. My group was provided the choice to move to another sailing at a later date, or to continue." They chose to go. "I was grateful for no cancelations or postponements," she adds.
Carrying up to 200 guests in polar waters, Seabourn Venture is the line’s first new, expedition ship. A second new expedition ship, Seabourn Pursuit, also will set sail this year.
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