VOICE OF LUXURY
Seabourn Venture in Antarctica
Sensoji Temple in Tokyo, Japan
immerse yourself in the culture. Of course, Tokyo is incredible, but Japan is a coastal country so travelling by sea and going to ports that you might not have heard of [is ideal].
Q. How is expedition cruise performing and what does the future hold for Seabourn in this sector? When the concept of bringing expedition to Seabourn [began], a lot of it was about attracting new-to-cruise customers, but it’s as much about [existing] Seabourn guests who want to have a different experience. We do get a lot of new-to-cruise and new- to-Seabourn, but equally, we get a lot of our most loyal guests, and it’s a great mix on board the ships. Right now, we don’t have a new ship planned, but should we get to a place in two years where we’re [thinking about] new vessels, it’ll be an interesting conversation on whether that’s an expedition ship or an ocean ship. Do stay tuned for new expedition itineraries. The more we can expand the world of expedition and increase demand for the sector, [the more potential there is] for additional capacity.
Q. You recently sold Seabourn Sojourn. Tell us a bit more about that decision. The brand’s not for sale, the ships are not for sale, but [in this industry], just like real estate, everything’s for sale for a price. Carnival Corporation received an unsolicited offer that our board
could not refuse, based upon the value of the ship and the offer. It was a business decision. It wasn’t a strategic decision to reduce the size of the fleet. She’ll be with us until May 2026 and after that our fleet and capacity will be at an ideal size for us.
Q. How important is the UK market? The UK market is paramount for Seabourn. It’s probably the second-largest market for us and very significant. The trade is incredibly important and does a fabulous job of having the right guest on the right ship on the right itinerary. Lynn [Narraway, vice- president for the UK and EMEA] is an icon – and I don’t say that word a lot. Her professionalism, expertise, relationships and the care and love that she has for everybody is awesome.
Q. What is your trade strategy for 2025? The majority of our sales come through the trade. And [for 2025] it’s really just about being bespoke. So spending time with our top partners and understanding [what they need] because each company, each person, has a different set of needs and nuances. It’s not one-size-fits-all and that’s why the team is so great because they’re so connected and can have very open and honest conversations with trade partners. It’s really about having the right relationships so we can have those conversations and make sure [agents] have all the tools they need.
aspiretravelclub.co.uk
JUNE 2025 ASPIRE
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CREDITS: Shutterstock/Phattana Stock
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