Ultra-luxury line Seabourn has lifted the veil on its first Grand Expedition cruise, a 94-day Pole-to-Pole odyssey aboard expedition flagship Seabourn Venture. Departing Reykjavík on August 17, 2027, and ending in Ushuaia on November 19, the 20,500-nautical-mile itinerary links the High Arctic with Antarctica in a single seamless voyage, promising rare wildlife, scientific insight, and the hallmarks of Seabourn's all-inclusive experience. Past guests can book now, while general sales open August 13.
Key Points
- Why it matters: First cruise to link High Arctic and Antarctica in one season.
- 94 days, 20,500 nautical miles aboard PC6-rated Seabourn Venture.
- Visits 14 countries, including rare three-day call at Ellesmere Island.
- Up to $10,000 credit, business-class air, submarine dive, Starlink Wi-Fi included.
- General sales open August 13 2025; past guests can book now.
Snapshot
The itinerary opens with an overnight in Reykjavík, followed by a charter flight to Kangerlussuaq, Greenland, where Venture's Zodiac fleet awaits to shuttle guests ashore. Over 94 nights the ship will weave through Canada's fabled Northwest Passage, pause for three days on seldom-visited Ellesmere Island, and glide south past South Georgia and the penguin-strewn beaches of the Falkland Islands before spending five days amid the ice of Antarctica. Thirty-three sea days give the 264 guests time to cross the Equator, the Tropic of Cancer, and the Tropic of Capricorn, indulge in caviar-on-ice affairs, and hone camera skills in the optional Image Masters workshop, all while tracking polar bears, musk ox, whales, and the elusive aurora borealis.
Background
Seabourn Venture, delivered in 2022, is one of two purpose-built PC6 expedition ships in the fleet, carrying two custom submarines, 24 Zodiacs, and a 23-person expedition team of scientists, naturalists, and scholars. The vessel marries serious polar capability with hallmark Seabourn touches-the all-suite accommodation, fine dining curated by Chef Thomas Keller, and a nearly one-to-one staff-to-guest ratio. Seabourn's Grand Voyage concept traditionally stitches together multiple back-to-back segments, yet the 2027 Pole-to-Pole cruise is the line's first to combine both ends of the planet in the same season. The announcement follows strong demand for Venture's shorter Arctic and Antarctic programs, and answers the growing appetite among affluent travelers for long-form, experiential itineraries that require only one international airfare and provide extensive time in remote regions.
Latest Developments
Epic 94-Day Route Covers Six Climate Zones
Spanning more than 147 degrees of latitude, the Pole-to-Pole route threads six distinct climate zones and 14 countries or territories in a single sweep. After Greenland's icy fjords, Venture will transit Canada's Arctic Archipelago during a six-day Northwest Passage segment, a route attempted by fewer than 50 cruise ships annually. A maiden three-day call on Ellesmere Island provides access to remote Alexandra Fjord, home to musk ox and narwhal. Southbound legs call at Nuuk, Iceland's Westfjords, the volcanic Azores, and Brazil's Fernando de Noronha before rounding Cape Horn toward the White Continent. Expedition leaders plan flexible daily landings, using real-time ice and wildlife reports to maximize encounters. Guests cross both geographic and cultural divides, moving from Inuit hamlets to South Atlantic penguin rookeries without changing ships-a logistical feat achievable only with an ice-class vessel and extensive shore-side support.
Lavish Perks Elevate the Ultra-Luxury Experience
To sweeten the nearly three-month journey, Seabourn is bundling an unusually rich package of inclusions. Each suite receives up to $10,000 in onboard credit, Starlink Wi-Fi for two devices, unlimited laundry, and round-trip business-class air. Expedition depth is enhanced with one complimentary submarine dive and two guided kayak tours per guest, while branded parkas and frequently replenished caviar keep the polar chill at bay. For photographers, the optional Image Masters program pairs in-field tuition with post-processing workshops in the studio. These extras join Seabourn's baseline promises-premium wines, gratuities, and specialty dining already in the fare-positioning the Grand Expedition at the very top of the ultra-luxury market. Deposit requirements and final pricing have not yet been published, but past-guest presale activity suggests demand will outpace the ship's limited 132 suites.
Analysis
Seabourn's decision to string the Arctic and Antarctica together speaks to a post-pandemic cruise market where affluent travelers value wide-angle, transformational experiences over traditional region-by-region collecting. Venture's 94-day timeline is intentionally calibrated: early August maximizes High Arctic wildlife and midnight sun, while late-spring Antarctic landings avoid the crowded peak of December yet still offer accessible landing sites and growing penguin colonies. Operationally, the itinerary leverages the vessel's 7-knot ice rating and polar-seasoned crew, but it also reveals Carnival Corporation's confidence that demand for expedition cruising will sustain premium pricing even at a six-figure fare. The inclusion of business-class air, Starlink, and submarine dives attacks common friction points-long-haul flights, connectivity, and extra-cost excursions-that have historically pushed aspirational guests back toward shorter luxury tours. From a sustainability lens, one continuous voyage generates fewer air segments than two separate polar trips, aligning with Seabourn's public commitment to decarbonization. Yet the biggest differentiator may be storytelling: sailing pole to pole in a single sitting is a clean, Instagram-ready narrative that taps the zeitgeist of boundary-pushing travel bragging rights. Competitors such as Silversea have offered world cruises and dual-hemisphere expeditions, but none have knitted them this tightly across three months. If the 2027 edition sells out quickly-as early indications suggest-expect the 2028-29 order book to fill with similarly audacious Grand Expeditions. Adept Traveler covered Seabourn's earlier Arctic programs in Explore Seabourn's 2026 Arctic & Northwest Passage Cruises.
Final Thoughts
With its seamless arc from Iceland's volcanic crown to Antarctica's ice-bound frontier, the Grand Expedition reframes what a single itinerary can achieve. It compresses decades of bucket-list ambitions into one carefully choreographed season, backed by scientific expertise and the creature comforts that define Seabourn. Booking windows may seem distant, yet cabin categories will vanish quickly given the ship's petite size and the voyage's compelling narrative. Travel advisors should counsel clients to secure space during the early-access period, then fine-tune air and insurance later. For travelers craving brag-worthy exploration without surrendering luxury, there may be no bolder option than the 2027 Seabourn Pole-to-Pole cruise.