February 07, 2022
(5 p.m. EST) -- Seabourn Cruises' new luxury expedition ship, Seabourn Venture, has delayed its launch date from April to July 2022.
The delay on the 265-passenger ship comes because of supply chain issues at the shipyard as well as the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, according to a letter sent to travel advisers from line president Josh Leibowitz. Seabourn Venture is being built at Italy's T. Mariotti shipyard.
"The ship's construction continues to make good progress, but we have encountered some global supply chain challenges," the letter read. "In addition, we understand that many travelers are hesitant to commit to travel plans this spring and would prefer to travel this summer."
The new inaugural date for the ship, the first of two planned expedition vessels for Seabourn, is July 15.
Passengers who were booked at cruises between April 2022 and the end of July 2022 are being automatically transferred to 2023 voyages, the letter said. Bookings will transfer at the current fare or equivalent. Guests with airfare booked independently of Seabourn will need to contact the airlines to rebook; change fees that are incurred can be submitted to Seabourn for reimbursement.
Seabourn Venture is the second 2022 newbuild in the past few ways to announce a delay, as Disney Wish also pushed back its launch several weeks until July 2022
