The new Seabourn Odyssey will start sailing in June 2009, according to Seabourn Cruise Line President and CEO Pam Conover, who said that the cruise line will start to accept bookings from the public on Nov. 5, but will first book passengers that are already waitlisted.

The maiden voyage sails out of Venice where the Odyssey will be christened on June 24. The lead in price is $11,000 per person for the 14-day cruise, up to $49,000 per person for the grand suite.

The Odyssey will also be sailing a series of seven-day Mediterranean cruises without repeating itineraries.  Conover explained that much of the luxury market wants seven day vacations and that the itineraries can also be combined into longer cruises.

The year ends with Caribbean cruises before the Odyssey sets sail on Seabourn’s first world cruise, departing for 108 days on Jan. 15, 2010.

While bookings for the world cruise will not be taken before February of next year, Conover said that the world cruise is also waitlisted.

The 32,000-ton, 450-passenger Odyssey will be the first new ship to enter the luxury market in six years, according to Conover, and the first newbuilding for Seabourn since 1989.

A sister ship has also been ordered for delivery in 2010.

“We have been constrained by lack of capacity,” Conover said. “Last year, we sailed at 100 percent capacity.”

Conover described Seabourn as a boutique cruise line, with its current three 10,000-ton, 208-passenger vessels, which she would be deployed on new and different itineraries once the first of the new ships enter service. There are no plans to retire the existing ships, Conover said.