Seabourn is launching Ventures by Seabourn, a new series of Zodiac and kayak shore excursions.

The program will begin this summer on three Northern Europe voyages aboard the Seabourn Quest, and will feature excursions launching directly from the ship’s fold-out watersports marina.

“We are always looking for ways to enhance the cruise experience by getting guests up close to the natural and cultural wonders at Seabourn destinations around the globe,” shares John Delaney, senior vice president of marketing and sales. “Combined with our onboard enrichment program that is filled with local, cultural content, Ventures by Seabourn will deliver extensive, authentic destination experiences that our guests are seeking.”

Tour leaders include: Dr. Colleen Batey, a senior lecturer in archaeology at the University of Glasgow, Scotland, who has traveled extensively through Scandinavia and its surrounding areas; Kara Weller, whose research ranges from whales in the Bering Sea to mouflan sheep in Eastern Europe, and has traveled over 130 times to Antarctica; Luciano Bernacchi, whose travels to many destinations and wilderness areas around the world have led to a wealth of experience in adventure travel and ecotourism; Matt J. Dolan, who kayaked the entire Inside Passage from Seattle to Muir Glacier in Glacier Bay National Park, Alaska – a journey that encompassed more than 1,300 miles and a feat that few have accomplished; Robin West, Seabourn’s Manager of Expedition Operations & Planning, who led the line’s first two Antarctica programs and has tremendous experience in the operations of the expedition business.

Available in select ports, Ventures by Seabourn will lead guests through picturesque waterways and fjords, secluded inlets and to scenic islands via sturdy, stable Zodiac inflatable boats or paddling in double sea kayaks launched from the unique fold-out water sports marina onboard all Seabourn vessels. Seabourn plans to expand Ventures by Seabourn fleetwide over time, including adding kayaking tours to the Antarctica sailings.

The first wave of Ventures by Seabourn will be offered on three Seabourn Quest voyages through the summer of 2015, including: 

•  14-Day Majestic Fjords and North Cape – Two voyages departing June 13 and July 11 from Copenhagen, Denmark. Ventures by Seabourn will offer sea-level exploration and shore excursions at several destinations including the fjord landscapes of the Lyse area around Stavanger by Zodiac; the Lofoten Islands by Zodiac; Nordfjord of Olden, Norway, by kayak; a zodiac tour of the Storstappen Islands and Nordkapp and a hike to Nordkapp, and more. 

•  24-Day Route of the Vikings – Departing August 8 from Copenhagen, Denmark, and traveling to Scotland, Iceland, Greenland, Newfoundland and Quebec, Canada, en route to Montreal. Ventures by Seabourn will offer excursions at several destinations along the way, including a Zodiac exploration of Ísafjörður, Iceland; a kayak experience to icebergs and shore birds in and around Qaqortoq, Greenland; a naturalist-led Zodiac exploration of icebergs, plants and wrecks amid the islands surrounding Paamiut, Greenland; and more.