Announcing the new SeaDream Innovation, SeaDream Yacht Club is introducing a new vessel to the top-end of the luxury market.
“We have been working for many years to expand the fleet, and we feel like the time is right to introduce a new concept of global yachting with a ship that can do anything,” said Atle Brynestad, owner, chairman and CEO of SeaDream, in an interview with Cruise Industry News.
For Brynestad, it’s his third big move in the cruise industry. The long-time cruise entrepreneur launched Seabourn and followed that act by getting SeaDream off the ground.
The 220-guest vessel will carry the same ice class as the new expedition vessels entering the market, but is designed to offer a complete global deployment product, and not necessarily just go to the polar regions, Brynestad said, calling the ship a “no limits” vessel.
The vessel will feature larger staterooms, a number of restaurants, three marinas, a helicopter and a sea plane, which will live on top of the ship.
Guests can look forward to the same high-level personal service that has driven success for SeaDream since its launch in 2001 with the SeaDream I and SeaDream II, which originally entered service as the Sea Goddess sisters in the mid 1980s.
Delivery for the 15,600-ton SeaDream Innovation is set for September of 2021 from Damen Shipyards.
After looking at a number of building options, Brynestad said Damen was a family business (similar to SeaDream) and understood the company’s concepts.
Having founded both Seabourn (with 212-guest ships) and SeaDream (with 112-guest ships), Brynestad said he felt comfortable at 220 guests.
“We know from our experience we can offer very personalized service,” he explained. “Luxury today is not decided by a high-end company anymore, it is decided by the consumer, so they can choose what they want to do during the day.”
Operating small ships is a specialty of sorts for Brynestad. Operations are run out of Oslo while a Miami office handles the majority of sales and marketing.
“We have a small operation,” he explained. “The two current ships have no current bank debt; we have paid it all down and proven you can be successful operating small high-quality vessels.”
The SeaDream I and II are expected to stay in the fleet for the long-term, according to Brynestad, offering warm-weather deployments in the Caribbean and Mediterranean.
Growing capacity by 100 percent, Brynestad said he had done the same with his second Seabourn newbuild, and a large customer base and new clients will drive sales.
“Over 50 percent of our current guests have sailed with us before,” he said. “There is a lot of interest and questions from past guests for a new ship going to different places in the world.”
