Itinerary planning is very much like baking a cake, according to Crystal Morgan, senior director deployment and itinerary planning for Seabourn.

Morgan said. “It is the sum of all the ingredients that define a successful itinerary, which is a little bit of science, a little bit of flavor and a little finesse. The end result, of course, is creating an experience that will exceed our guests’ expectations.

“Factors that are important to itinerary planning include length of a voyage, homeport selection in relation to the source market, availability of desirable destinations within the length of the voyage, potential revenue, offset revenues against the costs including fuel, port costs, head taxes and more.

“We also consider the competitive landscape and how each itinerary speaks to our brand position, and how it is designed to best allow the onboard team to deliver the best guest experience.”

Morgan’s overarching goal with selecting ports is to help guests become immersed in diverse countries and cultures, she explained. “We also implement late departures and overnight calls in select destinations to give guests flexibility.

“We prioritize ports where the pier or tender location is close to the main destination, city, or sites, enabling guests to come and go with ease.”

Seabourn also seeks ports where the shoreside experience can be enhanced with organized shore excursions, including longer full-day excursions or unique evening events. For overnight calls, the focus is on destinations that offer enough unique experiences for guests to enjoy over multiple days, typically larger destinations or cities.

This summer, Seabourn is deploying its ships in the Mediterranean, Northern Europe and the Arctic as well as in Alaska and the South Pacific. The fall into winter seasons will see the ships in Japan, Southeast Asia, the Caribbean and Antarctica.

Seabourn’s 2026 world cruise will sail under the name “Ring of Fire: Hidden Gems” for 129 days.

Morgan said the cruise will leave from Los Angeles on Jan. 6 and feature 63 ports in 14 countries, covering 28,000 nautical miles. The Sojourn will cross the dateline and equator twice, and visit the South Pacific, Japan and then head for Alaska.

“We designed the journey to feature five maiden calls, seven overnight stays, and extended evening visits in seven ports,” Morgan said.

Excerpt from the Cruise Industry News Quarterly Magazine Spring 2025