SeaDream Yacht Club orders first ever newbuild, SeaDream Innovation

SeaDream Yacht Club, the small ship luxury cruise line that pioneered yacht-like cruising back in 2001, has ordered its first ever newbuild from Damen Shipyard, which will itself be building its first ever cruise ship.

SeaDream Innovation will be 15,600-gross tons and carry 220 passengers, making her roughly double the size of SeaDream I and SeaDream II, which until now have been the only ships in the fleet.

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That larger size is immediately apparent in the amenities and public spaces the ship will offer. She’ll feature larger staterooms (all with an ocean view or balcony), several restaurants, and three marinas, along with a more advanced spa concept.

The ship will also carry a helicopter and a sea plane, giving guests unrivaled sightseeing opportunities in the remote destinations to which she’ll cruise.

While SeaDream I and SeaDream II have been confined to warm-weather cruising in the Caribbean and Mediterranean primarily, Atle Brynestad, owner, chairman and CEO of SeaDream, says this new ship will be able to cruise anywhere in the world.

“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,” he said, echoing similar comments made by Seabourn about their new luxury expedition vessel.

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Seabourn was actually founded by Brynestad before being sold to Carnival, so he knows what he’s doing when it comes to small ship design and operation.

While SeaDream Innovation will be ice-class like other contemporary expedition cruise ships, SeaDream have been careful to design her for both warm and cold weather cruising.

“This project has been a dream of mine for many years,” said Brynestad. “It has been a true labour of love to meticulously design every aspect of this yacht, from the interiors and facilities to the itineraries.”

While specific features have yet to be revealed, the line said SeaDream Innovation would have an all-inclusive fare, a one-to-one passenger-to-crew ratio and will visit more than 200 ports in 49 countries during its first year.

She’ll take passengers to destinations such as Svalbard, Norway; the Northwest Passage; Antarctic; the Norwegian Fjords; Japan; New Zealand; the Fiji Islands; and the Great Barrier Reef.

She is expected to enter service in 2021 and bookings will open to the public on April 17^th, unless you’re a previous SeaDream passenger, in which case you can book now.