How to Experience Expedition Cruising’s Most Exciting New Destination

Produced by Virtuoso with Seabourn

The Sawa-I-Lau caves in Fiji's Yasawa Islands. The Seabourn Pursuit at sea. Exploring via Zodiac.

John Shedwick John Shedwick Seabourn

Head to some of the South Pacific’s most remote outposts on the Seabourn Pursuit.

A voyage aboard one of Seabourn’s two expedition ships easily dispels the myth that unforgettable experiences can’t be both opulent and off the beaten path. With Seabourn, ultra-luxury meets adventure. Seabourn Venture and Seabourn Pursuit carry passengers to remote destinations for expert-guided shore excursions and up-close wildlife encounters while providing a comfortable, all-inclusive onboard experience rivaling that of any private yacht.

After its inaugural Antarctic season wrapped up earlier this year, Seabourn Pursuit set sail for the warm waters of the South Pacific with a slate of immersive new itineraries – the line will chart a similar course in 2025.   

The 264-passenger Seabourn Pursuit boasts 30,000 square feet of deck space and spacious all-ocean-view suites, plus adventure-ready gear that includes 24 Zodiacs, a fleet of sea kayaks, and a pair of six-passenger submarines for underwater exploration. The ship’s 24-person expedition team of academics, local experts, naturalists, and seasoned guides handles every detail, providing tailored plans for each port call, while the rest of the crew sets the journey apart with first-name-basis service, caviar and Champagne treats, and other surprises that ensure smooth sailing. 

This spring, Seabourn named the Wunambal Gaambera – Traditional Owners of a region in northwestern Australia’s Kimberley– as godparents of Seabourn Pursuit, making it the first cruise line to honor Aboriginal Traditional Owners with that tile. The historic, culturally significant appointment recognizes the ancestors who, for millennia, inhabited the far-flung coasts where Seabourn Pursuit will sail during its first foray into The Kimberley. (The line also announced it will partner with the Wunambal Gaambera in several stewardship initiatives throughout the region.) 

Travelers can appreciate the same level of meaningful, immersive travel when Seabourn Pursuit once again embarks for Oceania in 2025. Here, a glimpse of the South Pacific splendor that awaits.  

Easter Island is home to more than 1,000 moai statues.

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Ancient Culture and Jungle Exploration in Polynesia 

Otherworldly, isolated Easter Island and the Pitcairn Islands have long been some of the most alluring destinations for intrepid travelers, and Seabourn showcases its expertise on visits to each during a 20-night Papeete-to-San Antonio, Chile expedition. Early calls at Chile’s tiny, rugged Juan Fernández Islands – Isla Robinson Crusoe and Alejandro Selkirk Island, part of a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve – promise ample opportunities for spotting endemic Juan Fernández fur seals and Juan Fernández and Stejneger’s petrels. Relax by the Pursuit’s intimate pool during a day at sea before arriving at Easter Island (aka Rapa Nui, one of its traditional names) for two days. A highlight: the island’s iconic stone moai, statues carved by the Indigenous inhabitants between AD 1400 and 1600.

The voyage continues west with three days in the largely uninhabited Pitcairn Islands, where travelers snorkel over pristine reefs, watch for nesting fairy terns and red-footed boobies, and hopefully visit Adamstown (conditions permitting), settled by the HMS Bounty’s infamous mutineers in 1790. The voyage concludes with several days in French Polynesia’s Tuamotu Islands. Departure: March 18, 2025.  

In Vanuatu, meet the Ambrym people and watch the traditional Rom dance.

John Shedwick

Hidden Gems from Polynesia to Melanesia 

Island-hop through some of the globe’s most pristine marine environments on this 19-night Papeete-to-Sydney sailing through Polynesia and Melanesia. The cruise begins with a brief but befitting visit to Ra’iatea, Tahiti’s second-largest island and home to the sacred Polynesian landmark Marae Taputapuatea, a UNESCO World Heritage site known as a pilgrimage point for Polynesian people.

Sail west to explore the Cook Islands’ famed turquoise Aitutaki Lagoon before continuing to western Polynesia’s coastal communities, from Apia, Samoa’s bustling port to the rural towns, white-sand beaches, and bird-watching havens of Vava’u, Tonga’s northernmost cluster of islands. In Melanesia, Fiji’s volcanic Vanua Balavu is a snorkeler’s paradise, with calmer waters enclosed by a long barrier reef, while on the island nation’s westernmost fringes, travelers visit the Yasawa Islands’ ancient Sawa-I-Lau caves with a local guide before heading to the village of Nabukeru to meet

The Raja Ampat Islands in Southwest Papua, Indonesia.

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New Guinea and Indonesia Immersion 

Departing first via a charter flight from Sydney, Australia, to set sail from Honiara, on Guadalcanal in the Solomon Islands, Seabourn Pursuit’s 15-night Sydney-to-Darwin, Australia expedition navigates hard-to-reach tropical terrain abundant in lush ecosystems and rich culture. Travelers have the rare opportunity to visit the small villages of the Indigenous Asmat people, which are scattered along the riverbanks of southwestern West Papua. Mostly isolated from the rest of the world, the Asmat people source natural materials to build canoes and dwellings; during a Zodiac shore excursion, travelers witness their intricate woodcarving traditions.

Later, after a day at sea, the Pursuit spends three days island-hopping in Indonesia’s limestone-karst-dotted Raja Ampat region, exploring Misool Island, the Wayag Islands, and Gam Island. Hop on a Zodiac to cruise through the rock formations in Yapap Lagoon, then snorkel amid the area’s vibrant, untouched reefs. The voyage concludes with an early morning hike on Gam Island in search of the elusive red bird-of-paradise. Departure: April 24, 2025. 

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