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Forty years is a grand birthday in the cruise business. It deserves more than cake, bunting and a cheerful lap of the pool deck. Seabourn has chosen a bigger party. In 2028, it will send guests from small yacht harbours to both ends of the earth.

The luxury cruise line has revealed The Ruby Collection, a group of 54 ocean and expedition voyages across its five ships. The program marks Seabourn’s 40th anniversary, or Ruby Jubilee. It covers the Caribbean, Mediterranean, Alaska, Japan, Southeast Asia, Northern Europe, the Arctic and Antarctica.

Every voyage is now open for booking. The range starts with seven-day sailings in Europe and the Caribbean. At the other end sit two major journeys: a 120-day Cape to Cape World Cruise and a 96-day Grand Expedition: Pole to Pole.

That gives travel advisers plenty to work with. There are shorter luxury breaks, longer regional cruises, wild expedition routes and true once-in-a-lifetime voyages. Seabourn has not planned a birthday sailing. It has built a full anniversary year.

Forty years, with one eye firmly ahead

The collection looks back to 1988, when The Yachts of Seabourn helped shape the small-ship luxury market. Those early vessels were designed to feel like private yachts. They also reached ports that larger ships could not enter.

That idea still runs through the 2028 program. Yet the new collection goes far beyond the line’s early routes.

“Some journeys stay with travelers forever,” said Mark Tamis, president of Seabourn. “Our own journey began in 1988 when we redefined cruising with the world’s first fleet of luxury small ships, designed to feel like private yachts. As we celebrate 40 years of exploration, that same pioneering spirit shapes The Ruby Collection, featuring voyages across our ocean and expedition fleet that reflect where we began while pushing further into the places and experiences that define what exploration means with Seabourn.”

New calls include Taichung and Tainan in Taiwan. Alaska gains Petersburg, Valdez and the Chiswell Islands. The expedition fleet will also make first calls at Tvøroyri in the Faroe Islands and Cape Clear Island in Ireland.

Several voyages are tied to special events or longer stays on land. One sailing visits Taiwan for the Pingxi Sky Lantern Festival. Alaska guests can add an eight-day Denali trip before their cruise. Seabourn Quest will also return to Red Bay in Canada, a small port with a rich Basque whaling past.

Yachtsman sailings return to Seabourn’s roots

The Yachtsman Collection is the clearest nod to the company’s early days. These voyages focus on small Mediterranean and Caribbean ports. They offer calm sea days, longer time ashore and access to places beyond the reach of big ships.

Seabourn Ovation will sail seven- to 14-day Caribbean routes between Sint Maarten and Barbados. Some trips will visit Aruba, Bonaire and Curaçao. Two New Year sailings will bring Seabourn Ovation and Seabourn Quest together at Carambola Beach, St Kitts.

Guests will welcome New Year’s Day with Caviar in the Surf. It is not a shy way to begin January. Then again, caviar served in the sea was never meant to be mistaken for a backyard barbecue.

In the Mediterranean, Seabourn Ovation will run seven-day voyages across the Aegean, Côte d’Azur, Dalmatian Coast, Sardinia and Corsica. Some itineraries include Portofino and Pátmos. Selected sailings will also feature Marina Day, when the ship opens its stern marina for complimentary watersports.

These voyages should be easy for advisers to explain. They pair famous regions with smaller ports and a yacht-style mood. They also offer signature events that help Seabourn stand apart in a crowded luxury market.

New stories in Asia and Alaska

Seabourn Encore will lead the Southeast Asia and Japan program. The ship will stay overnight in Shanghai, Osaka and Kobe. It will also make new calls at Taichung and Tainan.

One voyage is timed for Taiwan’s Pingxi Sky Lantern Festival. Guests will visit the mountain town of Shifen before the festival. Shopping with the Chef tours will also take guests into local markets in places such as Nagasaki and Kagoshima.

The festival gives the itinerary a strong sales hook. It is visual, local and tied to a set date. For advisers, that is far more useful than another vague promise of “cultural immersion”.

Seabourn Encore will also return to Alaska. The program will make use of the long summer daylight and add maiden calls at Petersburg, Valdez and the Chiswell Islands.

An optional eight-day Denali experience will include rail travel, a visit to Denali National Park, flightseeing and a final dinner in Juneau. It turns the cruise into a fuller Alaska holiday. It may also help guests answer the old question: “Did we really see Alaska, or only its waterfront?”

Expedition ships head for the edges of the map

Seabourn Venture and Seabourn Pursuit will take the Ruby Collection into the far north and deep south.

Northern routes include Svalbard, Greenland, Iceland, the British Isles, Labrador and the Canadian Maritimes. One round-trip voyage to Reykjavík takes six days in Svalbard. Other sailings add three calls in the Faroe Islands, including Tvøroyri, Tórshavn and a Zodiac landing at Klaksvík.

Cape Clear Island in Ireland also joins the program. Farther west, ships will follow Greenland’s coast and visit the Torngat Mountains and Labrador.

In the south, expedition voyages will link Antarctica with the Chilean fjords, Juan Fernández Islands, Falkland Islands, South Georgia and Brazil. A 34-day route will cross the South Atlantic. It will call at Saint Helena and Tristan da Cunha, one of the most remote inhabited islands on Earth.

Zodiac trips, kayaking, wildlife viewing and shore landings will remain central. The service will still be polished. It will simply come with more waterproof trousers.

Cape to Cape leads the anniversary fleet

The 120-day Cape to Cape World Cruise will be the centrepiece. Seabourn Quest will leave Miami on 7 January 2028 and arrive in Southampton on 6 May.

The ship will cover more than 26,000 nautical miles. It will visit 58 destinations in 23 countries across five continents. The route includes Easter Island, Antarctica and Cape Town.

The voyage begins with a Panama Canal transit. That is a neat link to Seabourn’s first sailing 40 years earlier.

For the first time on a Seabourn world cruise, guests will receive complimentary expedition-style activities in selected places. An 18-person expedition team will lead experiences in Antarctica, the Chilean fjords and other regions.

A 112-day option from Miami to Lisbon will also be sold. It is the shorter choice, although “shorter” is doing some heavy lifting there.

Pole to Pole links two wild worlds

Seabourn Venture’s second Grand Expedition: Pole to Pole is due to leave Reykjavík in August 2028. The 96-day voyage will sail more than 20,500 nautical miles across 147 degrees of latitude.

It starts in the High Arctic and visits remote areas such as Ellesmere Island. It then heads south through 14 countries and territories. The route includes the Falkland Islands, South Georgia and Antarctica.

Guests can expect expedition landings, wildlife sightings and long days in places few people ever reach. An 82-day option will also be available for those joining later.

It is still a vast trip. It simply offers fewer weeks in which to lose track of the date.

The Atlantic brings fresh talk to sea

The Ruby Jubilee will also include a new program with The Atlantic. A 12-day Seabourn Conversations cruise will sail from Montréal to Boston in October 2028 aboard Seabourn Quest.

The voyage will bring writers, thinkers and cultural voices on board. Guests will hear talks and take part in direct discussions at sea. The program draws on The Atlantic Festival and adds to Seabourn’s long-running enrichment series.

The match makes sense. Luxury cruising already sells fine food, service and scenery. This partnership adds lively ideas. It may even give guests something to debate over dinner besides whether the soufflé rose evenly.

A strong anniversary offer for travel advisers

The Ruby Collection gives advisers a broad sales menu. Short yacht-harbour sailings suit busy luxury clients. Asia voyages offer strong cultural dates. Alaska adds a useful land package. The world cruise and Pole to Pole journey are at the top of the bucket list.

The collection also blends trusted Seabourn features with new ports. Guests still receive all-suite oceanfront accommodation, premium drinks, included gratuities and signature events. They also gain fresh routes and wider expedition access.

That balance is important. Anniversary programs can become too fond of the rear-view mirror. Seabourn has used its past as a base, not an anchor.

The line is returning to the small harbours that built its name. At the same time, its expedition ships are pushing towards the limits of the chart.

After 40 years, Seabourn is not simply celebrating where it has been. The Ruby Collection makes a confident case for where luxury cruising is heading next.

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