Seabourn has sold the Seabourn Odyssey to Japan’s Mitsui O.S.K. Lines.
Seabourn’s parent company, Carnival Corporation made the announcement today, saying that it would be selling the 14-year-old cruise ship as part of a global strategy to remove older, less productive ships from its brands.
The luxury brand, which has ventured into the expedition space over the last few years, will continue to operate the Odyssey’s published voyages through until August 22, 2024 under a charter agreement.
The ship was built in 2009 with the capacity to cater for 458 people, more than twice the number of the original Seabourn vessels. The larger luxury ship meant there was more room for amenities including suites with private balconies catching up with a growing field of competitors in the ultra-luxury segment.
The cruise ship will be delivered to MOL at the conclusion of the charter and be rebuilt for the Japanese cruise market.
Carnival Corporation reported it would be planned to sell three cruise ships in 2023 – two from Costa Cruises and another from AIDA.
Since the 2020 suspension of cruising, Carnival Corporation has sold or retired 24 cruise ships plus delivering two others that had previously been sold. The corporation has reduced its fleet from 104 ships to approximately 90.
But the Carnival Corporation’s ultra-luxury brand has been revolutionising its fleet and expanding their focus on the expedition cruise market.
The first of two new expedition cruise ships, Seabourn Venture entered service in 2022 and she is being followed by a sistership in 2023, the Seabourn Pursuit. The expedition cruise ships are smaller vessels with suites accommodating 264 passengers and built to PC6 Polar Class standards.
