From left to right: T.Mariotti managing director Marco Ghiglione, Damen Sales and Marketing senior vice-president cruise Andrea Trevisan. Credit: Damen.

Seabourn has signed a letter of intent (LoI) with a partnership between shipbuilders T.Mariotti and Damen for the construction of two new ultra-luxury expedition vessels.

The newly formed partnership will operate under the brand name Mariotti Damen Cruise and is expected to serve the cruise shipbuilding industry.

“The combination of immersive experience, fine accommodations and sumptuous amenities offered by these new ships builds on the success of our current product lineup.”

Seabourn’s new vessels will be 170m-long and weigh approximately 23,000t each.

They will be equipped with 132 oceanfront veranda suites, enabling them to accommodate up to 264 guests.

The PC6 Polar Class-standard ships will be designed to expand the company’s capacity in Antarctica, the Arctic and other exotic destinations worldwide.

Seabourn president Richard Meadows said: “The combination of immersive experience, fine accommodations and sumptuous amenities offered by these new ships builds on the success of our current product line-up, and further demonstrates our leadership as innovators as we continue offering the finest ultra-luxury cruises available.”

The two new vessels will be designed to carry two submarines onboard to offer an underwater view of the ocean, along with kayaks and 24 Zodiac inflatable boats.

The first ship is expected to be supplied in June 2021, while the second vessel is slated for delivery in May 2022.

Seabourn is currently planning to release details of the new ships’ design and service offerings later this year.

The company also intends to deploy the first vessel in the Arctic during the second half of 2021 and then in Antarctica to cover the winter cruise season.