Cruisers looking to explore Asia on a luxury ship in the coming months have an array of choices onboard two Seabourn vessels, Seabourn Encore and Seabourn Quest. Itineraries range from 12 to 41 days, and feature two new shore excursions on certain Japan voyages.
Between the two ships, Seabourn, one of the nine Carnival Corporation brands, will have a presence in Southeast Asia during the 2024-25 winter and spring seasons, and again in fall of 2025.
The 600-guest Seabourn Encore, which launched in 2016, will sail a cruise series between Singapore and Hong Kong, and offer one sailing between Singapore and Kobe, Japan. The ship will cap the spring season with a 25-day Pacific crossing.
The 458-guest Seabourn Quest will sail a spring 2025 series across Southeast Asia and Japan, and return to Japan for the fall 2025 season.
“With its diverse beauty, rich culture, and deep history, our ultra-luxury cruises to Asia continue to be a favorite among our guests,” said Natalya Leahy, president of Seabourn.
“To meet the growing demand, we’ve enhanced our itineraries this season and are offering many exciting voyages throughout Asia to new, hidden gems across the region, ensuring even more exceptional experiences for our guests,” Leahy added.
Highlights of Seabourn Encore’s Southeast Asia cruise series include port calls in several destinations such as Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia, and the Philippines. Seven cruises of 13 and 14 days will operate between December 2024 and March 2025. The ship will overnight in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, on all sailings.
Just one voyage aboard Seabourn Encore includes Japan. The 14-day Singapore to Kobe itinerary features a port new to the Seabourn fleet, Tokushima, Japan. The visit to Kobe will be Seabourn Encore’s maiden call at the destination.
An immersive 25-day cruise, the “Japan & Hawaiian Islands Pacific Crossing,” from Kobe to Long Beach, California, departs on March 16.
Seabourn Quest’s spring 2025 cruise series, in March and April, offers itineraries of 14 to 34 days as the ship sails the islands of Japan.
Maiden calls for Seabourn Quest during the spring 2025 season include Akita, known for its hot springs and samurai districts; Ishinomaki, a popular arts destination; Niigata; and Wakayama, where several sacred sites are located.
On April 27, 2025 the ship will depart on her 20-day “Pacific Passage: Golden Week to Glacier Bay” cruise, featuring port calls in Japan during cherry blossom season before reaching Vancouver, British Columbia.
The trans-Pacific voyage positions the ship for her summer 2025 Alaska season. Seabourn Quest, which entered service in 2011, returns to Japan in fall 2025, with four cruises ranging from 12 to 41 days. Itineraries include visits to Japan’s four largest islands plus several smaller ones.
Guests Can Experience Onboard Enrichment, New Excursions
Both Seabourn ships will offer Seabourn Conversations on certain voyages, featuring popular writers and authors who interact with guests in the line’s Seabourn Conversations program.
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Among them are novelist Ann Cleeves, who will sail aboard Seabourn Encore’s holiday voyage in December 2024, and writer and Asia specialist Jim Laurie, who will join the ship several times between December 2024 and February 2025.
Two new shore excursions will debut onboard Seabourn Quest’s Japan voyages. The Very Best of Kobe tour is a full-day event that visits Himeji Castle, Koko-en Garden, and the Kiku-Masamune Sake Brewery Museum.
A half-day tour in Shimizu, Hiroshige Museum & Tea Ceremony, offers guests a look at traditional Japanese ukiyo-e art, and the experience of a traditional Japanese tea ceremony at the Miyuki-tei house.
Looking ahead to 2026, Seabourn recently announced that Seabourn Sojourn will sail a 129-day World Cruise, exploring 63 destinations in 14 countries. Four segments ranging from 20 to 48 days are offered.
