NORTHWEST PASSAGE CRUISES

Inaugural Northwest Passage Sailing

On August 28, 2023, Seabourn Venture embarked on her first voyage through the Northwest Passage. This represents a historic day, as she is the very first ship in the corporation to ever set sail for the fabled Northwest Passage.

Follow along over the next three weeks as we share coverage of this amazing journey.

The Northwest Passage Story

European explorers have searched for a northernly sea passage between Western Europe and Asia since the 1400s. Such a route would save months of arduous travel around Africa’s Cape of Good Hope or Cape Horn at the tip of South America.

Many explorers journeyed west around Greenland and through the Canadian Arctic Archipelago in search of a corridor connecting the Atlantic and Pacific oceans; others steered their ships east across the top of present-day Norway and Arctic Russia. These early seafarers were turned back time and again by treacherous weather conditions and thick sea ice; many perished. Yet the Arctic has experienced monumental change since these passages were first mapped, and the region’s transformative nature has created ice-free areas year-round, making shipping — and expedition travel — possible.

Northwest Passage Destinations

A Travel Blog from Seabourn
Read the latest Northeast and Northwest Passages articles on Seabourn’s digital magazine, Current — the newest way to find out about some of the most unique Seabourn destinations.

Navigating the Northeast Passage
Discover the hardships that early adventurers endured in their search for this important sea route, and how life can still thrive amidst the barren Arctic environment.

In Pursuit of the Northwest Passage
Learn why it took explorers so long to locate — and then navigate — this famous passage, and what it means for the future of expedition travel.