71-night Polar Regions cruise: Kangerlussuaq to Rio de Janeiro on Seabourn Venture
The 71-Day Arctic, Northwest Passage, Les is a 71-night Polar Regions cruise aboard Seabourn Venture, operated by Seabourn. Departing Kangerlussuaq on August 16, 2028 and arriving in Rio de Janeiro on October 26, 2028, the voyage visits 26 ports including Pond Inlet, Nuuk Godthaab, Iqaluit. Fares start from $80,908 per person.
Fixed editorial images from the places on this itinerary. They stay stable each time you return to this sailing.
Bridgetown, Barbados
When you arrive in Barbados on an MSC Caribbean and Antilles cruise, begin your exploration with the capital, Bridgetown. There are many attractions in this small Caribbean city, but by all means pause to admire its many colonial buildings, the Parliament Building and the statue of Lord Nelson standing in what is currently called the National Heroes Square.
Barbados has retained somewhat of a British feel, with its place names, cricket, horse-racing and polo, Anglican parish churches and even a hilly district known as Scotland. But the Britishness can be exaggerated, for this is a distinctly West Indian country, covered by a patch-work of sugarcane fields and dotted with tiny rum shops.
The Garrison Historic Area, a UNESCO World Heritage Site with magnificent 18th- and 19th-century buildings, is a must-see stop, featuring one of the world's finest collection of cannons. It also includes the George Washington House, where the American patriot spent six weeks of his life.
The current St. John's Church, in the eastern parish of the same name, is the fifth reconstruction of the oldest local church, in Barbadian Gothic style. Perched on a cliff 800 feet above the sea, it dates back to 1836. Its interior hosts a sculpture by 18th-century British artist Richard Westmacott, while its churchyard contains the tomb of Ferdinando Paleologus, a direct descendant of the brother of Constantine XI, the last Byzantine emperor.
Book an MSC excursion to discover the island’s history at the Barbados Museum and Historical Society in the St. Michael neighbourhood. And tour Sunbury Plantation House, located in the tranquil St. Philip countryside. Dating back to 1650, it’s a living monument to plantation life and a bygone era.
Harrison’s Cave, in St. Thomas district, is a wonder of nature with its stalactites, stalagmites, streams, lakes and waterfalls. In one of the caverns, the play of light on the rocks is so in-tense that it has been nicknamed “The Crystal Room”.
For some fun at the beach, head to Pirates Cove, one of the best beaches on Barbados. Featuring palm trees and chickee huts, white sand and crystal-clear water, it’s the perfect place to relax, just a stone’s throw from Bridgetown.
If you’re brave enough to dive into the deep, set out on an MSC excursion inside a real submarine, the Atlantis, to explore the coral reef and discover the beauty that the depths reveal.
Natal
Deemed the “Sun Capital” in a nation of sun and beach worshippers, Natal has much more to offer besides its expansive stretches of sand. North of the city, spectacular sand dunes tumble down to the sea. Inventive locals make the most of them, using skis, toboggans, dune buggies – even camels! – to traverse them. Founded on Christmas Day (Natal in Portuguese) in 1599, the city has preserved a number of edifices dating to colonial days. Three King's Fortress and the recently restored Metropolitan Cathedral both date back to the turn of the 16th Century. The landmark Albert Maranhão Theater dates back to 1898.
Used as a strategic bridge to invade Brazil by the French, Portuguese and Dutch at various times, Natal was also home to an American airbase during World War II. The closest port to Africa in the Americas, Natal played a vital role in the Allies' struggle during the war. The base was used for anti-submarine service in the South Atlantic as well as the transport of planes, troops and supplies to the North African campaign, earning Natal the nickname “Trampoline of Victory.”
Rio de Janeiro
As you’ll be able to appreciate when you cruise the Atlantic Ocean with MSC Cruises, in its position on the southern shore of the magnificent Guanabara Bay, Rio de Janeiro has, without a shadow of a doubt, one of the most stunning settings in the world.
Extending for 20km along an alluvial strip, between an azure sea and forest-clad mountains, the city’s streets and buildings have been moulded around the foothills of the mountain range that provides its backdrop, while out in the bay there are many rocky islands fringed with white sand.
The aerial views over Rio are breathtaking, and even the concrete skyscrapers that dominate the city’s skyline add to the attraction. As the former capital of Brazil and now its second-largest city, Rio has a remarkable architectural heritage, some of the country’s best museums and galleries, superb restaurants and a vibrant nightlife – in addition to its legendary beaches. A shore excursion on your MSC South America cruise can be the opportunity to visit the Pão de Açúcar.
The Sugar Loaf Mountain rises where Guanabara Bay meets the Atlantic Ocean. Its name may simply reflect a resemblance to the moulded loaves in which sugar was once commonly sold. Alternatively, it may be a corruption of the indigenous Tamoya word Pau-nh-Açuquá, meaning “high, pointed or isolated hill”. On the top of Corcoavado Mountain instead the Art Deco statue of Cristo Redentor (Christ the Redeemer), arms outstretched in welcome, stands 30m high and weighs over 1000 tonnes. It was supposed to be completed for Brazil’s centenary independence celebrations in 1922, but wasn’t actually finished until 1931.
In clear weather, fear no anticlimax: climbing to the statue is a stunning experience, with the whole of Rio and Guanabara Bay laid out before you.
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Seabourn's ultra-luxury purpose-built expedition ship Seabourn Venture, paying tribute to the remote destinations visited by the brand’s highly successful expedition and Ventures by Seabourn excursion programs and the fascinating places yet to be explored in the future.
Seabourn Venture is scheduled to launch in June 2021, with a second yet-to-be-named sister ship slated to launch in May 2022. Both ships will be designed and built for diverse environments to PC6 Polar Class standards and will include a plethora of modern hardware and technology that will extend the ships global deployment and capabilities. The new ships, which are being built by T. Mariotti, will be a brand new innovative design, created specifically for the ultra-luxury expedition traveler, and will include many features that have made Seabourn ships so successful.
A new and exciting offering will be two custom-built submarines carried onboard, providing an unforgettable view of the world beneath the ocean’s surface. The ships will also be designed to carry a complement of double sea kayaks, mountain bikes and ebikes as well as 24 Zodiacs that can accommodate all onboard guests at once, which will allow for a truly immersive experience. Each ship will feature 132 all veranda, all ocean-front suites.
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