Hotel of the Week: Seabourn’s Ultra-Luxe New Vessel Explores Earth’s Most Remote Locales

The Seabourn Pursuit is a 564-foot PC6 Polar Class ship, purpose-built for exploring the world’s hard-to-reach and inhospitable waterways. Yet, step inside, and guests will find themselves ensconced in a floating paragon of hospitality, the result of a meticulous design odyssey spearheaded by the venerable New York–based studio Tihany Design. Under the guidance of founder Adam D. Tihany and Principal Alessia Genova, the studio embarked on a Herculean mission to create interiors that embody “sumptuous authenticity at sea.”

The ship’s bi-level 1,400-square-foot Grand Wintergarden suite is exemplar of this approach. A veritable pied-à-terre afloat, the accommodation serves as both a sybaritic home base and a portal to the primordial landscapes beyond its panoramic windows. The lower level features a multifunctional space with a dining area for four and a bespoke-stocked wet bar, doubling as an informal strategy room for planning zodiac excursions or conducting post-prandial reviews of the day’s wildlife encounters. A second bedroom on this level acknowledges the collaborative nature of exploration, accommodating friends or family with equal aplomb.

A sculptural staircase—an engineering feat considering the ship’s constant motion—leads to the upper-level main bedroom. Here, a five-piece bath rivals land-based spas, boasting a whirlpool tub engineered to maintain optimal temperatures regardless of external conditions. The suite’s material palette reflects Tihany Design’s nuanced understanding of maritime exigencies: wood, metal, and organic textiles create a tactile landscape that invites exploration, mirroring the essence of Pursuit’s journeys.

This attention to materiality extends throughout the space with a formidable dedication to form and function. Heated wooden-look tile flooring provides comfort in any clime, while premium bedding features custom blankets and textured throws, all sourced from sustainable materials. Parchment-inspired wall panels are, in fact, high-performance laminates resistant to salt air corrosion, and engineered wood flooring offers enhanced durability. These practical considerations coexist harmoniously with aesthetic flourishes, such as custom furnishings by Tihany Product Design, manufactured by the esteemed Italian firm Roda. These pieces epitomize luxurious handcrafted ruggedness, creating an ambiance that references historical expedition gear while meeting contemporary standards of refinement.

The technological appointments in the Grand Wintergarden suite are both cutting-edge and contextually appropriate, a nod to the ship’s dual nature as both explorer and floating gallery. A retractable LG television preserves sightlines, while an in-suite Swarovski ATX Interior “spotting scope” transforms the space into a private observatory; peering through, the texture of distant penguin plumage or the fissured bark of a baobab appear within tactile proximity.

Beyond the suite, Pursuit’s collection of 700 artworks, curated by London-based Double Decker studio, further elevates the onboard experience to that of a floating Kunsthalle. In the Main Atrium, Magical Sky, a commissioned sculpture by Double Decker, features diaphanous spheres inspired by celestial bodies, embodying the ship’s “Expedition of Discoveries” theme. The Colonnade showcases Chris Soal’s wall sculpture Oscillation, a sustainable work comprised of metal bottle tops coiled in a rope-like pattern, expanding from a central point—a visual metaphor for the ship’s far-reaching journeys.

These artistic elements not only enhance the ship’s aesthetic but also serve as catalysts for discourse on sustainability and the interconnectedness of global ecosystems. Seabourn’s art-focused expeditions, particularly in regions like Australia’s Kimberley, dovetail perfectly with the ship’s artistic bent. These curated experiences allow guests to engage with indigenous art forms in situ, providing context and depth to the onboard collection. It’s a holistic approach to travel that recognizes the profound symbiosis between landscape, culture, and artistic expression, offering travelers a deeper, more nuanced understanding of the regions they visit.

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