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Seabourn Designs the “Rolls-Royce of Submarines”
Luxury cruise line Seabourn has revealed the design for its custom submarine that will operate on its two upcoming purpose-built expedition ships.
The Seabourn Venture and her yet-to-be-named sister ship will each carry a U-Boat Worx Cruise Sub 7 and sail to the far corners of the Earth taking its passengers on an adventurous expedition in maximum comfort.
The submarines have been designed specifically for Seabourn and are battery powered with a seating capacity of six passengers along with a pilot. It can dive up to depths of 300 metres beneath the surface to explore sunken wrecks, reefs, and view marine wildlife in their natural habitat.
Two clear acrylic spheres flanking the centre pilot’s station seat the passengers and offer unhindered views in virtually all directions. The three passenger seats in each sphere are mounted on a rotating platform that can turn for providing best viewing angles.
“The undersea world is often considered as the last great frontier on Earth, with more than 80 percent of the underwater realm remaining unmapped, unobserved, and unexplored according to the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration,” says Robin West, vice president of Expedition Operations for Seabourn.
“With these subs, we’re going to take our guests to places that few have ever seen firsthand, leaving them with a perspective on the world around us that is jaw-dropping and will create stories to last a lifetime.”
Each of the subs will be outfitted with custom embroidered leather upholstery, two air conditioning systems, a Bluetooth stereo system, and champagne chiller. Additional equipment onboard the submarine includes a 4k underwater video camera system that will record high-definition footage both inside as well as outside during the voyage.
A six-function manipulator arm capable of lifting up to 70 pounds will also be mounted on the side of the sub. The subs will also feature underwater LED flood/spotlights, imaging sonar that acts as a second set of eyes, and an advanced underwater tracking and navigation system.
Seabourn Venture is scheduled to launch in June 2021, with a second yet-to-be-named sister ship slated to launch a year later.