I was a little apprehensive at first as I'd never been on a ship this small, and had never even done an expedition sailing, so I didn't have anything to compare it to from all the previous ships that I had been on. You can clearly see that Seabourn Expeditions have built this ship for purpose with its sleek design and panoramic decks - perfect for viewing the surrounding scenery and looking out for wildlife on every deck.

Initially I was quite surprised at how small Seabourn Venture was and questioned how there was space for the 250 passengers along with the 250 crew. Upon embarkation, I was pleasantly surprised by the wide-open spaces and the amount of light that they had been able to get into the ship with such little space to work with.

Every small detail had been thought of down to the artwork that lined the corridors and the sculpture that is centrally located in the atrium. Everything about this ship was built with the destinations in mind and the passenger experience is at the top of the list. 

The crew were exceptionally welcoming; they had your name remembered within the first few hours of being on board. This really made us feel special, and we felt like we were really being looked after from the word go. Seabourn Square is an area of the ship which you’ll find aboard every vessel in the Seabourn fleet. It houses a cafe/deli as well as the guest relations team who are available 24 hours a day to help with any requests.

My suite aboard Venture was a Veranda Suite (V4 grade). This suite is approximately 355 square feet and that includes a 75 square foot veranda which I put to very good use throughout this trip as we witnessed so much wildlife so we were always on the lookout for something. The suites on board have a really large living area with table and chairs and an additional vanity/writing desk. 

Even though the beds in our suite were set up in a twin configuration there's still plenty of space in the cabin and it didn't feel cramped one bit. The bathroom was one of the biggest that I've ever seen in a Veranda Suite on any ship, boasting a double vanity sink with a bath and separate shower. There was a fully stocked refrigerator which got restocked every day by the cabin steward. This held mainly soft drinks but it was possible to order any alcoholic beverages to your suite if you so wished.

The TV in the suite had live news feeds, all of the safety videos for passengers to learn about safety protocol on board, and Hollywood films in case you all fancied a quiet night in your suite.

Let's talk about the FOOD...

The Restaurant is the main venue on board, open for breakfast, lunch and dinner for a full a la carte dining experience. We were lucky enough to be invited to a chef's table tasting menu one evening which was absolutely incredible. Each evening the house wine changes so you get to experience some of the many incredible wines that they have on board the ship, and it's fair to say that most of these wines or the best of the regions that they came from, paired perfectly with the menu it was delivered that evening. It really amazes me how on such a small ship they can continue to deliver such a high level of culinary experiences. 

The venue itself is bright and airy and has large picture windows all around to make sure you don't miss out on any unexpected moments of wildlife sightings whilst you are at dinner! I think it's also important to point out that they work very well with people with allergies. As someone who suffers from a number of food allergies I sometimes get nervous when boarding a ship when there's going to be unknown menu choices, but I was immediately put at ease by the waiters who made a very concerned effort to make sure that every option I chose was safe.

The Colonnade is more of a buffet-style restaurant. This again is open breakfast, lunch and dinner and each evening they have a different theme, such as Indian night or Greek night, alongside your usual options. This buffet option is probably the most popular during the day as guests are out and about either on excursions or enjoying the sunshine on the patio. The outside dining space for this venue is beautiful and is also the deck where the infinity pool is located with two hot tubs either side.

At first glance you probably wouldn't expect me to say that The Club is an option as a dining venue however from 6 til 9 every evening they host a sushi bar. They have many options to try and as a sushi lover this was one of my main choices if I wanted an evening snack before a late dinner in the restaurant. It also gives you an option to have a slightly lighter dinner after a long day of excursions if you so wish. The Club is open all day and all evening until the final guest retires for the night. They have a vast array of cocktails on the menu but will also surprise and delight if you give them an idea of what your favourite tipple is! The Cruise Director also hosts quizzes in this venue throughout the day and there's also a jazz pianist and a number of different singers on board for evening entertainment. 

This is the first venue that you experience when you walk on board the ship. It has a really warm welcoming feeling with lots of neutral colours and textures that really complement an expedition sailing vessel. You'll find a fireplace at each end of the lounge with a lovely bar in the middle in case you fancied a cocktail or a glass of champagne.

Expedition is all about EXCURSIONS...

Seabourn Expeditions are slightly different to your standard ocean cruising with Seabourn. They have select excursions included at every port in addition to more in-depth excursions at an extra cost if you'd like to delve a little bit deeper into the destination that you're visiting. 

As a side note, I do think it's important to remember that if you're looking to go on an expedition sailing, whether it be with Seabourn or any cruise line, you do need to think about the level of physical activity that takes place on board one of these sailings. 

Safety is at the top of the list for the expedition team and the crew when it comes to the passengers on board this ship. Before you can take part in any excursion you are asked to watch safety videos for the multiple different activities that you'll be taking part in. There's a video for kayaking, embarking and disembarking the Zodiac, and how to enter and exit the submarine.

I'm not really sure how to put into words the experience that I had on board this cruise and this itinerary. Every morning I opened my curtains up to a new and exciting landscape that took my breath away. The best part about this trip is that you really do feel like an explorer, as the majority of the excursions mean that you have to leave the ship by Zodiac rather than just walking off a gangplank.

One thing to bear in mind with expedition sailings is that the itinerary is such a changeable thing. They give you a rough guideline of where they want to go and when they want to be there, however the weather, the sea and also the landscape can make this challenging so expect the unexpected!

Our visit to Dynjandi Waterfall was probably one of the most exciting and emotional excursions of the trip. The ship had sailed down a small winding fjord and at the end of it, one of the largest waterfalls in Iceland was right in front of us. The whole place was silent except for the thundering of the water falling over the 100-metre drop to the bottom of the cliff. It really was spectacular.

The very same afternoon, we were given the incredible opportunity to go in the submarine and take a dive down to 100 feet. I'm not sure whether I was nervous or excited, but it's certainly something that l know I will never be able to experience again! We were taken out by Zodiac to where the submarine had been located for the afternoon and once we arrived we were given instructions on how best to enter the submarine and what to do once on board. At first you probably think that it's going to be a claustrophobic experience, however this submarine once again is built for purpose and inside the comfortable open space gives you the illusion that there's nothing between you and the water. It's actually quite an interactive experience as the pilots of the submarine talk you through everything that they're doing including the communications to the surface which is really important for them to know where the submarine is at all times. You can read in more depth about our experience aboard the submarine in my colleague Emily's blog post!

I would never have imagined before embarking on this trip that I would come back and say that Iceland was quite possibly the best experience I've ever had in my life.

Iceland is a perfect example of why an expedition sailing can truly show you a country over just a standard ocean cruise. The country is made up of jagged coastlines, huge towering waterfalls, fjords that have been carved out by glaciers and shaped over millions of years. 

One of the incredible things which stood out to me from my first expedition cruise was that you never know exactly what you’re going to experience. One day, the expedition team called us all out onto the deck as we passed dolphins and minke whales. On our final night, we even saw a pod of eight orcas as we headed back to Reykjavik! Such destinations wouldn't be possible to visit - or at least fully appreciated - without being on a purpose-built ship just like Seabourn Venture.

If sailing aboard Seabourn Venture sounds like something you'd love to try, give me a call on 01329 277500 and I would love to help you plan your expedition cruise!