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Seabourn Quest to explore the Amazon on new 30-day voyage
Seabourn is expanding its South America programme with a new 30-day voyage deep into the Amazon. The “Amazon Explorer: Rivers & Rainforests” itinerary aboard Seabourn Quest will depart Miami on 18 November 2028 and return on 18 December, visiting 15 destinations in seven countries.
The journey combines Caribbean islands with extensive scenic cruising along the Amazon and calls at Brazilian river destinations including Santarém, Boca da Valeria, Parintins and Manaus. The sailing will take place during Seabourn’s 40th anniversary year.
From the Caribbean into the Amazon
The itinerary begins in Miami and heads through the Caribbean before entering the Amazon River. This creates a gradual transition from island destinations to rainforest landscapes and communities whose daily lives are closely connected to one of the world’s largest river systems.
Mark Tamis, President of Seabourn, describes the Amazon as a destination offering a distinctive sense of exploration. Seabourn Quest, he said, would take passengers into the heart of the region to experience its landscapes, cultures and traditions while maintaining the intimate atmosphere and personalised service associated with the cruise line.
Caribbean calls include Gustavia on Saint Barthélemy, Trinidad and Grenada. Seabourn Quest will also visit Devil’s Island in French Guiana, whose isolated location and history as part of the former French penal colony give the stop a very different character.
Overnight stay provides more time in Manaus
One of the central elements of the voyage will be an overnight stay in Manaus. Surrounded by rainforest, the historic city has long served as one of the principal gateways to the Brazilian Amazon.
The extended call gives passengers additional time to discover the city’s architecture, markets and waterfront as well as its cultural attractions and restaurants specialising in regional cuisine.
Manaus also marks one of the most urban contrasts of the itinerary: a major city in the middle of a region otherwise characterised by immense stretches of rainforest and waterways.
River communities offer a different view of Brazil
Several smaller Brazilian destinations will introduce passengers to life along the Amazon. At Santarém, the Amazon meets the Tapajós River, creating a striking encounter between the sediment-rich brown water of the Amazon and the clearer blue-green water of the Tapajós.
Boca da Valeria provides a very different experience. The small riverside community is surrounded by dense rainforest and offers visitors an insight into everyday life in a remote part of the Amazon.
Parintins, meanwhile, represents one of the region’s more vibrant river destinations and provides another perspective on the cultures and traditions that have developed along the waterway.
Scenic cruising becomes part of the experience
Unlike an itinerary built primarily around individual ports, the river itself will form an important part of the journey. Extended scenic cruising will allow passengers to observe the changing rainforest landscapes and settlements along the Amazon from the ship.
For Seabourn, the new itinerary responds to growing interest among luxury travellers in longer journeys that combine comfort with culturally distinctive and less frequently visited destinations.
Amazon voyage opens an extended season for Seabourn Quest
The 30-day Amazon sailing will also begin a series of longer voyages for Seabourn Quest. After returning from the Amazon, the ship is scheduled to operate two ten-day Caribbean holiday cruises.
On 7 January 2029, Seabourn Quest will then leave Miami for the 138-day “World Cruise: Iconic Islands & Remote Horizons”.
The Amazon itinerary therefore forms part of a broader programme of extended voyages as Seabourn celebrates its 40th anniversary in 2028, while adding one of South America’s most distinctive regions to the programme of its ocean-going fleet.
Image Credit: © AI generated illustration using material courtesy of Seabourn
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