Japanese company acquires the Seabourn Odyssey

Seabourn Cruises has announced the sale of the Seabourn Odyssey to Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, a Japanese transport company. 

The Odyssey will bolster the offerings of Mitsui O.S.K. Passenger Line. The 32,000-gross-ton cruise ship will join the line’s other vessel, the Nippon Maru. 

The handoff will wait until September 2024, enabling Seabourn to sail all published voyages through Aug. 22, 2024, under a charter agreement.

The 458-passenger Odyssey has sailed for Seabourn for 14 years. It was the first of three Odyssey-class ships to enter service. The Odyssey debuted in 2009, followed by the Seabourn Sojourn in 2010 and the Seabourn Quest in 2011. 

Seabourn’s decision to sell comes as the line expands into the expedition market. The line this summer expects to debut its second expedition ship, Seabourn Pursuit. With the addition of the Pursuit, the average ship age in Seabourn’s fleet will be seven years old.

Carnival Corp., which owns Seabourn, has shed several ships since the pandemic. The company announced in December it would sell the Costa Magica and the Costa Fortuna and a third unnamed ship, in addition to having retiring six of its eight Fantasy-class Carnival Cruise Line ships since 2020. 

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