Seabourn president Mark Tamis hosted travel trade and consumer media onboard Seabourn Sojourn at the Overseas Passenger Terminal in Sydney last night as the ship makes its final World Voyage before Sojourn is retired from its fleet.
A tour revealed that the ship is still in relatively good condition for a 2o1o vessel that has a capacity of 450 passengers in 225 cabins.
“This is day 49 of 129 days on the world voyage. So anyone that wants to stay on board, we only have 80 days left, 80 days around the world, you’re more than welcome,” Tamis joked.
Seabourn Sojourn‘s current cruise is а 129 days, one-way from Los Angeles to Vancouver, which began on 6 January, and ends on 15 May. Around 148 of the passengers are onboard for the whole global voyage. The Sydney OPT stop was overnight, considered a rare occasion for any cruise line. Many passengers also rebook while onboard, securing their next journey with a US$500 deposit, or if they pay the full sum the advisor who booked the trip still gets the full commission on the subsequent booking.
The ship will have one last voyage as Sojourn before new owners Mitsui Ocean Cruises will refresh it as Mitsui Ocean Sakura. Sistership Seabourn Odyssey has also been sold to Mitsui while Seabourn will retain Seabourn Quest as part of Carnival’s only luxury brand.
Over cocktails and canapes, Tamis introduced senior crew and said he had spent a lot of time with staff recently with them revealing the connection that they have with guests.
“Everything that we do begins and ends with our people,” he said. “The stories that they share with me about the connection that they have with our guests truly is what separates the Seabourn experience, and we call it the Seabourn Spirit, because it’s something that you can’t always touch, but when you see it, when you feel it, when you taste it, you know that this really is something special.
Tamis also thanked the support he had received locally, from Carnival country manager Peter Little to Australian industry partners media, plus CLIA’s Joel Katz in supporting the local cruise industry.
“What we do every day, delivering these incredible holidays to our guests around the world, and Australia is a very important market, as you all know that for us at Seabourn, not only sailing within these beautiful waters in Australia, but around the world.
“You go on our ships anywhere in the world and you find the Aussies right away. You know where they are, and they’re incredible people.”
The evening continued with a guided tour then dinner in The Restaurant before dessert was enjoyed on the Observation Deck.
Designed for intimate, high-end cruising, Seabourn Sojourn is all-suite accommodations, offering a yacht-like experience with premium dining, personalised service, and itineraries to a wide variety of global destinations. Over her 15-plus years in service, Sojourn has operated seasonal itineraries across Northern Europe, the Mediterranean, Alaska, the Caribbean, and undertaken extended world cruises.
In March last year, Seabourn announced the sale of Sojourn to Japan’s Mitsui Ocean Cruises, a subsidiary of Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, and currently the only Japanese line which operates internationally, as part of a broader strategy to modernise its fleet and focus on younger, more contemporary vessels.
Under the sale agreement, Seabourn has chartered the ship back to continue all scheduled voyages through to the end of this current world cruise, concluding on 15 May 2026. After this charter period, Seabourn Sojourn will be formally delivered to Mitsui Ocean Cruises and transition out of the Seabourn brand, joining her sister ship (the former Seabourn Odyssey, now Mitsui Ocean Fuji).
Once in Mitsui’s ownership, the vessel is expected to undergo refurbishment, be renamed Mitsui Ocean Sakura, and be deployed primarily in the Japanese cruise market. Her new role will focus on regional itineraries — including short trips and culturally themed voyages calling at ports around Japan such as Okinawa and Hokkaido — catering to domestic luxury travellers and supporting Mitsui’s expansion strategy in the cruise sector.
