In the words of our favorite cartoon crustacean, “Darling it’s better/ down where it’s wetter/…under the sea.” Well, with Seabourn, you can experience just what our friend Sebastian was talking about… 

As part of their new expedition ship, Seabourn Venture, Seabourn Cruise Line guests can pile into seven-seater subs to visit the undersea world. Environmentally friendly, battery-powered subs carry six guests—three in each of two clear acrylic spheres, plus the pilot. These exploration vehicles can dive to 300 meters, and the view of the marine world outside the windows is breathtaking (pun intended), including reefs, fish, and sometimes shipwrecks. The subs can be found on various Seabourn cruises in the Arctic, Antarctica, the Caribbean, and Central and South America.

Photo via Seabourn.com

This unique experience is enhanced by the lux interior design of the submarines, which include custom embroidered leather upholstery, bluetooth stereo system, air conditioning, and champagne. If you don’t like small spaces and aren’t comfortable navigating ladders, this may not be your adventure. But if you can tolerate those concerns, it’s a ride like no other.

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Equipped with a 4K underwater video camera system to capture your time on the sea floor, you can screen the videos after your trip with marine biologists and oceanographers to learn more about what you saw.

The subs cost $4 million each, can travel up to two knots, and are equipped with what’s called a “Dead Man’s Switch”–if the pilot doesn’t hit the button every two minutes, the control system assumes something’s wrong and immediately brings the craft back to the surface. 

As for their cruise ships, Seabourn operates in the “Goldilocks zone” in terms of size.  Each vessel welcomes 250 to 600 guests while offering what they claim is the highest ratio of space to guests in the industry. Their ships are big enough to provide all the dining, entertainment, healthcare, and adventures on and off the craft that the bigger cruises offer, but small enough to avoid the dinner time rush hour. 

If you’re concerned about your health onboard, Seabourn offers a five-star, fully staffed medical center complete with MDs and nurses trained to care for a full spectrum of medical scenarios, and stocked with a variety of medications, supplies, and equipment. 

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