Seabourn Venture — Life at Sea Where Luxury Meets Adventure

Part 2 Amazon – Rio de Janeiro

See part 1 – pre cruise stay in Belem

Ship information

A voyage from Amazon to South Georgia and Antarctica took us for amazing 42 days on our bucket list journey. We sailed about Seabourn Venture, Seabourn’s first purpose-built ultra-luxury expedition ship, launched in 2022 and designed to explore some of the world’s most remote regions — without sacrificing comfort, cuisine, or service.

Built to Ice Class 6 standards and equipped with Zodiacs and onboard submersibles, Seabourn Venture is engineered for exploration in destinations such as the Amazon, South Georgia, and Antarctica. Yet onboard, the experience remains unmistakably Seabourn: elegant, refined, and deeply personal.

As first-time expedition cruisers who appreciate luxury accommodations on land, we found that Seabourn Venture strikes a rare balance between true expedition cruising and sophisticated comfort.

With only 240 guests, every experience is personal: staff remember your preferences, excursions feel personal, and shared moments on board are genuinely meaningful.

From seamless embarkation and veranda suites to exceptional dining, expert-led enrichment, and thoughtfully curated expedition experiences, life aboard the ship is both effortless and deeply engaging.

Dining aboard Seabourn Venture is consistently high quality and varied. The executive chef is French, ensuring exceptional technique and presentation. Open seating allows guests to dine when and with whom they wish. Single travelers are often invited to dine with staff or fellow guests, fostering a welcoming social atmosphere.

Dining options included:

• The Restaurant — elegant sit-down meals
• The Colonnade — casual dining with buffets and themed dinners, includin outdoor seating by the pool.
• 9th Floor Club —nightly sushi from 6–9 pm
• Seabourn Square Café — ice cream, sandwiches, salads, and light snacks
• Lounges and bars – afternoon tea, tapas, soups, and sandwiches
• 24-hour room service

Dietary preferences, likes/dislikes and allergies are tracked, and staff quickly learn guests’ favorites, often providing them even when not on display.

Outdoor seating by the pool and hot tubs at the Colonnade made lunch especially enjoyable. Additional hot tubs are on Deck 9.

Our Suite & Onboard Life

Our suite was on deck 7 category V4, located in quiet area, just behind the spa – a perfect setup given our frequent spa visits. The spa manager, Grace was especially helpful for Michael to treat his back with 20-minutes chair massage right at reception to ease tension from carrying heavy photo equipment. They also included a complimentary sauna.

We had massages and hair services.  The onboard hairdresser, Ruth, transformed my hair into a sleek, modern style unlike anything I’d had before. I am officially hooked on Kérastase products.

We settled in and enjoyed onboard activities as next day was perfect to enjoy this luxury ship on sea day.  Sea days were lively, including the Equator Crossing ceremony, trivia games and various lectures.

We did self-service laundry, there were only four washer/dryers and there was often waiting there. But they are open 24 hours.

Expedition team and activities

Seabourn’s world-class expedition team truly elevated the journey. Experts in glaciology, wildlife, birds, geology, archaeology, maritime history, exploration, and photography delivered first-class lectures and on-deck interpretation that deepened our appreciation of the landscapes and wildlife around us.

These were not just academics, but fascinating individuals. During informal “fireplace talks,” they shared stories from their lives and careers.

One fun fact from our expedition leader: in his free time, he competes internationally in paragliding and takes motorbike treks across the Andes.

The captain was also very involved, regularly explaining weather patterns and sailing conditions.

Included and optional expedition activities (weather permitting) included:

• Zodiac landings (included)
• Kayaking (optional)
• Submersible dives (optional)

Our cruise Director, Lupi is from Brazil and performed Broadway classics and opera.

Michael settled into his Photography Masterclass, ran by talented British photographer John Shedwick, with dedicated separate excursions tailored for photographers.

The Guests were international, approximately 50% American, with others from the UK, Canada, Australia, and the rest of the world.  The atmosphere was welcoming and sociable and I was pleasantly surprised to see younger couples in their 30s alongside seasoned travelers.

Macapa and the Amazon

Two days later, we arrived in Macapa, the capital of the state of Amapá, located on the north bank of the Amazon River, near where it meets the Atlantic.  The expedition team prepared us with a detailed briefing before our Zodiac landing at the harbor.

We traveled by bus to Museu Sacaca, an open-air ethnographic museum dedicated to the peoples, cultures, and nature of the Amazon. Part museum, part living village, it offered insight into Amazonian life through guided walks, cultural performances, and tastings—including açaí.

We continued to a local shopping village to stock up on açaí products, local sauces, and handicrafts.

Uniquely, the city sits almost exactly on the Equator, which shapes both its identity and climate, so we finished the sightseeing by making obligatory photo at Marco Zero do Equador – a monument marking the Equator, literally standing both hemispheres.

Life Along the Amazon River

For next few days we explored Amazon on zodiacs guided by our naturalists while  some guests kayaked.

We observed stilted homes adapted to seasonal flooding, vibrant plant life, brilliant birds, and remarkable wildlife. We spotted pink river dolphins, monkeys, anteaters, and even saw an Amazonian family with a domesticated capybara.

For river communities, the Amazon is everything: highway, pantry, playground, and livelihood. Life follows the rise and fall of the water. Small riverside communities—ribeirinhos—live in wooden homes built for flooding seasons. Families grow manioc (cassava), bananas, and açaí, fish daily, and hunt sustainably.

 

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Children learn early to navigate boats and read the forest.We were fortunate to experience Amazon life —even briefly to understand a different relationship with time, nature, and survival.

We typically had two Zodiac excursions per day, with the rest of the time spent sunbathing by the pool, attending lectures, and enjoying the warm — i

 

 

 

 

 

Salvador de Bahia

 

 

 

 

 

 

After three days in Amazon, we arrived Salvador de Bahia, or called just Salvador, one of Brazil’s most soulful and historic cities.

Once the country’s first capital and a key port in Atlantic trade routes, Salvador is where African, Indigenous, and Portuguese influences merge in music, dance, cuisine, and spirituality—earning it the nickname “The Soul of Brazil.”

Beyond its cultural richness, Salvador boasts beautiful beaches along the Bay of All Saints, creating a rare blend of history, heritage, and natural beauty.

We visited lighthouse in Salvador do Bahia, with panoramic views over the Bay of Saints and the Atlantic, a reminder of the city’s maritime history, before continuing to the Church of Senhor do Bonfim, Salvador’s most beloved shrine, known for its mix of Catholic devotion and Afro-Brazilian spirituality.  A symbol of Bahian identity, it blends Catholic devotion with Afro-Brazilian spirituality. Inside, we saw wax offerings left by devotees seeking miracles. Outside, visitors tied colorful ribbons to the fence, each representing three wishes, meant to fall off naturally over time.

After five hours in the city, we returned back to the ship.

Rio De Janeiro

We arrived in Rio De Janeiro at sunrise, 4:30am and rushed to the observation deck to witness one of the world’s most spectacular arrivals by sea. Sailing into Guanabara Bay, framed by Sugarloaf Mountain and Corcovado, is truly unforgettable.

I had arranged a private tour, and our guide Paolo met us at the dock. We began in downtown Rio, whose history dates to the 1500s. Walking along the Olympic waterfront, we admired the mix of colonial churches with Baroque interiors, modernist buildings, and the futuristic Museum of Tomorrow, shaped like a whale.

We continued to Itzhak Rabin Park, a peaceful park overlooking Sugarloaf Mountain. In 2020, Rio inaugurated a Holocaust memorial here—a 72-foot tower divided into ten sections representing the Ten Commandments, with the inscription “Thou shalt not kill” at its base.

We continued to Sugar Loaf Mountain which we chose over Christ the Redeemer due to time constraints. With priority cable-car tickets, we ascended to sweeping views of the Atlantic, the city skyline, and Christ the Redeemer in the distance. Sugarloaf’s dramatic granite peak rising straight from the sea is one of Rio’s most iconic symbols. We even spotted monkeys along the nature paths and enjoyed açaí snacks while taking in the views.

We continued to the beaches Ipanema and Copacabana, Rio’s two most famous beaches.

Copacabana felt lively and iconic, with constant energy and classic glamour. Ipanema, just south, felt more refined and stylish, with boutiques, cafés, and a relaxed upscale atmosphere. It’s hard to choose where I’d stay next time—both capture Rio’s unmistakable joie de vivre.

With a bit of time left, we rushed to the Rio Botanical Garden, founded in 1808 and spanning approximately 340 acres. Shaded palm-lined avenues, sculptures, fountains, rare plants, and—once again—monkeys made for a beautiful finale to an already full day.

That day was a whirlwind introduction to Rio, and we hope to return for a longer stay. As land travelers at heart, we would happily spend several days exploring this extraordinary city. 

This marked the end of the Amazon portion of our journey. Guests booked only on the Amazon cruise disembarked, along with some expedition staff and our beloved Cruise Director, Lupi. New guests and specialists joined us—experts in Antarctica and South Georgia—along with our new Expedition Director, James, from the UK.

To be continued: Part 3 — South Atlantic, Falklands, South Georgia & Antarctica.

Copyrights  2026, Sophia’s Travel, EMCO Travel LLC