With more than 9,000 guests completing Ventures by Seabourn excursions during the 2026 Alaska season — which wrapped September 18 — Seabourn is already booking its return. Seabourn Encore will sail 18 departures across Alaska and British Columbia from May through September 2027, covering five itineraries that range from seven to 15 days, visiting 15 ports and two UNESCO World Heritage Sites: Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Glacier Bay National Park.
The Culinary Angle
For hospitality professionals tracking how luxury travel operators are elevating onboard food and beverage programs, Seabourn's Alaska culinary playbook is worth watching. Launched in 2026 and continuing into 2027, the regionally inspired dining program features locally sourced seafood and foraged ingredients throughout each voyage. Signature dining events — including "Surf & Sear Sailaway," "Alaskan Seafood Boil," "Fisherman's Table," and "Midnight Sun Dinner" — anchor the programming with a strong sense of place. A destination-inspired cocktail menu, featuring original drinks such as the Glacier Fir and Inside Passage Punch, leans into Alaskan glacial ice and regional ingredients as key components. This approach reflects a broader hospitality trend toward hyper-local beverage curation that operators across segments are adopting to deepen the guest experience.
The Denali Experience
Seabourn is pairing the 2027 cruise season with an optional eight-day, seven-night pre-cruise land package called "The Denali Experience," available ahead of southbound voyages running from Juneau to Vancouver. The program opens in Anchorage with a scenic rail journey inland to Denali National Park and Preserve, spanning more than six million acres. Highlights include aerial glacier flightseeing, a wildlife encounter at the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center in Portage Valley — home to lynx, moose, brown bears, and wood bison — and a farewell dinner at Tracy's King Crab Shack along Juneau's downtown waterfront. The package bundles hotel accommodations, daily dining, transportation, airport transfers, and expert guiding into a single offering, a structure that hospitality operators have increasingly adopted to smooth the pre-arrival journey and capture additional revenue.
On the Water and Ashore
Every 2027 voyage will include scenic cruising through at least one signature Alaskan waterway — Glacier Bay, Hubbard Glacier, Tracy Arm, or Endicott Arm. Ventures by Seabourn, the line's optional excursion program, deploys kayaks and Zodiacs launched directly from Seabourn Encore, guided by an expedition team of naturalists, scientists, historians, and wildlife experts. Guests booked in Premium Suites receive complimentary use of Swarovski Optik binoculars throughout the voyage, while all guests receive a custom Helly Hansen all-weather jacket as a keepsake. "Year after year, Alaska has stood out among destinations that Seabourn guests can't get enough of," said Mark Tamis, president of Seabourn. "Our Alaska program will go beyond the expected, bringing guests closer to the region's wildlife, landscapes and communities, all with the comforts and anticipatory service of a luxury, all-suite Seabourn ship."
Written by Michael Politz, Author of Guide to Restaurant Success: The Proven Process for Starting Any Restaurant Business From Scratch to Success (ISBN: 978-1-119-66896-1), Founder of Food & Beverage Magazine, the leading online magazine and resource in the industry. Designer of the Bluetooth logo and recognized in Entrepreneur Magazine's "Top 40 Under 40" for founding American Wholesale Floral, Politz is also the Co-founder of the Proof Awards and the CPG Awards and a partner in numerous consumer brands across the food and beverage sector.
