Norwegian cruise line SeaDream Yacht Club announced that it will build a new small cruise ship at China Merchants Cruise Shipbuilding. The new ship, named “SeaDream III”, is expected to be delivered in 2029 and will be the company’s first newly built cruise ship in 25 years. The ship is scheduled to set sail on its maiden voyage from Hong Kong, China, on July 10, 2029, and will be christened in Tokyo, Japan, on July 21, 2029.
The announcement of this order comes at a critical juncture of rapid growth in the small luxury cruise market, at a time when SeaDream’s two active ships, the “SeaDream I” and “SeaDream II,” are over 40 years old and the fleet is in urgent need of renewal.
SeaDream emphasized that the “SeaDream III” is still in the engineering design phase and will be built by China Merchants Cruise Shipbuilding in collaboration with European engineering and technology suppliers, while retaining the company’s core brand characteristics of “an intimate yacht-like experience and personalized service.”
The “SeaDream III” has a gross tonnage of 16,500, which is nearly four times the size of SeaDream’s current fleet of cruise ships (all of which have a gross tonnage of 4,333); upon delivery, it will become the largest ship in the fleet. With a length of 151 meters, it can accommodate approximately 200 crew members and 230 passengers, making its passenger capacity nearly double that of the current fleet (each of which can accommodate 112 passengers).
SeaDream notes that open-air outdoor spaces are at the heart of the “SeaDream III” design. The ship features a spacious upper deck, a separate pool deck, indoor and outdoor dining areas, and three water sports docks, and will be equipped with expanded spa, fitness, and wellness facilities. The new ship is not simply a “larger version” of the two current vessels; the entire ship’s layout will be redesigned, representing an iterative upgrade of the original classic ship experience. It will offer a wider variety of stateroom options across five stateroom decks, including suites and connecting rooms. Four of these decks will feature staterooms with private balconies, while 20 staterooms will not have private balconies.
Regarding the cruise ship construction plan, Atle Brynestad, founder and owner of SeaDream, said, “The ‘SeaDream III’ is designed not only for long-distance voyages but also to allow guests to explore destinations up close. The ship’s specifications balance the ability to call at unique ports with global cruising capabilities, while maintaining the highly personalized experience our guests have come to expect.”
Thanks to their yacht-like experience, the “SeaDream I” and “SeaDream II” have cultivated a loyal customer base and a dedicated following in their niche market, allowing them to remain in operation for 42 and 43 years, respectively, in the cruise industry, with major refurbishments scheduled for 2023 and 2024.
It is worth noting that SeaDream initially announced plans to build its first new cruise ship in March 2019 and signed a contract with the Dutch shipbuilding group Damen Shipyards at that time to build one “Polar 6”-class cruise ship. The ship, with a total length of approximately 155 meters, was originally scheduled to enter service in September 2021, but the order was canceled just a few months after it was signed.
For China Merchants Cruise Shipbuilding, SeaDream’s new small cruise ship project marks another breakthrough for the company in the international high-end cruise market and represents yet another cruise ship order the company has publicly announced in the international market recently.