Seabourn Venture Reykjavik to St John’s September 18-30, 2025
- John and Gwyn
- Oct 24
- 10 min read
Updated: Oct 25
Itinerary:
Wed Sept 17 Reykjavik, Iceland
Thu Sept 18 Kangerlussuaq, Greenland
Fri Sept 19 At Sea (Labrador Sea)
Sat Sept 20 Pangnirtung & Kekerten Island, Nunavut, Canada
Sun Sept 21 Lady Franklin Island & Monument Island (skipped due to rough seas)
Mon Sept 22 Lower Savage Islands & Resolution Island
Tue Sept 23 Nachvak Fjord, NL
Wed Sept 24 Ramah Bay & Rose Island, NL
Thu Sept 25 Hebron, NL
Fri Sept 26 Nain, NL
Sat Sept 27 Indian Harbour, NL
Sun Sept 28 Battle Harbour & L’Anse aux Meadows
Mon Sept 29 At Sea
Tue Sept 30 St. John’s, Newfoundland, Canada
Captain Jeroen Schuchmann
Hotel Director Josef “Peppi” Schuppler
Expedition Leader Luciano “Lucqui” Bernacchi
Cruise Director Lupi
Resident Duo Chris & Will
Instrumentalist Charlie
Preface: After the last two cruises on Seabourn Venture I swore I would never go on it again. And that would have been true had Seabourn not announced a change to Seabourn Club effective October 20th. Under the old rules were were 13 days short of a free 7-day cruise. With the change we would have been 127 days short of the same 7-day cruise! So we had to scramble and find a 13 day cruise, ending before October 20th, that wasn’t too expensive so we could get our free 7-day cruise credit and apply it to our upcoming World Cruise segment in February 2026. I know, it seems a bit mad but it’s the principle, darn it! And to rub salt in the wound, the only cruise fitting the bill was on the Venture. So, here we are. In summary, the crew were excellent and the food, with one or two exceptions, was very good. Lupi is one of the best Cruise Directors we have sailed with and an amazing singer. However, once again I was under-whelmed by the Venture’s expedition programme.
Day 1 Reykjavik. We arrived a day early and stayed at Center Hotels Arnarhavol just across the street from the Marriott Edition where we would spend the night prior to catching the charter flight to Kangerlussuaq, Greenland. Check-in at the Edition was a bit chaotic and we had to wait an hour for our room. A discrepancy over our Suite number aside, cruise registration was straightforward, we were allocated colour groups for the transfer to the airport, given the time of our departure and instructed to leave our checked luggage outside our rooms before retiring for the night. The Edition is a modern hotel, our room was comfortable and the staff were friendly and efficient, but in my opinion not worth the $800 per night price tag.
Day2 Reykjavik to Kangerlussuaq. Buffet style breakfast was included. Having separated us into colour groups on check-in the transfer to Keflavik airport was fairly smooth. Checked luggage having been collected the night before was sent separately to the airport, boarding passes were handed to us as we boarded the coach and representatives were on hand at Keflavik to direct us to security. Once through security we were on our own but it was quiet with plenty of seating while waiting for our gate to be announced. The airplane had a small business section with fully reclining seats and a large economy section. We were some of the lucky ones in business. However, aside from more comfortable seating the service was the same throughout, a boxed lunch with wine and beer. The boxed lunch was a bit of a disappointment, however the flight over Greenland provided some spectacular views. Arriving at Kangerlussuaq’s small airport we were quickly through passport control and onto school buses for the very bumpy 20 minute transfer to the dock. After a short short zodiac ride to the ship we were directed straight to the Expedition Lounge for photographs, and passport check/handover. One of the advantages (perhaps the only one) of transfer by zodiac is that there are no large groups arriving at the same time. Within minutes we were in our suite and ready for lunch in the Colonnade. Mandatory Safety Essentials, Captains Announcement, sounding of the General Alarm and Zodiac Briefing was at 5:00pm and Parka Exchange at 6:00pm. As we had sailed on the Venture in May it was nice to see some familiar faces among the crew. Dinner in the Colonnade (American), prime rib disappointing.
Day 3 At Sea. Seas were rough with a big swell. A lot of people were seasick and aside from getting our rubber boots fitted we spent most of the day in bed. Suite 806 was very noisy with loud creaking from the joints between the adjoining walls and the ceiling, exacerbated by the rough seas. It was like being in a typing pool full of two-fingered typists. This is clearly a problem with the Venture as our suite on the previous cruise had wooden spacers wedged between the joints. Managed dinner in the Colonnade (French). Had a very restless night because of the noise!
Day 4 Pangnirtung, Nunavut, Baffin Island. The seas were calm but a change in the itinerary was announced as a storm front was expected to cause rough seas at Lady Franklin Island, our planned destination the next day. Instead of the planned two landings today, we would only have one and the second stop would be moved to tomorrow. Lady Franklin and Monument Islands were no longer on the itinerary. Complained to Guest Services about the creaking in our suite. It was referred to housekeeping, who went to listen but because the ship wasn’t moving they couldn’t hear anything. Go figure! Having each been assigned to one of six colour groups, we (blue group) were the last to go ashore at 3pm. As such we had barely an hour ashore which, even though there was not a lot there, was totally insufficient time to explore fully. Pangnirtung, often called 'the Switzerland of the Arctic' is known for it's world-class art, traditional weaving, and breathtaking Arctic landscapes. We had a guided tour of the community centre and museum (which was very interesting), and watched the local show but missed out on the craft shop and art gallery which by all accounts were well worth a visit.
Day 5 Kekerten Island, Nunavut. An old whaling station and supposed to be a ‘highlight’, the first group landed but the Expedition team were surprised by the tide going out “too quickly” making the footing a bit treacherous. Not sure what they expected with a shallow sea floor and a 6 metre tide! Clearly no-one on the Team had thought to consult the Tide Chart! They had to scramble to get the first group back on board and the remaining landings were canceled. Again had they consulted the tide chart they would have seen that low tide was within 30 minutes of them canceling operations! Apparently Kekerten was quite interesting, although Lucqui did say at the recap that they wouldn’t be going there again. In place of the landing the remaining groups were offered a zodiac tour of the coastline. We declined. We were told by someone that went that they overheard the zodiac drivers being told to point out how low the tide was compared to their original landing spot. Basically, someone screwed up and they were covering their backsides. Unforgivable! That night Mother Nature came to the rescue in the shape of the Aurora Borealis!
Day 6 Lower Savage Islands (a.m.). The idea was to zodiac through a channel between two islands. One set of groups, comprising 3 coloured codes, would traverse the channel from east to west while the ship re-positioned to the western end and the second set of groups would traverse from west to east. Again the ship re-positioning to pick us up at the eastern end. We were in the second batch at 10:15 am. Thankfully there was a Polar Bear on a rock, as despite the best efforts of Travis, our zodiac driver, the rest of the tour was uninspiring.
Resolution Island (p.m.) Zodiac tour taking in a small iceberg and a Polar Bear! Again we were in the second batch at 5:00pm. In true Seabourn style we had to visit the iceberg first & have a glass of champagne, so the light was fading fast by the time we got to observe the Bear, making for high ISO/noisy photographs! Now, I don’t know about anyone else but, I don’t go on an expedition cruise to drink champagne while observing a not very impressive iceberg, so to let the light fade on a Polar Bear is in my opinion unforgivable! The onboard photographer and the earlier groups got some great shots. The sea was a bit rough so mentioned the creaking noise to our room attendant. When we got back from dinner the carpenter had been and inserted wooden wedges between the joints. Had a peaceful nights' sleep.
Day 7 Navchak Fjord, Torngat Mountains, Northern Labrador. The highlight of the trip for many, including a passenger from Yellowknife who had waited 40 years to hike in the Torngat Mountains, one of Canada’s most spectacular landscapes. The excitement couldn’t have been higher. But in true Venture style, the excitement was dashed at the last minute because Polar Bears had been spotted close to our planned landing site. Now, before you say that was sensible, let me rewind to last evening’s briefing where we were told that there was a very high probability that we would spot Polar Bears on our hike. But we were not to worry as in addition to the Expedition Team we had two Inuit rifle-carrying bear-guards, an expert on The Torngat and two Inuit guides, so we would not be in any danger. Imagine then the disappointment to be told that the hike was canceled due to Polar Bears! Deja Vue Svalbard! Instead we were given a zodiac tour along the fjord. Now, I don’t know about anyone else but I imagined we would cruise the coastline where the Bears were spotted. But no we were ‘treated’ to a very uneventful and boring zodiac tour along the fjord in the opposite direction! As a point of information, the onboard photographer and the Image Masters Photography Group did cruise the landing site area where the bears were spotted. So, I ask, why couldn’t we?
In the afternoon the wind picked up and the planned zodiac tour was canceled, replaced by a scenic cruise along the fjord. Which turned out to be fortuitous as we were treated to the very rare sight of two female Polar Bears and cubs feasting on a seal while also allowing a Black Bear to share the kill.
Day 8 Ramah Bay & Saglek, Torngat National Park. A wet landing on a stony beach at Ramah Bay, the source of Ramah chert, and one of only two known sources of chert along the Labrador coast. Chert, a semi-translucent stone was prized and traded by indigenous peoples across the continent for thousands of years and used to make cutting tools such as knives and arrowheads. The beach was about 200 yards long, with a small waterfall at one end and the outline of an ancient turf settlement at the other. We were prohibited from straying off the beach to protect possible ancient settlements. Interesting from a historical perspective, but nothing there to hold that interest for very long. The afternoon zodiac tour of Saglek Bay was canceled due to high winds. The weather, cold, windy and overcast, didn’t make for pleasant scenic cruising.
Day 9 Hebron, Newfoundland & Labrador. Weather forecast – windy. No activities planned in the morning. Afternoon landing at Hebron, once one of the most culturally important and significant sites of the Inuit. In the 1830’s the Morovians established a Mission at Hebron. The Mission church and some buildings still stand as reminders of when Inuit families, living in sod-houses, worshipped, and traded here. In 1918 the Spanish Flu wiped out two-thirds, some 150, of the Inuit population at Hebron. After the Spanish Flu all the sod-houses were burned. The Hebron Mission provided religious instruction until 1959 when it was closed and the Inuit population was forcibly relocated by the Newfoundland Government. It took 46 years for the Inuit to receive an apology, issued in 2005 by Premier Daniel Williams on behalf of the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador. We lucked out with the weather as, despite the wind, it was sunny & warm providing for a pleasant afternoon. And, for once we weren’t rushed back to the ship!
Day 9 Nain, N & L. Sunny, calm seas. Morning dry landing. Nain is the northernmost permanent community in Newfoundland & Labrador and is the cultural heart of Nunatsiavut, the Inuit homeland. It has a small airport and is the launchpad for exploring Labrador’s far north, by air or by sea. We were received by a local representative in the church before being allowed to explore the community. A short walk up a hill overlooking the town provided 360 degree views of the area. It was the first time we had seen trees since leaving Kangerlussuaq! Flies were a bother. Before returning to the ship we were treated to a musical recital in the church.
Day 10 Indian Harbour, N&L. Remains of an old fishing community. Morning wet landing. Sunny and windy. Marshy ground. The advance team had marked a walking route halfway up a hill. The footing was difficult and the view not worth the effort. The dilapidated buildings and machinery, however, provided some photographic interest. Aside from the fresh air not much to write home about.
Day 11 L’Anse Aux Meadows (a.m.) and Battle Harbour (p.m.). At L’Anse Aux Meadows, a UNESCO World Heritage site, is the only authenticated Viking Settlement in North America. After a dry landing we were bused to the archaeological site and reconstructed sod huts. We had about 2 hours to explore which was sufficient. Battle Harbour, a restored 19th century fishing village, was once referred to as the “Capital of Labrador”. The restored buildings provide a fascinating narrative and glimpse into the past. Perhaps the most interesting stop on the cruise, sadly we were in the last group and did not have sufficient time to explore fully.
Day 12 At Sea
Day 13 St John’s. Disembarkation. We were booked on a flight at 1:50 pm to overnight in Toronto but 30 minutes before disembarking we received a text from Air Canada advising us that our flight was canceled due to a hurricane affecting Bermuda. They had re-booked us to to leave 2 days later! After hastily changing our hotel in Toronto and finding a hotel for the next two nights, we thoroughly enjoyed our enforced stay in St. John’s. The icing on the cake was that the next day as we were climbing Signal Hill, we saw the Seabourn Sojourn come into port. Realising that some friends were on board, we messaged them from Quidi Vidi Brewery and met up for a drink and dinner!
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