New Chapter with the SeaDream III
First and foremost, thank you very much for taking the time to listen to what I would like to share with you today.
This is a very special day for me and for the entire SeaDream family.
Today, we celebrate 25 years of SeaDream Yacht Club.
At the same time, I am incredibly happy to present SeaDream III.
When I look back on these 25 years, the first word that comes to mind is:
Gratitude.
Gratitude to our fantastic crew on board, our employees ashore, our guests, our travel partners, our suppliers, and everyone who has helped make SeaDream what it is today. We have experienced some truly extraordinary times together.
Just 11 days after we started SeaDream in September 2001, 9/11 came, and suddenly we found ourselves without guests.
Then the financial crisis in 2008 and 2009.
And then came Covid.
In the summer of 2020, our two SeaDream yachts were the only passenger ships in the world still sailing.
We stood together as a team and made it through challenging times.
SeaDream is about people and culture.
Over 25 years, we have built a culture where we respect one another, help one another, and work together as one team.
A culture like that cannot be bought.
It has to be built over many years.
This year, I have had the pleasure of recognizing this in a very special way.
For every five years someone has worked at SeaDream, they receive a diamond attached to their SeaDream pin.
Many now have five diamonds because they have been with us since the very beginning.
So far this year, I have personally presented more than 170 diamond pins and diplomas.
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Our Guests
A very special thank you goes to our guests.
I believe we have the nicest guests in the world on board our SeaDream yachts.
Throughout these 25 years, I have met so many fascinating guests with incredibly diverse backgrounds. This has given our employees, my family, and me personally many friends, wonderful experiences, and enrichment in our lives.
Some guests have sailed with us 50, 100, 200 days or more.
Two of our guests have sailed 1,400 days with SeaDream – and have another 47 sailings booked.
Our DNA is that every morning we think:
How can we make this particular day a fantastic and memorable day for our guests?
And to all our travel agencies, travel agents, and independent travel advisors around the world:
Thank you very much.
Without the close cooperation we have had with you over the past 25 years, we would not be where we are today.
Together, we have also completed more than 500 successful charter sailings where someone has had the entire yacht for seven days – for birthdays, weddings, anniversaries, family gatherings, and corporate events.
I would also like to thank our suppliers, ports, port agents, tour operators, and all our other partners who contribute every single day to creating wonderful experiences for our guests.
And Now – SeaDream III
For many years, people have asked me:
“Atle, when are you going to build SeaDream III?”
And I have always answered:
There is nothing I would rather do for all of us.
And now – SeaDream III is coming.
I have been fortunate to be involved in redefining the very top segment of travel at sea twice before.
The first time was when I founded Seabourn Cruise Line in 1988.
We built small ships for only 212 guests, with highly personalized service and amazing food. It was very formal.
I have also had the pleasure of serving as Chairman of Cunard Line, with the remarkable history and strong traditions that Cunard represents.
This has given us experience and inspiration that we are now bringing with us into SeaDream III.
The second time we truly did something different was when we created SeaDream 25 years ago.
Then we introduced:
Casual elegance. Freedom. No tuxedos. No formal evenings. Personalized cuisine.
And most importantly:
The real feeling of being on your own yacht – It is Yachting, not Cruising.
Yachting is a lifestyle and a way of living and travelling.
And with SeaDream III, we are now going to take this further for the third time.
We call it:
Global Yachting.
SeaDream III will have the same DNA as SeaDream I and SeaDream II.
The personalized service.
The amazing quality of the cuisine.
The relaxed and friendly atmosphere.
The freedom of having no lines.
And the genuine feeling of being on your own yacht.
You do not need to reserve a table at a restaurant on your own yacht several days in advance.
If, five minutes before dinner, you decide that you would like to invite some new friends to dine with you, there should of course be a table available.
You decide whether you want to dine indoors or outside on deck.
If there is some special cuisine you would like, on your own yacht, you do not need several restaurants in order to have your special cuisine. On your own yacht, you will have your special cuisine wherever you want to dine – without another reservation.
On your own yacht, the choice is yours.
That is our philosophy.
We also increasingly want to move away from using the word “luxury.” The word really has no meaning anymore for us.
For SeaDream, it is much more about being a lifestyle company.
We do not need to have the world's largest suites or the largest Grand Staircase.
We do not need to be the biggest in anything.
What we want for our guests is to be the best at something far more important:
Creating fantastic days and unforgettable experiences for every single guest.
The Whole World Becomes Our Destination
SeaDream III will be larger than SeaDream I and II for one important reason:
Our guests want to experience more of the world with SeaDream’s yacht quality.
The yacht will be 151.2 metres long and 21.8 metres wide, with only 230 guests and 200 crew members.
SeaDream III will take us to:
Small ports.
Remote islands.
Spectacular coastlines.
New cultures.
And places that very few other ships visit.
SeaDream III will be a hybrid-electric ship and we are installing a large battery system.
Imagine arriving at one of the world's most beautiful places in complete silence with all the engines off.
Imagine sitting outside on deck and having dinner in a beautiful bay, with only the sea, nature, and the people you are with. Being somewhere where there is true silence.
SeaDream lifestyle and Global Yachting.
SeaDream III will have three marinas for water sports – like real yachts.
During the first 26 months, SeaDream III will sail to 6 continents, 74 countries, 392 ports, and 206 UNESCO World Heritage destinations.
And on 10 July 2029, SeaDream III will be ready for her first sailing with guests from Hong Kong to Tokyo.
The Crew on Board
It is also extremely important for us that every crew member on board SeaDream III will have their own cabin, as well as access to a professional crew gym and their own sun deck with a Jacuzzi.
Our crew is the heart of SeaDream.
SeaDream III will not replace SeaDream I and SeaDream II.
Our two original yachts are very special to us and to thousands of our club members.
They will continue sailing for many, many years in the Mediterranean and the Caribbean.
I would also like to say a few words about the shipyard that will build SeaDream III.
We have chosen to build the yacht at China Merchants Cruise Shipbuilding, which is already part of one of the world's largest shipbuilding groups.
The flexibility and willingness they have shown to build something truly special for SeaDream has been exceptional.
We have extremely high standards for quality, craftsmanship, technical solutions, and environmental performance, while, at the same time, a large number of European suppliers of engines, technical equipment, and other systems must be coordinated into the project.
The Next 25 Years
And now the next chapter begins.
SeaDream III.
The SeaDream experience – with the whole world as our destination.
And this is only the beginning.
As the construction process really gets underway, I look forward to sharing much more with you about SeaDream III.
- About the design.
- About the facilities on board.
- About the technology.
- About the cuisine.
- About the experiences.
- About everything we will do to promote a healthy lifestyle.
- And all the extraordinary places around the world that we will visit together
To our guests, crew, our employees ashore, our travel partners, and our suppliers.
Thank you very much for the first 25 years.
I am incredibly excited about what lies ahead.
And I very much look forward to welcoming you on board SeaDream III in July 2029.
Thank you very much.
Atle Brynestad
Founder and Owner
SeaDream Yacht Club