Overview

Seabourn Cruise Line is an ultra-luxury cruise line headquartered in Seattle, Washington. The cruise line is owned by Carnival Corporation and plc, part of the “World’s Leading Cruise Lines” marketing group, which also includes Holland America Line, Princess Cruises, Carnival Cruises, Cunard Line, Costa Cruises, P&O Cruises, P&O Cruises Australia and AIDA Cruises. Seabourn was founded in 1987 by a consortium of Norwegian investors headed by industrialist Atle Brynestad under the name Signet Cruise Lines, but adopted the name Seabourn Cruise Line. In 1991, Carnival Corporation purchased a 25% stake in Seabourn. Carnival Corporation upped its stake to 50% in 1996. In 1998, in partnership with a consortium of a Norwegian businessmen, Carnival purchased the remaining 50% stake in Seabourn, as well as acquiring the venerable Cunard Line from Kvaerner ASA, and merged the two brands into an entity called Cunard Line. In 2001, Carnival bought out the Norwegian shareholders, and Seabourn’s parent company became a wholly owned subsidiary of Carnival. In 2002 the company was demerged from Cunard Line and reorganized as a stand-alone operating brand of Carnival Corporation & plc. On March 31, 2011 Seabourn moved operations from Miami, Florida to the Holland America Line quarters in Seattle, Washington.