VANCOUVER — It was a milestone moment in Vancouver last week as the Seabourn Encore made its maiden call during a seven-day sailing to Juneau, marking the start of the cruise line’s 2026 Alaska season.
The nine-year-old ship will sail weekly between the two destinations until September, when it will cross the Pacific and spend seven months in Asia before returning to Vancouver next spring.
At just 690 feet in length and 92 feet in width, the 600-guest luxury ship can reach remote areas and travel narrow waterways throughout its West Coast sailings.
“The small ship size lends itself to going to destinations that the larger ships can’t reach,” says Irene Lui Sanders, Seabourn’s senior manager of public relations and communication. “Our guests are looking for those experiences, that access. They want to see and do unique things, and we have different experiences at different ports.”
Irene Lui Sanders in the Grand Salon
On Alaska sailings, that means visiting small-ship ports like Wrangell, an Alaskan frontier town rich with gold rush history, and Klawock, a historic Tlingit village home to Alaska’s most extensive collection of authentic totem poles. Optional excursions give guests an up-close view of glaciers and wildlife in less-travelled small waterways by Zodiac or kayak.
Beyond the advantages of smaller ships, Lui Sanders says Seabourn’s key differentiators are the crew and the level of service onboard. A crew of about 400 for the ship’s 300 suites allows exceptional attention to detail.
“Our returning guests will say, time and time again, that they love our crew, from the bartender to the waiter to their suite host,” she says. “It’s just very warm. We can teach our crew the skills, but we also really look for a crew that has that innate ability to care and be able to offer almost a clairvoyant level of service.”
Seabourn Encore Veranda Suite