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November 28, 2022

Our exclusive interview with Luciano Bernacchi, Expedition Leader aboard Seabourn Venture, recently christened in Antarctica.

On an expedition ship like the Seabourn Venture, the Expedition Leader plays a key role, one of the most important on board to ensure that guests have a unique and unforgettable experience. It goes without saying that it cannot be improvised, and that skills, good organization and above all experience are required. Qualities that are certainly not lacking in Luciano Bernacchi, who contributed to the birth of Seabourn Venture already in the shipyard, leading the first explorations in Northern Europe and Greenland and who is about to start the first Antarctic season for Seabourn Cruise Line‘s new “expedition” ship.

Born in Argentina, Luciano welcomes us on board with extreme helpfulness, ready to reveal all the features of the company’s new class of ships. But he also tells us about his long experience and his “explorer” skills developed since he was a child in Patagonia.

Luciano, first a few words about yourself. What brought you to cruise ships and where does your dedication to extreme destinations come from?

Well, it was not difficult for me, as I am first and foremost an enthusiast. Passionate about ice, polar regions and the animals that inhabit these regions. Starting from a passion also makes the work easier. I had a lot of experience on land before I left on ships. I am a ski instructor and have worked for snow safety and mountain rescue. I have been “Birding Guide” for Argentina’s National Ornithological Society, but also rock and ice climbing instructor.

A real ice man! It may be passion but it’s certainly a real profession now then. And what brought you to the sea?

I am also the son of a family connected to the sea. This has led me to be an Argentina’s Coast Guard and I have obtained licenses to conduct boats and small ships. I was born and raised in Patagonia and experience in these regions has led me to offer services for cruise ships as well.

A path that seems natural, then, that has always had to do with nature and what you’ve experienced since you were a child, but with a great career path. And what about your arrival at Seabourn?

I’ve had experience on other cruise lines but I’ve been working with Seabourn Cruise Line for 15 years now. The company has been offering cruises in Northern Europe and Antarctica for years, even if until now they were offered on ships without polar features.

Experience that also brought you to the shipyard, in Genoa, right? Your knowledge was important in setting up Seabourn Venture, which will offer a real upgrade in the Seabourn Expedition experience.

Yes, I have spent a few weeks in the shipyard following the logistics of the expeditions and the complex operations that will be required to conduct the landings and excursions. The results will be seen in the field and constant updates will be necessary, but we truly have a fantastic ship that will offer new itineraries and out of the ordinary experiences.

You told me you’ve covered Antarctic seasons with Seabourn before. What is actually new about this ship? What’s innovative about it, beyond the beauty we all immediately see?

Seabourn Venture has been designed specifically to allow access to extreme areas, with a high polar rating that allows us to head south of the Antarctic Circle with greater ease. It has a number of features that, even on board, allow us to better organise our explorations, with a team entirely dedicated to disseminating important information to passengers. Geologists, ornithologists, scientists: and let’s not forget that we have on board a series of Zodiacs to easily disembark in the chosen places, as well as kayaks and two latest generation submarines for truly unique experiences.

Let’s get to the heart of the Antarctic season. What do you have planned for Seabourn Venture? And more importantly, what is your role in all of this?

We start as anticipated from a certain experience, but itineraries in Antarctica are something very mobile and subject to continuous change. Every single place can only be visited by one ship at a time, so we are in close contact with other companies as well. And everything can change from one moment to the next depending on the weather, the sea and other factors beyond our control. You have to be ready to change everything in a matter of minutes.

An even greater commitment, therefore, which does not end with programming that, however elaborate, can be concluded in advance.

Definitely. Every day we arrive early at the roadstead and I join the disembarkation officers to check the weather conditions and the possibility of using the Zodiacs. If everything is in order, we start organising the disembarkation of passengers, following numbered groups and making sure that everything is in order. From the use of on-board equipment to all safety standards.

I guess it’s also not easy to manage passengers within a certain itinerary uncertainty?

It would seem but in reality it is not so. Guests on an expedition cruise, and especially in Antarctica, are aware of the difficulties that can be encountered and are on board to live above all an experience. An experience that must always be based on maximum safety. If they feel they are in good hands they are ready to understand and know that we will do everything to make their cruise unforgettable.

Who are the passengers for Antarctica? What itineraries will you be offering?

We also have repeaters. Antarctica is not always the same, unlike the period when you visit it. In November or March, for example, there are different lights, longer or shorter days, and above all different animals or animals in different phases of their lives. There is always something new to learn about and explore. We have guests who return and guests who live the experience and then return to their “warmer” itineraries aboard the fleet. But Antarctica is also a unique experience, a “must” to do once in a lifetime.

Thank you Luciano, I think your experience is really precious to launch a new ship and a new kind of cruises, even within a brand that is already present in the expedition segment since a long time. I wish you a wonderful Antarctic season and I hope to meet you soon in some place “out of this world”!

Don’t miss updates and reviews of Seabourn Venture on Cruising Journal, with photos, videos and cruise deals.

Gabriele Bassi

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