Seabourn cruise policies
Seabourn Policies: Deposits, Final Payment, Cancellation, Gratuities, Dress Code and Age Rules
Every booking rule that affects your wallet or your packing list, on one page: what you pay when you book and whether it comes back, when the balance is due, what it costs to cancel, what is already in the fare, what to wear after 6 pm and who can sail. Figures are Seabourn's own, from its United States Cruise Contract, cancellation policy and FAQ.
Deposit
Seabourn takes a deposit at booking and prints the amount and the final payment date on the confirmation. The deposit is a percentage of the fare that Seabourn sets by sailing and by promotion; its sales cut it regularly. Outside the penalty period the deposit is returned except for a per-guest fee that Seabourn converts to a Future Cruise Credit, so the money is never lost unless the fare you bought is sold as nonrefundable.
| Cruise length | Deposit |
|---|---|
| Standard fares, any ship | Percentage of the fare set by Seabourn, printed on your confirmation; refundable before the penalty period less the per-guest fee below |
| Explore Beyond Event, bookings made September 23 to November 16, 2026 | 15% reduced deposit on select 2027 and 2028 voyages (World Cruises and Grand Voyages excluded) |
| Specially priced nonrefundable promotions | Deposit or full fare 100% nonrefundable from the moment it is paid, as stated in the offer's terms |
| Bookings inside the final payment window | Full payment at booking |
Good to know
- Seabourn does not publish its standard deposit percentage; travel-agency summaries of its terms put it at 25% of the fare, due within 3 days of booking on cruises of 14 days or fewer and within 7 days on 15 days or longer. Your confirmation shows the exact figure and your option date.
- Cancel before the penalty period and Seabourn keeps $100 per guest on cruises of 21 days or fewer, $250 on 22 to 69 days and $500 on 70 days or longer, and gives it back as a Future Cruise Credit of the same amount, valid for one year on a new booking. The rest of the deposit is refunded.
- A promotion sold as 100% nonrefundable from the point of payment returns nothing of the deposit or the fare whenever you cancel; the offer's terms say so and we tell you before you book.
- Expedition voyages on Seabourn Venture and Seabourn Pursuit take the same deposit as the ocean ships; there is no separate expedition deposit.
Final payment
Seabourn's final payment date depends on the length of the voyage, counted in days before departure, and is printed on the confirmation. The same clock applies to the expedition ships, Grand Voyages and the World Cruise; a specially priced promotion can set its own date in its terms.
Standard schedule
| Cruise length | Balance due |
|---|---|
| 21 days or fewer | 120 days before departure |
| 22 to 69 days | 150 days before departure |
| 70 days or longer (World Cruise and the longest Grand Voyages) | 180 days before departure |
Good to know
- Expedition voyages on Seabourn Venture and Seabourn Pursuit follow the same schedule by length: a 21-day Antarctica sailing is due at 120 days, a 22-day or longer expedition at 150 days.
- The Total Cruise Price excludes government taxes and fees, shore excursions and most pre-purchased gifts and services; prepaid taxes and fees are refunded on cancellation.
- Miss the date and Seabourn can cancel the booking and apply the cancellation schedule. SmartCruiser confirms your exact date with Seabourn when we book.
Cancellation charges
Charges are a percentage of the Total Cruise Price (cruise, air and land booked with Seabourn, before taxes, fees, excursions and most pre-purchased services) and depend on when Seabourn receives your written cancellation. Government taxes and fees are refunded. Outside the penalty period the charge is a flat per-guest fee that converts to a Future Cruise Credit. These are the schedules for bookings made on or after December 17, 2024, on every ship including Seabourn Venture and Seabourn Pursuit.
Cruises of 21 days or fewer, bookings made on or after December 17, 2024
Every ship, including the expedition ships. Specially priced nonrefundable promotions are 100% nonrefundable at every point.
| Cruise length | Days before sailing | Charge |
|---|---|---|
| 21 days or fewer | 121 days or more | $100 per guest, returned as a Future Cruise Credit |
| 21 days or fewer | 120 to 91 days | 15% of the Total Cruise Price |
| 21 days or fewer | 90 to 61 days | 50% |
| 21 days or fewer | 60 to 46 days | 75% |
| 21 days or fewer | 45 days or fewer, or no-show | 100%, no refund |
Cruises of 22 to 69 days, bookings made on or after December 17, 2024
Every ship, including longer expedition voyages and most Grand Voyages.
| Cruise length | Days before sailing | Charge |
|---|---|---|
| 22 to 69 days | 151 days or more | $250 per guest, returned as a Future Cruise Credit |
| 22 to 69 days | 150 to 121 days | 15% of the Total Cruise Price |
| 22 to 69 days | 120 to 91 days | 50% |
| 22 to 69 days | 90 to 76 days | 75% |
| 22 to 69 days | 75 days or fewer, or no-show | 100%, no refund |
Cruises of 70 days or longer, bookings made on or after December 17, 2024
The World Cruise and the longest Grand Voyages.
| Cruise length | Days before sailing | Charge |
|---|---|---|
| 70 days or longer | 181 days or more | $500 per guest, returned as a Future Cruise Credit |
| 70 days or longer | 180 to 151 days | 15% of the Total Cruise Price |
| 70 days or longer | 150 to 121 days | 50% |
| 70 days or longer | 120 to 91 days | 75% |
| 70 days or longer | 90 days or fewer, or no-show | 100%, no refund |
Good to know
- Bookings made before December 17, 2024 keep the older schedule: on cruises of 25 days or fewer, 15% from 120 days, 50% from 90, 75% from 45 and 100% inside 30 days; on 26 days or longer, 15% from 150 days, 50% from 120, 75% from 90 and 100% inside 75 days, with no per-guest fee before that.
- Seabourn needs the cancellation in writing (seareservations@seabourn.com for U.S. bookings), so tell SmartCruiser and we send it the same day; the charge is set by the day Seabourn receives it.
- The Future Cruise Credit from the per-guest fee is good for one year on a new booking, has no cash value and expires unused after that.
- The fees apply when the whole booking or any part of it is cancelled or moved to another sailing, and they apply even if Seabourn resells your suite. Name changes need Seabourn's approval and count as a cancellation.
- No refund for a no-show, for leaving the ship early or for being denied boarding; airline, hotel and tour-operator fees on non-cruise components are passed on as those suppliers charge them.
- Refunds go back to the original payment method, or to SmartCruiser when we made the payment for you, and we pass them straight on.
Gratuities
Seabourn's answer to the question is four words: tipping is neither required nor expected. There is no daily service charge, nothing to prepay and nothing added to your shipboard account for your suite stewardess, waiters or bar staff. Drinks, including premium spirits and fine wines, the in-suite bar, caviar, every dining venue and unlimited Wi-Fi are in the fare as well.
| Stateroom | Daily gratuity |
|---|---|
| All suites, every ship, every voyage | Included: tipping neither required nor expected |
| Bars, restaurants and in-suite bar | Included, no beverage gratuity |
| Spa and salon treatments | Service charge added at the spa (reported at 18%; Seabourn does not publish the figure) |
Good to know
- Tipping a crew member for something special is at your discretion and never expected; Seabourn's crew are paid so that they do not depend on it.
- Wi-Fi: the Surf package (one device per guest, unlimited minutes) is complimentary on every booking; Penthouse and Premium suites and Seabourn Club Diamond members and above get the Stream package, and Ocean View and Veranda guests can upgrade for a charge.
- Shore excursions, spa treatments, Seabourn Private Air and a short list of ultra-premium wines and spirits are the extras.
Dress code
Resort casual by day, Elegant Casual every evening from 6 pm in every dining venue, and on the ocean ships a few Formal evenings in The Restaurant where a jacket or gown is the standard. The expedition ships Seabourn Venture and Seabourn Pursuit have no formal evenings at all.
Daytime
Casual resort attire, shorts and jeans included, in all lounges and dining venues. Swimsuits, brief shorts, cover-ups and exercise wear stay at the pool, on deck, in the spa and in the fitness center.
Elegant Casual, from 6 pm
The standard every evening in every dining venue: slacks with a collared shirt or sweater for men, jacket optional; slacks or a skirt with a blouse, a pantsuit or a dress for women. Elegant jeans are welcome in all dining venues in the evening.
Formal, ocean ships
In The Restaurant on Seabourn Quest, Encore and Ovation: a tuxedo, suit, or slacks and jacket for men, an evening gown or other formal attire for women. Every other dining venue stays Elegant Casual that night, and jeans are not appropriate in The Restaurant after 6 pm.
Dress Your Best nights
| Cruise length | Formal nights |
|---|---|
| Seabourn Venture and Seabourn Pursuit (expedition) | 0: Elegant Casual every evening |
| Up to 13 days | 1 Formal evening |
| 14 to 20 days | 2 Formal evenings |
| 21 days or longer | 3 Formal evenings |
| World Cruise, Grand Voyages, holiday sailings and crossings | May be scheduled differently; the exact number is in your boarding pass documents |
House rules
- The Formal standard is enforced only in The Restaurant; the other dining venues, the Club and the Observation Bar stay Elegant Casual on those evenings.
- A jacket is optional on Elegant Casual evenings and a tie is never required.
- On expedition voyages Seabourn provides a Helly Hansen parka to keep and loans waterproof boots; bring your own base and mid layers.
- Ashore, some ports do not allow shorts, and shrines, churches, mosques and temples expect covered knees and shoulders.
Age rules
Seabourn's age rules depend on the itinerary and on the ship. Age is counted at embarkation, and no guest under 21 may book a cruise.
Minimum age to sail without a parent or guardian
| Departure | Minimum age |
|---|---|
| Every sailing: minimum age to sail without a parent, guardian or chaperone of 21 or older | 21 |
Stateroom assignment
The Cruise Contract puts every guest under 21 in a suite with a guest of 21 or older who takes responsibility for them during the cruise. Family groups booking several suites may put a 16-year-old or older in charge of a suite as long as a parent or legal guardian is on the booking and sailing. Seabourn's FAQ states the same rule as a parent, guardian or chaperone of at least 21 for every guest under 21, with one adult chaperone for every five guests under 21. There are no children's facilities, no youth program and no babysitting on any Seabourn ship.
Infants
| Sailing | Minimum age |
|---|---|
| Ocean voyages without a transocean crossing | 6 months at embarkation |
| Transocean crossings and remote itineraries with more than two consecutive sea days | 12 months at embarkation |
| Expedition voyages on Seabourn Venture and Seabourn Pursuit, and any voyage to Antarctica | 6 years at embarkation; the Captain and Expedition Leader decide landing by landing whether a child of 6 or older may go ashore |
Drinking age
| Departure or destination | Minimum age |
|---|---|
| On board, every sailing (the Cruise Contract rule) | 21 |
| Some sailings where the home port's legal age is lower | The lower age in force on that ship, as announced on board |
Good to know
- Casino and tobacco purchases: 18 and older.
- Guests who will enter the 24th week of pregnancy by the last day of the cruise cannot sail.
- Smoking is banned in suites and on verandas; a violation costs a $250 cleaning fee per day and repeat offenders can be put ashore with no refund. E-cigarettes are allowed in the suite (not the veranda) and in the designated outdoor smoking areas, and cigars and pipes only in those areas.
- An infant or child who does not meet the age rule is denied boarding with no refund, so check the embarkation date against the birthday before you book a crossing or an expedition.
How SmartCruiser handles the fine print for you
- We confirm your 120, 150 or 180 day final payment date with Seabourn when we book, put it on our calendar and remind you before it.
- We tell you what deposit your sailing takes, whether a promotion has made it nonrefundable and exactly what the per-guest fee and Future Cruise Credit mean if your plans change.
- Seabourn takes cancellations in writing, so we handle cancellations, date changes and suite moves with Seabourn directly and tell you the exact charge before you decide.
- Flights, hotel packages, Ventures by Seabourn excursions and travel protection go on your invoice if you want them, and your Seabourn Club number goes on the reservation.
- SmartCruiser adds bonus onboard credit on top of Seabourn's own offers on every sailing. Ask for it when you call 1-800-444-1560.
Last verified October 14, 2026 against Seabourn's own pages: Cruise Contract, United States (final payment, cancellation, age, alcohol, smoking), Cancellation policy, United States (final payment dates, schedules, Future Cruise Credit), FAQ: when are my deposits and payments due, FAQ: what if I need to cancel, Special offers (Explore Beyond Event, 15% reduced deposit), FAQ: are gratuities included, The Seabourn Difference (inclusions), Wi-Fi on board (Surf and Stream packages), FAQ: is there a dress code, FAQ: minors as guests, FAQ: minimum age for a child to sail, FAQ: is smoking allowed, Cruise Direct: Seabourn gratuities (spa service charge, third party). These final payment and cancellation terms are the ones in Seabourn's Cruise Contract and cancellation policy for guests who book in the United States, for bookings made on or after December 17, 2024. Seabourn sets the deposit by sailing and by promotion and prints the deposit, the final payment date and the cancellation schedule on the booking confirmation; the United Kingdom, Europe, Australia and other markets have their own booking conditions. Policies change; the cruise line's ticket contract and the terms on your booking confirmation govern.
Questions
Seabourn policy FAQ
How much is the deposit on a Seabourn cruise?
Is the Seabourn deposit refundable?
When is final payment due?
What does it cost to cancel?
Are gratuities included on Seabourn?
Does Seabourn have formal nights?
Can children sail on Seabourn?
What is the drinking age on a Seabourn ship?
Ask a Seabourn specialist
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