When completed, National Geographic Venture will be the perfect ship to explore Alaska’s Inside Passage and beyond. To build her and her sister ship, National Geographic Quest, we turned to Nichols Brothers Boat Builders, the company that built the beloved National Geographic Sea Bird and National Geographic Sea Lion—vessels that, with our regular maintenance schedule and refurbishments have been operating successfully for decades. Nichols Brothers has been building boats on beautiful Whidbey Island, Washington since 1964 and we are proud that the Venture and Quest will be the first expedition ships of their kind to be purposefully designed and built for expedition travel and made entirely in the U.S.

Designed with over 50 years of expedition heritage, National Geographic Venture is able to explore the same remote locations we’ve sought out for decades while setting a new standard in comfort and style. She will follow National Geographic Quest in featuring step-out balconies (available in 22 of the 50 spacious cabins), plus 6 sets of connecting cabins for families and groups; a Sun Deck bar, and a designated mudroom for expedition gear.

Equipped for comfort and active exploration
Comfortably accommodating 100 guests, Venture is larger than the 62-guest Sea Bird and Sea Lion, but has the same shallow draft depth, allowing us to navigate the same inner reaches and provide the same intimate experiences of the charismatic regions we explore. Her twin expedition craft landing platforms allow us to rapidly get on and off the ship to take advantage of wildlife sightings and to ensure we maximize our time off the ship exploring. Designed with decades of expedition experience in the region, the purpose-built vessel also features open decks, generous windows, and specialty tools for exploration—the ideal platform for sailing into the fast-moving channels and shallow coves of Alaska and the Pacific Northwest and for exploring the tropical waterways of Central America.