Serving in several roles at parent company Carnival Corporation over the years, Natalya Leahy was most recently chief operations officer for Holland America Group, in part overseeing Seabourn Cruise Line, before becoming Seabourn’s president in March 2023. While sailing onboard the President’s Cruise — which she hosted on the line’s first dedicated expedition ship, Seabourn Venture — we discussed the nature of luxury travel overall and the future of the cruise brand.
How would you describe luxury in 2023?
Luxury is really about choices, details and experiences. The people who choose to sail with us, they have a choice to travel anywhere in the world, with any company in the world. And the reason they choose us is because we’re able to give them experiences that are curated to each individual, where our team members are able to anticipate their needs and create genuine, delightful moments — what we call "Seabourn Moments."
What is your vision for Seabourn moving forward?
My vision is to continue to give our guests the level of service that makes them feel Seabourn is [their] home away from home, and yet take them to new places and allow them to experience destinations in new ways.
Natalya Leahy, president of Seabourn Cruise Line
Credit: 2023 Seabourn Cruise LineHow would you say the expedition product fits into the line’s current brand formula?
It feels like Seabourn. The service is Seabourn service. All onboard experiences are very much Seabourn cultural and luxury experiences. And yet, it’s like Seabourn on steroids: Going on submarine dives and riding on Zodiacs, where you come super close to an iceberg.
What sets Seabourn apart in the expedition market?
What differentiates our expedition experiences is not the places we go to, but how we allow people to experience those places with Seabourn service, warm hospitality and ultra luxury.
I am very, very proud of our expedition team. They have written books. They have traveled the world. They are world-renowned scientists, photographers and historians, and we have 24 of them. They’re not just guides, [but] people who truly dedicate their life to exploring the world and sharing their passions with our guests.
What suggestions would you give travel advisors seeking to sell Seabourn expeditions?
Our guests heavily rely on and trust [the] advice of their travel partners. Partnering together on how we explain our product, how we deliver our message and how we improve our product from feedback from our guests is important.
For sure, one of the strategic priorities for me is to continue supporting our travel partners and make sure that they really feel like [an] extension of our leadership team.
