Sojourn in Freo on her Final Seabourn Visit

Jean Hudson reports on Seabourn Sojourn’s very last visit to Fremantle 🥲

Seabourn Sojourn has visited us in Freo in March almost to the day every three years: 2020, 2023 and now again in 2026.

She’s on a transit visit and departs tonight at 6 pm.

Here she is tied up at the Fremantle Passenger Terminal just now.

We missed her arrival through the heads this morning but here she is arriving in Freo just 3 years ago. Majestic!

In January, she departed Long Beach, California to begin a 129-day ‘Ring of Fire: Hidden Gems’ world cruise, visiting 63 ports across 14 countries. Thus far, she has visited destinations across the Pacific Rim and the Indo-Pacific region, including Australian stops.

Her branding agency chose her name Seabourn Sojourn well; Seabourn makes me think of classic maritime luxury and Sojourn means lingering travel. It fits perfectly with the high-end clientele the line wants to hook.

Built in 2010, the Sojourn is the second of Seabourn’s trio of classic vessels, alongside Seabourn Odyssey and Seabourn Quest. All three were designed with luxury in mind.

With a capacity for 450 ‘guests’ and a crew of around 350, the ship boasts one of the highest guest/crew ratios anywhere. All 225 staterooms are suites, the largest 274 sq metres. The advertising says: ‘A cruise on Seabourn Sojourn resembles short-term membership at an upscale country club. Bridge and trivia teams stay the same throughout the voyage, allowing friendships to form, dinners to be planned and cards to be exchanged.’

On her arrival in Fremantle today, she has 266 transit guests (70 on re-booked tours). 144 guests are leaving the ship, but 175are embarking in Freo on the next leg of the World Cruise.

This will be Sojourn’s last visit to Fremantle for the Seabourn brand. This voyage represents the culmination of over fifteen years of luxury cruising.

The ship has been sold and following a major drydock refurbishment in May 2026, she will be renamed Mitsui Ocean Sakura and operated by Mitsui Ocean Cruises Japan. Sakura means cherry blossom in Japanese, and is also a national cultural symbol.

Seabourn Sojourn departs Fremantle at 6 pm today on a 13-night voyage to Hong Kong, calling at Geraldton, Exmouth, Broome, Darwin, Lombok and Bali.

I doubt we will see her again; it looks like she will primarily cruise around Japan and nearby Asian waters.

I’ve read that Farewell Voyages are emotional events, with a mixture of celebration, nostalgia and ceremony.

Farewell Seabourn Sojourn from Freo and FSN!

Words and pics by Jean Hudson @jeansodyssey.

Jean Hudson is our Shipping and Sailing Correspondent and also a regular feature writer, reviewer and photographer here on the Shipping News. You may also like to follow up her informative Places I Love stories, as well as other feature stories and Freo Today photographs, right here.

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