The newbuilding will measure approximately 151 metres in length and accommodate some 200 guests, served by a crew of nearly the same number. Guest accommodation will be spread over five decks, with private balconies on four of them, alongside a wider selection of suites, Commodore staterooms and connecting configurations than the existing pair offers. The yard has not been named in the announcement, although Cruise Industry News reports that the vessel is understood to be under construction in China.

SEADREAM III will be significantly larger than the twin yachts SEADREAM I and SEADREAM II, which were built at Wärtsilä in Helsinki in 1984 and 1985 as SEA GODDESS I and SEA GODDESS II and carry 112 guests apiece on 4,253 GT. Even so, founder and owner Atle Brynestad was at pains to frame the step up as a matter of reach rather than scale.

"SeaDream has never been about size for its own sake. Our focus is creating fantastic days and unforgettable experiences for every guest," he said. "SEADREAM III has been designed not only to travel farther, but to bring guests closer to the places she visits. Her size will allow her to reach distinctive harbours and sail globally while maintaining the highly personalised experience our guests expect."

"SEADREAM III represents the next chapter for SeaDream," Brynestad added. "She will carry forward the same DNA as SEADREAM I and SEADREAM II: personalised service, exceptional cuisine, a relaxed and friendly atmosphere, and the genuine feeling of being on your own yacht. With SEADREAM III, the whole world becomes our destination."

Onboard features will include three dedicated watersports marinas with direct sea access, an expanded spa, fitness and wellness area, several indoor and al fresco dining venues, and open-air upper and pool decks.

The maiden voyage will depart Hong Kong on 10 July 2029 for a 10-night itinerary through the Ryukyu Islands and along Japan's Pacific coast, calling at Ishigaki, Okinawa, Amami Oshima, Yakushima, Kochi and Shimizu before concluding in Tokyo, where the yacht will be christened on 21 July 2029.

The opening deployment programme covers 24 months, six continents, 73 countries and 364 ports. After the first season in Japan and South Korea, SEADREAM III will head for South-East Asia, Indonesia, Australia and New Zealand, ending the year in Sydney for the New Year celebrations.

The 2030 programme takes in India, the Arabian Peninsula, the Mediterranean, London, the British Isles, the Baltic, coastal Norway, Svalbard, Greenland and Iceland, before crossing the North Atlantic to Canada and entering the Great Lakes with calls at Montreal, Toronto, Detroit and Chicago. The yacht then works down the American east coast to West Palm Beach and on to the Caribbean, Central America, Colombia and Panama.

A 180-night world voyage follows from 5 January to 5 July 2031, departing West Palm Beach and transiting the Panama Canal for the Pacific coasts of Ecuador, Peru and Chile, then Easter Island, French Polynesia, the Cook Islands, Niue, Tonga, Fiji and Vanuatu, continuing via Australia, Indonesia, South-East Asia, Sri Lanka, the Maldives, India, the Arabian Peninsula, Egypt and Jordan, and through the Suez Canal to the Mediterranean and Europe's Atlantic coast, terminating in London.

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