UK and Ireland Sales Director James Scott told TTG he wants to offer more yacht visits in 2027 after seeing how successful this year's programme had been.

Between 29 August and 8 September, the luxury boutique line welcomed 95 agents onboard SeaDream II across nine yacht visits.

However, later this year Scott hopes to sign off an expanded yacht visit programme featuring 12 visits in the UK and Ireland over 14 days.

Scott's plans include a "showcase event" in Portsmouth on the final day of the yacht visit programme; this event alone could see around 60 agents come onboard SeaDream I.

2027 yacht visit programme

Other ship visits would take place in Edinburgh, Dundee, Invergorden, Glasgow, Belfast, Isle of Man, Dublin, an overnight in Cork, Liverpool, Fowey and Poole.

"I'm looking at doing a one-day showcase," he said. "It would be a yacht visit on a much larger scale. We could potentially hosts agents across three meals. We offer these kinds of experiences to agents in Norway. On turnaround days, we can be a little bit more flexible."

Upon joining SeaDream Yacht in February 2026, Scott revealed one of his goals was to help agents sell with confidence.

"You cannot sell with confidence without agents going onboard," said Scott, who has sailed on SeaDream yachts twice – once in May on a sailing along the French Riviera, and again in August during the recent UK and Ireland yacht visit programme.

Scott added SeaDream Yacht Club owner and Chair Atle Brynestad often tells the line's sales staff – "if one of the yachts is in your waters, use them".

"We're encouraged to utilise the yachts," Scott explained. "It just makes sense to make our yacht visit programme even bigger next year.

"The UK and Ireland is a big market for us. It's our second biggest market after North America. Our ownership want to grow this market. There's so much potential here. There are 2.5 million cruise passengers.

"The market fits very well with our product. It's also a very mature cruise market."

Scott outlined the importance of agents understanding how the line's repeat booking rate currently stands between 65% and 75%. "If they book a client on one of our yachts, they might be getting a client for life."

First new-build for 25 years

In 2028 and 2029, both the line's yachts – SeaDream I and II – will be deployed in the Mediterranean before the brand's first new-build ship in 25 years is christened in Tokyo in 2029.

SeaDream III will sail its maiden voyage from Hong Kong, sailing Japan's Pacific coast ahead of its christening in Tokyo before a series of voyages exploring Japan and South Korea.

Scott explained that expanding the UK team remains an ambition of his. "Let's see what the future holds, we have a new yacht on the horizon," he said. "I would love to have a Business Development Manager here, but there are no immediate plans at the moment."