A new American cruise line has already sold out a voyage which has in its itinerary a very unusual shore excursion – a visit to Chernobyl.

Atlas Ocean Voyages, a Florida-based cruise line will debut next year and one of its first sailings is a 16-day voyage around the Black Sea. But the only catch is the cruise is already sold out.

The voyage will include an overnight stay in the infamous Chernobyl Exclusion Zone, in one of  the few hotels left in Pripyat. It’s been 35 years after the nuclear reactor disaster which had one of the most devastating effects

“This was something unique we wanted to do,” Atlas Ocean Voyages President Alberto Aliberti said this week during a press event. “They are just starting tourism at a small level.”

During the 16-day Black Sea itinerary, the luxury ship World Navigator will sail into the port of Odessa. Passengers will then fly from Odessa to Kiev, stay overnight in Kiev, and coach from there to Pripyat where they will spend a night inside the exclusion zone and visit the power plant and nuclear reactor at the centre of the nuclear disaster in 1986.

World Navigator is a small expedition ship at 9,030 gross tonnes and 126 meters long. The ship can accommodate up to 196 guests and has 98 suites and staterooms.

Departing July 28, 2021, from Athens (Piraeus), Greece, World Navigator will stop into Turkey, Bulgaria, and Romania, before spending three days in Ukraine to visit Kiev and Pripyat. The small ship will then set sail on the Black Sea to visit Russia, Georgia, and finally, Turkey.

Atlas Ocean Voyages has confirmed there are future plans to bring a luxe-adventure expedition to Australia as new ships are added to their fleet, however, there are no itineraries yet.

The new, luxe-adventure line boasts “vacations in vacations” where extended shore excursions are included on long ventures. “No other cruise brand offers an included, multi-day overland adventure like Atlas Ocean Voyages,” said Mr Aliberti.

The line has started the construction of Atlas’ second expedition ship, World Traveller  at West Sea Viana Shipyard in Portugal. She will launch mid 2022.

In addition to World Navigator and World Traveller, three additional expedition ships are on order for delivery by the end of 2023.