Swan Hellenic has ordered a third luxury expedition cruise ship from Helsinki Shipyard.
The new ship will follow the deliveries of the ‘Minerva’, set for 2021, and a yet to-be-named sister ship in 2022. The third Swan Hellenic newbuild will enter service at the end of 2022.
“The new order is significant for Helsinki Shipyard, as it shows our customers’ confidence in our operations and is also a strong signal of the long-term nature of our operations,” said Carl-Gustaf Rotkirch, Helsinki Shipyard’s CEO.
“In these times in the world, this is a very good signal, not only for Helsinki Shipyard but also for the Helsinki maritime industry and the whole country’s maritime cluster,” he added.
The third vessel will have accommodations for 192 guests in 96 suites, making it bigger than the first two ships, which have capacity for 152 guests.
ALMACO has won a contract to provide the passenger and crew cabins for the first two vessels in the so called ’Vega project’ .
The vessels, NB 516 (‘Minerva’) and NB 517, are under construction at Helsinki and will be owned and operated by Swan Hellenic.
ALMACO was tasked with designing, procurement and construction of all of the ships’ passenger and crew cabins, as well as crew public areas.
The 113 m long vessels will cruise in Arctic and Antarctic waters during the winter season and in tropical waters during the spring and Autumn.
They will be built to the latest Polar Ice Class technology and fitted with stylish sophisticated interiors, a style that Swan Hellenic calls ‘Scandi-luxe’ Chic. The cabins will be spacious with large bathrooms allowing comfortable in-room dining with spectacular views.
ALMACO’s Esko Ryyppö, Project Manager in charge of the ‘Vega’ project, said; “It’s a true pleasure to be part of this unique project and to get to work with Helsinki Shipyard and the other stakeholders in this project. We are looking forward to starting the actual work at the shipyard and to get this fast-paced project successfully delivered to the owner and its customers.
“ALMACO is honoured to support Helsinki Shipyard in this project. Helsinki Shipyard’s excellent construction skills combined with ALMACO’s extensive accommodation experience is a recipe for a successful project with a spectacular end-result,” he claimed.
