German shipbuilder MV Werften has contracted DNV GL for the classification of three Endeavor class newbuildings being built for the US-based cruise line Crystal Yacht Expedition Cruises.
The contract includes the classification of three 20,000 gross ton megayachts to be delivered in 2019, 2020 and 2021. The megayachts will be among the first passenger ships to be classified according to the new DNV GL rules, the shipbuilder said.
Featuring a length of 160 meters and a width of 23 meters, the Endeavor newbuildings are said to be the world’s largest expedition yachts with ice class, according to MV Werften. Being built according to the Polar Code with ice class PC6, the expedition yachts are designed for operation in the Arctic, Antarctic and also in the tropics.
To be able to accommodate up to 200 passengers and the same amount of crew, the ships will be fabricated at MV Werften in Stralsund from 2017 and delivered to luxury cruise line Crystal Cruises from 2019, MV Werften said.
Earlier this year, MV Werften signed a letter of intent with the engineering company Foreship to design the Endeavor class expedition cruise vessels for Crystal Cruises.