Finnish shipbuilding company Helsinki Shipyard Oy has won an order from the British cruise line Swan Hellenic for a luxury expedition cruise vessel.
The order comes at a very difficult situation for the global cruise and shipbuilding industry due to the impact of COVID-19 on traveling and demand for cruises.
The latest order is the third cruise vessel the British cruise line has ordered at the yard.
The design for the new 25 meter LOA vessel has already started and the construction is set to begin in the summer of 2021. The 12,000-GRT vessel is scheduled for delivery at the end of 2022. The new vessel is larger than its predecessors and designed to sail to all continents.
The expedition ship will feature a 4,6-megawatt diesel-electric hybrid propulsion system with selective catalytic reduction, 3-megawatt max. battery package and PC6 ice-strengthened hull.
It will be able to accommodate 192 guests and an onboard team of 140 people.
“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,” said Carl-Gustaf Rotkirch , the shipyard’s CEO.
The shipbuilder laid the keel of the first vessel from the series, SH Minerva, in September this year.
The orders for the previous two vessels were placed earlier in 2020.
The first ship from the series is set to start sailing for Antarctica in November 2021 with her sister ship expected to launch in April 2022.