Swan Hellenic, the recently resurrected cruise brand, has ordered a third expedition ship from Helsinki Shipyard in Finland.
The company already has two 152-guest Vega-class ships under construction and due for delivery in November 2021 and April 2022.
The latest order is for a larger, 192-passenger vessel due out by the end of 2022. It will be a PC6 ice-class ship designed to sail in polar regions.
Its 4.6-megawatt, diesel-electric hybrid propulsion system will be able to operate in almost total silence under battery power and cause minimal disturbance to sensitive ecosystems and wildlife, the company said.
Construction is proceeding on a fast-track schedule. The keel-laying ceremony of Vega 1 took place on schedule in September despite the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The company recently announced that the Vega 1 would be christened SH Minerva in honor of the iconic company’s first purpose-built vessel, named after the Roman goddess of creativity and wisdom.
“We see the increase in demand for experiences that are truly out of the ordinary and are confident in the bounce-back of our industry,” Swan Hellenic CEO Andrea Zito said.
Swan Hellenic is a 70-year-old brand that has numerous owners since it was founded in the 1950s by Swan’s Tours. The company was bought by P&O in 1983, All Leisure Holidays Group PLC in 2007 and G Adventures in 2017. Now the name is back with a new management team.
