Rutter to help cruise liner sail Northwest Passage

Crystal Serenity will be equipped with Rutter Inc.'s sigma S6 Small Target Surveillance (STS) and Ice Navigator systems for Arctic cruise

MARCH 30, 2016 — Beginning August 16, this year, says Crystal Cruises, its 820 ft, 1,070 passenger Crystal Serenity will become the largest luxury cruise liner to ever navigate the Northwest Passage.

In travel agent language, Crystal Serenity will be “maneuvering through 900 miles of majestic waterways lined with spectacular glaciers, towering fjords, and vast unspoiled landscapes away from mainstream civilization and tourism, north of mainland Canada.”

Helping the Ice Class 1D cruise ship do this will be Canada’s Rutter Inc. whose sigma S6 Small Target Surveillance (STS) and Ice Navigator systems have been chosen by Crystal for the planned Arctic cruise.

The sigma S6 Small Target Surveillance system will be installed on the Crystal Serenity and provide enhanced small target detection of first-year and multi-year sea ice as well as other floating hazards to safe navigation. Rutter says the sigma S6 Ice Navigator is the world’s foremost ice radar used for both vessel navigation and sea ice management programs.

During the voyage, the Crystal Serenity will be accompanied by an escort vessel that will carry additional safety and environmental protection equipment, to further ensure the safe passage of the cruise ship. On the escort vessel will be installed a dedicated sigma S6 Ice Navigator radar system that will allow for the detailed sweep of the area in advance of the Serenity.

“Rutter’s sigma S6 and WaMoS enhanced marine safety, security and environmental monitoring radar systems are used globally, with extensive use for ships operating in the Arctic and Antarctic”, says Fraser Edison, Rutter Inc. President & CEO. “We are pleased and excited to be working with both Crystal Cruises and EYOS Expeditions Ltd, polar expedition experts and consultants for this voyage, as they become the first luxury ship to transit the Northwest Passage.”