Swan Hellenic christens first of three new cruise ships

Written by Nick Blenkey
SH Minerva is first of three new ships on order for Swan Hellenic at Helsinki Shipyard

SH Minerva is first of three new ships on order for Swan Hellenic at Helsinki Shipyard

Nicosia, Cyprus-headquartered cruise line Swan Hellenic today christened its new cruise ship SH Minerva in a small private ceremony at Finland’s Helsinki Shipyard. The ceremony came after global supply chain disruptions and recent spikes in COVID-19 cases in Finland caused Swan Hellenic to delay the start of Minerva’s inaugural season, canceling its first two cruises.

SH Minerva is scheduled to depart the shipyard early next week.

“We are glad to see this day finally, following the many global challenges that made our task far from easy,” said Helsinki Shipyard project manager Jonas Packalén in his remarks at the event. “Our special thanks to everyone involved in the project for their unstinting dedication and superb work!”

“I, too, would like to congratulate everyone at Helsinki for their impeccable work in difficult circumstance and the tight safety measures which have kept SH Minerva a safe environment at all time,” added Swan Hellenic CEO Andrea Zito. “The vessel has been completed after only 26 months from the signing of the contract which is a remarkable achievement. We now very much look forward to taking our guests to see what others don’t, exploring in exceptional comfort and style.”

The ship is the first of three on order for the cruise line at the shipyard.

SH Minerva and sister ship SH Vega are PC 5 ice-class expedition cruise ships that will each accommodate 152 guests in 76 suites and staterooms, the majority with large balconies. A larger PC 6 ice-class vessel accommodating 192 guests in in 96 staterooms and suites will be arriving year-end 2022.

Categories: Cruise Ships, News, Passenger Tags: , ,