SH Minerva: built for remote and polar regions

Battery ready 

SH Minerva has also been designed to be battery ready. Mr Zito expands, “The vessel is fitted to be upgraded to hybrid as the electric plant on board is designed to be fitted with a plug and play battery pack up to 3-MW power. We did not install this initially, as we are not 100% happy with the battery technology because it is still evolving and not yet mature.” 

When batteries are installed, the cruise ship will be able to stay six hours in port with no emissions and sail for two to three hours at very low speed in marine sanctuaries, allowing it to be noiseless and emissions free. 

Asked for a timeframe for when the batteries might be installed, Mr Zito estimates around three to four years. He adds, “We are working with a couple of suppliers and integrators. We have the space on board.” 

Manoeuvrability and stability were important considerations and boosted using very large stabilisers – a pair of Mitsubishi oversized stabilisers. Mr Zito says, “These performed extremely well in sea trials and beat expectations. They are increasing passenger comfort.” 

Indeed, SH Minerva has achieved the highest Lloyd’s Register comfort class for noise and vibration and “had an ample margin in this class in tests,” says Mr Zito. 

Two Becker rudders in addition to one stern thruster of 750 kW and two bow thrusters of 500 kW each are deployed allowing crabbing and mooring with adverse winds up to 30 knots. 

Elsewhere, dynamic positioning is used to allow the vessel to stay in position without needing to anchor in sensitive areas. “This is important from an environmental point of view as anchors are quite damaging for the seabed in some protected areas,” says Mr Zito.  

Wärtsilä Transas navigation provides navigation radar from the bridge. 

An Evac advanced generation wastewater treatment plant is deployed which deals with both black and grey water, allowing the vessel to be emissions free from a wastewater point of view. 

Plastic is limited on board and the brand has decided not to deploy helicopters, to prevent noise disturbing the ocean wildlife. 

12 zodiacs for expeditions are stored on open deck and aft. 

Elegant interior design 

The ship was designed by Tillberg Design of Sweden. Mr Zito says, “The instruction we gave was to have a vessel at a very high and elegant but unintrusive standard and the result has beaten expectations. There are a lot of windows for guests to appreciate the scenery. We have great open decks and in front have a ‘swan nest’, which is an observation deck placed far forward. Guests can have a good look at the waves and wildlife such as orcas and dolphins.” 

An important area is the multi-functional area for lecturers. “The core of our brand is cultural cruising, so we carry high-quality speakers with a sophisticated recording and filming system so guests can be in the lounge or can watch from their rooms,” says Mr Zito. 

The ratio of guests versus crew is high, at 160 passengers with 120 crew members. Mr Zito says, “The crew is fantastic, with a high standard and a lot of experience.”  

Reflecting on the previous Minerva cruise vessel, which ran under the old Swan Hellenic brand, Mr Zito says the new SH Minerva combines the comfortable and authentic qualities of the previous vessel with a more international theme and brand. 

He sums up, “What we want to create is very ambitious.”

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