Vard shipyard has cut the first steel on Hapag-Lloyd’s Hanseatic Nature – marking the start of construction of the first of its two newbuild Hanseatic-class expedition ships.
At the Vard shipyard in Tulcea, Romania, Karl J Pojer, chief executive of the luxury cruise operator, gave the official start signal for the 24-month construction process of Hanseatic Nature.
“After an intense planning stage, we are very pleased to commence Hanseatic Nature’s construction process with the first steel cut. The segment of expedition cruises currently offers enormous potential and with two new additions to our fleet next to the very popular Bremen, we are well positioned for the future” said Mr Pojer.
The keel laying of Hanseatic Nature is scheduled for June 2017, the christening and maiden voyage for April 2019. The second ship, Hanseatic Inspiration, which will serve international markets, will launch six month later in October 2019.
The new expedition ships, which will be positioned in the five-star-segment, are being built by Norwegian company Vard Group, which is a subsidiary of the Italian shipbuilding group Fincantieri. The ship hull will be constructed in the Romanian shipyard location of Tulcea and afterwards be towed to Vard Langsten in Norway, where outfitting and finishing the interior will take place.
Both ships will be fitted with cutting-edge equipment and environmental technology and will each accommodate up to 230 guests (or up to 199 guests on Antarctica cruises). They will have the highest ice class for passenger shops, PC6, making it possible to conduct expeditions far into Polar waters, as well as tropical destinations such as the South Seas and the Amazon.
16 onboard Zodiacs and E-Zodiacs with eco-friendly electric drive systems allow for landings in remote expedition areas.
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