Swan Hellenic announced the christening of its new ship SH Minerva at the Helsinki Shipyard during a small private ceremony earlier this afternoon with godmother Johanna Mäkelä, Finland’s first professor of food culture and wife of Helsinki City Mayor Juhana Vartiainen. Mayor Vartiainen was also present, along with Swan Hellenic CEO Andrea Zito and Helsinki Shipyard CEO Carl-Gustaf Rotkirch with top management.
The celebration follows global supply chain disruptions and recent spikes in COVID-19 cases in Finland, which caused Swan Hellenic to take the difficult decision to delay the start of Minerva’s inaugural season, preferring to cancel its first two cruises rather than risk in any way compromising the highest standards of quality and safety.
At the christening, Helsinki Shipyard Project Manager Jonas Packalén commented: “We are glad to see this day finally, following the many global challenges that made our task far from easy. Our special thanks to everyone involved in the project for their unstinting dedication and superb work!”
Swan Hellenic CEO Andrea Zito added: “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 times. the vessel has been completed after only 26 month 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.”
Swan Hellenic was relaunched in July 2020 to proudly continue the spirit of cultural expedition cruising the company pioneered in the 1950s. Building on its British roots, the new company has a global cultural cruising outlook dedicated to providing guests with the opportunity to ‘see what others don’t’.
SH Minerva and SH Vega, two new 5-star polar PC 5 ice-class expedition cruise ships arriving in November 2021 and April 2022, will each accommodate 152 guests in 76 spacious suites and staterooms, the majority with large balconies. A larger PC 6 ice-class vessel accommodating 192 guests in the same distinctive comfort and style in 96 staterooms and suites will be arriving year-end 2022. All three new ships feature 3 dining venues, the Swan Restaurant, Club Lounge and Pool bar & Grill, and are being built in full compliance with SOLAS Safe Return to Port requirements. Dedicated to guests with a passion for adventure and cultural exploration, the company’s meticulously planned itineraries explore the wild landscapes, wildlife, peoples and unique cultures of the world’s less travelled regions.
Swan Hellenic’s ships feature elegant Scandi-design interiors, extensive outdoor spaces and dedicated expedition facilities. The crew includes an expedition team comprising expert guides, speakers and lecturers, and – numbering 120 and 140 respectively – almost equals the number of guests, reflecting the high levels of attentive personal service provided.
Headquartered in Cyprus with offices in London, Dusseldorf, Monaco, Fort Lauderdale (serving the North America market) and Hong Kong (serving mainland China, Taiwan and South-East Asia), as well as partnerships serving India, Japan and Australia-New Zealand, Scandinavia and Iceland, Swan Hellenic supports the travel trade with specialist local partners to provide customers with expert personal service worldwide.
For more information about Swan Hellenic, please visit swanhellenic.com
