Swan Hellenic Expeditionary Vessel SH Minerva Set To Go To Antarctica!

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Swan Hellenic Expeditionary Vessel SH Minerva Set To Go To Antarctica!11.12.2021 14:30

Specially designed for the leader of cultural expeditions, SH Minerva is heading to Ushuaia for her first Antarctic expedition cruise on December 29.

Nicosia, Cyprus: Today, Thursday 9th December, Swan Hellenic announced the departure of its flagship SH Minerva from Helsinki towards Argentina and confirmed that the first 10-day Antarctic Cultural Expedition with New Year's Eve on board will take off from Ushuaia 29 December 2021

SH Minerva was delivered to the customer on December 3rd. The transfer was preceded by the baptism ceremony of the SH Minerva on 23 November and 3 days of successful sea trials, in which the new generation polar expedition vessel performed well beyond expectations in terms of agility, stability, top speed and emissions. An elegant new vessel, specially designed for expeditions in the polar regions, passed through the Kiel Canal on December 6.

The SH Minerva is the first in a series of three creatively conceived and engineered next-generation high-polar expedition vessels designed to travel around the world with a focus on high-latitude regions.

SH Minerva is built with the latest environmental regulations and requirements in mind and can operate fully autonomous for up to 40 days or up to 8,000 nautical miles. The vessel is equipped with battery technology for a quiet ride, as well as exhaust gas treatment systems, modern wastewater treatment systems and waste storage facilities needed to operate in the vulnerable polar regions. SH Minerva is equipped with a 5-megawatt diesel-electric hybrid propulsion system with selective catalytic reduction units in the process of purifying emissions of reprocessed fuel, a 3-megawatt maximum battery capacity, an ice-strengthened PC5 hull, and a safe autopilot function in the SOLAS port, which will allow the ship to In the event of any unforeseen circumstances on board, independently return to the nearest port without the participation of the team, while the evacuation of passengers and crew is not required. The vessel is 113 meters long and 10,500 tons displacement, specially designed for expeditions to the most difficult and impressive regions in the world.

SH Minerva is ready to comfortably accommodate 152 guests in 76 spacious cabins and suites, 80% of which have panoramic balconies, and provide the highest level of personalized 5-star service provided by 120 crew and crew.

Under the leadership of industry veteran Captain Tuomo Leskinen and in the safe hands of cruise director Philippe Reuthener, SH Minerva will embark on a 10-day Antarctic cultural expedition cruise. Explore the wildlife of the Antarctic Peninsula under the guidance of expedition leader Pablo Brandeman, polar expert Steve Blamires and renowned bird watcher Andy Banten, and celebrate the New Year in Antarctica.

World renowned chef Jörg Lehmann aboard SH Minerva brings Swan Hellenic's gastronomic vision to life. Guests will be presented with a varied menu of freshly prepared delicacies, featuring original Italian and Asian cuisine, created in collaboration with award-winning chefs Andrea Ribaldone and Sang Keun O.

During the handover, project manager of the Helsinki shipyard, Jonas Pakkalen, said: “This is an important milestone for all of us. SH Minerva is even more beautiful and elegant than we dared to hope! We wish her and her team a fair wind and a calm sea, and special thanks to everyone to the project participants for their tireless dedication! "

Swan Hellenic CEO Andrea Zito added: “I would also like to thank all of the Helsinki shipyard staff for their excellent work in the construction of this beautiful new vessel. "Now that Swan Hellenic is back to sea again, we look forward to discovering our guests inaccessible to others, exploring Antarctica in exceptional comfort and elegance."

Following the SH Minerva, two more vessels, the twin SH Vega (NB517) and the slightly larger NB518, will join the Swan Hellenic fleet in the near future. Both vessels are already under construction at the Helsinki shipyard.