Swan Hellenic announces SH Diana floated out of dry dock and on schedule for Spring maiden seasonv
Newest and largest ship in iconic cruise pioneer’s new fleet set for extraordinary Spring explorations of the Med
Helsinki, Thursday the 26th of January 2023: Swan Hellenic today announced that SH Diana, the newest and largest ship in its ultramodern 5-star fleet, was floated out of dry dock at Helsinki Shipyard this Monday 23rd January.
SH Diana’s fitting out is now already under way, leaving her comfortably on schedule for her maiden cruise, “Mysteries of Carthage and the Moors”, which will be leaving Palermo in Italy for Lisbon in Portugal on 15 April. Diana will then make her way up the West Atlantic seaboard of Europe for explorations of the Arctic.
Andrea Zito, CEO of Swan Hellenic Limited, said: "We are delighted with the construction progress and quality of SH Diana, a Polar Class PC6 vessel with state-of-the-art ship technology and sustainability that will enter service as planned in April. We look forward to welcoming our guests aboard her to experience our cultural expedition cruises with the first-time option of choosing between shore exploration by tender boat as well as expedition zodiac.”
Kim Salmi, CEO of Helsinki Shipyard, "With exemplary co-operation between our personnel, owners representatives and our multiple contractors and suppliers, SH Diana has reached maturity for this milestone and was floated out. Works will now continue with intense commissioning phase, preparing her for passengers in April."
About Swan Hellenic
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.
Swan Hellenic's purpose-built ships feature elegant Scandi-design interiors, extensive outdoor spaces and dedicated expedition facilities. SH Minerva and SH Vega, two new 5-star Polar Code PC 5 expedition cruise ships with ice-strengthened hulls, launched in December 2021 and July 2022 respectively, each accommodate 152 guests in 76 spacious suites and staterooms, the majority with large balconies. A slightly larger PC 6 ice-class vessel, SH Diana, accommodating 192 guests in the same distinctive comfort and style in 96 staterooms and suites, will be arriving in early 2023.
All three 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.
The crews each include a team of 12 seasoned expedition guides, expert speakers and lecturers, for a total complement of 120 and 140 persons respectively, offering outstanding staff-to-guest ratios to deliver the highest standards of attentive personal service.
Headquartered in Cyprus with offices in London, Dusseldorf, Monaco, Fort Lauderdale (serving the North American market), Hong Kong (serving GreaterChina and South-East Asia), Sydney (serving Australia-New Zealand) and Copenhagen (serving Scandinavia and Iceland), as well as partnerships serving India and Japan, Swan Hellenic supports the travel trade with local specialist partners to provide customers with expert personal service worldwide.
About Helsinki Shipyard:
Helsinki Shipyard Oy is located in the capital of Finland and specializes in shipbuilding technology and building of special vessels for demanding conditions and routes. The shipyard has a long tradition and unmatched expertise in designing and building of icebreakers and other high ice-class vessels for operations in cold environment. In addition to the arctic know-how, our specialization covers also passenger ferries and cruise ships.
The shipyard operations date back 155 years to when Helsingfors Skeppsdocka was authorized to open a shipyard in Hietalahti on the 4th of March 1865. The shipyard is renowned as a pioneer in Finnish shipbuilding, a substantial employer and part of the history and landscape of the City of Helsinki.
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