Cultural expedition cruise pioneer’s purpose-designed new ship has left Ushuaia on a stunning 9-day New Year celebration Antarctic cruise.

Nicosia, Cyprus: Today, Friday the 31st of December 2021, Swan Hellenic announced that its new ship SH Minerva had left Ushuaia yesterday evening on her maiden cultural expedition cruise of the Antarctic, a 9-day New Year celebration of discovery.

Cruising in the expert hands of industry veterans Captain Tuomo Leskinen and Hotel Director Philipp Reutener, SH Minerva’s first guests look forward to celebrating the New Year deep in the splendours of Antarctica. Here, they will soon be exploring the inspiring sights and wildlife of the Peninsula and milder Shetland Islands in the company of Expedition Leader Pablo Brandeman, polar expert Steve Blamires and renowned ornithologist Andy Bunten.

Internationally acclaimed chef Jörg Lehmann is bringing Swan Hellenic’s distinctive new gastronomic vision to life on board, presenting varied menus of freshly cooked delicacies that include original Italian and Asian fusion dishes, created in partnership with multi-award-winning Consultant Chefs Andrea Ribaldone and Sang Keun Oh.

Swan Hellenic CEO Andrea Zito commented: “We are immensely proud to have welcomed our first guests aboard this wonderful new ship to live unique new experiences that advance the revered Swan Hellenic tradition, taking them to see what others don’t in exceptional comfort and style.”

ABOUT SH MINERVA

SH Minerva is the first in a series of three extraordinary high ice-class cultural expedition cruise vessels made for premium cruise experiences worldwide, with a strong bias for extreme latitude areas. SH Minerva features a 5-megawatt diesel-electric propulsion system with selective catalytic reduction and a PC5 ice-strengthened hull with extra-large stabilisers for exceptional passenger comfort. At 113 m, the 10,500-ton vessel has been specially designed to explore the most inspiring and inaccessible places on the planet.

The vessel has been designed to meet the latest environmental regulations and is equipped with exhaust gas cleaning, advanced wastewater treatment systems and the waste storage facilities required for operating in sensitive polar areas. In addition, she is completely self-sufficient for up to 40 days or 8,000 nautical miles, enabling extraordinarily immersive cruise voyages.

Providing spacious 5-star accommodation for 152 guests in 76 spacious cabins and suites, the vast majority with large balconies, SH Minerva is operated by an onboard team of 120 to provide the highest levels of personal service.

Tonnage 10 600

Propulsion 5 MW

Length 113 m

Breadth 20.2 m

Draught 5.7 m

Cruising speed 14 knots

Ice class PC5

Number of passenger cabins 76

Number of crew cabins 73

Classification Lloyd’s Register

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 PC 5 ice-class expedition cruise ships, respectively launched in December 2021 and arriving in April 2022, 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 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 include an expedition team comprising expert guides, speakers and lecturers, and almost equal 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, Vietnam 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,

Visit www.swanhellenic.com or call +442078460271

For Swan Hellenic, please contact:

Mario Bounas, VP, Marketing: Mario.bounas@swanhellenic.com

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