The news capped an extraordinary day at Seatrade Cruise Global, one when Viking Cruises also disclosed a sizable fleet expansion, pushing the global cruse orderbook to more than 100 vessels.
Ponant’s growth includes construction of the fifth and sixth ships in its innovative Explorers series. The yacht-like Le Bellot and Le Surville will enter service in 2020 with sleek design, cutting-edge technology and respect for the environment, complying with the international Cleanship label from Bureau Veritas.
These ice-class expedition cruise vessels will measure approximately 10,000gt, with a length of 131 meters and a beam of 18 meters. Each can accommodate 180 passengers in 92 balcony cabins and four suites with bay windows and terraces.
All six Ponant Explorers will be fitted with a 'Blue Eye' multi-sensorial underwater lounge. This has non-intrusive underwater lighting and hydrophones integrated into the keel that transmit deepwater sounds, as well as body listening sofas that discreetly vibrate in unison with the streaming aquatic acoustics.
The hulls will be built at Vard Tulcea in Romania. Delivery is scheduled from Vard Søviknes in Norway, in the first and second quarters of 2020.
'We deeply appreciate the strong collaboration we have established with the Ponant team, resulting in seven luxury expedition cruise vessels under construction for operations on the world’s seas,' said Roy Reite, CEO and executive director of Vard. 'We are honored to once again be chosen as the trusted partner for Ponant.'
Le Bellot and Le Surville follow Le Lapérouse and Le Champlain in 2018, and Le Bougainville and Le Dumont d’Urville in 2019.
In addition, Vard will deliver Ponant's expedition cruise icebreaker in 2021. It is the first electric hybrid cruise icebreaker powered by LNG and dual fuel propulsion.
Copyright © 2024. All rights reserved. Seatrade, a trading name of Informa Markets (UK) Limited. Add Seatrade Cruise News to your Google News feed.
