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Mystic Cruises orders four more expedition vessels

World Navigator under construction.jpg
The newly ordered vessels are sisters to World Navigator, pictured this month at WestSea Viana do Castelo and due for delivery in 2021.
Portugal’s Mystic Cruises ordered four additional 200-passenger expedition vessels from WestSea Viana do Castelo. They are sisters of 2019’s 9,300gt World Explorer.

The order, along with the two ships currently under construction at the yard, raise Mystic’s building investment to greater than €500m through 2023, secured with local Portuguese bank financing. The four newbuilds — World Traveller, World Seeker, World Adventurer and World Discoverer— are expected for delivery in 2022 and 2023. 

The pair already under construction are World Voyager, due this year, and World Navigator, scheduled for 2021.

For distribution by Atlas Ocean Voyages

The four just ordered will be exclusively distributed by US-based Atlas Ocean Voyages, part of the Mystic Invest Holding Group. This means one extra ship for Atlas than previously disclosed, for a total of five. The first ship for Atlas distribution will be 2021's World Navigator.

‘These are exciting times for us,’ said Mário Ferreira, CEO, Mystic Invest. ‘With the launch of the World Explorer in 2019 we took a firm step to establish ourselves as a key player in the expedition cruise market, bringing to it our 25-year expertise in small ship luxury and intimate on board services, complemented with authentic shore excursions.’

Care for the environment

All the ships will be polar capable and operate in remote landscapes, with a reduced environmental footprint.

‘A significant part of the investment we’re making goes to equip our ships with the latest eco-friendly technologies available in the market, including pioneering new solutions to reduce the environmental impacts. Aall the ships will have green ship certificates,’ Ferreira said.

The newbuilds have hybrid engines, shoreside power capability and a hybrid-electric jet propulsion system to avoid damage to polar ecosystems when stationary.