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Swan Hellenic's SH Minerva christened in HelsinkiSwan Hellenic's SH Minerva christened in Helsinki

The reborn Swan Hellenic brand christened its first vessel, SH Minerva, at the Helsinki Shipyard during a small private ceremony this afternoon.

Anne Kalosh, Editor, Seatrade Cruise News & Senior Associate Editor, Seatrade Cruise Review

November 23, 2021

1 Min Read
Credit: Seatrade Cruise News

Johanna Mäkelä, Finland’s first professor of food culture and wife of Helsinki City Mayor Juhana Vartiainen, served as the godmother. Mayor Vartiainen was also present, along with Swan Hellenic CEO Andrea Zito and Helsinki Shipyard CEO Carl-Gustaf Rotkirch and top management.

First two cruises canceled

The celebration followed global supply chain disruptions and recent spikes in COVID-19 cases in Finland, which caused Swan Hellenic to delay the start of Minerva’s inaugural season by canceling its first two cruises.

SH Minerva is scheduled to depart the shipyard early next week.

26 months from contract signing to completion

Zito congratulated the Helsinki Shipyard for their 'impeccable work in difficult circumstance and the tight safety measures which have kept SH Minerva a safe environment at all times. The vessel has been completed after only 26 months from the signing of the contract, which is a remarkable achievement,' he said. 'We now very much look forward to taking our guests to see what others don’t, exploring in exceptional comfort and style.'

For his part, Helsinki Shipyard Project Manager Jonas Packalén commented: 'We are glad to see this day finally, following the many global challenges that made our task far from easy. Our special thanks to everyone involved in the project for their unstinting dedication and superb work.'

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Swan Hellenic

About the Author

Anne Kalosh

Editor, Seatrade Cruise News & Senior Associate Editor, Seatrade Cruise Review

Anne Kalosh covers global stories, reporting both breaking and in-depth news on cruising's significant people, places, ships and trends. A sought-after expert on cruising, she has moderated conferences around the world, including the high-profile State of the Industry panel at Seatrade Cruise Global. She created and led the acclaimed itinerary-planning case study for Seatrade's cruise master classes held at Cambridge and Oxford universities. She has been the cruise columnist for AFAR.com, and her freelance stories have appeared in a wide range of publications, from The New York Times to The Miami Herald.

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