CHINESE-BUILT EXPEDITION SHIP DEBUT

Heading a series of up to 10 newbuilds foreseen by US-based SunStone Corporation under a framework agreement with China Merchants Heavy Industry (CMHI), the 104-metre Greg Mortimer cut its teeth on Antarctica voyaging during November. The ship carries about 160 passengers, and has been chartered to the Australian travel company Aurora Expeditions.

As a measure of Chinese determination to strike the right chord with the global cruiseship operating and owning community from the outset, CMHI’s Haimen yard effected delivery 24 days ahead of schedule. The high-grade, compact newbuild features the innovative X-Bow conceived by Ulstein Design & Solutions of Norway, dynamic positioning and zero speed stabilisers. A Finnish company, IS Makinen, has played a key role in the outfitting of the interiors, and the vessel has been specified to Ice Class 1A and Polar Code 6 criteria.

A total of seven newbuilds have been ordered to date by SunStone at CMHI, which holds options on three further vessels. Miami-domiciled SunStone, a specialist in commercial management of passengerships, has secured long-term charters on all the newbuild tonnage contracted.

Designated the Infinity Class, each of the new-generation flotilla will employ a common technical and engineering design, but with passenger accommodation and facilities adapted to individual charterers’ requirements. The series will thereby offer payloads of between 130 and 260 passengers, and crew complements of 85-115.

Besides the Greg Mortimer, Aurora has committed to one of the 2021 deliveries in the series, which will bear the name Sylvia Earle. Other companies which have entered into charter contracts for Infinity-class newbuilds include Albatros Expeditions, American Queen Steamboat Company and Vantage Cruise Line.

Although the X-Bow has accumulated an extensive reference list, mainly in the offshore vessel sector, SunStone’s debut newbuild constituted the opening application in the cruiseship domain.

The inverted bow form enhances onboard comfort in head seas, as it reduces slamming and resulting vibration, and the reduced resistance makes for improved overall fuel efficiency. It better enables the master to maintain speed and schedule-keeping in adverse weather, and to quickly transit particularly harsh stretches of water, such as the Drake Passage, where the Atlantic, Pacific and Southern Oceans converge.

The four main generator sets are distributed between two engine rooms, providing power and propulsion system redundancy in the event of fire or flood in either machinery space, and conforming with Safe Return to Port (SRtP) stipulations.

PRINCIPAL PARTICULARS – Greg Mortimer

INFINITY-class programme