First expedition ship naming ceremony in South Georgia

The series of expedition cruise vessels, built at the CMHI Haimen yard, China, for SunStone Ships, has been chartered out to various cruise line operators. The ‘Ocean Victory’ has been chartered out to Albatros Expeditions for Antarctica journeys and to American Queen Voyages for Alaska cruises.

Denmark-based Albatros Expeditions held the naming ceremony on 3 December 2021, marking the beginning of Ocean Victory’s maiden voyage towards Antarctica.

The ULSTEIN X-BOW hull feature has become implemented in several newbuild expedition cruise vessels, due to its ability to make ocean crossings such as that of the Drake Passage, more comfortable for guests onboard. The ship is part of a low-energy generation of vessels and features the Polar code 6 and Ice Class 1A. The 104.4m long X-BOW vessel sports the capacity for 185 guests in 93 suites, 68 with balconies, nine with French balconies and 16 with panoramic windows with interiors designed to reflect the Nordic heritage.

The ship was christened by Elise Grøndahl, operations manager at Albatros Expeditions, with the traditional bottle of champagne replaced with a block of ice.

“We choose for this event to happen in South Georgia, because of our great love for this unique place,” said Hans Lagerweij, president of Albatros Expeditions. “We enthusiastically support The South Georgia Heritage Trust and are helping with the establishment of the sculpture ‘Commensalis – the Spirit Tables of South Georgia’ at the old Grytviken Whaling Station. It tells the powerful story of an ecosystem in recovery.”

Watch our 'Green polar cruising' webinar with Hans Lagerweij as our guest.

“At Albatros we are always looking for the most unique and inspiring destinations around the world,” said Søren Rasmussen, chairman and owner of Albatros Expeditions. “The growth in interest we have seen in the immense nature of South Georgia is reflected in our new product range. We are proud to explore more of these magnificent islands in the future with the Ocean Victory and the Ocean Albatros, both with the lowest environmental impact in the industry.”

The sister vessel ‘Ocean Albatros’ is currently under construction at the CMHI yard, with a planned delivery in 2022.