SunStone's Chinese built cruise vessels

The CMHI Haimen yard, China, delivered SunStone's sixth expedition cruise vessel in the Infinity class, the Ocean Albatros, on Thursday, 20 April 2023. The vessel will operate on year-round charter for Albatros Expeditions.

SunStone Ships goes for another cruise vessel in its INFINITY class. All the vessels in this class are designed by Ulstein Design & Solutions AS. These vessels were the first to introduce the patented X-BOW design in the cruise industry, a solution that has been warmly welcomed by cruise passengers and crews alike.

The CX103 designs, Ocean Odyssey and Sylvia Earle, have been delivered from the CMHI shipyard in Haimen, China to SunStone. The final documents were signed on 21 October 2022, completing the delivery. This series of vessels is the first expedition cruise vessels to implement the X-BOW feature for increased comfort.

Recently introduced to the cruise market, the 'Greg Mortimer' has called upon much attention among cruise media and cruise travellers. While the X-BOW® shape is well known in the offshore market, this is the first time it has been implemented in a cruise ship.

The first X-BOW® cruise vessel, Greg Mortimer, set off for her first Antarctica expedition and crossed the notorious Drake Passage early November. The X-BOW® feature reduces the slamming in head seas. This was proven firstly on her transit from China to Argentina, when she entered 10m high waves and strong winds.

On 6 September, the ‘Greg Mortimer’ was named and delivered in a ceremony on the CMHI Haimen base. This is the first expedition cruise vessel in SunStone’s INFINITY series. The vessels have been designed by Ulstein Design & Solutions together with the ship’s owner and their client, Aurora Expeditions.

The SunStone crew is undergoing the final preparations to start sailing the polar cruise vessel, ‘Greg Mortimer’. As a part of this, they have been trained in the use of Ulstein’s integrated automation system (IAS), power management system (PMS) and Blue Box based on the X-CONNECT® system architecture.

The launching ceremony of the ‘Greg Mortimer’, the first polar expedition cruise vessel in SunStone Ships’ INFINITY series, was held in the morning of 12 March at the CMHI yard, China. The steel cutting ceremony of ship number three in the series was also arranged this morning.

On 12 June 2018 at 10.18 a.m., the keel laying ceremony of the 'Greg Mortimer' expedition cruise vessel for SunStone Ships was held at CMHI, China.

On 16 March 2018, the steel cutting ceremony of SunStone Ships' ULSTEIN X-BOW expedition cruise ship took place in the Haimen base of CMHI (China Merchants Heavy Industry).

Ulstein Design & Solutions AS has been awarded a very important contract by China Merchants Group (CMG), China, who will be constructing an expedition cruise vessel for owner SunStone Ships. The contract includes the design and equipment package for one and options for additional nine vessels.

The 104-metre expedition cruise ship has been built to Polar Class 6 standards, with 77 passenger cabins with private bathrooms and balconies. The facilities include a restaurant and bar, a lecture room, a lounge, a 180-degree indoor observation deck, outdoor viewing areas, a gymnasium, sauna and spa.

In the first week of February 2021 the expedition cruise vessels 'Ocean Explorer' and 'Ocean Victory', customised versions of the ULSTEIN CX103 designs, completed their sea trials. Both vessels are under construction at CMHI in China. All equipment and systems have successfully been tested at sea.

SunStone's new expedition cruise vessel, the 'Ocean Explorer' has been launched at the CMHI shipyard, China, on Wednesday 12 August 2020. The ship is number four in the INFINITY class of X-BOW expedition ships, all designed by Ulstein.

On 16 December 2019, the CMHI Haimen yard in China carried out the keel laying ceremony for the Ocean Explorer. This is the fourth ULSTEIN X-BOW® design in the INFINITY class of expedition cruise vessels that the U.S. based shipowner SunStone Ships has contracted to CMHI.

On 5 September 2019, the CMHI yard, China, carried out the keel laying ceremony for the 'Ocean Victory' and the steel cutting ceremony for the 'Ocean Explorer' newbuilds. The expedition cruise vessels are under construction for U.S. based SunStone Ships and have been designed by Ulstein Design & Solutions.

Shipowner SunStone Ships has signed their fourth shipbuilding contract on an expedition cruise ship in their Infinity series. The vessel, which will be constructed at the CMHI yard in China, is a CX103 design featuring the X-BOW® and designed by Ulstein Design & Solutions.

Ulstein Design & Solutions introduced their first design illustrations within the expedition cruise segment three years ago. Ulstein has so far signed design agreements on totally 12 vessels, including options.

The ‘Ocean Victory’, an Ulstein designed expedition cruise vessel featuring the iconic X-BOW®, has been successfully delivered from the CMHI Haimen yard, China, on 12 October 2021.

SunStone’s next newbuild expedition cruise vessels, the ‘Ocean Explorer’ and the ‘Ocean Victory’, are nearing completion from the CMHI yard.

Following the successful sea trial of the ‘Ocean Victory’ which was completed in February 2021, the charterer Albatros Expeditions now announces record-low emissions per passenger.

In the first week of February 2021 the expedition cruise vessels 'Ocean Explorer' and 'Ocean Victory', customised versions of the ULSTEIN CX103 designs, completed their sea trials. Both vessels are under construction at CMHI in China. All equipment and systems have successfully been tested at sea.

The expedition cruise vessel 'Ocean Victory', under construction at the CMHI yard in China, is scheduled for sea trials in the end of week 3, 2021. This is vessel number three in the series of Ulstein designed X-BOW expedition cruise vessel of the CX103 design for SunStone Ships.

Ocean Victory, ship number three in the SunStone Ships' INFINITY series, had her launching ceremony 16 March at the CMHI Haimen yard. She is the second exploration cruise vessel built at the yard featured with the ULSTEIN X-BOW®. Ulstein Design & Solutions is providing the design and equipment package to this project.

On 5 September 2019, the CMHI yard, China, carried out the keel laying ceremony for the 'Ocean Victory' and the steel cutting ceremony for the 'Ocean Explorer' newbuilds. The expedition cruise vessels are under construction for U.S. based SunStone Ships and have been designed by Ulstein Design & Solutions.

Recently, ship owner SunStone Ships declared the first option at the CMHI yard in the INFINITY-class series of expedition cruise vessel designs. The ship owner has now declared option number two. The total amount of CX103 designed vessels under construction at the CMHI yard for SunStone thus currently count three.

Ulstein offers on-site support worldwide. This can include equipment and design packages, pre-commissioning, electrical installation and commissioning, technical documentation, sea trial assistance and performance calculations, according to client's requests.

The CX103 designs, Ocean Odyssey and Sylvia Earle, have been delivered from the CMHI shipyard in Haimen, China to SunStone. The final documents were signed on 21 October 2022, completing the delivery. This series of vessels is the first expedition cruise vessels to implement the X-BOW feature for increased comfort.

The ULSTEIN CX103 design, SunStone Ships’ ‘Sylvia Earle’ newbuild, has successfully completed sea trials in end October 2021. Ulstein has delivered the ship design and a comprehensive equipment package and has also been represented with a site team at the CMHI yard during the shipbuilding period.

On 18 March 2021, the CMHI Haimen yard in China celebrated the launch of the 'Sylvia Earle' and the keel laying of the 'Ocean Odyssey', both are Ulstein designed, X-BOW expedition cruise vessels under construction for the U.S. based SunStone Ships.

Aurora Expeditions is on schedule with the build of its second state-of-the-art expedition ship, the Sylvia Earle, and recently revealed its new exterior design. The expedition cruise vessel, and X-BOW design from Ulstein Design & Solutions, is under construction at the CMHI yard, China.

The U.S. based ship owner SunStone Ships has contracted six expedition cruise vessels of the ULSTEIN CX103 design for construction at the shipyard CMHI , China. In July 2020 the keel laying ceremony was held for the 'Sylvia Earle', vessel number 2 in this series of X-BOW vessels.

A steel cutting ceremony was held for the CX103 expedition cruise design, the ‘Sylvia Earle’, on 16 March 2020 at the CMHI Haimen yard, China. She has been designed by Ulstein Design & Solutions AS for SunStone Ships.

The operator Aurora Expeditions’ next X-BOW® expedition cruise ship will be named ‘Sylvia Earle’, to honour the renowned marine biologist, oceanographer and explorer. The ship is one of the vessels in owner, SunStone Ships’, INFINITY class. Constructed at CMHI, they have been designed by Ulstein Design & Solutions AS.

In 2017, Ulstein Design & Solutions AS announced their first design and equipment contract on an X-BOW expedition cruise vessel for ship owner SunStone Ships. The contract included nine options, and the first option has now been declared.

Ulstein Design & Solutions AS has been awarded a very important contract by China Merchants Group (CMG), China, who will be constructing an expedition cruise vessel for owner SunStone Ships. The contract includes the design and equipment package for one and options for additional nine vessels.

The expedition cruise vessel ‘Ocean Odyssey’, an ULSTEIN CX103 design, was successfully launched at the CMHI Haimen yard on 23 October 2021. The vessel is one in a series of cruise vessels contracted by the U.S. based SunStone Ships.

On 18 March 2021, the CMHI Haimen yard in China celebrated the launch of the 'Sylvia Earle' and the keel laying of the 'Ocean Odyssey', both are Ulstein designed, X-BOW expedition cruise vessels under construction for the U.S. based SunStone Ships.

The US based SunStone Ships has placed a number of expedition cruise ship design contracts at Ulstein, for the design and project follow-up at the construction yard, CMHI, in China. Vessel 5, the Ocean Odyssey, has now entered into the shipbuilding phase, for which the first important milestone was recently celebrated.

‘Ocean Albatros’, ship number six in the SunStone Ships’ INFINITY series, had her launching ceremony on 16 September 2022 at the CMHI Haimen yard. Ulstein Design & Solutions is providing the design and equipment package for this project.

Albatros Expeditions recently announced that their brand new expedition cruise vessel, Ocean Albatros, "is almost in the water and will soon be undergoing sea trials." She is scheduled to arrive for their Arctic 2023 season, and the ship operator is more than excited to be receiving her.

A keel-laying ceremony has been held for the ‘Ocean Albatros’, SunStone Ships’ new expedition cruise vessel, at the CMHI shipyard, China, on 20 January 2022. The ship is number six in the INFINITY class of X-BOW expedition ships, all designed by Ulstein.