Purpose-built expedition cruise vessel ordered by Antarctica XXI
The polar code-classed vessel will sail in Antarctic waters (Illustration: Antartica XXI)
It will be 90.7m long, 16.2m wide and have a draught of 4.3m. It will have ice class LR Polar Class 6 and will mainly be used for cruises in the Antarctic. Two MAN main engines of together 3,440 kW will be installed providing a speed of 14 knots. Interiors are designed by Chilean studio Enrique Concha & Co. It will have a crew of 60. For this shipbuilding project Antarctica XXI created an alliance with two partners and has created a new entity called Minke Shipping Company to own the ship. The vessel will have 50 passenger cabins in five categories of accommodation, including dedicated single cabins. The bow of the ship is accessible to guests to offer expansive views during exploration. Adventure activities, such as kayaking and snowshoeing, will be available to guests. The vessel will start operations in the 2019 to 2020 season, with many technical features to support long periods of time away from port. These include extended fuel range, comfortable crew quarters, large storage areas for provisions and supplies and a workshop for equipment maintenance.
