Helsinki Shipyard starts production of luxury cruise vessel

The production of the first of the two luxury expedition cruise vessels ordered from Helsinki Shipyard Oy started on Monday, said a press release.

Despite the global situation clouded by the COVID-19 pandemic, steel-cutting started in safe conditions and on time.

“These two vessels are the first new-buildings of the shipyard that was established in May

2019 and thus are a very important head-start for us. The project progresses according to plan in good cooperation with the customer,” said Helsinki Shipyard CEO Carl-Gustaf Rotkirch.

These luxury expedition cruise vessels ordered from Helsinki Shipyard in summer 2019 are intended to operate both in the Arctic and the Antarctic waters during winter and summer, as well as in the tropical waters during the spring and autumn seasons.

The steel blocks for the vessels are manufactured by the shipyard of Western Baltija Shipbuilding in Klaipeda, Lithuania.

A total of 33 outfitted and painted blocks will arrive from Klaipeda. The blocks will be transported to Helsinki by sea.

“The shipyard of Western Baltija Shipbuilding is an important partner for us. We already have cooperated with them in several projects,” said the project manager, Jonas Packalén.

The production of the vessels at Helsinki Shipyard will start in August, and the hull construction will begin with keel-laying in September 2020.

The first cruise vessel will be delivered in 2021 and the second in 2022.