Page 41: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (October 2017)

The 2016 Polar Code has its ? rst luxury-adventure cruise adherents for the long, new ice-free seasons in the high latitudes. Likewise, many designs winning over owners and explorers target exotic

Asia-Paci? c destinations. Competition is ? erce among “designer- shipyards” seeking to build their designs, but their creations could face fewer hurdles to construction than the designs of independents without a yard. Concepts bound for the slipway have something else in common: new davits for large numbers of water craft.

BY WILLIAM STOICHEVSKI n addition to our nine ship- Ulstein’s adventure cruise concepts but also a complete ? oating heliport for yards, the Vard group of have long been drawn-up. Now, “in the two aircraft,” a communique trumpets. companies comprises spe- nick of time” — in their 100th year — Competition is serious in this segment, cialized subsidiaries that the X-bow’s proponents have secured especially in and around 2,500 GT, but “Ifocus on particular areas of an order with China Merchants Group also up to 7,000 GT.

expertise,” Vard business development Shipyard for Chinese tour operator and Then come talented designers like manager, Holger Dilling, tells us about ship ower, SunStone Ships. Monaco’s Stefano Patrovich, renderer

Vard Design, Vard Electro and Vard Ac- When it comes to cruise, however, of an adventure cruise vessel conversion commodation for HVAC. “In the cruise both Norwegian yards have stiff com- concept for an out-of-work Norwegian segment, we can draw on expertise in the petition paddling into a business stream offshore service vessel, or OSV. Norwe- wider Fincantieri Group.” They’re com- expected to pick up the slack for stalled gian news E.24 suggests cash-strapped petitive words. Not far away, another of offshore markets. Yards like Portuguese Kleven yard could do the Patrovich

Norway’s famous shipyards, Ulstein, WestSea (Martifer Group) or Nichols OSV conversion. has been pouring on the pressure with Brothers Boat Builders in North Amer- “Niche segments offer new opportu- adventure cruise designs of its own. ica are near or already out with de- nity,” said DNV GL department head for

Vard was ? rst out, obtaining interest signs of adventure vessels of their own. cruise vessels, Bjorn Berger, before add- last year from Hapag-Lloyd Cruises of NBBB for Lindblad Expeditions, and ing, “There’s (little building) capacity for

Germany and French cruise company WestSea with Rolls-Royce propulsion new, smaller cruise vessels until 2025.”

Ponant for two builds: now, a contract and power help on the MV National That was in 2016, but there’s still little for the design and construction of an Geographic Quest. Then there’s Dutch yard capacity for smallish but complicat- expedition cruise vessel for Australia’s shipbuilder Damen’s second sale of its ed cruise concepts. Kleven, NBBB, Vard

Coral Expeditions. Despite the in-house 75-meter luxury expedition yacht for and Ulstein’s Chinese yard partner were knowhow, Dilling says not all suppliers the tropics and the polar latitudes. “The among few yard slots available when the for the Coral project have been decided SeaXplorer 75 stands out with not only opportunity came. Big Cruise ships have on. a dive center and submersible hangar, the other spots occupied.

Luxury: guests enjoy a Lindblad Expeditions sauna.

Photo: Lindblad Expeditions/Sisse Brimberg & Cotton Coulson www.marinelink.com 41

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