The largest tonnage provider to the expedition cruise industry, SunStone Maritime Group A/S, announced the delivery of a couple of INFINITY class ships, Ocean Odyssey and Sylvia Earle.
The final documents completing the delivery of the duo from the CMHI Shipyard in Haimen (China) to SunStone, were signed on Friday, October 21. The vessels will now begin relocation (RepositionCruises.com) prior to their long-term charters.
Sylvia Earle and Ocean Odyssey are units #4 and #5 of the INFINITY series built by China Merchant Heavy Industries in Haimen. Both will be on long-term, year-round charter - Sylvia Earle with Aurora Expeditions (fleet), and Ocean Odyssey with Vantage Deluxe World Travel (fleet).
INFINITY class ships are 104 m long, and 18 m wide, having a draft of 5.1 m. They feature a passenger capacity between 130-200 and a crew capacity between 85-115.
The major advantage of the patented "ULSTEIN X-BOW" design is the ship's ability to navigate with improved stability in comparison to traditional bow-design vessels. X-BOW vessels are less subject to vertical motions (induced by waves), continuing on course smoothly while maintaining high speeds. The ship's engines use less fuel, which results in reduced air emissions and fuel consumption.
The ships are equipped with the latest propulsion and return-to-port systems and also have top-notch dynamic positioning technology - computer-controlled systems allowing automatic maintenance of the vessel's position through its own propulsion units (thrusters and propellers). This allows stable floating while maintaining the necessary stability for launching watercraft - and without using anchors.
With the highest for passenger vessel ice-class 1A (Polar Class 6 / PC6), the newbuilds have icebreaking capacity 1 m (3 ft) and comply with the maritime industry's latest polar code requirements and specifications. They offer unprecedented levels of safety and environmental protection.
For the interior designs of this entire series of SunStone-owned ships was contracted the Weston Florida-based company Tomas Tillberg Design.