The largest cruise ship tonnage provider on the expedition market - SunStone Ships Inc (USA) announced the steel cutting of its 5th INFINITY-class ship - Ocean Odyssey. The special event took place at China Merchant Heavy Industries in Haimen (a district of Nantong, Jiangsu province, China). The ship is due to sail year-round worldwide voyages for Vantage Cruise Line (brand of Vantage Travel Service Inc).
With the highest for passenger vessel ice-class 1A (Polar Class 6 / PC6), MS Ocean Odyssey has an icebreaking capacity of 1 m (3 ft) and complies with the maritime industry's latest polar code requirements and specifications. The boat offers unprecedented levels of safety and environmental protection.
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.
INFINITY Class newbuilds underway after the delivery of Greg Mortimer include Ocean Victory, Ocean Explorer, and Sylvia Earle with scheduled delivery in 2021, Ocean Odyssey, and Ocean Albatros with scheduled delivery in 2022, and Ocean Discoverer with scheduled delivery in 2023.