Schulte Marine Concept wins contract for luxury cruise vessel

Construction of the 120m-long vessel, which will have capacity for 200 passengers and 111 crew, is already in progress at West Sea Shipyard in Viano do Castello, Portugal. The vessel will meet the latest Polar Code operating requirements and is expected to start cruising in the winter season of 2018.
The Mystic Group, headed by Portuguese businessman Mario Ferreira, already has 16 vessels cruising on the Douro River under the brand DouroAzul. The cruise group also owns Germany’s Nicko Cruises which operates another 20 vessels on rivers including the Danube, Elbe, Rhine, Mekong, Nile and Yangtze.
S.M.C. managing director Krysztof Kosdron commented: “Schulte Marine Concept is pleased to enter the expedition cruise newbuilding segment with an innovative vessel such as the World Explorer, which will be the ultimate benchmark for environmental sustainability and luxury cruising in remote areas. We look forward to working in partnership with Mystic Cruises and West Sea Shipyard on this prestigious project.”