New X-BOW expedition cruise vessel on the way

US-based shipowner SunStone Ships goes for another cruise vessel in its INFINITY class. All the vessels in this class are designed by Ulstein Design & Solutions AS. These vessels were the first to introduce the patented X-BOW design in the cruise industry, a solution that has been warmly welcomed by cruise passengers and crews alike.

Although all the vessels in this class are designed on the same platform, being 104.4m long and 18.4m wide, they are all customised to accommodate a varying number of passengers and crews, and the public spaces are also carefully designed according to the client’s request. This new vessel shares the feature of three other vessels in the INFINITY class on having windows all around the bow lounge to give lot of light and a feeling of being in the nature whilst indoors.

“We are immensely pleased to announce that we have signed a new contract with the CMHI Haimen yard for the construction of a new X-BOW expedition cruise vessel of the Ulstein CX103 design”, states Lars Ståle Skoge, Commercial Director at Ulstein Design & Solutions.

Bringing the outdoors inside

Tomas Tillberg Design is responsible for the interior design of the vessel. “Our main focus is to bring the outdoors inside, capitalising on the big windows like the two-story atrium ones and especially the spectacular FWD bow windows that Ulstein made possible thus furthering the small ship to a big ship feeling,” Mr Tillberg states.

Vessel facts

The vessel holds accommodation for 199 passengers, and a crew of 101. She is ICE CLASS 1A certified for polar cruising, holds the highest comfort class, and is SOLAS1 certified including a Safe Return to Port passport.

1.The SOLAS convention regulates mandatory safety aspects for ships on international voyages such as construction, stability, machinery, electrical installations, fire safety, life-saving appliances, navigation, communications and carriage of cargoes. Source: DNV.

SunStone Boundless class

SunStone’s next project will be to build up to 10 next-generation expedition vessels in China from what they name as the Boundless class. These are slightly larger than the INFINITY class, having a length of 125m and capacity for 260 passengers in 130 cabins, all with balconies.

The Boundless Class is designed by SunStone with naval architecture completed by OSK-ShipTech. The interior will be designed by Steen Friis, Tillberg Design USA, or designers of the charterer’s choice and built/installed by European interior contractors. Furthermore, all technical equipment will be delivered by well known European suppliers.

SunStone’s next project will be to build up to 10 next-generation expedition vessels in China from what they name as the Boundless class.

The lead ship in this class is expected to be delivered in September 2025, with the remaining vessels following at two ships per year.

Ocean Albatros

‘Ocean Albatros’, ship number six in the SunStone Ships’ INFINITY series, had her launching ceremony on 16 September of last year, at the CMHI Haimen yard. Ulstein Design & Solutions provided the design and equipment package for this project.

In February of this year, the CX103 designed, polar expedition cruise vessel Ocean Albatros prepared for her first journey and there has been hectic activity to finalise the interior. Work proceeded on the reception, the carpet is being installed in the lecture area, and the mud room is taking shape.

Electrical work and carpet installation

After having returned from her sea trials, the interior work is continued on this X-BOW-designed expedition cruise vessel. Albatros Expeditions will start the season in the summer of 2023, with the first journey going to the island of Svalbard in Norway. The town Longyearbyen is at 78 degrees north and is the northernmost permanent settlement before the North Pole. “Later, she will join whales, icebergs, seals and Greenlandic ords. A truly nordic built vessel with Finnish, Swedish, Danish components, and last but not least Norwegian design. We are all very proud of her,” says Anders Ellemann Kristensen at Albatros Expeditions.

Headboard frames and mud rooms

Among the interior work taking place these days, the first headboard frames for the passenger cabins have come up. Other than that, on a polar expedition cruise vessel, the passengers go for regular excursions in freezing outside conditions. The mud room is an area for storing essential gear and clothes for such excursions. The clothes and boots kept here are designed to withstand the outside conditions, while keeping the rest of the vessel clean and tidy. i. ulstein.com