A new generation of polar cruiseships is on order, with the most sophisticated equipped and the kind of ice and safety features found on high-tech commercial tonnage operating in Arctic areas.
Expedition or exploration vessels have emerged from being the poor relation of the cruiseship industry to account for a sizeable proportion of the orderbook.
Among the new milestones, France’s Ponant Cruises has ordered a Polar Class 2 cruiseship at Vard with icebreaking capabilities on a par with the 172,600-cbm Christophe de Margerie (built 2016) — the world’s first icebreaking LNG carrier.
