Norwegian ship designer Ulstein Design & Solutions announced that it has received totally six firm ship contracts, and options for further six vessels.
"With 12 contracts including options on expedition cruise vessels in three years, we have now consolidated a strong position as expedition cruise designers,” said Tore Ulstein, COO Design & Solutions in Ulstein.
The X-BOW hull line design is a feature that makes Ulstein vessels stand out from the crowd, said a press release from the shipyard.
The X-BOW splits the waves and removes the slamming and associated vibrations, increasing comfort for passengers and crew. And because it uses less fuel to get through the waves, it also helps to save energy and reduce emissions.
Reduced accelerations and slamming forces mean less wear and tear on equipment, creating a perfect platform for an expedition cruise. Even in tough conditions the X-BOW®creates little spray, leaving the decks dry.
In addition to the X-BOW, the vessels also have a number of built-in qualities to reduce emissions and increase the operational safety.
“As an example, all Ulstein designed vessels are compliant with the latest "Safe Return to Port" regulations, which in short means that the vessel is divided in separate zones where all critical machinery and systems are duplicated in order to safely be able to return to port after an incident like flooding or fire,” Dimmen said.
The vessel will have more capacity in the upper bow area, space which can be used for observation lounges, bars and other leisure areas.