Ulstein Verft, the privately owned Norwegian shipbuilder, said it has signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) with an undisclosed owner for the construction of one or more expedition cruise vessels of the design type ULSTEIN CX104.
“The past few years we have worked strategically to target the exploration cruise market. This LOI proves that we are now confirming our position in this market. We are pleased to have been chosen as partner in this exciting project and we now look forward to turning this project into reality,” Gunvor Ulstein, CEO at Ulstein Group, said in a statement.
The vessels will be designed by Ulstein Design & Solutions to incorporate the distinctive X-BOW design, and will be approx. 120 metres long and 20 metres wide. There has been great focus on creating a safe and comfortable platform as well as implementing environmental friendly and sustainable solutions.
SunStone Ships Inc. in Florida signed an agreement with the China Merchants group to build four, with an option of six further, 104 metre expedition shops designed by Ulstein
In addition, the design has emphasized on giving passengers the best possible viewing experiences while sailing through some of the most spectacular areas of our planet.
“The vessels will surpass the newest regulatory demands for taking passengers into Arctic and Antarctic waters, and are planned for delivery in 2019 and 2020,” the company said. The signing of the LOI represents a significant step to realise these future expedition vessels to the market.
"The cooperation and team work have been very good and we are looking forward to realising this project together with all parts involved. Our 100 years of tradition and experience in building and innovate ships will benefit our customer”, says managing director Kristian Sætre in Ulstein Verft.