Luxury Expedition Cruise Ship Will Feature Sails for Sustainable Cruising
In what is being billed as a new era of luxury expedition cruising, Atlas Ocean Voyages unveiled its designs for a new expedition cruise ship that will include three masts and large sails. The company is presenting the ship, which will be built in China, as a luxury expedition sailing yacht capable of accommodating up to 400 passengers.
Named Atlas Adventure, the ship, which will be 26,000 gross tons, will measure 690 feet (210 meters) in length. It will have an Ice Class 1B (Polar Category C) hull to permit Arctic and Antarctic expeditions, and the most striking feature is the large carbon-fiber sails, which will give the ship an air draft of 225 feet (68.5 meters).
The company says it will have Sustainable Dual-Source Propulsion, which will also include W?rtsil? dual-fuel engines and electric-hybrid propulsion with a large, 9-megawatt marine battery. The ship is designed to sail at 14 knots and a design speed of up to 16 knots. The sail-assisted technology will be used when conditions permit and will reduce fuel consumption by up to 40 percent. It will also be equipped with zero-speed stabilizers and two vertical fin stabilizers.
The ship follows a trend in the industry of combining luxury with expedition capabilities. The ship will feature seven different dining options, five lounges, a cocktail bar, outdoor bars, a swimming pool, and a retractable marina. It will carry both a fleet of Zodiacs and motorboats for shore access and exploring.
Atlas Ocean Voyages was started in 2019 by Portuguese travel and tourism sector investor Mystic Invest Holding, which also has investments in river cruising and the German Nicko Cruises. Atlas launched its first ship, the 200-passenger World Navigator (9,923 gross tons), in 2021, followed by the World Traveler and World Voyager. The ships were built at Portugal’s West Sea - Viana Shipyard. Two additional ships are being completed and sold by Mystic to Windstar Cruises.
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Mystic completed a contract with China Merchants Cruise Shipbuilding in December 2025, which is reported to be for the Atlas Adventure at a cost of just under $300 million and with an option for up to three more cruise ships. Atlas reports the new exploration cruise ship will enter service in late 2028.
The itineraries show the ship launching from Japan in November 2028 and sailing to ports in China, Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, and the Philippines. In February and March 2029, it will sail to the Seychelles and South and East Africa.