SunStone Orders Sixth Infinity Cruise Vessel

SunStone Ships has ordered a sixth Infinity-class cruise ship from China Merchants Heavy Industries.

Infinity-class vessels are 104 meters (341 feet) long, eight meters (26 feet) wide and have a draft of 5.1 meters (16.7 feet). They feature a passenger capacity between 130-200 and a crew capacity between 85 and 115.

The vessels are Ice Class 1A, Polar Code 6 and are being built with Safe Return to Port, dynamic positioning and zero speed stabilizers. The vessels feature the X-Bow® by Ulstein.

Current Infinity-class newbuilds under way include the Greg Mortimer, launched in March and scheduled to be delivered August 2019, the Ocean Victory in September 2020, the Ocean Explorer in February 2021, the Ocean Odyssey in March 2022 and the Ocean Discoverer in September 2022. 

Greg Mortimer will be chartered by Aurora Expeditions. Ocean Victory will be chartered to Albatros Travel, Denmark, for winter seasons in Antarctica and to American Queen Steamboat Company for summer season operation in Alaska. The sixth vessel now ordered already has a long-term charter agreement in place, and this vessel is expected to be delivered in September 2021.

In addition to the six vessels already ordered, SunStone is in negotiations for four additional vessels and expects to order a seventh vessel in May. The remaining three options will be signed in 2019. 

In addition to the Infinity-class buildings, SunStone Ships has commercial management of a fleet of nine vessels on long-term charter, mainly for the small-ship/expedition ship market.