Company insight A return to
s with the entire cruise industry, SunStone had an exceedingly difficult period during the Covid-19 pandemic, where its entire fleet was laid up for more than 18 months. However, by October 2021, four vessels operated out of Argentina and Chile on Antarctic cruises. With strict testing and procedures on board, the season has been completed without any serious issues.
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The remainder of the fleet will be reactivated by spring of 2022. SunStone will take delivery of two more of the infinity class vessels, the Sylvia Earle and the Ocean Odyssey. Based on this, by June 2022, it will have 12 expedition vessels in operation – five of which will be from the new infinity class. The five new infinity vessels have been chartered out to four travel companies, on long-term time charter contracts. Three of the vessels will operate mainly in the polar regions, and two will operate worldwide, mainly in warm waters.
A job well done
SunStone has made clear how incredibly pleased it is with the building quality of
enabling exploration
SunStone’s future is looking bright after a predictably turbulent few years. With a fleet including new infinity class models and more vessels being built to further refine the expedition experience that the company offers cruise lines, it is no wonder that it holds such a lofty position in the sector.
the infinity series of ships and is very happy with China Merchants Shipyard’s technical and aesthetic work on the vessels. The ocean-going capabilities have totally satisfied SunStone’s specifications and requirements, from fuel consumption to the many new features found on the infinity ships, such as dynamic positioning, zero speed stabilisers and X-bow, as well as the safety features such as safe return to port and PC6 polar class strengthening.
When it comes to customer comfort and satisfaction, the vessels have also exceeded all expectations, and with a passenger capacity between 150 and 186, the vessels perform very well from a product point of view.
Designed for adventure For quite some time, SunStone has been working on its next series of expedition vessels, the boundless series. Developed in collaboration with OSK, a Danish naval architect firm based in Copenhagen, approximately 20 shipyards have been contacted for bids on building the series.
The vessel is slightly larger than the infinity series, with a length of 124m, a width of 18m and an approximate weight of 13,000t. The vessels will have between 100 and 130 passenger cabins, all with balconies, and have the same technical features as the infinity class, such as safe return to port, zero speed stabilisers, dynamic positioning, and inverted bow. Additionally, the vessels will have an on-board garage for storing zodiacs, as well as water toys and shore-side equipment, including mountain bikes, scooters, segways and other such items to help with expeditions.
SunStone plans to maintain its position as the world’s largest tonnage provider within the expedition cruise market. The company’s mission continues to state that it will never be a cruise line, it does not sell cruises, and will never compete with its charterers.
Making it easier for operators There have been several companies in the expedition market that have tried to build vessels without the essential organisational knowledge and expertise, unforunately this decision turned out to be a disaster for them. There has also been several smaller players that have had serious operational issues where it has become obvious how challenging it is to operate in very remote areas of the world, where ice masters and specialised crew are required.
This, combined with potential unexpected issues such as an emergency, or a global situation like the Covid-19 pandemic, shows the lack of operational capabilities and experience. For many smaller operators it becomes beneficial to charter a vessel on an operational time charter, thereby eliminating most operational concerns, and leaving the travel company to concentrate on the marketing and sales. ●
SunStone’s five-star Ocean Explorer, christened late last year and currently used by Vantage Cruises. World Cruise Industry Review /
www.worldcruiseindustryreview.com
www.sunstoneships.com 41
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