Helsinki Shipyard Delivers Third Expedition Cruise Ship to Swan Hellenic

Swan Hellenic has taken delivery of SH Diana, its third expedition cruse ship built by Helsinki Shipyard.

The 125-meter-long, 12,100 GRT newbuild is the largest ship in the Swan Hellenic fleet. Accommodating 192 passengers, SH Diana is slightly larger than 152-passenger SH Minerva and SH Vega launched from Helsink Shipyard in in December 2021 and July 2022 respectively.

The Finnish shipbuilder in December sold the ship to Swan Hellenic at auction after the original buyer, Russian-owned GTLK Europe, failed to take delivery.

SH Diana is now sailing to Palermo for its inaugural cultural expedition cruise, the 10-night Mysteries of Carthage and the Moors, which will take guests to explore some of the most fascinating locations in North Africa before crossing the “Pillars of Hercules” to Seville and Lisbon. Departing Lisbon on April 25, the nine-night Historic Ports of the Western Seaboard will see her hugging the coasts of Spain, France, Belgium and the Netherlands to reach Amsterdam. A christening ceremony is planned for May 4 before the vessel departs for cruises of the Scandinavian fjords and a full Arctic season.

“We’re delighted to have taken delivery of this exceptionally beautiful and versatile new five-star vessel,” said Swan Hellenic CEO Andrea Zito. “As the largest ship in our fleet, she is the first to be outfitted with large tender boats as well as expedition zodiacs, offering guests a wide variety of extraordinary in-depth experiences seeing what others don’t.”