Vard Holdings Limited (Vard), a global designer and shipbuilder of offshore and[ds_preview] specialized vessels, has announced a contract for four luxury expedition cruise vessels with French cruise company Ponant. A Letter of Intent with respect to the contracts had been announced on 16 March 2016, subject to several conditions being met, including satisfactory financing. At the end of June, Vard and Ponant had entered into the shipbuilding contracts. According to the companies all conditions have now been fulfilled and the contracts have become effective.
The ice-class expedition cruise vessels will be approximately 10,000 gt, about 131 m long, 18 m wide and will have a cruise speed of 15 kn. Each vessel can accommodate 180 passengers (92 cabins) and a crew of 110. The vessels will be arranged with high class of luxury facilities on board, fulfilling the highest demands for environmentally friendly and safe operations. The hulls will be built at Vard Tulcea in Romania. Delivery is scheduled from Vard Søviknes in Norway in the period summer 2018 to summer 2019.
