Helsinki Shipyard delivers third expedition cruise ship

The 125 meter long newbuild with 12,100 GRT is the largest ship in the Swan Hellenic fleet. With a capacity of 192 passengers, SH Diana is slightly larger than the 152-passenger SH Minerva and SH Vega, which were respectively launched from Helsinki Shipyard in December 2021 and July 2022.

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

SH Diana now sails to Palermo for her first cultural expedition cruise, the 10-day Mysteries of Carthage and the Moors, taking guests to some of North Africa’s most fascinating sites before crossing the ‘Pillars of Hercules’ to Seville and Lisbon. Departing Lisbon on April 25, she will hug the shores of Spain, France, Belgium and the Netherlands to reach Amsterdam in the nine-night Historic Ports of the Western Seaboard. A naming ceremony is scheduled for May 4 before the ship embarks on cruises through the Scandinavian fjords and a full Arctic season.

“We are delighted to have taken delivery of this extraordinarily beautiful and versatile new five-star ship,” said Andrea Zito, CEO of Swan Hellenic. “As the largest ship in our fleet, she is the first to be outfitted with both large tenders and expeditionary Zodiacs, offering guests a wide range of extraordinary, immersive experiences where they see what others don’t.”