The first ocean cruise ship of Mystic Invest, a company owned by Portuguese businessman Mario Ferreira, which also owns the river cruise companies Douro Azul and Nicko Cruises, was christened in Viana do Castelo, Portugal, with Carla Bruni as godmother.
“Portugal has a rich maritime history, and we are proud that the World Explorer is the first luxury cruise ship to be built here. It is also an honor to have Ms. Bruni as its godmother,” said Ferreira.
Captain Alex Zakalashnnyuk of Russia, Filipe Sousa of Portugal, and Terje Willassen of Norway will command the 9,300-gross-ton ship, which has a capacity for 200 passengers. Together, they have over 75 years of experience. The World Explorer is chartered to Quark Expeditions. Two more ships, the World Navigator and World Voyager, will be built at the WestSea shipyards in Portugal.
