Swan Hellenic's second ice-class cultural expedition cruise ship, the SH Vega, has set sail from Tromsø, Norway, on its first Arctic cultural expedition cruise, an 11-day exploration of the Svalbard archipelago.
The new ship is the second in a series of three elegant, ice-class cultural expedition cruise ships, made for premium discovery experiences around the world, with a strong focus on extreme latitude zones.
The SH Vega features a 5-megawatt diesel-electric propulsion system with selective catalytic reduction and an ice-strengthened PC5 hull with extra-large stabilizers for exceptional passenger comfort. At 113 meters long, the 10,600-ton vessel has been specially designed to visit the most inspiring and inaccessible places on the planet.
These features will allow guests now enjoying Vega's first cultural expedition cruise to explore remote areas of the Svalbard archipelago. They will have countless opportunities to spot Arctic terns, razorbills, northern fulmars, thick-billed murids, and black-legged gulls, among others, and be thrilled by close encounters with polar bears, reindeer, Arctic foxes, whales, dolphins, seals, and walruses.
The SH Vega has been designed to comply with the latest environmental regulations and is completely self-sufficient for up to 40 days or 8,000 nautical miles.
The SH Vega, which offers ample 5-star accommodation for 152 guests in 76 spacious cabins and suites, the vast majority with large balconies, is operated by a team of 120 people on board to provide the highest levels of personal service.
Departing again from Tromsø on July 30, the SH Vega's inaugural season will continue to explore the magic of the Arctic, from the Svalbard archipelago and the ice and fire landscapes of Iceland to Greenland, the Northwest Passage and the wild lands of northern Canada.
Then, in late autumn, it will tour the east coast of the United States and from November, it will offer 11- to 21-day cultural expedition cruises to Antarctica until March 2023, when it will sail along the west coast of Africa to the Canary Islands and Western Europe
