Newbuild Series: Russians Eye Expedition Cruising

United Shipbuilding Corporation (USC) the largest shipbuilding company in St. Petersburg, Russia has taken notice of the expedition cruising boom and wants a piece of the pie.

According to vice president, Dmitry Kolodyazny, the company has designed a series of expedition cruise ships as the Russian state-owned company aims to enter the cruise-ship business in the future.

A USC presentation shows a scalable expedition ship concept, including 9,000, 13,000 and 17,000-ton versions and several different design options.

The 17,000-ton version has a capacity for 300 guests, a service speed of 16 knots, with a range of 10,000 nautical miles, as well as an ice-class hull enabling the ship to operate in the Arctic without assistance from icebreakers.

With a growing market for expedition cruises and a longing thirst for adventure, 28 new expedition ships are on order for deliveries between June 2018 and the second quarter of 2022, the expedition market is growing quickly and shows no signs of slowing down. An expedition cruise is a phenomenal opportunity to witness once-in-a-lifetime wonders and experience an unforgettable journey.

Access Cruise is a Miami based cruise marketing and sales consulting group, specializing in product and business development within the cruise industry.