Swan Hellenic, the 70-year-old British discovery cruise line, which went into administration in 2017 is to be resurrected as a cultural expedition cruise line with two brand new ships set to launch operations.
A new company based in Cyprus, Monaco and the UK, has acquired the Swan Hellenic brand and database from G Adventures, which initially acquired the brand after the collapse of All Leisure Group.
The plan is to build two new state of the art expedition ships in Finland, which will provide 152 guests with an elegant, intimate and personal onboard experience.
Swan Hellenic will target travellers with “inquisitive minds who want to discover incredible destinations, reconnect with nature and locals, all while sharing unique experiences”.
The first new ship is due to launch in November 2021 in London, before setting sail for Antartica. The second ship is due to launch in April 2022, visiting St Petersburg, the British Isles, and Iceland. The ship will then head to the Arctic in the summer.
After completing both Polar seasons, the ships will continue exploring the world with highlights including New Zealand to Brazil and Papua New Guinea to the Philippines.
The ships are yet to be named, but for now the two sister ships are working under the project names of Vega 1 and Vega 2, in homage to the first ship to sail the Northeast Passage.
According to Travel Weekly, the line is already in talks about further expansion of the fleet and expanding the proposition of Swan Hellenic.
The cruise line is headed up by John Warner, currently managing director of Russian river cruise line Vodohod, and the former vice president of global sales at G Adventures. He is also joined by Andrea Zito, former senior vice president of Silversea, as well as Alfredo Spadon, formerly of MSC Cruises and Silversea, plus Mario Bounas, formerly of Royal Caribbean International.
