Schulte Marine Concept (S.M.C), the project management arm of Bernhard Schulte Shipmanagement (BSM), has won its first cruise ship contract with Portugal-based Mystic Cruises to provide technical consultancy and newbuild supervision services to support construction of the new World Explorer.

Krzysztof Kozdron, Managing Director of S.M.C, said: “Schulte Marine Concept is pleased to enter the expedition cruise newbuilding segment with an innovative vessel such as the World Explorer, which will be the ultimate benchmark for environmental sustainability and luxury cruising in remote areas. We look forward to working in partnership with Mystic Cruises and West Sea shipyard on this prestigious project.”

S.M.C’s extensive experience with highly complex projects in major shipyards, a growing portfolio of passenger ships and its international newbuilding expertise were crucial elements in the group winning the contract with Mystic Cruises.

The World Explorer will be built as a 126-meter long expedition cruise ship with a passenger capacity of 200 and a crew complement of 111.

The vessel will meet the latest Polar Code operating requirements and will be equipped with state-of-the-art hybrid power and propulsion technology, which will enable the ship to cruise in environmentally-sensitive areas.

Construction of MS World Explorer has already started at the West Sea shipyard in Viana do Castello, in northern Portugal. The ship will be delivered toward the end of 2018.