Mystic Cruises, part of the Mystic Invest Holding, has announced an order of four new expedition cruise vessels with Westsea, in addition to the two presently under construction and increasing its shipbuilding investment to 500 million euros, according to a press release.
The four new 200-guest ships will sail for Atlas Ocean Voyages, Mystic’s U.S. brand. They will carry the names World Traveller, World Seeker, World Adventurer and World Discoverer.
They are sisters to the World Explorer, which launched for Mystic-owned Nicko Cruises last summer and is currently on charter to Quark Expeditions. In addition, the company has two expedition ships currently under construction at Westsea, the World Voyager and the World Navigator, set to be launched in 2020 and 2021 respectively.
With the announcement of these new four ships, Mystic Cruises is looking to strengthen its position in the operation of small expedition cruise ships, according to a statement from the company.
“These are exciting times for us,” said Mário Ferreira, Mystic Invest CEO. “With the launch of the World Explorer in 2019 we took a firm step to establish ourselves as a key player in the expedition cruise market, bringing to it our 25 years of expertise in small ship luxury and intimate onboard services, complemented with authentic shore excursions.
With the announcement of these four new ships, investment secured with local Portuguese bank financing, Mystic brings its investment in shipbuilding to excess of 500 million euros through 2023, reconfirming the company’s intention to quickly become one of the largest players in the small expedition ship cruise world that represents only 1 percent of the cruise industry.
All seven ships will be polar capable and offer unique experiences in remote landscapes, while actively reducing the environmental footprint of its activities, the company said.
“A significant part of the investment we’re making goes to equip our ships with the latest eco-friendly technologies available in the market, including pioneering new solutions to reduce the environmental impacts; all the ships will have Green Ship Certificates,” said Ferreira.
