Russia's United Shipbuilding Corporation (USC) has unveiled concept images of a new type of expedition cruise ship capable of operation in the Arctic.
The vessel will have an ice-reinforced hull, a length of 163 metres, a beam of 23.5 metres, and space for 292 guests and 192 crewmembers. The dual-fuel propulsion will permit operation on either LNG or low-sulphur diesel and will deliver a top speed of 17 knots and a range of 10,000 nautical miles.
Facilities will include cabins with balconies, a conference room, restaurants, a bar, a library, an observation lounge, a spa, indoor and outdoor pools, a fitness centre, and a medical bay. A helicopter pad will also be fitted.
Space will be available for tenders, kayaks, and folding pontoon jetties to permit disembarkation an unprepared remote shores.
The cruise ship can also be used for spring and summer navigation along the coasts of Norway, Iceland, and Greenland, while the reinforced hull will permit navigation in first year ice of up to 1.3 metres thick during the Arctic summer and autumn and 1.1 metres thick between winter and spring.
USC said one possible route for the vessel will be via the Northern Sea Route from Murmansk to either Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky on Russia's east coast or Anchorage, Alaska.