Swan Hellenic’s second ice-class ship is preparing to embark on its maiden cruise after an official naming ceremony in Finland.
The 152-passenger SH Vega was due to head to Norway in advance of its first Arctic voyage from Tromso on July 20.
The 11-day sailing follows a shipyard naming in Helsinki for the vessel, which features a five-megawatt diesel-electric propulsion system.
Preparations have been also made to implement battery technology which would also make it possible for SH Vega and sister ship SH Minerva to operate silently.
They have both been designed to meet the latest environmental regulations and be completely self-sufficient for up to 40 days or 8,000 nautical miles.
A third, slightly larger ship – SH Diana – will join the fleet early next year and is already under construction at Helsinki Shipyard.
SH Vega’s maiden season covers Svalbard, Iceland, Greenland and northern Canada.
The vessel will then sail down the US east coast over 12 days, taking in New York, Norfolk, Charleston and Miami.
A range of 11 to 21-day cultural expedition cruises of Antarctica follow between November until March 2023, when the ship sails up the west coast of Africa to the Canary Islands and western Europe.
Britain and Ireland will feature on the way to a second Arctic season. This will end with a crossing from Greenland to Nova Scotia, followed by the Caribbean and then Brazil in October 2023.
Swan Hellenic chief executive Andrea Zito said: “I would like to congratulate everyone at Helsinki for their superb work in creating this wonderful new ship.
“We are delighted with the quality of their work, creating another unique presence on the waves, and very much look forward to taking her first guests to see what others don’t, exploring the Arctic in exceptional comfort and style.”