On Tuesday, June 2, 2020 Brodosplit Shipyard on slipway no. 3 laid the keel for Hull 485, a passenger cruise ship for polar regions, which will bear the name “ Janssonius ”.
This is a passenger vessel for polar expeditions to the Antarctic and the Arctic, and it is contracted with the Oceanwide Expeditions company.
The keel laying ceremony
The keel laying ceremony was attended by Tomislav Debeljak, Brodosplit board chairman, Wijnand van Gessel, Oceanwide Expeditions Founder and Shareholder, also Zvonimir Novak, Assistant to the Minister of Economy and Ruđer Friganović, Director of Croatian Shipbuilding - Jadranbrod and numerous guests, representatives of clients and construction partners.
- After we delivered the first polar cruiser ‘Hondius’ last year, which we built on time and within budget, the buyer expressed his satisfaction in the best possible way - he immediately ordered another ship, exactly the same. Apart from us, the State and HBOR made money on the first ship, and this is a continuation of the successful cooperation between Brodosplit and the Dutch shipowner, which is why I am extremely proud because we proved that we are going in the right direction, said Tomislav Debeljak, Brodosplit board chairman.
The ship will be 108.6 meters long, 17.6 meters wide, and the speed of 15 knots will be provided by two main engines with a total power of 4260 kW. It will be able to accommodate 194 passengers housed in 81 cabins, cared for by 78 crew members.
- We are extremely pleased with the first ship ‘Hondius’, which exceeded our expectations of passengers and crew because it is very economical. If we were not satisfied, we would not be here at all today. I hope that the situation with the corona crisis will pass by the delivery date, which is scheduled for August 2021. I also believe in the long-term cooperation with Brodosplit and the construction of two more new ships, said Wijnand van Gessel, Oceanwide Expeditions Founder and Shareholder.
It will offer its passengers a high hotel standard as well as various categories of cabins, from spacious apartments to two-bedroom and four-bedroom cabins, where they will be provided with a safe and comfortable stay with multiple secured systems that serve them.
The keel laying ceremony
- The most important thing is to respect the construction deadlines, which do not jeopardize the return of guarantees. Such projects prove cost-effective in the shipbuilding sector, for all participants, HBOR, also the State that has received compensation for the issuance of State guarantees, respecting all the rules of the European Commission, said Zvonimir Novak, Assistant to the Minister of Economy.
After last year's delivery of the first polar cruiser 'Hondius', which to the great satisfaction of owners and users completed its first Arctic and Antarctic season, this new ship is a continuation of the successful cooperation between Brodosplit and the Dutch shipowner.
Developing its fleet of ships adapted to icy seas, Oceanwide Expeditions promotes small, flexible tours that provide passengers to close contact with polar wildlife, landscapes, and historical sites.
The polar cruise ship will be built in the "LR PC6" class, which meets the latest requirements of the Lloyd's Register for vessels "Polar Class 6", and will be available to the first passengers for the Arctic season 2021/2022.