SH engages V.Ships Leisure & Oceanic

SWAN HELLENIC: PRESS-RELEASE (27th May 2021)

Swan Hellenic engages V.Ships Leisure & Oceanic to ensure exceptional on-board service

Nicosia, Cyprus: Today, Thursday the 27th of May,

Swan Hellenic announced that V.Ships Leisure, together with sister brand Oceanic, have been awarded the ship and hotel management of its three forthcoming cultural expedition cruise ships. Swan Hellenic’s historic project to revive the iconic brand has been supported by V.Ships Leisure from the outset with their team already on site at Helsinki Shipyard, supervising the construction of Swan Hellenic’s fleet to ensure its rigorous standards are implemented throughout each vessel.

This extension of the services brings Swan Hellenic access to seafarers of the highest calibre across the globe. With impressive, tailored training capabilities for hospitality staff and technical crew alike, V.Ships Leisure and Oceanic will support the development of Swan Hellenic’s on-board teams to ensure guests’ safety and satisfaction during their voyages. Moreover, Swan Hellenic can now benefit from the Oceanic Hospitality Training Centre to perfect the service and hospitality experience on board prior to completion of its ships, utilising the Centre’s mock galley, restaurant, bar and suite. V.Ships Leisure’s bridge and engine simulators will likewise be used to train the marine and technical crew in line with Swan Hellenic’s commitment to always providing a safe environment of the highest standard for guests. This comprehensive training will be supplemented by V.Ships Leisure’s eLearning platform, which promotes continued learning and development at each seafarer’s own pace.

Announcing the partnership, Swan Hellenic’s CEO Andrea Zito commented:

Andrea Zito,
Swan Hellenic’s CEO

“V.Ships Leisure and Oceanic were the obvious choice for Swan Hellenic with their proven start-up experience, including in the expedition and luxury sectors.
We are excited to be working closely with their team and are confident that together we will deliver an outstanding guest experience on our amazing ships.”

Per Bjornsen,
V.Ships Leisure’s CEO, added:

“We are grateful for the trust placed in us by Swan Hellenic and thrilled to be involved in the revival of such an extraordinary brand. Our teams are working in close partnership across the comprehensive range of services agreed, from newbuilding supervision through to the fine details of high-level hospitality provision and everything in between.
Swan Hellenic’s investment to ensure it benefits from best-in-class seafarers, crew training and resilient operational support demonstrates its unwavering commitment to providing an outstanding guest experience in a safe environment.”

About Swan Hellenic

Swan Hellenic was relaunched in July 2020 to proudly continue the spirit of cultural expedition cruising the company pioneered in the 1950s. Building on its British roots, the new company has a global cultural cruising outlook dedicated to providing guests with the opportunity to ‘see what others don’t’.

Two new 5-star polar PC 5 ice-class expedition cruise ships arriving in November 2021 and April 2022 will each accommodate 152 guests in 76 spacious staterooms and suites, the majority with large balconies. A larger PC 6 ice-class vessel accommodating 192 guests in 96 staterooms and suites in the same distinctive comfort and style as its sister ships will be arriving year-end 2022. All three new ships are being built in full compliance with SOLAS Safe Return to Port requirements.

Dedicated to guests with a passion for adventure and cultural exploration, the company’s meticulously planned itineraries explore the wild landscapes, wildlife, peoples and unique cultures of the world’s less travelled regions.

Its ships feature elegant Scandi-design interiors, extensive outdoor spaces and dedicated expedition facilities. The crew includes an expedition team comprising expert guides, speakers and lecturers, and numbering 120 and 140 respectively almost equals the number of guests, reflecting the high levels of attentive personal service provided.

Headquartered in Cyprus with offices in London, Dusseldorf and Monaco, together with a branch office in Hong Kong (serving mainland China, Taiwan and South-East Asia), as well as partnerships serving India, Japan and Australia-New Zealand, Scandinavia and Iceland, Swan Hellenic supports the travel trade with specialist local partners to provide customers with expert personal service worldwide.