Luxury Expedition - NORWEGIAN YACHT VOYAGES reveals design of the first ship

NORWEGIAN YACHT VOYAGES continues to be an ever-evolving brand, but it is also one that is uniquely including the public in all of its initial designs from phase one through the finished product. Now, it is unveiling its final design for the companies ultra-luxury inaugural vessel - the m/y Caroline, considered by the company to be the "World's First True Hybrid Expedition Mega-Yacht."

by Earl of Cruise

m/y CAROLINE, the first of a series of four new true Mega-Yachts for the luxury expedition branch - courtesy NOWEGIAN YACHT VOYAGES

The company has not even launched its business yet, but has already gone by three different names, which is by no mean sort of a schizophrenic approach. TRAVEL PULSE commented it: "It does not bode well for the fledgling operation’s initial reputation. If the company cannot settle on a name, how can potential guests be expected to identify it?" To me it is a clear statement of what the company is and want.
It may be untraditional, but NORWEGIAN YACHT VOYAGES’ marketing approach has certainly been refreshing.
- First, it was NORWEGIAN CRUISE COMPANY - it may have been to close to the mass market offer NORWEGIAN CRUISE LINE and their established budget branding.
- Then it was NORDIC CRUISE COMPANY - after VIRGIN changed its brand name from "cruise" to "voyages" it does show their difference from the "normal mass market cruise offer".
- Now it is NORWEGIAN YACHT VOYAGES - this is showing within the found brand name a) the tradition of Norwegian seafaring capabilities since the Vikings, b) showing by using "yacht" the targeted clientele group (those who normally would charter a private yacht), c) by using "voyages" in the brand name the new expedition company is clearly defining itself as something upscaled, luxurious, that has nothing to do with the me-too product "cruise".
This explains why the expedition company (despite other wordings a cruise company is not a "line" and especially not NORWEGIAN YACHT VOYAGES), not wouldn´t know what they do, but for which clientele they are looking for. Starting a company and chooaing a name means the name is at first a "working titel".

The word "cruise" is passé and it goes to show that there is an increasing preference for "voyage" instead. 

Same with the vessel´s design shown in its developement. That can be named as a sign for a transparent management and company policy. The yacht´s design was altering nearly in equivalent to the name change ... And now the design is reflecting a true yacht. Only the new ships of SCENIC, CRYSTAL EXPEDITION YACHTS and RITZ CARLTON YACHT CLUB can be described as yachts. This is a USP for the four companies. The other ships are "just" ships in their design approach. A positive new approach is to be seen only in the new XBow design expedition vessels of ULSTEIN. But they do not resemble in any way a yacht.
In a press release, NORWEGIAN YACHT VOYAGES humbly admitted, "We have changed our brand three times and we have evolved our design from something more traditional to something dramatically the world has not seen before. While we are not going to reveal everything yet, we promise to introduce news-breaking innovative solutions and amenities not seen on board any other vessels today. Secrecy and NDAs might work for the well established players, but we strongly believe that by creating a transparent brand, and already at the earliest stages invite our future potential guests and partners to share their thoughts and comments, we are able to create a brand that will offer exactly what the market wants."
Ulf Henrick Wynnsdale, CEO of NORWEGIAN YACHT VOYAGES: "The research we have seen in the market points toward smaller ships. It will be a more adventurous product, and at the same time, the ultra-luxury part of that segment doesn’t have a lot of capacity."
Some may see the bow shape as a recalling of the straight BELLE EPOQUE era, but it is not. The Bow is simply a new design with a new hydrodynamic approach. To be seen in the bulbous that is streching forward like a straight nose. This hydrodynamic technology is originated in the offshore industry. Slowly it is stepping into shipbuilding whith implementations in ferries and/or yachts.
NORWEGIAN YACHT VOYAGES explains the new generation of yachts are "true Hybrid" powered ships. That means the ship will be capable of operating dual fuel generators powered by diesel and LNG (liquefied natural gas).
It’s official: LNG (liquefied natural gas), known as the cleanest burning fossil fuel, is the next big thing in cruise travel. CARNIVAL CORPORATION and ROYAL CARIBBEAN CRUISES Ltd and subsidiaries, now each have new ships powered by the fuel variety on order to make their fleets more environmentally friendly and boost efficiency. Further as LNG is producing more less hot air as exhaust, they don´t need any longer "space eating" and disposal-intensive scrubbers on their sewn-on-edge mass market transporters - instead of wasted scrubber space, more cabins creating needed revenues.
The new mega yachts will also feature battery banks for several hours of power, when sailing in enviromental crucial areas. It is not not peak-shaving over the need for extra energy via diesel at key times like at startup, as well as solar-powered hydrogen fuel cells. The solar cells produce the energy needed to produce hydrogen.

ODIN´s EYE - courtesy NES

Partner for this new approach into known technology, but in combination of technology revolutionairy!, is NORWEGIAN ELECTRIC SYSTEMS (NES). NES as their partner to design the electric DC system onboard NORWEGIAN YACHT VOYAGES´ four ultra-luxury expedition mega-yachts. These mega-yachts will be therefore the first true hybrid vessels entering into the expedition segment and enviromental crucial segment of the cruise industry.
The highly innovate combination of LNG/electric, batteries, solar and wind powered hydrogen fuel cells will enable these vessels to sail in environmentally sensitive areas with minimal emissions and carbon footprint, like no other vessels today.
Together with NORWEGIAN ELECTRIC SYSTEMS´ partners and sister company, NORWEGIAN CONTROL SYSTEMS, they can offer a highly integrated vessel including:
- Motors and generators
- Main and Emergency switchboards
- Quadro Drives
- Hydrogen and fuel cells
- Energy storage
- Solar energy
- Wind turbine/sails
- Aux gas generation
- Shaft generator power for boosting gas electric or conventional use
- Turbo generation for use of steam. With a system that is 100% stabilized
- IAS (Integrated Automation System)
- INS (Integrated Navigation System)
- EMS/PMS (Energy & Power Management)
- Emission reporting & measuring
- Thruster Control System
- DP system
- Route planner
The official requirements regarding the environment and emissions in to the atmosphere are becoming stricter and many ship owners want to make their vessels more sustainable.

The clean-burning fuel source will power them for up to 36 hours before switching over to MGO (marine gas oil). They will even be outfitted with hydrogen fuel cells. The resulting environmentally-friendly vessel can fully run on LNG for several days at a time, due to to limited LNG tank storage capacities, and can’t indefinitely due to the fuel’s limited availability in the ship’s global destinations. This limited infrastructure for LNG in ports of destination is slowing factor of the change for that fuel. In olden times, at the beginning of oil extraction LNG was blown off as an unwished by-product. But in times of clima change, rising air pollution and ending oil resurces it is the cleanest fossil fuel we have! Methan is a risk in itself, as the raw material not frozen is a first class clima killer. Hydrogen can only produced clima neutral with solar cells.

NORWEGIAN YACHT VOYAGES firs design approach - courtesy NORWEGIAN YACHT VOYAGES

Besides of power technology "what is under the hood", the yacht will look even sleeker than it did originally. As can be seen in the comparison of the old (above) and the new design in the header image. It will measure 173.8 meters length, at ~16,500 GT, with a passenger capacity of 220 accommodated in 110 suites of 40sqm min. to 140sqm max. Each suite or big stateroom will be equipped with a private balcony, and some suites/staterooms will be interconnectable for even greater configurations. A total of 160 crew members will cater to guests onboard. Onboard features will include an observation lounge and marina.
As for the interior renderings, the aesthetic definitely skews modern Scandinavian with light natural woods and stark surfaces. At the same time, it still looks warm and inviting with lots of plant life and other greenery among the outdoor pool.

NORWEGIAN YACHT VOYAGES guest suite - a stateroom with bedroom and living room area - courtesy NORWEGIAN YACHT VOYAGES

A forecasting Expedition Cruising's Future

Latest since the beginning of 2017 the expedition cruise boom, within the general boom of cruising, was next up, with several companies already in that sector active set to build new vessels, and newcomers stepping into this market.
The actual expedition market is filled with old and outdated tonnage, and topping it, unadequte vessels - as for security and being not enviromental friendly.

Aurora borealis over Alaska - photo courtesy of Thinkstock

The most daring moves had been done by CRYSTAL and Australia luxury river cruise expert SCENIC. While SCENIC was setting a benchmark for the luxury of expedition cruises. CRYSTAL entered the market, when Eddie Rodriguez was CEO, with their luxurious expedition yachts - having a similar guest number, but being bigger than SCENIC´s ECLIPSE.
Others made newbuild programs for the "mass expedition market", the upper end of mass market with the ULSTEIN vessel design.
HAPAPG LLOYD CRUISES, renamed to sound international, is re-appearing with two newbuilds in the expedition market. Their imaginativeless named HANSEATIC´s are with 140m in the middle of size of the newbuilds, but rather cramped with 240 pax maximum. What was once the benchmark in luxury expedition with the HANSEATIC, ex SOCIETY EXPLORER, has long been overhauled by the competitors. Even with the extensively rebuilt old SILVER EXPLORER of nearly the same age as HANSEATIC.
With that many new expedition ships on the horizon, it will be interesting to see how existing vessels intend to compete. Until now, the expedition cruise market has been predominated by aging ships, more or less luxuriously converted but older vessels nonetheless.
The future order-book certainly indicates a shift towards brand new hardware that will surely eclipse the old formula - at the top end in luxury, and all over in being much more enviromental friendly.
We all are likely witnessing the emergence of a more differentiated expedition market. New ships come online, luxury and premium markets will take off, but second-hand vessels might afford less expensive alternatives for travelers seeking entry-level adventure cruises.
Compared to mega cruise ships, they will probably continue to be costlier because the economy of scale is so radically different. Yet, even some degree of a discount is sure to go a long way in selling more expedition sailings.

But I fear it will open a new threat to the "infinite ice" ... old air polluting vessels, with guests on board that have no clue about the enviroment in polar regions, nor the education to behave with sensivity - we can see it in the flodded Caribbean ...
Remember - there is no human right to cruise.

Let’s take a look at the exterior design a little closer.

From the get-go, the swooping superstructure at the stern to midship has always been in place, but now the lines are far more yacht-like than before as the smokestack is well integrated into the curvature outlined by the rear windows. The stack wonderfully disappears into the design as does the singular satellite sphere on top.

Particularly edgier are the forward elements from the near-vertical bow to the angular windows’ leading edges. Even the UFO-like observation lounge perched on the top deck sits back, nestled closer to the stack, making for a more aerodynamic appearing forecastle - covered by a whaleback? The large diamond-patterned atrium side glass remains.

As a concept drawing, the m/y CAROLINE is a beauty akin to an aquatic sports car.

Can you wait to see how closely the constructed ship comes to realizing every last detail?
Me not!

Luxury goes up-front - NORWEGIAN YACHT VOYAGES

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