By
Rebecca Gibson |
Netherlands-based Shipyard de Hoop has cut the steel for Celebrity Cruises’ new Galapagos-bound ship Celebrity Flora, which will debut in May 2019.
The vessel will be constructed at the yard’s Lobith facilities, with the keel laying ceremony planned for later this year.
De Hoop’s management are convinced that a decade of participating in smaller seagoing cruise vessel projects, with the associated design development and investment in knowledge, has now paid off. De Hoop’s CEO, Patrick Janssens, states quite firmly that this was - and still is - the ideal basis for entering the growing market of expedition cruise vessels; their designers were fully prepared when the Celebrity Cruises challenge arose. Furthermore, with many Dutch suppliers and subcontractors on the client-approved ‘makerslist’, this project is a great opportunity for the Dutch shipbuilding industry as a whole.
Designed to accommodate 100 passengers and 80 crew members, Celebrity Flora will feature 50 suites divided over two decks, all with spacious bathrooms, outward-facing layouts and integrated balconies. Accommodation options include one Ultimate Sky Suite, two Royal Suites, seven Premium Sky Suites, sixteen Sky Suites or twenty-two Sky Suites with verandas. The two Penthouse Suites will be the largest in the Galapagos, offering separate indoor and outdoor living areas, customisable lighting and shades and a telescope for wildlife spotting or stargazing.
Public areas will include the Sunset Lounge, Seaside Restaurant, Ocean Grill, the glass-fronted Observatory, the Darwin’s Cove and Naturalist Center tourist offices, the Discovery Lounge, the Stargazing Platform and The Vista, an open-air hideaway with 360-degree views, cocoon-style loungers and private cabanas. The ship will also have a marina, where with ridged inflatable boats for excursions.
Celebrity Flora will be the first vessel to be built according two-compartment damage stability regulations and will also comply with the damage stability requirements that will be implemented in 2020. She also meets specific Galapagos National Park Directorate Regulations.
To achieve a high level of redundancy and meet class requirements, Shipyard de Hoop will house the ship’s power and propulsion plant in two separate engine rooms. The ship’s advanced propulsion system, diesel engines and hull configuration will reduce hull resistance by an average of 25% fuel consumption by 15% and reduce air emissions. Meanwhile, the ship features a straight, wave-piercing stem with an integrated bulb at the waterline to minimise wave resistance when she’s moving.
This will make Celebrity Flora one of the most energy-efficient ships in her class.
Celebrity Flora is expected to be stationary in a bay or near one of the islands for 66% of her operations, so Shipyard de Hoop has combined a dynamic positioning (DP) system with a zero-speed stabiliser system. The DP system will choose a heading to minimise the roll and heave motions on the vessel, significantly improving passenger comfort.
To further reduce the environmental footprint, the vessel has an enhanced sewage system, an improved HVAC system leading to 50% less energy consumption, and energy-efficient low-emissive glazing to boost thermal insulation.
Shipyard De Hoop has included floating floors, flexibly mounted equipment and anti-vibration panels in walls and ceilings to decrease onboard noise and vibrations.