SeaDream cancels innovation build…

Seadream Yacht Club has confirmed it no longer intends to proceed with the construction of SeaDream Innovation, which was to be the first vessel added to its fleet since 2001.

Announced with a fanfare about six months ago (CW 22 Mar), Innovation had been set to debut in Sep 2021, with plans to cruise to all seven continents during its first year of operation.

However, in a statement issued jointly overnight by SeaDream and Damen, the shipyard where the vessel was to have been constructed, the parties acted “in good faith and with mutual understanding decided not to proceed with the building of a new ship for Sea Dream”.

SeaDream’s owner and Chairman Atle Brynestad said the cruise company was now actively pursuing other newbuild opportunities, with hopes of announcing a new ship in 2020.

“The response from our past guests and the market in general has been overwhelming, despite the ship not being scheduled for delivery for almost two years.

“Since the ship will not be delivered, all booked guests will be contacted and issued full refunds in the coming days,” Brynestad said. He said the existing fleet of two ships, SeaDream I and II, continued to perform well, with the company posting record revenue numbers. Current plans for refurbishing the suites on both vessels would proceed as previously announced, starting with SeaDream II in the first half of 2020, Brynestad added.

Project details on the Damen Cruise website indicate that Innovation was to have featured 110 passenger staterooms across 10 decks, with Polar Code 6 credentials, an extensive waste heat recovery system, large battery packs, extensive emissions mitigation systems and a multi-voltage shore power connection.

Construction of Innovation had been set to begin in Oct this year. SeaDream Innovation sailings are still being offered for sale on the SeaDream website.

Source: Cruise Weekly