world traveller company

Review: World Traveller

What is the line? Atlas Ocean Voyages

Name of ship? World Traveller

Passenger occupancy? 196

Itinerary? Antarctica

Start out with the big picture—what is this cruise line known for?

Having launched in 2021, Atlas Ocean Voyages is still building its identity and its audience. While its initial plan was to challenge the likes of Crystal, Silversea, and Seabourn in terms of ultra-luxury, the cruise line has pared down to a more relaxed luxury experience—one that includes expedition travel to remote polar destinations and relaxing voyages to traditional cruising ports. All cruises are all-inclusive, from alcoholic beverages to excursions to gratuities.

Tell us about the ship in general

Making its debut in November 2022, World Traveller is the second ship in Atlas Ocean Voyages' growing fleet, and I sailed on her inaugural voyage to Antarctica. She's a small expedition vessel with a maximum passenger count of 196, though the count is scaled back in the polar regions for a more exclusive experience. But World Traveller is not a rugged research vessel from days of yore—from an interior design perspective, the ship takes a classic yacht-like style, from wood-paneled walls to nautical stripes. Atlas brands the ship's inspiration as la dolce vita , but I certainly felt a sense of New England in there, too. Of course, this is still a cruise ship, and that means cruise amenities like an al fresco pool and hot tubs, as well as a spa (L'Occitane branded). Overall, the atmosphere was more casual than I anticipated, though the service and amenities put the ship in the luxury category.

Who is onboard?

Because Atlas is a new cruise line, it doesn't yet have a deeply established audience. My sailing on World Traveller had quite the mixed crowd: young groups of friends, solo travelers of all ages, older couples, and even families, though there were no young children. Despite the cruise line being just a year old, there was one couple onboard that had already taken two other Atlas sailings—Atlas certainly seems to be doing something right.

Describe the cabins

I stayed in a Veranda Stateroom, the third-tier category overall and the first with a balcony. At 270 square feet, the cabin is cozy for two, but that's not uncommon in standard cabins on expedition ships. I did appreciate the separation of the sleeping area and a small living area with a desk and two side chairs. While I found storage space to be lacking overall, the bathroom was quite spacious, and its standout feature was the shower with its rain head and body jets, plus the L'Occitane products. As you move up the categories, you end up at multi-room suites with butler service. One unusual critique is that I found the bedding to be so satiny that I felt as if I were slipping around the bed as we rolled back and forth on the Drake Passage!

Tell us about the crew

Despite my sailing being the inaugural Antarctica voyage—there were just two short preview sailings beforehand—I found the crew to be a well-oiled machine, and very friendly to boot. The expedition staff comprised a combination of Antarctic veterans and novices, the latter with guiding and naturalist expertise in other parts of the world. Even those without Antarctic experience were well-educated on the continent, from its wildlife to its environment to its geopolitical history.

What food and drink options are available on board?

All meals are served in the Lisboa restaurant, with buffet breakfasts (with some menu options), buffet lunches, and a combination of à la carte and buffet dinners, each night with a different international theme. Ever-changing hot stations at lunch and dinner buffets included stir fry, pasta, and carving stations. Most memorable to me was Thanksgiving dinner, served as a buffet with all the classic menu items, from carved turkey to cranberry sauce to mashed potatoes. There's also 24-hour room service, as well as an early morning–to-dinner grab-and-go café that serves light fare, including yogurt pots, homemade granola bars, salads, and paninis, as well as pressed juices and coffee drinks—this is especially welcome when you're craving a light snack between meal times, particularly after long excursions. And finally, there's always an afternoon tea with a full range of finger sandwiches and sweets.

As for the bars, the multi-page cocktail menu found at both the Dome observation lounge and the main Atlas Lounge is robust for a small expedition ship—my favorite drink was the Americano in Bologna, made from Campari, sweet vermouth, amarena syrup, and soda water. The wine selection was largely Portuguese on my sailing, and I would've appreciated a bit more variety—such as wines from Argentina, where we embarked. Perhaps because this was an inaugural sailing and the ship had sailed to Argentina from Portugal (Atlas' parent company, Mystic Cruises, has a Portuguese owner), there wasn't yet time for a new delivery of local wines.

Is there a spa on board and is it worth visiting?

The L'Occitane-branded spa is small, with just two treatment rooms, a sauna, and a lounge, but the services are excellent. After a stellar first massage, I booked a second.

Activities and entertainment

As with many expedition cruises, the activities on World Traveller largely revolve around the expedition staff's lectures, which I found extremely engaging on my voyage. But Atlas changes things up with evening entertainment, alternating between documentaries (including one made by our expedition leader, Jonathan Zaccaria, of his time at the French Antarctic station Dumont d'Urville) and musical performances by cruise director Michael Shapiro, special guest Asijah Pickett, and the ship's pianist and opera singer Chase Chandler.

How was the experience for families?

There were no children on my sailing, but Atlas did not advertise any kid-friendly programming in pre-voyage materials or onboard. The cruise line set its minimum age to eight years old on polar cruises, but given the sometimes dangerous conditions in Antarctica, I'd personally suggest bringing older children only.

Where did it sail and how were the excursions? Did anything stand out?

World Traveller really is a world traveler, splitting her time between the polar regions and warmer destinations, such as the Mediterranean. I sailed to Antarctica on a nine-night sailing—a bit shorter of a voyage than is typical for Antarctica, though World Traveller also does longer trips. Excursions are typical for Antarctica with landings, Zodiac cruises, water sports, and the polar plunge, and I felt that the expedition staff handled them expertly. We typically got off the ship in two locations per day when the weather allowed, though some bad conditions had us forgo landings in favor of Zodiac cruises. In classic expedition style, the itinerary is not published in advance, as everything depends on local conditions, which can change every few minutes. Instead, guests are briefed each evening—cocktails in hand—with the intended plan for the next day. Of course, those plans can change at any time, so flexibility is essential.

Finally, give a sentence or two on why the cruise is worth booking.

This yacht-inspired ship is a balanced blend of expedition and traditional cruising. Keep an eye out for sales as the new cruise line casts a wide net to develop its audience.

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World Traveller

Cruise line Atlas Ocean Voyages

Ushuaia (Argentina)

World Traveller current position

World Traveller current location is at West Africa (coordinates 20.93585 N / -19.50112 W) cruising at speed of 14.8 kn (27 km/h | 17 mph) en route to ES LPA > CV RAI. The AIS position was reported 7 minutes ago.

Specifications of World Traveller

Review
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World Traveller Review

Review of world traveller.

The 2022-built MS World Traveller cruise ship is a newbuild passenger vessel designed for operations in the polar regions (Arctic and Antarctica). The vessel is owned by Mystic Invest Holding (via the subsidiary Mystic Cruises USA ) and operated under charter by AOV-Atlas Ocean Voyages (USA-based travel company/brand owned by Mystic Invest).

The ship World Traveller is the 4th vessel in an initially planned 10-ship fleet of Mystic Cruises, grouping the sisterships World Explorer (2019), World Voyager (2021), World Navigator (2021), World Traveller (2022), World Discoverer (2023), World Adventurer (2024), Star Seeker (2025).

The shipbuilder is WestSEA (naval shipyard in Viana do Castelo, Portugal ).

The vessel (IMO number 9904807) is currently Portugal- flagged (MMSI 255806210) and registered in Madeira/Funchal .

Ship history and ownership

The vessel is owned by the Portugal-based company Mystic Cruises and seasonally chartered by Atlas Ocean Voyages (for polar cruises) and also by European river cruise operators including Nicko Tours (for the rest of the season). The ship charterer Atlas Ocean Voyages (2019-established) is a polar travel company specializing in expedition cruises to Antarctica using vessels with ice-strengthened hulls. AOV's first charter boat was World Navigator.

Atlas Ocean Voyages is managed by Alberto Aliberti (President) and Brandon Townsley (VP of Sales and Trade Partnerships), plus two Sales Managers - Alyssa Logan (North America West) and Richard Sims (North America East, former Sales Manager of NCL-Norwegian , Holland America and Seabourn ).

Mystic Cruises is a new brand owned by the Portuguese entrepreneur Mario Ferreira - president of Mystic Invest SGPS (group of companies) and best known as CEO of the Portuguese river cruise company Douro Azul, operating on Douro River roundtrips from Oporto . Mario Ferreira is also famous for being Portugal's first space tourist (traveling on Virgin Galactic's Spaceship One / owned by Richard Branson).

The shipowner Mystic Invest is a Portuguese family-owned financial holding that fully owns several brands specializing in the travel and tourism businesses (cruises, tours, hotels) and real estate. The list of brands (subsidiaries) owned by the parent company Mystic Invest includes DouroAzul (Portugal), Mystic Cruises (USA), Nicko Cruises (Germany), Priority Dolphin (shipbuilding), Mystic Tua (Portugal), Mystic Adventure (tour agency in Barca d'Alva ), World of Discoveries (theme park in Porto Portugal), Helitours (Porto and Douro Valley), BlueBus (Porto), hotels and resorts (Hotel do Cais, Monumental Palace Hotel, Douro Marina Hotel, Wine Lodge Hotel), Caminho das Estrelas (suborbital and Zero-G flights), Mystic Real Estate.

Decks and Cabins

World Traveller staterooms (98 total) are all in Suite categories and with step-out balconies, providing max passenger capacity 200 (max 140 on polar cruises). The boat has 8 decks , of which 6 are passenger-accessible and 3 with cabins.

Each of the staterooms offers as standard (complimentary / price-inclusive) amenities

en-suite bathroom (shower, WC, washbasin, hairdryer, plush bathrobes and slippers, premium bath products)
separate bedroom (Queen-size double bed convertible to 2 twins / single beds, bedside cabinets, bedside USB charging ports, wall-mounted lamps)
mirrored vanity table/writing desk with armchair, lounge area (2-seater sofabed, coffee table with chairs), Horizon and Veranda cabins additionally have a plush loveseat
smart HDTV (infotainment system, Internet, on-demand movies, Bluetooth connectivity), large wardrobe, electronic safe box (in the closet), minibar (fully-stocked refrigerator)
individual air-conditioning, LED lighting
daily turndown service
Still and sparkling bottled water is provided complimentary and replenished twice daily.

Towels (excluding those on the rack) and bedsheets are changed every 3rd day (depending on cruise itinerary length). Shipboard laundry and ironing services are available at extra cost. Laundry bags are provided in the cabins and collected each morning.

Each cabin is equipped with orange-colored lifejackets, which are used in cases of emergencies and during lifeboat drills. The ship's electrical supply is 220 V (50 Hz). The electrical outlets (found in all cabins and throughout the ship) are standard European 2-pin plugs. A total of 5 USB ports (per cabin) are for digital devices (cameras, smartphones, tablets, etc). Each cabin is also fitted with a total of 5 power outlets (110V / 220V).

Most cabins (~90%) are with private step-out balconies, excep only the aft-located (decks 5-6) "French Balcony" cabins, which are with a sliding window opening to a railing (Juliet balcony). Cabin balconies are furnished with 1 low table and 2 deckchairs.

MS World Traveller has 7 cabin categories ranging in sizes from 185 ft2 (17 m2, Adventure Stateroom) to 465 ft (43 m2, Owner/Navigator Suite). French Balcony cabins (Horizon/Infinity Stateroom) are sized 270 ft2 (25 m2) and feature a floor-ceiling glass wall with a slide-opening window (upper panel). Balcony cabins (Veranda Stateroom) are same-sized (25 m2) but with a step-out balcony.

All 12x Adventure-type (Porthole) cabins are located on Deck 3 and each has a large non-opening window.

The boat's all 10 suites (top-tier cabins) are in categories Journey Suite (380 ft2 / 35 m2), Discovery Suite (445 ft2 / 41 m2) and Navigator Suite (465 ft2 / 43 m2), plus four Junior Suites (300 ft2 / 28 m2). All suites are 2-Room (1-Bedroom) and with step-out balconies (sized 110 ft2 / 10 m2) furnished with 2 sun loungers, 2 teak deckchairs and 1 low table. Each suite has 2 closets and 2 large HDTVs (wall-mounted in the bedroom/living room). Junior Suites are triple-occupancy cabins in 2 different configurations - with either outdoor or French Balcony.

Cabin bathrooms are with spa showers (rain shower head, handheld showerhead, 4 adjustable body jets), L'Occitane bath products (shampoo, conditioner, body wash, handwash, hand lotion). Navigator Suites and Discovery Suites bathrooms are with double basin vanity (his-and-hers sinks) and separate WC. Navigator Suites bathrooms are with bathtub.

Shipboard facilities and activities

The ship offers plenty of public areas, including Observation Lounge (glass-domed, with surrounding outdoor terrace), Navigator Lounge (multi-purpose and full-bar venue with floor-ceiling windows and comfortable seating), Library (reading lounge), Lecture Theater (24-hour open Auditorium serving cruise company's enrichment program with daily scheduled activities, including port talks, discussions, media presentations), aft-located Dining Room Restaurant (with floor-ceiling windows and an outdoor terrace for alfresco dining/weather permitting).

Navigator Lounge doubles as a multi-purpose room hosting special events (anniversaries, birthdays, group and private meetings, etc). Fresh-baked cookies and pastries are offered in the afternoons. Hot and cold snacks are available during the evening cocktail hour (activities permitting) and special occasion events. Lounge's Bar is staffed by a professional bartender serving a selection of liquors, spirits, premium beers, wines and champagnes (by the glass). Complimentary beverages include soft drinks, juices, water, coffee, tea.

Polar Library is well stocked with books and popular board games. The Library is open 24 hours. Its collection includes books in various languages and themed on wildlife, history, marine biology, geology, ecology, also field guides, picture- and reference books.

Polar Boutique is a gift shop selling travel essentials and souvenirs, as well as a selection of expedition gear (clothing, waterproof pants, gloves, hats). The shop's opening hours are based on the daily scheduled cruise activities.

In the Lobby area is the Reception (Guest Services Desk) served by dedicated staff that assists passengers with information, purchasing PIN cards (Internet / email access, phone cards), arranging wake-up calls. The Reception also doubles as Cashier's Office for setting shipboard accounts and making payments of these accounts towards the end of the cruise. Also on Lobby Deck are the ship's two entrance areas (portside and starboard) used for passenger embarkation/disembarkation in ports of call where pier/quay/wharf is available for docking.

Wellness facilities include an outdoor jogging track (on top-deck), small gym, Sauna Room, Spa (room for massages/SeaSpa by L'OCCITANE treatments, showers, changing / locker rooms), Hairdresser. On Sun Deck is the outdoor heated swimming pool surrounded by a sunbathing area with loungers. The pool has a kids (shallow) area separated from the deeper saltwater plunge pool. The ship doesn't provide lifeguards on duty.

On top-deck (aft) is a Helideck - helipad used in cases of emergencies.

As complimentary shoreside activities are offered camping, seakayaking, stand-up paddleboarding, Zodiac boat tours.

AOV-Atlas Ocean Voyages deals are inclusive of complimentary roundtrip flights (from/to major airports in Canada and the USA) included in the ticket prices for all cabin categories and on all cruise itineraries. Price-included are also the prepaid gratuities, gourmet dining, drinks (alcoholic and non-alcoholic), Wi-Fi, premium brand cabin bath products (by L'Occitane en Provence), 1x shore excursion (per itinerary), in-cabin use binoculars, dedicated butler service (Suites only), medevac (emergency medical evacuation insurance) and return-to-home insurance. AOV's cruise insurance policy covers medevac transportation (from the ship to a local treatment center) plus return transportation (back home or a medical facility close to home).

Itineraries

On August 25, 2021, AOV announced World Traveller's inaugural season. Starting with the Maiden Voyage on July 15, 2022 (from Lisbon Portugal ), the season's schedule had listed total 11x voyages. Itineraries range from 6- to- 12-night, with signature destinations in Europe's Mediterranean Sea - including the Adriatic/Dalmatian Coast and Greece's Ionian and Aegean islands.

The 9-night "Inaugural Cruise" itinerary (from Lisbon to Palma de Mallorca ) visits Portimao Portugal , Gibraltar UK , Cadiz-Seville , Puerto Banus-Marbella , Malaga , Balearic Spain ( Formentera Island , Ibiza Island ).
(July 24) 7-night from Palma de Mallorca to Villefranche-Nice France
(July 31) 9-night from Nice to Civitavecchia-Rome has overnights in Monte Carlo Monaco and Civitavecchia.
(August 9) 10-night from Civitavecchia to Piraeus-Athens visits ports along Italy's Amalfi Coast (overnight in Positano ), Sicily Island, Greece.
(September 7) 11-night from Piraeus to Valletta Malta visits Greek Islands and Sicily.
(September 18) 9-night from Valletta to Malaga visits the Balearic Islands, Sardinia Island, Tunisia ( La Goulette-Tunis City ).
Two Greece and Adriatic/Dalmatian Coast itineraries offer alternate departures (from Piraeus and Venice ), transit Corinth Canal , visit Montenegro ( Kotor ) and Croatia ( Dubrovnik , Hvar ). The 10-night northbound (August 19) offers an overnight in Hvar and visits in Greece Itea-Delphi , Katakolon-Olympia , Kerkyra/Corfu Island , Albania ( Sarande ) and Croatia ( Korcula ). The 9-night southbound (August 29) visits Croatia ( Rovinj ) and Greece ( Gaios/Paxos Island ).
(September 27) 7-night from Malaga to Lisbon visits Gibraltar, Ceuta (Spanish Morocco) , Tangier (Morocco) .
(October 5) 6-night from Lisbon to Tenerife Canaries visits Madeira Island ( Funchal ) and the Canary Islands.

The European season had to end with the Transatlantic crossing (RepositionCruises.com) from Tenerife to Brazil ( Rio de Janeiro ) visiting Praia/Santiago Island (Cape Verde) and Salvador da Bahia (Brazil). However, due to construction delays, the boat was delivered on October 7, and the Maiden Voyage was rescheduled for November 21, 2022 (out of Ushuaia).

For winter 2022-2023 (November thru March), World Traveller was deployed in Antarctica (inaugural season based on 13- to 20-night roundtrips from homeport Ushuaia Argentina ). As a promo offer, all bookings made by September 30, 2021, received 10% discount. An additional 10% savings (to 20% total) were offered to all full-paid bookings made by October 7, 2021.

AOV World Traveller's 2023 (summer and autumn) program included voyages in the Caribbean, Central and South America, Africa, Europe (Canary Islands, Mediterranean, UK-British Isles, Norwegian Fjords, Arctic Norway/Svalbard, Iceland and Greenland).

Two 10-night Canary Islands voyages also visit Morocco (both are with Casablanca overnight stays). For August 2023 are scheduled 3x European Arctic cruises in the Svalbard Archipelago , followed by an "Iceland Circumnavigation Voyage", and relocation to the Mediterranean via the UK (British Isles, Ireland), France, Iberia (Spain and Portugal).

AOV World Traveller's Antarctica 2023-2024 season (November through March) had scheduled 13-16-20-night roundtrips from Ushuaia to the Antarctic Peninsula, South Shetland Islands , Diego Ramirez Islands Chile, the UK's Falkland Islands and South Georgia & South Sandwich Islands . Most itineraries are via the scenic Lemaire Channel, separating Booth Island from Graham Land's Kyiv Peninsula.

Photos of World Traveller

World Traveller ship related cruise news

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World Traveller's passengers met with cries of disapproval at Douarnenez port (Brittany, France)

On Sunday, October 8th, in Brittany France, the passengers of the World Traveller cruise ship disembarked to a gathering of approximately 80...

Magellan Explorer started 2023-2024 cruise season in Ushuaia Argentina

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Godmother announced for Atlas Ocean Voyages/AOV's newest ship World Voyager

AOV-Atlas Ocean Voyages has chosen explorer Preet Chandi as the godmother for its upcoming vessel, World Voyager, scheduled to commence service in...

AOV-Atlas Ocean Voyages adds Starlink High-Speed Internet

AOV-Atlas Ocean Voyages has improved its onboard internet connectivity by partnering with Starlink, a high-speed Wi-Fi service provider for maritime...

AOV-Atlas Ocean Voyages open bookings for 18 cruises on World Voyager ship

AOV-Atlas Ocean Voyages, a leading provider of superyacht-style expedition cruises, has opened reservations for 18 expeditions on their 3rd vessel...

Atlas Ocean Voyages hosts dual naming ceremony for World Navigator and World Traveller ships

AOV-Atlas Ocean Voyages celebrated a milestone weekend with the christening ceremonies for its new sisterships World Navigator and World...

Atlas Ocean Voyages unveils dual naming ceremony for World Navigator and World Traveller ships

Karen Lundgren (adventurer) and Theresa Scalzitti (and chief sales officer for Florida-based Cruise Planners) will serve as godmothers at a Dual...

Atlas Ocean Voyages takes delivery of 200-passenger expedition ship World Traveller

AOV-Atlas Ocean Voyages announced that it had taken delivery of the 200-passenger expedition ship World Traveller, which is due to be officially...

Atlas Ocean Voyages launches 3 new Western European cruises aboard World Navigator

AOV-Atlas Ocean Voyages (subsidiary and travel brand owned by Mystic Cruises USA) announced 3 new Western European cruises aboard World Navigator...

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Other Atlas Ocean Voyages cruise ships

World Adventurer
World Discoverer
World Navigator
World Voyager

World Traveller Wiki

All Mystic Invest newbuilds as investments were backed by ICBC Leasing - part of ICBC Ltd (Chinese multinational bank, ranked world's largest by assets, deposits, loans, customers and employees). The shipbuilding financing was supported by Portuguese banks (during construction) and ICBCL Leasing funding (following delivery) through sale and charter-back of the vessel, with an obligation to repurchase it on maturity. Mystic Invest intends to build a 10-ship fleet of the same design.

In August 2017 were completed design's tank tests. The testing water tank and ship model were conducted by the Wageningen-based MARIN (Maritime Research Institute Netherlands).

In 2018 (February 20 through March 1), Nicko Tours scheduled a total of 10 road shows in Germany to promote company's new "ocean cruising" business. Each of the shows started with a casual get-together and buffet with finger food, followed by presentation of the vessel and its Nicko cruise itineraries. Then travel agents enjoyed full meals and gourmet desserts.

The vessel's physical construction started with the keel-laying ceremony (at WestSea Viana Shipyard ) held on October 5, 2020. On the same day was launched/floated out from drydock the sistership World Navigator (2021-built).

World Traveller was officially delivered to AOV-Atlas Ocean Voyages on October 7, 2022, at WestSea Viana. The delivery ceremony was attended by James Rodriguez (AOV's President and CEO). Following the Transatlantic repositioning crossing from Portugal to Ushuaia Argentina (RepositionCruises.com), passenger shipping operations started on November 21, 2022 (Maiden Voyage), with roundtrips from homeport Ushuaia to Antarctica .

AOV scheduled a dual naming ceremony (held on Nov 20, 2022, at Pia Glacier/Beagle Channel) during which were officially christened World Traveller (by Theresa Scalzitti) and the sistership World Navigator (by Karen Lundgren). Theresa Scalzitti is the CSO/Chief Sales Officer of Cruise Planners (privately owned travel agency franchise network headquartered in Coral Springs, Florida USA).

World Traveller ship technology

The ship's design is based on a Rolls-Royce expedition vessel platform developed by Giuseppe Tringali (Italian naval architect). It features an ice-strengthened hull (ice class 1B), top-notch automation and control system, modern propulsion (based on electrical pods / azimuthing thrusters), dynamic positioning system (using GPS data to accurately maintain ship's position without anchoring), advanced water treatment system, hybrid powerplant (diesel-electric) with efficient marine engines (two Rolls-Royce engines running on ULSD / ultra-low-sulfur diesel).

The Rolls-Royce powerplant costs GBP 7 million (EUR 7,75 million / USD 8,9 million) and includes two main engines (Bergen C25-33L8P) and one auxiliary dual-fuel genset (Bergen C25-33L6P). The engines are connected to ship's electric power system (Rolls-Royce SAVe CUBE) allowing them to operate efficiently at variable speeds. Rolls-Royce Promas propulsion is an integrated propeller-rudder system to optimize hydrodynamic efficiency. Promas includes two controllable pitch propellers integrated with two flap rudders, steering gears and tunnel thrusters.

World Traveller is a cruise vessel with hydrojet propulsion (technology initially developed for military vessels). The ship is fitted with two SPJ Pump Jets by SCHOTTEL (model SPJ 82, total power output 670 kW) allowing silent navigation at 5 knots speed (9 kph). This is an alternative propulsion system as the hydrojets are used only in destinations with specific marine life. Both hydrojets pump water to propel the ship and similarly to the in-hull mounted Azipods (underwater azimuthing thrusters) can rotate 360 degrees. They also allow dynamic positioning (via GPS) to stabilize / fix the vessel without using propellers or anchors.

Vessel's draft is only 15 ft (4,7 m) allowing access to remote islands and unique coastal destinations. The ship has all 2 lifeboats (full-capacity) which are fully enclosed. Ship-to-shore communications are via Inmarsat Capsat Fleet 77 (satellite phone and Internet). Landings (passenger transportation) and coastal exploration voyages are served by ship's own fleet of ten Zodiacs (motorized boats stored aft on Deck 7) and 2 loading stations.

The shipbuilder WestSEA ( Viana do Castelo, Portugal ) is owned by Martifer Group via the subsidiary Martifer SGPS. This is a family-owned holding company founded in 1990 (by the brothers Carlos and Jorge Martins), headquartered in Oliveira de Frades (Portugal) and Euronext Lisbon (stock exchange) listed since 2007. Martifer Group has over 3000 employees and specializes in metal construction and (since 2004) in renewable energy (wind and solar energy equipment production). Martifer Group is one of Europe's largest metal construction companies, with subsidiaries in Spain, Poland, Romania, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Germany, Brazil and Angola.