On November 23, 2021, Swan Hellenic christened its new ship, SH Minerva, at the Helsinki shipyard. The godmother Johanna Mäkelä, Finland’s first professor of food culture and wife of the mayor of Helsinki, Juhana Vartiainen, was present at the small private ceremony. Mayor Vartiainen was also present, as was Swan Hellenic’s CEO Andrea Zito and Helsinki Shipyard’s CEO Carl-Gustaf Rotkirch with top management.
The celebrations came after a break in the works following supply difficulties in the global supply chain and a recent surge in the number of COVID-19 cases in Finland. This led Swan Hellenic to make the difficult decision to postpone the start of SH Minerva’s first season, preferring to cancel the first two cruises.
At the christening, Jonas Packalén, project manager of the Helsinki shipyard, said: “We are glad that this day has finally come, after the many global challenges that have made our tasks anything but easy. Our special thanks to everyone involved in the project for their tireless efforts and great work!”
Swan Hellenic CEO Andrea Zito added: “I too would like to congratulate everyone in Helsinki for their impeccable work under difficult circumstances and the strict security measures that made SH Minerva a safe environment at all times. The ship was completed only 26 months after the signing of the contract, which is a remarkable achievement.
Press release from Swan Hellenic
