Wärtsilä will work with yacht designer Stefano Pastrovich on the design of innovative sustainable superyachts for the boutique cruise sector. The design will feature hybrid propulsion and solar panels for minimal environmental impact and high energy efficiency.

A boutique cruise ship seeks to combine the luxury of a superyacht with the construction techniques and passenger experience of a cruise ship. These cost optimised vessels will serve the charter and luxury hotel sectors.

The concept presented is built around a sixty-metre long catamaran with accommodation for up to 36 passengers. The level of sustainability will be such that the yacht can access harbours that would otherwise be closed to large motor yachts.

‘Bringing together our architectural and marine technology know-how will create a mega-yacht design on the leading edge of innovation,’ says Stefano Pastrovich. ‘I’m convinced boutique cruise ships of this calibre could spark a turning point in the charter market, attracting a new customer base of millennials and cruise veterans.’

Wärtsilä’s hybrid propulsion and energy recovery experience will be leveraged in the new design. The company has already worked with Pastrovich on the 99m X-Vintage in 2011 and the 101m X-Expedition in 2017, an innovative design that bridges the worlds of cruising and superyachts. Combining the modular construction techniques of the former with the attention to luxury detail that distinguishes the latter, the design seeks to take privacy, safety, voyage experience, and environmental responsibility to new levels.

Picture: The concept is a forward-looking innovation for future boutique cruising that will attract a new customer base (by Pastrovich Studio).