mv Voyager – the 540 passenger ship joining the Voyages of Discovery fleet in December 2012 – will undertake its final refurbishments in Portland Port in the UK this winter.  Voyager is due to arrive at Queens Pier, Portland (Dorset) on 1 November 2012 for a month long refurbishment ahead of its maiden voyage on 4 December 2012. Northern Ireland based international contracting company, Mivan, specialists in cruise ship refurbishment, will be completing the project which marks the final stage in a multimillion investment by Voyages of Discovery to introduce the ship to its fleet.

Key new additions to Voyager will include:
·    The introduction of an explorer theme to whole ship reinforcing the destination-led cruise offering that the brand is famous for
·    The new ‘Scott’s Lounge’ – a classic piano bar serving cocktails into the evening - and new specialty restaurant the Explorer Club
·    The addition of a ‘look-out’ lounge providing panoramic views from the front of the ship
·    A new terrace with all-weather awning added to the Veranda Restaurant to allow guests to dine al fresco style
·    Introduction of new digital media players allowing guests in all cabins to access and view a large selection of films, classical concerts and documentaries
·    New artwork added to key public spaces
·    Upgrade of all soft furnishing in public spaces
·    Complete refurbishment of the library and its reference books
·    New dual purpose Bridge Club which can also be used for Guest Speaker lectures and functions onboard the ship

Formerly the Alexander von Humboldt, All Leisure Group has invested significantly in improvements to mv Voyager since purchasing the ship in 2009.

To date, the ship has received major technical upgrades plus the addition of more balcony cabins creating extra comfort and space, whilst still maintaining the unique discovery cruising ethos that Voyages of Discovery is known for.

mv Voyager will offer a choice of 270 cabins, 87% of which are outside cabins and 30 of which have balconies, open seating dining in two restaurants, plus an intimate pre-bookable specialty restaurant, The Explorer Club. Like its sister ship mv Discovery, the small size of mv Voyager means that the ship is able to access remote, out of the way ports essential for the Voyages of Discovery destination-led cruise offering.

Following Voyager’s first two cruises sailing in the Caribbean, it will embark on a series of itineraries in Central and South America, heading to the Amazon in early 2013.

Alan Murray, Managing Director, Voyages of Discovery commented: “As a UK based company we are proud to announce that the work on mv Voyager will be carried out in a British port by Northern Ireland based company, Mivan, who have also recently opened an office in Southampton. Being a British company it has been important to us that we did all we could to ensure we are supporting the UK economy.

“We see mv Voyager as the perfect partner to mv Discovery, offering enhanced elements such as balcony cabins and a choice of restaurants, but always maintaining the unique Voyages of Discovery style.”