Swan Hellenic has celebrated the christening of its new ship, SH Minerva, at the Helsinki Shipyard during a small private ceremony.

Godmother Johanna Mäkelä, Finland’s first professor of food culture and wife of Helsinki city mayor Juhana Vartiainen, was on hand for the occasion.

Mayor Vartiainen was also present, along with Swan Hellenic chief executive, Andrea Zito, and Helsinki shipyard chief executive, Carl-Gustaf Rotkirch.

The celebration follows global supply chain disruptions and recent spikes in Covid-19 cases in Finland, which caused Swan Hellenic to take the difficult decision to delay the start of its inaugural season.

The first two cruises have now been cancelled.

SH Minerva is scheduled to depart the shipyard early next week.

Zito said: “I would like to congratulate everyone at Helsinki for their impeccable work in difficult circumstance and the tight safety measures which have kept SH Minerva a safe environment at all times.

“The vessel has been completed after only 26 month from the signing of the contract, which is a remarkable achievement.”