Sky’s the limit for Noble Caledonia

Expedition cruise line Noble Caledonia announced today that it has acquired a new ship . From next May Caledonian Sky will join sister vessel Island Sky and will spend much of 2012 in the waters around Britain – and north to the Arctic – before heading for South America, Australasia and the Pacific Rim.
Both ships once sailed together in the 1990s as Renaissance VI and Renaissance VIII. Six later became Hebridean Spirit (above), but was sold in 2009, reportedly for £4 million, to be converted into a private yacht.
Island Sky carries 116 passengers and 66 crew; as Hebridean Spirit the new Noble Caledonia ship had a capacity of 81 passengers and 72 crew, though conversion and re-fit work this winter is expected increase the passenger numbers to 114.
The ships offer a private yacht experience exploring far-flung destinations, and carry inflatable Zodiac landing craft to take passengers ashore in the remotest of places.
Noble Caledonia managing director Andy Cochrane said today: “We are all delighted to have secured another high quality vessel. Demand in the UK for the specialised trips we operate continues to grow at a fast pace, even in these troubled financial times. Having two remarkably similar vessels allows us to keep Island Sky in Europe, Africa and South and Central America, whilst Caledonian Sky can operate in the vast Pacific region from New Zealand to the Russian Far East. Two of the finest small ships in the world that allow us to reach the most remote and interesting corners of earth.”