Charting new waters Carsten Lund speaks with Alex Smith about taking the reins as CEO of Sunstone Maritime Group and how the company is exploring new opportunities Sunstone Maritime Group is celebrating its 35th anniversary in 2025, marking three decades of growth that have seen it become the largest tonnage provider in the expedition sector. Founder Niels-Erik Lund has been at the company’s helm throughout those years but has now passed the torch to his sons Christian – the company’s chief operating officer – and Carsten, Sunstone’s new CEO. “It’s been a gradual process over the last four years, since we decided as a family that my brother and I would take over the reins,” says Carsten Lund. “It’s a big responsibility, taking on our father’s life work. So we’ve spent those years in the business, adapting and adjusting to gradually take over.” One area of particular focus for Lund during the transition has been exploring new markets for potential expansion. “The expedition segment is our main market and it will remain so,” says Lund. “But we have seen a gradual increase in interest in our ships in new areas. More warm water operators want to charter smaller expedition ships, for the same reason as cold-water operators do – they can go where the big ships can’t.” Lund sees the intimate feeling of sailing on an expedition cruise ship as a key draw for passengers, no matter where they are in the world. “In most cases there are less than 150 people sailing with you, and over the course of the cruise you get to know your fellow passengers quite a bit,” he says. “You get to chat with people from all over the world, and that type of experience adds to the memories you take home with you. That can be just as true in warm waters as it is at the poles.” Sunstone also offers a high degree of customisation to operators when they charter its ships, especially if they are involved from the start of construction. This can enable operators to adapt vessels to the destinations they are sailing to. “The way we design ships from an interior point of view can change dramatically,” says Lund. “This has already been shown in the level of customisation we’ve offered in building our Infinityclass ships. We want to present an even higher level of customisation in our next series of newbuilds, extending to the superstructure and bow.” “ We have seen a gradual increase in interest in our ships in new areas” INTERVIEW Photo: David Merron/Quark Expeditions 74
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