Cruise ship operators are keeping European shipbuilders busy, signalling their huge confidence in the cruise business.
Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings has confirmed an order with Italian shipyard Fincantieri to construct a third vessel in the Prestige-Class series for its ultra-luxury brand, Regent Seven Seas Cruises.
The ship is scheduled for delivery in 2033, marking the continued expansion of the company’s growth strategy in the luxury segment.
The new ship will follow the debut of Seven Seas Prestige in 2026 and a second Prestige Class ship in 2030.
“This new-build order continues our measured, strategic expansion within the luxury space. It reflects our confidence in the growing demand for Regent’s best-in-class offering,” said Jason Montague, chief luxury officer at Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings.
Seven Seas Prestige will be 40% larger than previous Regent ships yet accommodates only 10% more guests. At 77,000 tonnes and carrying 822 guests with 630 crew members, the ship offers one of the highest space-to-guest and crew-to-guest ratios in the cruise industry.
Also in expansion mode, MSC Cruises has extended its partnership with French shipyard Chantiers de l’Atlantique with orders for two additional World-class cruise ships, bringing the total number of vessels in the series to eight.
The newly announced ships are expected to be delivered in 2031 and 2032 and bring MSC’s investment in vessels ordered from French shipyards this year to nearly €7 billion (US$8.1bn).
Pierfrancesco Vago, executive chairman of the cruise division of MSC Group, said the additional orders reflect the company’s confidence in the long-term outlook for cruise tourism.