Sarah Bretz, ContributorItalian shipbuilder Fincantieri announced in a press release this week that it has signed contracts with Viking for the construction of two new cruise ships. They will be based on the successful features of previous ships that Fincantieri has already built for Viking.
Both ships are scheduled to be delivered in 2030. They will be 54,300 gross tons and have the capacity for 998 guests in 499 cabins. For reference, this is just slightly larger than Viking’s current ocean ships, which come in just under 48,000 gross tons. However, it’s the same size as the upcoming Viking Vela and Viking Vesta, which are scheduled to debut in December 2024 and July 2025, respectively.
In addition, Fincantieri and Viking have also reached an agreement for four additional ships in option, which would be delivered in 2031 and 2032.
The new ships will be built according to the latest environmental rules and navigation regulations, and be equipped with the most modern safety systems. They’ll feature innovations made available for the development of eco-friendly fuels and sustainable zero-emission power generation systems.
The relationship between Fincantieri and Viking dates back to 2012, as the Italian shipyard has now built 22 vessels for the line — including two purpose-built expedition ships which were constructed by Fincantieri’s Norwegian subsidiary Vard.
“This new order represents another step forward in our collaboration with Viking, further consolidating Fincantieri as a global leader in naval engineering innovation,” said Pierroberto Folgiero, CEO and Managing Director of Fincantieri. “This agreement not only strengthens our order book, but it ensures further depth of work in our shipyards over the long term, positioning us at the forefront of driving the industry towards energy transition. Our ability to integrate cutting-edge technologies is a testament to our commitment to building ships for tomorrow, aligned with the climate challenges and opportunities in the cruise industry, as outlined in our Industrial Plan.”
Though an exact figure has not been revealed, Fincantieri says that the new contracts with Viking are valued between 500 million and 1 billion euro. That’s about 540 million to 1.08 billion USD.
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