On Thursday 14th March, MSC and Fincantieri announced that the formal contracts had been signed for the construction of four luxury cruise ships.
The contracts were valued at over €2 bill subject to financing.
Pierfrancesco Vago (pictured), Executive Chairman of MSC’s Cruises Division, said: “With this now firm order, MSC is entering a new segment that bears significant potential globally. While we already serve the premium market with the MSC Yacht Club featured on MSC Cruises’ fleet, our new true luxury brand will deliver to this separate and fast-growing segment with super-yacht vessels and an experience to match that.
“Additionally, we are proud to partner again with Fincantieri for the development and construction of yet again another highly-innovative and exclusive class of ships,” he said.
Giuseppe Bono, Fincantieri’s CEO, commented:“Today’s announcement confirms our Group’s ability and strength to convert the soft backlog into backlog. We are proud to have achieved this important goal in less than five months from the preliminary agreement.
“Fincantieri’s reputation in a complex market, such as the cruise one, is at an all-time high. Our leadership in the luxury segment, among the most active ones, grows even stronger with these four ships, alongside our relationship with MSC and its growth plans,”he added.
All four vessels will be of around 64,000 gt and will be fitted with 481 guest suites.
This announcement followed the initial signing of a memorandum of agreement (MOU) between the two parties in October, 2018.
The first of the four ships will be delivered by the Spring of 2023. The remaining three will enter service one per year over the following three years through 2026.
Since starting to work with Fincantieri in 2014, MSC has ordered four ships for its contemporary MSC Cruises brand, valued at €3.2 bill.
The first two, ‘MSC Seaside’ and ‘MSC Seaview’, are already in service. The next two will be delivered in 2021 and 2022, with ‘MSC Seashore’ already under construction at Fincantieri’s Monfalcone shipyard.
