Following the 2018 announcement from Fincantieri that Viking Ocean Cruises had six further options on the original orders, contracts for the third and fourth cruise ships have now been signed.
In addition, contracts for the fifth and sixth ships were also agreed, subject to access to financing, as per industry practice.
The total value of the agreements is about €1.7 bill, Fincantieri said.
One delivery is scheduled for 2026, 2027 each and two in 2028, respectively.
Following the 10 vessels ordered in 2012, for the latest six, Fincantieri has developed the design based on the successful features of the previous ships, but upgraded and revisited with the latest technologies in co-operation with Viking.
One example is that the newbuildings will be designed to have hydrogen fuel cells fitted.
As of mid-September, the collaboration between Fincantieri and Viking involved 18 vessels, including two purpose-built expedition ships from subsidiary Vard, confirming the recovery of the cruise sector, which is expected to return to pre-pandemic levels by 2023, the shipyard said.
