Viking Orders Two More Ocean Ships From Italian Shipyard

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Viking Cruises is set to further grow its fleet with orders for two vessels that will enter service in 2030, Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri confirmed in an October 23, 2024 announcement. 

The cruise line, which also operates the largest river cruise fleet in the industry, placed options for four additional ocean-going ships with the builder. The options agreement includes deliveries in 2031 and 2032.

Viking currently has two ships under construction, Viking Mira, set to launch in 2026, and Viking Vesta, due in 2025. The new orders of two additional vessels will bring the Viking blue-water fleet to 15, not counting the four options.

The cruise line has had a long relationship with Fincantieri, starting in 2012, when Viking expanded operations to ocean-going itineraries. Most recently, in 2022 it ordered four ships, and in 2018 it ordered six vessels.

The value of the 2022 agreement was estimated at 1.7 billion euros ($1.7 billion USD). All told, Fincantieri has collaborated on 22 ships, river and blue-water, with Viking.

Vikingโ€™s ocean ships are small vessels, accommodating just 998 guests and weighing 54,300-gross tons. Like others in the fleet, the new ships will use eco-friendly fuels and have zero-emission power systems.

According to Viking, its ocean ships are designed with environmentally sustainable power systems that enable them to exceed International Maritime Organization requirements. The vessels are built with closed-loop exhaust cleaning systems that are designed so that pollutants can be removed, for example.

Fincantieri categorizes the new Viking order contract, which is subject to financing, as a large agreement, which indicates the deal is worth between 500 million and 1 billion euro ($538 million and $1,077,650 USD).

โ€œThis new order represents another step forward in our collaboration with Viking, further consolidating Fincantieri as a global leader in naval engineering innovation,โ€ said Pierroberto Folgiero, CEO and managing director of Fincantieri. 

โ€œThis 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,โ€ added Folgiero.

The latest Viking order follows several other major ship orders from some of the industryโ€™s biggest players.

Fincantieriโ€™s Order Books Keeps Growing

In July 2024, Carnival Cruise Line contracted with Fincantieri to build three ships, each nearly 230,000-gross tons. The vessels, which will introduce a new class, as yet unnamed, are scheduled for delivery in 2029, 2031, and 2033. 

No cost estimate was revealed, however, ships of this size, which is roughly comparable to Royal Caribbeanโ€™s Oasis class, typically will cost around $1 billion.

Fincantieri Shipyard (Photo Credit: trabantos / Shutterstock)
Fincantieri Shipyard (Photo Credit: trabantos / Shutterstock)

The Carnival Cruise Line order followed a huge contract between Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings and Fincantieri in April 2024, under which the shipyard will construct eight vessels for the companyโ€™s three brands.

Read Also: Who Owns Viking Cruises?

Under the order, four 200,000-gross ton ships, with capacity for 5,000 guests, will be built for Norwegian Cruise Line, while Oceania Cruises will receive two 86,000-gross ton ships, and luxury line Regent Seven Seas Cruises will get two 77,000-gross ton vessels.

Anticipated deliveries for all three brands are scheduled for staggered handovers between 2026 and 2036.

Smaller cruise lines also look to Fincantieriโ€™s expertise. Explora Journeys, a new luxury line that launched its first ship in 2023, has five other vessels on order with the shipyard.

The final two ships in the series, Explora V and Explora VI, will be powered by an industry-leading combination of liquified natural gas (LNG) and a six-megawatt hydrogen fuel cell. Explora Journeys is a unit of MSC Group, which also owns MSC Cruises.

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Donna Tunney
Donna Tunney
Donna Tunney is a travel news/feature writer and editor with 20-plus years covering cruise news, luxury travel, and Europe and UK destinations. A former staffer at Travel Weekly and at the USAToday Network, she also was a luxury travel columnist at Travel Market Report, and a cruise columnist at Sherman's Travel.

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