by Donald Wood
Last updated: 9:41 AM ET, Thu February 16, 2017
On Thursday, Norwegian Cruise Line announced the company had ordered four new ships expected to be delivered over the next eight years, with an option for two additional vessels.
In a press release, Norwegian Cruise Line said that it expects the four new 3,300-passenger ships to be delivered in 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025, and the two optional ships it could add to its order would be delivered by 2026 and 2027.
The deal was struck with Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri S.p.A.
Each of the four ships is expected to be 140,000 gross tons and cost Norwegian an estimated $851 million. The new vessels will be designed based on the cruise line's Breakaway-Plus Class ships, but they will be smaller overall, holding 1,000 fewer passengers.
Norwegian's fourth Breakaway Plus ship will debut in winter 2019.
"This new class of ships will continue Norwegian Cruise Line brand's legacy of introducing meaningful innovation to the cruise industry," Norwegian Cruise Line CEO Frank Del Rio said in a statement. "This order continues to highlight our disciplined newbuild program, extends our growth trajectory well into the future, enhances our already attractive earnings profile and drives expected long-term returns for our shareholders."
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"We are extremely excited to collaborate with Norwegian Cruise Line and this partnership allows us to include a new prestigious client in Fincantieri's portfolio," Fincantieri S.p.A. CEO Giuseppe Bono told the South Florida Business Journal.
Norwegian Cruise Line did not reveal any further details about the new ships, but the company noted that one of the top priorities for the new vessels will be energy efficiency, optimizing fuel consumption and reducing the impact on the environment.
Updates on the new ship order are expected in the coming months.
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