The shipbuilding boom continues as river cruise company CroisiEurope announces a third paddlewheel riverboat joining its fleet come February 2018. The MS Elbe Princesse II has already begun construction at the STX France shipyard in Saint-Nazaire, France.

The ship announcement comes on the heels of CroisiEurope's success with the MS Loire Princesse and Elbe Princesse paddlewheel riverboats. Once launched, the new vessel will mark the second to sail between Berlin and Prague on the Elbe and Vltava Rivers.

READ MORE: CroisiEurope to Add Four New Ships for 2016-17 Season

The riverboat had been under design for four months prior to cutting its first steel last month. It will measure in at 331 feet long and 34 feet wide. Due to tight river clearances, it will also sport a shallow hull draft, low air draft and ballasting system. The paddlewheel vessel will be capable of speeds around 9 to 10 miles per hour.

Despite using a traditional propulsion system, the riverboat will be quite modern with a contemporary design similar to the MS Elbe Princesse. It will showcase 45 over-150-square-foot cabins with French balconies on the upper deck to privately accommodate 90 guests among grand picture windows and open public spaces.

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The restaurant will be sized at 1,184 square feet; panoramic lounge at 1,560 square feet and sun deck at 11,000 square feet.

The MS Elbe Princesse II is scheduled for an itinerary of Germany and the Czech Republic encompassing Potsdam, the Sanssouci Palace gardens, Lutherstadt Wittenberg, Meissen and its porcelain, historic Litomerice and “Golden” Prague.

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