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| Company Contracts with Fincantieri S.p.A. to Build Four New Ships with Option for Additional Two |
Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. (Nasdaq: NCLH; together with NCL Corporation Ltd., “Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings”, “Norwegian” or the “Company”) today announced it has reached an agreement with FincantieriS.p.A. to construct the next generation of extraordinary ships for its Norwegian Cruise Line brand. Four ships are on order for delivery in 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025, with an option for two additional ships to be delivered in 2026 and 2027.
The four 140,000 gross ton ships will each accommodate approximately 3,300 guests. The new class of ships will build upon the highly successful offering of freedom and flexibility found on the brand’s most recent Breakaway-Plus Class ships and feature a host of innovative designs that will further elevate its already award-winning guest experience. A priority of the prototype design is energy efficiency, with the aim of optimizing fuel consumption and reducing the impact on the environment. Details on the ships’ many innovative guest facing and first at sea features will be announced at a later date.
“This new class of ships will continue Norwegian Cruise Line brand’s legacy of introducing meaningful innovation to the cruise industry,” said Frank Del Rio, president and chief executive officer of Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. “This order continues to highlight our disciplined newbuild program, extends our growth trajectory well into the future, enhances our already attractiveearnings profile, and drives expected long-term returns for our shareholders.”
“For the past 50 years, Norwegian Cruise Line has been focused on offering our guests the very best in cruising,” said Andy Stuart, president and chief executive officer of Norwegian Cruise Line. “It is with great excitement that we look ahead to our next 50 years, which includes this next generation of ships that will offer guests the innovative experiences that have come to define the Norwegian Cruise Line brand.”
“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,” said Giuseppe Bono, CEO of Fincantieri S.p.A.
“We are very proud of the innovative design of these ships and recognize the various stakeholders of the export chain who have contributed decisively to achieving this goal. The significant value of the order will provide substantial economic benefits by extending the employment horizon of our shipyards, and we are honored to support the growth of our country’s economy.”
The contract price for each of the four vessels is approximately €800 million per ship. The Company has obtained export credit financing with favorable terms to fund 80 percent of the contract price of each ship delivered through 2025, subject to certain conditions.
About Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd.
Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. (Nasdaq: NCLH) is a leading global cruise company which operates the Norwegian Cruise Line, Oceania Cruises and Regent Seven Seas Cruises brands.
With a combined fleet of 24 ships with approximately 46,500 berths, these brands offer itineraries to more than 510 destinations worldwide. The Company will introduce eight additional ships through 2025, and has the option to introduce two additional ships for delivery in 2026 and 2027.
Norwegian Cruise Line is an innovator in cruise travel with a 50-year history of breaking the boundaries of traditional cruising, most notably with the introduction of "Freestyle Cruising," which revolutionized the industry by giving guests more freedom and flexibility to design their ideal cruise vacation on their schedule. Today, Norwegian invites guests to enjoy a relaxed, resort style cruise vacation on some of the newest and most contemporary ships at sea with a wide variety of accommodation options, including The Haven by Norwegian, a luxury enclave with suites, private pools and dining, concierge service and personal butlers. Oceania Cruises offers an unrivaled vacation experience renowned for the finest cuisine at sea and destination-rich itineraries that span the globe. Expertly crafted voyages aboard designer-inspired, intimate ships call on ports across Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia, New Zealand, the South Pacific and the Americas. Celebrating its 25th anniversary in 2017, Regent Seven Seas Cruises offers the industry’s most inclusive luxury experience aboard its all-suite fleet. A voyage with Regent Seven Seas Cruises includes round-trip air, highly personalized service, exquisite cuisine, fine wines and spirits, unlimited internet access, sightseeing excursions in every port, gratuities, ground transfers, a pre-cruise hotel package for guests staying in concierge-level suites and higher and beginning in summer 2017, business class air will be provided for all roundtrip air originating from the U.S. and Canada.
About Norwegian Cruise Line
Norwegian Cruise Line is the innovator in cruise travel with a 50-year history of breaking the boundaries of traditional cruising. Most notably, Norwegian revolutionized the cruise industry by offering guests the freedom and flexibility to design their ideal cruise vacation on their schedule. Today, Norwegian invites guests to “Feel Free” to explore the world on one of 14 purpose-built ships, providing guests the opportunity to enjoy a relaxed, resort style cruise vacation on some of the newest and most contemporary ships at sea.
Recently, the line was named “Europe’s Leading Cruise Line” for the ninth consecutive year, as well as “Caribbean’s Leading Cruise Line” for the third time and “World’s Leading Large Ship Cruise Line” for the fifth straight year by the World Travel Awards.
To book an award-winning cruise with Norwegian Cruise Line, call +852 2165 6000 (English, Cantonese and Mandarin assistance) contact your preferred travel professional or visit ncl.com.
About Fincantieri S.p.A.
Fincantieri is one of the world’s largest shipbuilding groups and number one by diversification and innovation. It is leader in cruise ship design and construction and a reference player in all high-tech shipbuilding industry’s sectors, from naval to offshore vessels, from high-complexity special vessels and ferries to mega-yachts, ship repairs and conversions, systems and components production and after-sales services.
Headquartered in Trieste (Italy), the Group has built more than 7,000 vessels in over 230 years of maritime history. With almost 19,000 employees, of whom more than 7,800 in Italy, 20 shipyards in 4 continents, today Fincantieri is the leading Western shipbuilder. It has among its clients the major cruise operators, the Italian and the U.S. Navy, in addition to several foreign navies, and it is partner of some of the main European defense companies within supranational programmes.