by InTrieste
Fincantieri, the Italian shipbuilding group, said on Monday that it had signed a contract with TUI Cruises, a joint venture between TUI AG and Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd., to design and build two new cruise ships.
The order replaces a memorandum of agreement signed in March with TUI AG for the construction of two vessels that had been intended for the company’s Marella Cruises brand.
The ships, scheduled for delivery in 2031 and 2032, will be sister vessels to Mein Schiff Relax and Mein Schiff Flow, part of the company’s new InTUItion class. Each will be powered by dual-fuel engines using liquefied natural gas and marine gas oil, and will have a gross tonnage of about 160,000 — larger than those originally envisioned for Marella Cruises. The vessels will be built according to the latest environmental standards, the companies said.
The value of the order, which remains subject to financing and standard contractual conditions, exceeds that of the original agreement with Marella but falls within the range announced on March 31.
Pierroberto Folgiero, chief executive of Fincantieri, said the contract underscored the group’s role as a strategic partner for the global cruise industry. “This agreement strengthens our partnership with TUI Cruises and confirms Fincantieri’s ability to support fleet growth for the world’s leading operators by combining innovation, sustainability and Italian shipbuilding expertise,” he said in a statement.
