Vard secures contract to build two luxury cruise vessels for Hapag-Lloyd

The vessels will be 16,100gt, 138m long, 22m wide and will have a draught of 5.4m. They will have seven passenger decks with 120 cabins and suites. They will have a maximum passenger capacity of 240 people and will carry a crew of up to 170. The design will have a high number of cabin balconies, three restaurants and a fitness/wellness area. Interior designs will come from Oceanarchitects.
The cruise expansion comes as TUI aims to generate more of its earnings from its own hotels and cruises. The
two new ships will be built in Norway by Vard Holdings, part of Italian yard group Fincantieri. The new additions will bring Hapag-Lloyd’s fleet of owned ships to five, while it also has a further ship on charter due to be launched in 2018. TUI did not disclose financial details of the deal. The two new ships will have construction times of about 20 months and will be delivered in spring and autumn 2019. The ships will be fitted with modern environmental protection systems. The high ice class PC6 will permit operations in the Arctic and Antarctic as well as warm waters. On-board Zodiacs will be carried for expedition excursions.