MSC Cruises ordered two more cruise ships in its World class
and agreed to develop two additional ship classes. One will have at least four
vessels and the other could use wind power.
The two firm ships orders and memorandum of understanding to
build the two new prototypes represent a combined value of about $7
billion.
An agreement for the ships and prototypes was made with
French shipyard Chantiers de l’Atlantique.
MSC placed orders for its third and fourth World class
ships, powered by liquefied natural gas (LNG), to be delivered in 2025 and
2027.
The new four-ship class will also be LNG-powered, MSC said,
while another prototype will incorporate emerging technologies such as wind
power.
MSC executive chairman Pierfrancesco Vago said that the
investments “confirm this industry’s commitment to environmental
sustainability.”
The four new vessels will represent a capital investment
exceeding $4.4 billion, MSC said, adding to the $2.2 billion for the two
additional World Class ships.
The Chantiers shipyard in Saint-Nazaire, France, is
currently building the first two ships in the line’s World class. The first of
those 5,264-passenger, 205,000-gross-ton vessels, due to enter service in 2022,
will be the largest ship operated by a European cruise line.