On March 3, Fincantieri, one of the world’s largest shipbuilding groups based in Italy, announced via its official website that it had signed a contract with Viking Cruises to build two expedition cruise ships, along with an option for two additional ocean-going cruise ships. This marks a new milestone in the partnership between the two companies.
Fincantieri did not disclose the specific value of the order (subject to financing and other typical terms), referring to it only as a “significant agreement.” In accordance with its corporate practice, the contract value exceeds €2 billion (approximately $2.328 billion).
The two expedition vessels, scheduled for delivery in 2030 and 2031, will be sister ships to “Viking Octantis” and “Viking Polaris”, both built by Fincantieri’s Norwegian subsidiary Vard and delivered in 2021 and 2022 respectively. The new units will be delivered from Fincantieri’s Palermo shipyard, supporting Viking’s expansion in the market dedicated to exploration in polar and remote regions.
Each vessel will accommodate 378 guests in 189 staterooms and will be certified “Polar Class 6” for safe operations in polar regions. Designed to navigate remote areas and the St. Lawrence River, they will offer superior maneuverability and stability in rough seas. Features include straight bows, extended hulls and cutting‑edge fin stabilizers, while ice-strengthened structures will enable safe sailing in extreme environments. U-tank stabilizers will significantly reduce rolling when the ship is stationary. The vessels are designed by the same experienced nautical architects and engineers behind Viking’s ocean fleet, combining elegant Scandinavian design, intimate public spaces and purpose‑built areas specifically conceived for expedition operations.
The two additional ocean ship options, both scheduled for delivery in 2034, will be placed in the upper premium ship segment and will follow the same design philosophy and technical standards as the vessels already built by Fincantieri or under construction in its Italian yards. With a gross tonnage of around 54,300 tons and capacity for 998 guests in 499 cabins, they will comply with the latest environmental and navigation regulations and will feature state‑of‑the‑art safety systems.
Pierroberto Folgiero, CEO and Managing Director of Fincantieri, commented: “This agreement with Viking represents a development of strong, strategic and industrial value for our Group. The decision to build these vessels in Palermo further consolidates the shipyard’s role as a fully integrated production center within our Italian industrial system, confirming the structural growth path undertaken in recent years.”
With the latest orders, Fincantieri has secured 5+2 cruise ship contracts this year. The first three vessels are for Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings, which will see the construction of three ships across three distinct classes for its three major cruise brands: Regent Seven Seas Cruises, Oceania Cruises and Norwegian Cruise Line. Deliveries are scheduled between 2036 and 2037, with all newbuilds constructed at Fincantieri’s Italian shipyards.