Oceania Cruises expands fleet with billion dollar new ship order

Oceania Cruises, the upper-premium subsidiary of Norwegian Cruise Line has ordered two new cruise ships from Italian shipyard Fincantieri.

The two near-identical ships will each be 67,000 gross tons and carry 1,200 passengers and will be delivered in 2022 and 2025.

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The new ships will be slightly larger than Oceania’s current largest ships Marina and Riviera and will represent an evolution of these ships, which were the first ever newbuilds for the cruise line.

“This new class of ships will represent an evolution of the Oceania Cruises experience with all the elements our guests treasure – a warm, intimate, residential style; the most spacious standard staterooms afloat; amazing suites, and of course, the finest cuisine at sea,” said Bob Binder, President and CEO of Oceania Cruises.

The two ships will be the first of Oceania’s new Allura-Class. According to the cruise line, they’ll be based very closely on the warmth, popular design elements, and signature amenities of Marina and Riviera while affording guests an additional level of comfort, convenience and many new luxury amenities.

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“We are excited to expand the Oceania Cruises fleet with our new Allura-Class ships to meet the strong demand for upscale culinary- and destination-focused cruise vacations around the globe,” said Frank Del Rio, President and CEO of Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings.

“This new class of ships will further elevate the already best-in-class guest experience at Oceania Cruises and meaningfully strengthen demand from both new and loyal returning guests,” he added.

The new orders add to Fincantieri’s existing backlog of 53 cruise ships, with deliveries slated up until 2027.

“This new successful project for Oceania Cruises is yet another demonstration of our ability to capitalize on product innovation and diversification to meet the needs of every type of customer, a capability that distinguishes us in the world,” said Giuseppe Bono, CEO of Fincantieri.

The contract price for each of the two vessels is approximately US $660-million per ship.

This latest order comes as Oceania plans to revamp its entire fleet through the US $100-million OceaniaNEXT program, which will see all its cruise ships undergo significant refurbishments to create a new on-board aesthetic across the fleet.