Viking Ocean Cruises has signed an agreement with the Italian shipyard Fincantieri for the construction of two new cruise ships, according to a press release.

The vessels are scheduled for delivery in 2028 and 2029 respectively and will establish a new ship class for the cruise line, which currently operates a fleet of nine identical cruise ships.

The new vessels will be 53,300 gross tons and carry 998 passengers in 499 staterooms, making them slightly larger than Viking’s current fleet of 47,842 gross ton ships, which carry 930 passengers.

“This order further cements our relationship with Viking and establishes Fincantieri as the partner of choice for ship owners looking to build vessels fit for both current and future energy sources,” said Pierroberto Folgiero, CEO and Managing Director of Fincantieri. 

“Together, Fincantieri and Viking are leading the shipping industry in the path to net zero. With this contract, Fincantieri confirms its strong order pipeline and its reputation as a long-term partner of excellence within the cruise sector, as stated in our 2023-27 Industrial Plan.”

According to the press release from Fincantieri, the new ships will be built in compliance with the latest environmental regulations and navigation standards and will feature the most advanced safety systems. 

They will feature innovations developed by Fincantieri and Viking for the development of eco-friendly fuels and zero-emission power generation systems, the company said.

No further information was released about the ships. They bring Viking’s total cruise ship order book to 12 vessels, with Viking Vela and Viking Vesta due for delivery in December this year and July next year.

A further ten vessels are due for delivery between 2025 and 2030, making Viking the cruise line with the most cruise ships on order in the world, closely followed by Norwegian Cruise Line, which has eight ships on order through 2036.

Fincantieri’s relationship with Viking dates back to 2012, when its first ocean-going cruise ship was built. The shipyard has built every one of the line’s ships in service, and was also responsible for the development of Viking’s expedition subsidiary Vard.

In a statement, the shipyard confirmed the ship order is worth upwards of $500 million, and said the contract confirms the cruise market’s full recovery and its strong momentum, with passenger volumes having returned to pre-pandemic levels.