In the context of the announcement for six options dated March 2018, Fincantieri and Viking have put into effect the contracts for the third and fourth ships, according to the company's release. The companies also have signed the contract for the fifth and sixth units, subject to access to financing as per industry practice. The total value of the agreements is about euro 1.7 billion.
Deliveries are scheduled respectively in 2026, 2027 and two in 2028.
For this batch of six vessels, which follows the 10 units ordered from 2012, Fincantieri has developed in partnership with the shipowner a project based on the successful features of the previous ships, upgraded and revisited with the latest technologies. The Viking units will be built according to the latest navigation regulations and equipped with the most modern safety systems. This new generation of ships is also designed for hydrogen fuel cells and will set a new standard for the industry.
As of today, the collaboration between Fincantieri and Viking reaches a total of 18 vessels, including two purpose-built expedition vessels of the subsidiary Vard, confirming the recovery of the cruise sector, which is expected to return to pre-pandemic levels by 2023.