Vard Confirms Contract for Hapag-Lloyd Cruises Two Expedition Ships

Hapag-Lloyd Cruises Norwegian shipbuilder and ship designer Vard Holdings Limited (Vard), a subsidiary of Fincantieri, said that the contracts for the design and construction of two expedition cruise vessels for TUI Groups German cruise company Hapag-Lloyd have been confirmed. The contracts were announced on August 26, 2016, with the effectiveness of the contracts subject to customary financing conditions. According to the shipbuilder, all conditions have now been fulfilled and the contracts have now become effective. Both vessels are designed for cruises in polar regions in the Arctic and Antarctica but are also prepared for operations in warm water destinations. The 16,100 gross ton vessels will feature a length of 138 meters and a width of 22 meters. According to Vard, each vessel will have seven passenger decks and will be able to accommodate 230 passengers. The hulls of the new cruise ships will be built by Vards shipyard in Tulcea, Romania, while the delivery is scheduled in 1Q 2019 and 4Q 2019, respectively, from Vard Langsten in Norway.