The vessels will be delivered from Aker Yards in Saint Nazaire, France in 2009 and 2010, with the optional third sister ship for delivery in the first quarter of 2011. As announced on September 7, 2006, the contract price, comprising two firm ships and one option, is €2.17 billion, or approximately $2.8 billion at today's exchange rate.

The ships, totaling 12,600 berths, will be built for the company's Norwegian Cruise Line brand (NCL) and will each be approximately 150,000 Gross Tons and 4,200 passenger berths. The contract price for each of the first two ships is ¬735 million, and for the optional third ship is €700 million.

Commenting on the confirmation of the contracts, NCL's President and CEO Colin Veitch said, "With the confirmation of the contracts with Aker Yards, we are one step closer to our vision of introducing the new third generation of Freestyle Cruising ships and to satisfying our goal of having the youngest, most modern fleet in the industry by 2010."

With the project name "F3", the new ships will incorporate a world of new features and will represent NCL's third generation of Freestyle Cruising ships, a further evolution of NCL's progressive dismantling of the structure, regimentation, and constraints of the traditional cruise experience. Details of the ship's design will be released closer to delivery. The cabin mix will be the richest of any NCL ship to date, and will include the feature that 100% of outside staterooms will have private balconies. In total, the ship will have 1,415 balcony staterooms and suites.

NCL's unique Freestyle Cruising offers vacationers a less structured, more relaxed, more resort-style experience than traditional cruising. It is characterized, in particular, by having no fixed dining times, no formal dress codes, up to ten different restaurants and even more lounges, bars, theatres and other entertainment and activity options. The new ship design will offer 60% more passenger space than the largest ships built so far by NCL, and will use that space to introduce a major leap forward in the flexibility and variety of the cruise experience, entirely in keeping with the Freestyle Cruising philosophy already established.

The unique use of space on these new ships is designed for optimal cost efficiency per capacity day, as well as being highly attractive in terms of cabin revenue mix and onboard revenue generation. The design is a unique blend of cruise industry best practice, offering both an exciting, high quality product, and a space efficient, cost efficient framework in which to deliver that product.

(From NCL/Cruisenews)

So, there's just one more question to ask....

This was an order that never solidified. It was suppose to be delivered this coming may. It was ordered for Aker at the Helsinki yard. It was to have 840 staterooms, with all outside ones sporting balconies...

Maybe it will be a larget version? I really like this design.

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Originally posted by BR BOB:
This seems like a perfect venue for a deal with MSC Cruises.......same yard....same timing......Star/NCL needs cash flow.....MSC has plenty of cash....MSC needs brand image help in N.A.....NCL has that to offer.

So, there's just one more question to ask....

DEAL OR NO DEAL?

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Bob,

NCL and Star are owned by Genting Berhard which is a much larger and RICHER organization than MSC. They're not lacking for cash flow or financial backing.

MSC seems to have turned their attention to more upscale pursuits than NCL.

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Originally posted by GregD:
I have to say that I don't like that design. It resembles the World too much. Plus its a pretty bland design except maybe for the bow area.
Besides with the freeboard down that low, hows NCL gonna fit the hull art there.
-Greg

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Originally posted by Waynaro:
If I remember correctly, the reason why that class never got ordered was due to the low freeboard....something to do with a future SOLAS regulation?

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