“We have new clients. We are proud to have AIDA. We are also happy to have Marella in our orderbook with very innovative vessels coming in 2030 and 2031,” said Luigi Matarazzo, general manager of the Fincantieri Merchant Ships Division.

It was a busy spring for the Italian shipbuilder, which also confirmed two more Viking newbuilds, a hydrogen project for the same brand, and two newbuilds for AIDA and two for Marella, both new customers for Fincantieri.

“Marella is part of TUI, and we have experience with them, successfully delivering the Mein Schiff Relax earlier this year. They were very satisfied. The final results in terms of performance and quality have been exceptional. That has facilitated the relationship with TUI. We started developing a project with them a few months ago and today we have agreed to two vessels in the 125,000-ton range,” said Matarazzo.

“Then we have a long partnership with Viking. We have been able to confirm contracts for ocean ships 21 and 22 (to be delivered in 2031), and also further options for an additional two vessels to be delivered in 2033.”

Hydrogen

In the short term, however, Viking’s 2026 and 2027 newbuilds will be able to run on hydrogen.

“Everyone is talking about decarbonization. Everyone is debating the transition period. The reality is, the Viking hydrogen ships are a concrete application,” said Matarazzo.

“We have been able to develop something that is real, not just a design study.”

Six megawatts of hydrogen will be available aboard the Viking Libra, coming in 2026, and the Viking Astrea, set to be delivered in 2027.

Next Decade

Matarazzo said the cruise market is going to continue to grow, predicting a 10 percent annual growth rate year-over-year going forward.

He attributed this to the industry continuing to expand, but also what could be an accelerated pace of retiring older ships as new emissions regulations come in.

“There are two segments in my opinion that are more active. One is the luxury market. I expect more luxury ships and more specialized ultra-luxury ships.

“On the other end, there will be more big, contemporary vessels,” he said.

For older ships, Matarazzo said many options continue to be available.

“There could be engines that can become dual-fuel. You can use or convert existing engines to methanol. It’s not that invasive. We are proposing that to clients and have reached some agreements.”

Energy Efficiency

“How can you optimize a vessel?” Matarazzo asked. “Last year we delivered the Sun Princess. With the combination of LNG and all the other initiatives, we have been able to reduce emissions by 50 percent compared to the 2008 IMO baseline. How? Working on the hull shape, the propeller, the air-conditioning and more.

“If you put all these actions together, and if you recover the heat produced aboard, it is another significant way to reduce emissions.”

Sailing speeds have come down, too.

“Fifteen to 20 years ago, we added turbines to ships to increase the sailing speed,” Matarazzo said. “Today the service speed is much lower, between 14 and 16 knots, and the hull shape is optimized for that.

We have patented covers for bow thrusters. Ships have three or four thrusters, each about three meters wide. We are adding shutters to these, so the openings will be closed when they are not being used. When you close them, you can gain 3 to 4 percent in efficiency.”

Getting ready for the future, Matarazzo said the Merchant Ships Division has proactively strengthened its organization, hiring over 1,000 new employees in recent years. This has been accompanied by the establishment of structured career development paths at the company, he said, which is committed to talent enhancement and the development of industry-specific expertise.

Matarazzo said that the strength of the Merchant Ships Division lies in the skills of its managers and the majority of its employees. Throughout their careers, they have continuously developed their technical and leadership skills with dedicated training programs and hands-on experience.

Job rotation within the company has further enhanced careers for workers, allowing them to deepen their knowledge and broaden their experience. As a result, the team operates efficiently and consistently approaches the work with a positive and proactive mindset.