Double milestone celebrated at Fincantieri shipyard for MSC LNG-fuelled cruise ships

Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri on Wednesday (6 September) said a double milestone was celebrated at Fincantieri’s Sestri Ponente (Genoa) shipyard with the float out and steel cutting of the two new LNG-fuelled cruise ships from Explora Journey, new luxury cruise brand launched by the MSC Group.

After two months after the delivery of Explora I, which took place in Monfalcone on July 20, a double ceremony  was held for the float out of Explora II and the steel cutting of Explora III.

The two ships represent the second and third vessels out of a total of as many as four ordered by the MSC Group from Fincantieri. 

The total investment for the four ships is about EUR 2.3 billion and is capable of generating a spillover effect on the Italian economy of more than EUR 10 billion along with an extremely high employment impact, as the construction of each individual ship requires more than 7 million man-hours of work and the average employment of 2,500 people for more than two years.

Michael Ungerer, CEO of Explora Journeys, said: “Today’s double ceremony represents an important step forward in building and strengthening our brand, which is redefining the standards of luxury ocean travel thanks to the unparalleled experience that Explora Journeys’ ships are able to offer our guests. These ships, that are also at the forefront from an environmental point of view, are among the best ambassadors of Made in Italy in the world and bear witness to both Italy’s high manufacturing and shipbuilding capacity, and to the MSC Group’s commitment to a country in which we continue to believe and invest very significant resources”.

Pierroberto Folgiero, Chief Executive Officer of Fincantieri, said: “Today’s double ceremony fully expresses Fincantieri’s great productive commitment to the realisation for the MSC Group of the Explora class, a project that guarantees the highest quality standards and was conceived from the beginning to accelerate the path toward the zero-emission ship”.

After being launched into the water today with the technical launch, Explora II will be completed in the coming months and delivered in the summer of the next year, spending her first seasons in the Mediterranean discovering the most striking locations in the Mare Nostrum, including some enchanting Italian destinations such as Portofino, the Argentario, Rome, Naples, Sorrento, Palermo, Syracuse, Trapani, Lipari, Cagliari, Alghero and the Costa Smeralda. Explora I, which is successfully concluding its inaugural season in Europe and during the winter season will sail between the Caribbean and the East and West Coasts of the United States, will also return to the Mediterranean in the summer of 2024 to take its guests to discover destinations such as Puglia, Sicily and Venice.

Explora III, whose construction began with a traditional steel cutting ceremony, will enter service in the summer of 2026 and will be the first ship in the Explora fleet to be powered by LNG. 

In January 2024, construction will begin on EXPLORA IV, also powered by LNG, which will be completed in early 2027.

Photo credit: Fincantieri 
Published: 13 September, 2023