Photo: Aker Yards / Juha Ruohonen
in spring 2008. The contract value of one
MSC’S FINEST
vessel is ca. EUR 600 million.
Delivered in 2006, the 89,600 GT MSC
The 154,000 GT Freedom class is
Musica (NB Q32) and sistership MSC Or-
a lengthened version of the five Voyag-
chestra (NBR32) delivered in May 2007 are
er-class vessels, delivered during 1999 to
Mediterranean Shipping Company´s larg-
2003. Under production in Turku yard,
est, most modern cruise vessels. In the or-
roughly 15 percent larger than the Voy-
derbook there are still have two 2,500 pax
ager-class, the Freedom-class vessels have
sisters for MSC for deliveries in 2008 and
a length over all of 339 m and a beam of
2010(S32 MSC Poesia and T32 MSC Mag-
38.6 m. At double-occupancy, they carry
nifica) respectively.
3,600 passengers and a crew of 1,400.
Also for MSC Cruises, two 133,500
When delivered, Freedom of the Seas
GT cruise vessels MSC Fantasia (A33) and
was Finland´s biggest export product ev-
MSC Splendida (B33) will be delivered in
er, and will be the world´s largest cruise
2008 and 2009 respectively. The 333 me-
ship (together with two sisters) until 2009,
tres long and 38 m wide post-panamax
when the even bigger vessel of Genesis
size Fantasia-series vessels are the largest
class will be delivered, also from Turku.
ordered by a European cruise line.
The 220,000 GT next generation
cruise vessel, (NB 1363, work name Gen-
tered into an agreement with Norwegian
esis) was ordered by Royal Caribbean on
Cruise Line (NCL) on building two large
February 6, 2006 and on 2 April, 2007 a
cruise ships for EUR 1,470 million, to be
contract was signed for delivering anoth-
delivered from Saint-Nazaire in 2009 and
er Genesis-type cruise vessel (NB 1364) in
2010 (NBs C33 and D33). The vessels will
August 2010 (see story on page 6).
R
In September 2006, Aker Yards en-
carry up to 6,400 people onboard includ-
oyal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. continues
developing extremely large cruise ves-
sels for the volume segments of the market. Three Freedom-class, ultra large cruise
vessels were ordered (NB 1352-54), of
which the first, “Freedom of the Seas” was
delivered on 24 April 2006, the second,
“Liberty of the Seas” on 18 April 2007 and
the third “Independence of the Seas” (ordered on 31 March 2005, launched on 14
September 2007) is scheduled for delivery
The aft staircase area with lift lobbies for the Independence of the Seas is a turn key
delivery by Oy NIT Naval Interior Team Ltd.
seatec 2008
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