NORWEGIAN Cruise Line Holdings (NCLH) has modified a number of its existing newbuild contracts, which will see enlargement of the last four of NCL’s Prima-class vessels. The four ships will also be modified, with the final two set to accommodate the use of green methanol as an alternative fuel source...
NORWEGIAN Cruise Line Holdings (NCLH) has modified a number of its existing newbuild contracts, which will see enlargement of the last four of NCL’s Prima-class vessels.
The four ships will also be modified, with the final two set to accommodate the use of green methanol as an alternative fuel source in the future.
The modification will result in an increase in cost of approximately 1.2 billion.
Compared to the first-generation Prima-class vessels, these changes will result in an approximately 10% increase in gross tonnage for the third and fourth ships, and a roughly 20% increase for the fifth and sixth.
As a result, delivery dates for these ships have shifted, with one Prima-class vessel to be delivered each year from 2025 through 2028, in addition to Norwegian Viva (render pictured), which is set to sail in Jun (CW 03 Aug 2022).
NCLH is currently in the process of securing additional export-credit agency-backed financing to cover the costs of the enlargements.
“When we look at the platform now that it’s in operation, we think we can take that great guest experience [and] great financial performance and get slightly better economies of scale by driving the ships a little bit bigger,” NCL President & Chief Executive Officer Harry Sommer said on a conference call.
“The [bigger size for the] last two is really a combination” of the two factors.
“In addition to having the ships larger to house the methanol tanks, we’re able to get more scale on those as well [as] more passenger count.”
