Mediterranean Shipping Co (MSC) is keeping to its 2018 plans to invest $2.3bn in a new luxury cruise brand as the sector finds its way out of a pandemic that shut it down in March 2020.
Italian cruiseship builder Fincantieri has begun building the second of four 64,000-gt vessels ordered last year for Explora Journeys at its Sestri Ponente yard in Genoa. It cut steel for the first one in June at its Monfalcone yard.
MSC's cruise division, which owns 19 ships under MSC Cruises, expects to receive delivery of Explora I in 2023.
Fincantieri is expected to deliver Explora II in 2024, Explora III in 2025 and Explora IV in 2026.
Each ship will have 461 cabins featuring "the latest maritime and environmental technologies and solutions available", Fincantieri said.
"They will also showcase a highly innovative design, also under the guests' comfort and relaxation profile."
Fincantieri has built two ships for MSC to date: the 5,179-berth MSC Seaside (built 2017) and 5,060-berth MSC Seaview (built 2018).
It plans to deliver the 5,877-berth sisterships MSC Seashore and MSC Seascape next year.
In July, MSC announced plans to team up with Fincantieri and Italian energy provider Snam to do a 12-month study on hydrogen-fuelled cruiseships.
Switzerland-based MSC Holdings, controlled by the Aponte family that also owns the MSC group, provided financial support to MSC Cruises after it posted a $1.14bn loss last year as a result of the pandemic.
It provided $223m in loans to the cruiseship owner to give it additional liquidity after Covid-19 forced it to suspend operations.
