Spain's Barreras shipyard has broken into the cruiseship market with an order from The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company of the US.
It confirmed it will build up to three 190-metre luxury yacht-style vessels for the hotel group, which is entering the sector with its The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection brand.
Barreras said a firm ship will be ready in the fourth quarter of 2019, with the second and third being options at this stage. No price has been revealed.
It called the design - in cooperation with the owner and Tillberg Design of Sweden - "amazing".
The Maltese-flagged vessel will accommodate 544 people, including 298 passengers in 149 suites and 246 crew members. It has a maximum speed of 17.8 knots.
"Barreras takes its first steps in the cruise business with this extraordinary vessel. The entry into this sector, which until now was exclusive of several European factories, opens the doors to new projects that the shipyard is currently offering," it said.
Ritz-Carlton announced its intention to enter the cruiseship market last week, but did not confirm where the ships would be built. It is teaming up with Oaktree funds for the project.
