Fincantieri-owned Vard Holdings has clinched the contract to build Hapag-Lloyd Cruises' new vessel.
The "luxury" expedition ship is the third in the shipping company's Hanseatic series - the first two of which Vard is also constructing.
No price has been revealed for the latest 16,000-gt addition, but it will be handed over in the second quarter of 2021 from Vard Langsten in Norway.
The ship has seven passenger decks, with accommodation for 230 passengers in 120 cabins and suites.
The hull will be built by Vard in Romania.
Last month, Hapag-Lloyd Cruises parent TUI green-lighted a third new cruiseship as demand increases, but no yard had been decided at that point.
"Due to the continued rise in demand, TUI is planning to expand the segment through additional newbuilds," it said.
The first two vessels in the series, the 16,100-gt Hanseatic Nature and Hanseatic Inspiration, are due from Vard Langsten in April and October 2019, respectively.
They will join the five other cruiseships in the Hapag-Lloyd Cruises fleet.
The Hanseatic vessels are specially designed for cruises in polar regions in the Arctic and Antarctica, as well as operations in warm water destinations such as the Amazon.
Vard CEO Roy Reite said: “It is encouraging to see returning customers such as Hapag-Lloyd Cruises, which bears testament to the quality of our vessels and services.
"We currently have two vessels under construction to be delivered to Hapag-Lloyd Cruises in 2019, and it is our honour to be awarded with this latest contract for their new luxury expedition cruise vessel.”
