Fincantieri celebrates milestones for three Explora ships – Cruise Industry News

MSC Group and Fincantieri celebrated three important milestones for the Explora Journeys fleet in Genoa today, the shipyard announced in a press release.

A ceremony was held at the Fincantieri shipyard in Sestrei Ponente to commemorate key events including the delivery of the Explora II, the minting of the Explora III coin and the cutting of steel for the Explora IV.

According to Fincantieri, the event commemorated three key moments in the maritime tradition and building of the Explora Journeys fleet.

Recently launched by the MSC Group, the luxury lifestyle brand currently comprises six ships, the first of which will be delivered in July 2023.

All the ships are being built in Italy by Fincantieri. The total investment exceeds €3.5 billion, of which around €500 million is for the Explora II.

“The Explora Journeys vessels represent the ultimate expression of naval engineering and design. Fincantieri’s contribution has been fundamental in the realization of these innovative vessels, which meet the highest expectations of quality and reliability, further strengthening Italy’s position among the world leaders in shipbuilding,” said Edoardo Rixi, Deputy Minister of Infrastructure and Transport of Italy.

“We are pleased to continue our growth in the luxury segment by taking delivery today of the second of six Explora Journeys ships, with the third and fourth already under construction at the yard. These ships represent a combination of innovation and sustainability and are part of an important expansion plan for our new European luxury brand,” said Pierfrancesco Vago, Executive Chairman of MSC Group’s Cruise Division.

“They also strengthen our long-term partnership with Fincantieri, which began 10 years ago and now includes the delivery of four more vessels by 2028, in addition to the six already delivered to date. The construction of Explora Journeys vessels plays a key role both locally, by boosting the shipbuilding sector and the economy of Genoa and Liguria, and nationally, by providing significant economic and employment benefits for the entire country,” he added.

“We are proud to deliver EXPLORA II, which not only represents a technological advance, but is also a symbol of our vision of a sustainable and innovative future, as well as an extraordinary example of Italian design. The partnership with MSC, consolidated through the construction of the iconic Explora Journeys ships, demonstrates Fincantieri’s leadership in the luxury cruise segment,” said Pierroberto Folgiero, CEO and Chief Executive Officer of Fincantieri.

“Together with MSC Group, we continue to set new standards of excellence and sustainability for the global cruise industry, introducing pioneering technologies that will further push the boundaries of innovation. This is the ‘Made in Italy talent’ that we want to bring into the future technologically, accelerating our efforts to modernise shipyards and improve our country’s domestic crafts by creating a highly skilled workforce of the future,” he continued.

In addition to Edoardo Rixi, Pierfrancesco Vago and Pierroberto Folgiero, the event was attended by the mayor of Genoa, Marco Bucci, as well as the president of Fincantieri, Biagio Mazzotta, and the general manager of the merchant ships division, Luigi Matarazzo.

According to Fincantieri, MSC Cruises Group’s investment in the Explora fleet will generate economic benefits for Italy worth more than €15 billion, will have significant spill-over effects and will create thousands of jobs.