The cruise ship building process typically takes two to three years, including concept development, construction, and outfitting. Ship components are often prefabricated off-site and assembled at shipyards, with initial construction taking place in dry dock. The hull is assembled, the vessel is floated, and interior outfitting begins, including the installation of amenities.
VENICE, Italy — Lights flashed inside the theater of Norwegian Cruise Line’s newest ship.
But they were not part of the stage show. Workers were welding on the second floor of what is now part of Norwegian Aqua’s construction site and will eventually become the ship’s Aqua Theater & Club.
USA TODAY was among the media groups that got a peek into the shipbuilding process at the Fincantieri shipyard in Venice, Italy, earlier this month. The ship is undergoing final work in preparation for its launch next year.
Here we will explain what you need to do to get your ship ready for sailing.
Where are cruise ships built?
According to the industry group Cruise Lines International Association, most cruise ships are built in Europe, with 98 percent built by companies such as France’s Chantiers de l’Atlantique, Germany’s Meyer Werft and Finland’s Meyer Turku.
Italian shipyard Fincantieri is building Norwegian Aqua at its Marghera shipyard, about eight miles from St. Mark’s Square. Other ships built by Fincantieri include Discovery Princess for Princess Cruises, Rotterdam for Holland America Line, and MSC Seascape for MSC Cruises.
How long does it take to build a cruise ship?
The shipbuilding process will take years, said Patrick Dahlgren, executive vice president, chief ship operations officer and head of newbuilds for the route’s parent company, Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings.
The company is currently in the “concept stage” for a new class of ships, with the first ships expected to be delivered in 2030, but it could start even earlier. “(It) depends on how many different pieces you have,” he said.
Construction typically takes two to three years.
Dahlgren said the process for Norwegian Luna, which is scheduled to begin sailing in 2026, is “progressing well” and that the first of the final two Prima Plus class ships is on track. He said it has already started. The ship is scheduled to join the fleet in 2027.
Norwegian Prima and Norwegian Viva began work on the Prima Class in 2015. “Over the past two years of flying Norwegian Prima and Norwegian Viva, we have learned a lot from our guests and crew, and we have incorporated this feedback to create the true magic of Norwegian Prima and Norwegian Viva. “We created products like Aqua,” Dahlgren said.
How are cruise ships built?
The process begins with a concept phase, where Dahlgren said the line is reviewing what worked well on previous ships and taking into account the broader context of the industry.
“Even before we approach the shipyard, we have an idea and concept built of what we ultimately want to achieve,” he said. Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings has an in-house team of 100 people focused on newbuilds and also works with external shipbuilding companies.
Building on Prima and Viva, the architecture team worked with the brand and executives to create Aqua, from its color palette to the cabin’s contemporary interiors, accented with shades of blue reminiscent of the sea, for example, to the onboard activities. Created. The line was meant to bring a “modern touch” to the ship while staying true to the brand’s identity.
“Ultimately, our goal is to tell a consistent story through design so that every space contributes to an immersive and extraordinary guest experience,” Dahlgren said.
The company then looks at shipyard availability. “And there’s a lot of competition between the different cruise lines to get those slots,” he added.
Dahlgren said that until about 20 years ago, all parts of ships were manufactured on site, but now they are manufactured individually in warehouses. “It’s like Lego, where you put different pieces together,” he said.
He recalled that when he first started, crews were standing on ladders and “working on the ceiling,” but now components are assembled upside down, then flipped over and craned into place. It is inserted into position and welded.
“Then once we have the basic hull and mechanical parts of the ship completed, we will fill the dry dock where she is with water, because this ship is obviously dry built. Then, hopefully, she will float. “Sho,” he said.
The rest of the process is completed in a wet dock.
That’s when the construction team’s “real work begins,” Dahlgren said. This includes installing pipes, installing air ducts, and adding electrical cables.
“Alongside the ship’s technological development, thousands of workers are deeply involved in the ship’s outfitting, including restaurants, lounges, bars, theatres, shops and staterooms, all designed by architects months in advance. “We make things happen,” he said.
The elaborate amenities found on many modern cruise ships can be a huge undertaking, even for shipbuilding experts.
For example, Emanuele Tuanto, Fincantieri’s vice president of NCL projects, called the Aqua slide coaster, which combines a waterslide and a roller coaster, an “engineering challenge” during a panel discussion after the shipyard tour. is. Although ships are typically lighter in construction the higher up they go, this vehicle uses around 40 tons of water moving at high speed on top of the ship.
“It wasn’t a total surprise,” Tuant said of learning about the plans for the slide. “But I thought it would be smaller.”
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Where do cruise ships get their furniture from?
Norwegian’s in-house architect works with outside firms to create the ship’s aesthetic.
Much of the furniture they use is custom-made, and the marine environment determines certain standards. For example, items placed outdoors “have to be very sturdy” and able to withstand the elements, Dahlgren said.
Your stateroom furniture will arrive on board with your cabin. These are built separately and later added to a fully equipped ship.
The final step usually consists of testing the ship’s various systems both in the shipyard, known as the commissioning phase, and at sea, known as sea trials. The latter typically occurs about four months before the ship is delivered, giving the shipyard time to resolve any issues that may arise.
A tour of Aqua’s shipyard, about six months before its maiden voyage, showed the ship to be less complete than expected. The sound of saws rang out as the group crossed decks with exposed air conditioning equipment and cables hanging from the ceiling.
Still, Dahlgren said the ship is 96% complete. It may look different when building a house, but when building a boat, many of the behind-the-scenes elements are included first, he said.
“So it’s like, ‘Oh, this is going to take five years to get done,’ which it would be if this were on land,” he says. “But the speed here varies greatly depending on how you build it.”
The reporter for this article received access to this event from Norwegian Cruise Line. USA TODAY retains editorial control of content.
Nathan Diller is a consumer travel reporter for USA TODAY based in Nashville. Please contact us at ndiller@usatoday.com.