The Italian shipbuilding company Fincantieri has celebrated the launch of the cruise ship “Norwegian Aura”. It is due to be delivered to Norwegian Cruise Line in January 2027.
With the launch, the construction of the ship enters the final outfitting and interior design phase. The ceremony was attended by high-ranking representatives from both Fincantieri and Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) as well as students from technical institutes in the region. Fincantieri cooperates with numerous high schools and academies of technical institutes throughout the country, thus contributing to the development of specialized technical skills for shipbuilding, the company announced. The company also supports career guidance and the integration of young people into the labor market.
With 170,000 GT and a length of 344 m, the “Norwegian Aura” is around 10% larger than the previous ships in the Prima Plus class, the “Norwegian Aqua” and the “Norwegian Luna”. She is also the first NCL ship to be built at the shipyard in Monfalcone. The “Norwegian Aura” has 1,976 cabins and can accommodate around 3,880 guests. Other features highlighted by Fincantieri include a large water park, a high ropes course, a climbing wall and the “Ocean Boulevard”, a 360-degree outdoor promenade.
NCL Holdings and Fincantieri recently signed a contract for three more ships to be delivered for one brand each – NCL, Oceania Cruises and Regent Seven Seas Cruises. This brings the total number of ships in the order book to 16, with deliveries planned until 2037. NCL Holdings has ordered a total of 17 ships with this order. Eight of these are for NCL, five for Oceania Cruises and a further four for Regent Seven Seas Cruises.
The shipyard in Monfalcone, located in north-eastern Italy, will also build three new cruise ships for Princess Cruises. The order, which is valued at more than $ 2 billion , was only announced yesterday. The ships will be delivered by 2039.
