NIT has been selected for an exclusive supplier role by Norwegian interior outfitter Vard Accommodation. NIT will supply all public interior areas for two new expedition vessels, which will be operated by Hapag-Lloyd Cruises, a subsidiary of TUI AG. Both new ships are designed for cruises in polar and tropical regions, and they will be classified in a five-star category for passengers.
“We will be challenged by the highest possible standards and requirements in this project,” says CEO Jari Suominen of NIT. “Expedition vessels is an exciting shipbuilding niche for us. The worldwide demand for luxury ships is growing very quickly.”
According to Vard, both new ships will have seven passenger decks which will accommodate 230 passengers. The length of each ship is 138 meters and they have a tonnage of 16,100 GT. Deliveries have been scheduled in 2019. The hulls of the new ships will be build in Vard’s shipyard in Tulcea, Romania. The fitting work will take place mainly in the Langsten shipyard, Norway, by Vard Accommodation.
NIT is a Finnish turnkey maritime supplier which has provided interior areas to more than 50 large vessels, including some of the largest cruise ships in the world. NIT was the first turnkey supplier chosen by Vard for this project. The NIT areas include a luxurious spa, a fine dining restaurant, staircases, outdoor deck areas, balconies and many more smaller spaces. The total area is approximately 6,000 m2 for each ship.
“This is our first project in Norway,” Suominen says, “We are very happy that Vard secured a deal with us in the early stages of this project. I expect that our team will contribute strongly to the design and engineering together with the architects and Hapag-Lloyd.”
Hapag-Lloyd currently operates two large cruise ships, Europa 1 and Europa 2, and two expedition cruise ships, Bremen and Hanseatic. Hanseatic was built in Finland by Rauma-Repola back in 1989.
Vard Accommodation is a subsidiary of Vard AS, one of the global leaders in the design and building of offshore and specialized vessels. Vard has approximately 10,000 employees in ten facilities: Five in Norway, two in Romania, two in Brazil, and one in Vietnam. The majority shareholder of Vard AS is Fincantieri Oil & Gas.