MSC Cruises has confirmed its order for two more LNG-powered ships from Chantiers de l’Atlantique shipyards, according to a press release.

The two  ships – currently referred to as World Class 3 and 4 – are scheduled for delivery in 2026 and 2027. There is an option for a fifth ship. 

Additionally, the new World Class ships will be ready for a range of alternative fuels including bio and synthetic methane and green methanol. They will also feature shore power plug-in connectivity to reduce carbon emissions in port and other onboard energy-efficient equipment to further reduce emissions.

 Pierfrancesco Vago, executive chairman at MSC Cruises, said: “We are proud to continue our 20-year partnership with Chantiers de l’Atlantique, with whom we have already built 18 ships with our 19th under construction.  The World Class is a truly innovative prototype and together we are building some of the most advanced ships in the world.  We are committed to researching and investing in future environmental technologies as they become available, to ensure we continue progressing on our decarbonization journey to reach net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.”

Laurent Castaing, general manager at Chantiers de l’Atlantique added: “At a difficult time for the European shipbuilding industry, MSC Cruises has shown its confidence in our abilities and skills with this order. We would therefore like to express our gratitude to MSC Cruises for its renewed confidence at this crucial time. In addition, MSC Cruises, always seeking to reduce the environmental impact of its ships quickly and significantly, has accepted a significant cost premium to improve the energy efficiency of these new ships which, according to the IMO’s EEDI index, will emit 50% less CO2 than the IMO’s 2008 benchmark.”