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Healthy orderbook sees 41 new ships and 132,000-plus lower berths through to 2021

Royal Caribbean International
Ovation of the Seas' keel was laid at Meyer Werft in March
The recent burst of new cruise ship orders, 10 in all for Costa Group, Virgin Cruises, TUI Cruises and Silversea, pushes the number of lower berths on firm order over the 132,000 mark and the orderbook up to 41 ships, according to statistics compiled by Seatrade (or click on 'Orderbook' at the top of page for full table).

Valued at over $30bn it is by far the healthiest cruise ship orderbook in 18 years. The number is inflated, however, due to the conversion of the mainly euro-contracted prices into a US dollar amount for Seatrade's orderbook listing and some of the order values are estimates as neither the yard or owner has reported the price.

The forward orderbook now stretches into 2021 when Virgin Cruises' third 110,000gt ship, placed with Fincantieri, is due to be delivered.

The 41 ships are being constructed by six builders in Germany, Italy, France, Finland, Croatia and Japan.

Meyer Werft in Papenburg has the largest share of lower berths on order accounting for 32% and 10 ships. Adding the six contracted to Meyer Turku takes the share up to 47% of the lower berths and an orderbook through to 2020.

Fincantieri also has 16 ships on order, accounting for over 37,000 lower berths, and a 29% share. The five additional ships secured by the Italian builder through 2022 were part of the nine-ship MOU signed with Carnival Corp earlier this year split between Fincantieri and Meyer.

STX France in St Nazaire is building 25,600 lower berths on six ships and has a 19% share of the orderbook.

Some 5% of the lower berths are under construction at Mitsubishi Heavy Industries in Japan which is building two vessels for AIDA Cruises and at Brodosplit which secured an order for a 300-passenger, five-masted, square-rigged barque from Star Clippers.

The 41 ships are allocated across 17 brands with Carnival Corp accounting for 13, Royal Caribbean/TUI 10, Norwegian Cruise Line and MSC four apiece, Virgin Cruises 3, Viking and Star Cruises two each and one ship apiece for Regent, Star Clippers and Silversea.

There could be more firm orders before the year is through with Genting Hong Kong having stated its intention to build for Crystal Cruises for delivery by 2018 plus the agreement among Carnival Corp., Fincantieri and China State Shipbuilding to possibly develop newbuilds for the China market, although no details are available.