Norwegian Cruise Line has resolved a dispute with a shipyard to allow the construction of a single new generation ship to proceed.
A planned second F3 vessel, currently only in the preparatory stages, will not be built.
NCL and STX France Cruise SA, STX Europe’s French shipyard, said they had reached an agreement and were moving forward with the construction of the original F3 cruise ship project.
STX is now building one F3 ship at 150,000-tons with a capacity for 4,200 passengers, representing the largest ship in NCL’s fleet.
This will mean a continuation of the original hull which is currently in the early phases of construction, with delivery set for late May 2010, as originally scheduled.
Further terms of the agreement were not disclosed.
NCL president and CEO Kevin Sheehan said: "With this agreement, we can all focus on completing the new vessel successfully.
"We are looking forward to the arrival of our much-anticipated F3 ship as it represents a major step forward for NCL in terms of ship size, design and innovation."
Jacques Hardelay, president of STX France Cruise SA, said: "We are pleased that the ongoing construction of the ship for NCL will continue. We, along with our subcontractors, will now make the necessary adjustments to our plans for this project."
by Phil Davies
