Crystal has locked in the third vessel in its newbuilding programme with Fincantieri after the contract for a 62,000-gt cruise ship became effective, with delivery scheduled for May 2034, according to Crystal.
The 650-passenger vessel will complete a three-ship series ordered from the Italian shipbuilder and will feature an all-suite layout with private verandas, an Owner’s Suite, accommodation for solo travellers, a wraparound promenade and outdoor dining areas.
Crystal Grace, the first ship in the series, is under construction at Fincantieri’s Marghera yard following steel cutting in May 2026. Delivery is scheduled for May 2028, with its inaugural voyage from Civitavecchia on 11 June 2028. An unnamed second sister ship is due in May 2031.
The newbuilding programme dates to June 2024, when Crystal agreed two ships with an option for a third. The option was exercised later that year and the third order was finalised on 8 November 2024, when delivery had been tentatively expected in 2032.
Fincantieri classified the order as “large”, its category for cruise contracts valued at €500m to €1bn ($578m to $1.16bn). The exact contract value was not disclosed. The shipbuilder’s 2024 financial reporting included contracts subject to financing with Crystal for three cruise ships, with deliveries starting in 2028.
Crystal’s existing ocean fleet comprises Crystal Serenity and Crystal Symphony. Fincantieri completed major refits of both vessels at Arsenale Triestino San Marco in 2023. Crystal Grace will be the brand’s first new ocean ship in 25 years. A&K Travel Group acquired the Crystal brand, Crystal Serenity and Crystal Symphony in 2022.
Fincantieri is an Italian shipbuilding group active in cruise, naval and offshore construction, with 18 shipyards worldwide and more than 23,000 direct employees.
