The keel laying ceremony was held today at the Ancona shipyard for the Seven Seas Splendor, the second super luxury cruise ship that Fincantieri is building for Regent Seven Seas Cruises, brand of the Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. The delivery is scheduled for 2020.

The ceremony was attended, among others, by Jason Montague, President and CEO of Regent Seven Seas Cruises, who was welcomed by Giovanni Stecconi, the Fincantieri Ancona yard manager.

Like her sister ship Seven Seas Explorer, delivered by Fincantieri at the Sestri Ponente (Genova) shipyard in 2016, the new vessel will be 55,000 gross tonnes with accommodation for 750 passengers. She will be built using the very latest in environmental protection technologies. The interiors will be particularly sophisticated, with every attention paid to passenger comfort.

“Seven Seas Explorer has earned remarkable acclaim since debuting in 2016 as the most luxurious ship ever built. Now, her sister Seven Seas Splendor builds upon the success of that lauded ship as it strives to perfect uncompromised luxury on the seas” said Jason Montague, President and Chief executive officer of Regent Seven Seas Cruises. “In our pursuit to exceed guest expectations, we are creating a work of art, from bow to stern. Wherever you turn on Seven Seas Splendor, you will be surrounded by elegance, comfort and hospitality."

Luigi Matarazzo, Fincantieri Executive Vice President New Building - Merchant Ships Business Unit, said: “We are satisfied to have the opportunity to partner for the second time with a ship owner like Regent Seven Seas Cruises. It means that we have met all the expectations of a company that has made quality and sophistication the distinguishing features of its business. I am sure that this vessel will represent another success for our shipyard in Ancona, which confirms its mission in the medium-sized luxury ships segment, but also for the Fincantieri Group, a leader in the cruise market."