Another Genesis for Aker

Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. has ordered another Genesis class cruise vessel from Aker Yards at a cost of approximately EUR 900 million ($1.2 billion). The contract is subject to final confirmation of buyers financing.

The second 220,000 gt ?Project Genesis? vessel will be delivered from Aker Yards, Finland, in August 2010. “Genesis is a big challenge for us, when it comes to size and complexity in the numerous technical innovations. But we are well prepared and enthusiastic when taking on this challenge”, says Yrjö Julin, President of Aker Yards, Cruise & Ferries. “Breathtaking might be an understatement of this giant being 36 m longer than the height of Eiffel tower and weighing 12 times more than the tower.”

Aker Yards in Finland and its predecessors has over the last 38 years delivered 24 innovative cruise ship newbuildings and there are a further four cruise vessels in the orderbook for 2007-2010 deliveries. One of them, ?Liberty of the Seas? is leaving the Turku yard in a few weeks and is the second in the ?Freedom? series, currently the world?s largest cruise vessels. ?Genesis? will be 43% larger, with a length of 360 metres, width of 47 metres and accommodating 8,400 passengers and crew.

Aker Yards business area Cruise & Ferries now has on its orderbook 22 vessels, 11 of which are cruise vessels.