Damen Lands First Cruise Ship Construction Contract

Updated: November 19, 2020 (Originally published March 20, 2019)

Dutch shipbuilding group Damen Shipyards has officially entered the cruise market having signed a contract with Oslo, Norway-based SeaDream Yacht Club for a 155-meter luxury vessel.

The so-called Mega Yacht will be purpose-built with ice class Polar Code 6 permitting sailings to polar destinations as well as tropical ones.

The order marks Damen’s official entry into the cruise market after the group launched its newest venture, Damen Cruise, in 2018.

Damen says its goal is to become a long-term partner for the cruise industry, providing services throughout the entire lifecycle of a vessel, from financing through construction and outfitting and maintenance, repair and upgrade services.

In 2018, Damen began operational control of the shipyard now known as Damen Shipyards Mangalia, in Romania, a joint venture with the Romanian Government. The yard, located on the Black Sea, is the largest in the Damen’s shipyard portfolio allowing it to construct larger, more complex vessels.

The Mega Yacht for SeaDream will be completely constructed and outfitted, including the interior, at the Mangalia yard by Damen, working in partnership with suppliers. Damen says construction of the Mega Yacht will commence construction of the vessel in October this year, with a scheduled delivery date of September 2021.

Damen Shipyards Group operates 36 shipbuilding and repair yards employing 12,000 people around the world, offering a wide range of products including tugs, workboats, naval and patrol vessels, high speed craft, cargo vessels, dredgers, vessels for the offshore industry, ferries, pontoons and superyachts.

“We are delighted to sign this historic contract with which the Damen Shipyards Group enters the cruise market. We feel very honoured that SeaDream has chosen Damen to deliver this special project and are looking forward to a long-term cooperation with this unique ultra-luxury brand,” said Andrea Trevisan, SVP Sales and Marketing Damen Cruise.

“We were drawn to Damen Shipyards for their excellent reputation and proven track record as innovators in the shipbuilding industry,” said Atle Brynestad, Owner, Chairman and CEO of SeaDream. “Damen Shipyards understood our vision from the very beginning, making them a natural fit for this venture. We are looking forward to working closely with the Damen team to bring this dream to reality.”

In addition to Damen Shipyards, Damen Shiprepair & Conversion (DSC) has a worldwide network of eighteen repair and conversion yards of which twelve are located in North West Europe. Facilities at the yards include more than 50 floating (and covered) drydocks, including the longest, 420 x 80 metres, and the widest, 405 x 90 metres, as well as slopes, ship lifts and indoor halls. Projects range from the smallest simple repairs through Class’ maintenance to complex refits and the complete conversion of large offshore structures. DSC completes around 1,300 repair and maintenance jobs annually, both at yards as well as in ports and during voyage.

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