Lights flashed in a theater on Norwegian Cruise Line’s newest ship.
But they weren’t part of a stage show. A worker was welding on the second floor of what will eventually become the ship’s Aqua Theater & Club, currently part of Norwegian Aqua’s active construction site.
USA TODAY was among a group of media outlets who got an inside look at the shipbuilding process at a Fincantieri shipyard in Venice, Italy, earlier this month. The ship is undergoing final work ahead of launch next year.
This is what is involved in preparing a ship for sailing.
Where are cruise ships built?
Most cruise ships are built in Europe – 98% according to the trade association Cruise Lines International Association – including by Chantiers de l’Atlantique in France, Meyer Werft in Germany and Meyer Turku in Finland.
Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri is building Norwegian Aqua at its Marghera shipyard, about eight kilometers from St. Mark’s Square. Other ships built by Fincantieri include Princess Cruises’ Discovery Princess, Holland America Line’s Rotterdam and MSC Cruises’ MSC Seascape.
How long does it take to build cruise ships?
The shipbuilding process takes years, said Patrik Dahlgren, executive vice president chief vessel operations and newbuild officer at the line’s parent company, Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings.
The company is currently in the “concept phase” for one new ship classthe first of which will be delivered in 2030. However, that could start even earlier. “(It) depends on how many different pieces you have,” he said.
Construction typically takes between two and three years.
Dahlgren said the process is “well underway” for the line’s Norwegian Luna ship, which will start sailing in 2026, and has begun for the first of the last two Prima Plus Class ships. That ship will be added to the fleet in 2027.
Norwegian started Prima Class in 2015. “With Norwegian Prima and Norwegian Viva in service for the past two years, we have learned so much from our guests and crew and used this feedback to create a truly magical product for Norwegian Aqua,” said Dahlgren.
How are cruise ships built?
The process begins with that concept phase, when Dahlgren said the line assesses what worked well on previous ships and takes into account the broader state of the industry.
“Before you even approach a shipyard, you have already built an idea and concept of what you want to achieve as an end result,” he said. Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings has an internal team of 100 people focused on new construction and also works with an external naval architecture firm.
Building on Prima and Viva, the architecture team worked with the brand and executives to create Aqua, from the color palette – think contemporary cabin interiors accented by shades of blue reminiscent of the sea, for example – to onboard activities. The line was intended to bring a “modern touch” to the ship while staying true to the brand’s identity.
“Ultimately, our goal is to tell a cohesive story through design, with every space contributing to an immersive, extraordinary guest experience,” said Dahlgren.
The company then looks at the availability of shipbuilders. “And it’s very competitive among the different cruise lines to get those slots,” he added.
Until about 20 years ago, Dahlgren said all parts of a ship were built on site, but today they are built individually in warehouses. “It’s like Lego, so you put the different pieces together,” he said.
While he remembered crews standing on ladders “and working on the ceiling” when he started, the components are now built upside down and later turned over, craned into place and welded together.
“And then once they’ve completed the basic part of the hull and the machinery of the ship, you flood the dry dock where it’s located, because it’s obviously built dry, and then hopefully it stays afloat,” he said.
The rest of the process is completed in a wet dock.
TThis is where “the real work begins” for the construction teams, Dahlgren said. This includes laying pipes, installing air ducts and laying electricity cables.
“In parallel with the technical ship development, thousands of workers are deeply involved in equipping the ship to bring to life what the architects designed months in advance, such as restaurants, lounges, bars, the theater, shops, staterooms and more,” he said .
The extensive amenities found on many modern cruise ships can still be a major undertaking, even for experienced shipbuilders.
For example, Emanuele Truant, VP of NCL Project at Fincantieri, called the Aqua Slidecoaster – a combination water slide and roller coaster – a “technical challenge” during a panel following the shipyard tour. Although ships at higher points tend to have lighter structures, the ride uses approximately 40 tons of water moving at high speed on top of the ship.
“It wasn’t a total surprise,” Truant said when he heard about the plans for the slide. “But I thought it would be much smaller in scale.”
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Where do cruise ships get their furniture?
Norwegian’s in-house architects work with external firms to shape the ship’s aesthetic.
Much of the furniture they use is custom-made, and the ocean environment dictates certain criteria. For example, items left outside need to be “so sturdy” and able to withstand the elements, Dahlgren said.
The furniture of the staterooms in turn comes on board next to the cabins. These are built separately and later added to the ship fully equipped.
The final steps usually consist of testing the ship’s various systems, both at the shipyard, the so-called commissioning phase, and at sea, the so-called sea trials. The latter usually happens about four months before a ship is delivered, giving the shipyard time to resolve any problems.
During Aqua’s shipyard tour, the ship looked less finished than you might expect about six months before its maiden voyage. Saws buzzed as the group walked the decks with visible HVAC equipment and cables hanging from the ceiling.
Still, Dahlgren said the ship was 96% complete. That may look different when building a house, he said, but with a ship, many behind-the-scenes elements emerge first.
“So it looks like it will take five years to complete, which would be the case if it were on land,” he said. “But it’s a very different speed here depending on how you build it.”
The reporter for this story was given access to this event by Norwegian Cruise Line. USA TODAY retains editorial control over the content.
Nathan Diller is a consumer travel reporter for USA TODAY based in Nashville. You can reach him at ndiller@usatoday.com.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: How are cruise ships built? Here’s a look behind the scenes
