German cruise company Hapag-Lloyd Cruises, owned by TUI AG, has been confirmed as the owner of the two expedition cruise vessels ordered at Fincantieri’s subsidiary Vard Holdings Limited (Vard).

The parties signed a Letter of Intent (LoI) with respect to the design and shipbuilding contracts in May 2016.

Vard said that the effectiveness of the contracts is still subject to customary financing conditions.

The 16,100 gross ton vessels, designed for cruises in polar regions in the Arctic and Antarctica, will feature a length of 138 meters and a width of 22 meters.

Each vessel will have seven passenger decks, with accommodation for a total of 240 passengers in 120 cabins and suites.

The hulls of the vessels will be built by VARD’s shipyard in Tulcea, Romania, and delivery is scheduled from Vard Langsten in Norway in the first quarter and the fourth quarter of 2019, respectively