Fincantieri and France's Ponant have signed a memorandum of agreement (MOA) worth about €300 million (US$330 million) for the construction and design of two luxury expedition cruise vessels in a series plus an option for a third sister ship.
The 230-passenger vessels will be improved variants of the Ponant Explorers-class cruise ships.
Ponant's Paul Gauguin Cruises brand will operate the vessels in the South Pacific alongside the 1997-built Paul Gauguin (pictured) following their scheduled delivery in 2022.