The contracts that seal the agreements announced in February 2017 concerning the construction of two cruise ships for CSSC Carnival Cruise Shipping Limited, which will be the first units of this kind ever built in China for the Chinese market, have been signed, Fincantieri said in a statement.

The design of the ships will be tailored for the specific tastes of the Chinese travelers and for CSSC Carnival Cruise Shipping Limited, the new Chinese cruise brand of the joint venture between Carnival Corporation & plc and CSSC, which will also operate the units. The first delivery is expected in 2023.

 “The project, which has a total value of about $1.5 billion, not counting the options for additional four vessels, will be achieved by Shanghai Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding Co., Ltd (SWS), a subsidiary of China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC),” Fincantieri added.

The joint venture set up by Fincantieri and CSSC Cruise Technology Development Co. Ltd (CCTD) will grant a technology license of the ship model platform and provide a series of technical services to SWS, including project management activities, supply chain management and sales of fundamental systems and components of the ship.

A memorandum of understanding to build the ships was signed on 22 February 2017 and it replaced a similar document from the previous year. The project was first launched in the autumn 2015, when the Chinese president XI Jinping visited the UK, which is the domicile of Carnival plc.