Where are large cruise ships manufactured?

[ratatoskK]

I am wondering where large cruise ships are manufactured. I don't know a lot about ships, but all of the large shipyards I've heard of are military.

I tried Googling and found a list of U.S. shipyards , but it seems to list everything, including military (like Newport News and Bath Iron Works).

Do some of these military manufacturers also make civilian ships? And assuming that cruise ships are made abroad, where would that generally be?

I was thinking about it last night because I'm going on a cruise soon and I was thinking how awesome it must be to see a large ship like that in drydock.

[ratatoskK]

I just searched for "Carnival Glory shipyard" -- it was made in Italy.
http://www.cybercruises.com/carnivalglory.htm

[Scruloose]

Carnivals new ship, "Carnival Liberty" was built in Italy. It would seem this yard in Finland sees a lot of cruise ship contracts for several big players. The Queen Mary 2 was built in France, IIRC.

The US doesn't build a lot of ships, save for military vessels. Too many regulations and too costly.

[ratatoskK]

Here are some more sapecific ships...
http://www.cruiseliners.wanadoo.co.uk/

[clairobscur]

Out of curiosity I checked the site of the most important french shipyards for cruise ships (they build recently, for instance, the british Queen Mary II). they apparently also build other kind of ships, tankers, offshore platform elements, etc..


The same company also seems to build military vessels, but it's unclear whether they're build in the same shipyards.


IOW, it seems that shipyards aren't specialized in a particular type of ship.


I also believe that very few cruise ships are build nowadays, so it migh not be easy to see one being build (assuming that you can visit them, but I noticed on the tourism site of the town I was refering to that they seem to organize such visits one day a week, and they mention the names of two cruise ships currently being build. So, I suppose it's the same in other countries and that tourists aren't off-limit).

[Scruloose]

Originally Posted by ratatoskK

I was thinking about it last night because I'm going on a cruise soon and I was thinking how awesome it must be to see a large ship like that in drydock.

This page has some pics of the C/S Galaxy in drydock: http://www.simplonpc.co.uk/Galaxy.html

[Spectre of Pithecanthropus]

Italy seems to be a major center of shipbuilding. The cruise ship I sailed on recently, Holland America's Zaandam, was made in Italy too.

[Princhester]

Italy is a centre for cruiseships, perhaps. But most ships are made in Asia. China, Japan, Korea.

[Princhester]

Actually I should make clear that Italy does make all kinds of ships. But I wouldn't call them a "major center". They have one yard: Fincantieri. The only other yards building large cruise vessels are Kvaerner in Finland, Mitsubishi in Japan and Chantiers d'Atlantique in France.

Over 85% of all ships are built in the Far East. Everyone else is a bit player.

[Mops]

Another notable yard buiding cruise liners is Meyer Werft in Papenburg, Lower Saxony, Germany. They build cruise liners indoors there.

The latest was Norwegian Jewel which passed down the River Ems this weekend. (press photograph)
These Ems passages are attended by tens of thousands of spectators from all over North Germany. Video of Super Star Leo passage from river's bank - Video from the bridge

Meyer Werft say they are visited by 230,000 tourists per year

As far as competition from Asia is concerned they seem to hold their own by a very efficient production process in which the ship is put together from precisely laser-welded sections that arrive at exactly the right place in the right time. Of course the cheap dollar has hurt them for the last few years, as it has all export-oriented industries.

[clairobscur]

Originally Posted by Princhester

Actually I should make clear that Italy does make all kinds of ships. But I wouldn't call them a "major center". They have one yard: Fincantieri. The only other yards building large cruise vessels are Kvaerner in Finland, Mitsubishi in Japan and Chantiers d'Atlantique in France.

I'm not sure to understand. Do you mean that all cruise ships are build in these 4 shipyards (the 85% build in the far east being other kinds of ships), or that most ships (cruise ships included) are build in the Far East, except for these 4 european shipyards?


Does it means too that there are no civilian shipyards at all in the Americas (north and south)?


Finally, you seem not to include Japan in the Far East, in this case. So, in which far eastern countries are most ships build?

[Princhester]

Originally Posted by tschild

Another notable yard buiding cruise liners is Meyer Werft in Papenburg, Lower Saxony, Germany. They build cruise liners indoors there.

The OP referred to large cruise ships. I think I probably set the bar too high (>100k GRT) when I named my four yards. You're right, there are quite a number of yards producing smaller cruise vessels, but I guess 70k GRT is still pretty big.

Originally Posted by clairobscur

I'm not sure to understand. Do you mean that all cruise ships are build in these 4 shipyards (the 85% build in the far east being other kinds of ships), or that most ships (cruise ships included) are build in the Far East, except for these 4 european shipyards?

Agreed that my post was somewhat confusingly worded.

To answer your question, those are the only four shipyards building >100,000 GRT (ie large) cruiseships, large being what the OP wanted to know about. I don't know about percentages of general cruiseship building by geographical location.

85% of all ships of every type are built in the Far East.

Does it means too that there are no civilian shipyards at all in the Americas (north and south)?

Not quite, no.

Finally, you seem not to include Japan in the Far East, in this case. So, in which far eastern countries are most ships build?

I certainly didn't mean to imply this. Japan is certainly included in the Far East. The main shipbuilding Far Eastern countries would be Taiwan, China, Japan and Korea, I would think.