Fincantieri

Business and Financial Review • Jun 23, 2015

Informazione Regolamentata n. 1616-52-2015		Data/Ora Ricezione 23 Giugno 2015 17:32:42	MTA
Societa'	:	FINCANTIERI
Identificativo Informazione Regolamentata	:	60042
Nome utilizzatore	:	FINCANTIERIN03 - Obradovic
Tipologia	:	IROS 13
Data/Ora Ricezione	:	23 Giugno 2015 17:32:42
Data/Ora Inizio Diffusione presunta	:	23 Giugno 2015 17:50:04
Oggetto	:	Cruises	FINCANTIERI to build three ships for Virgin
Testo del comunicato

Vedi allegato.

FINCANTIERI TO BUILD THREE SHIPS FOR VIRGIN CRUISES

Signing of Letter of Intent for the construction of the first cruise ships for the new cruise company

Trieste/Miami, 23 June 2015 – FINCANTIERI S.p.A., world leader in cruise ship construction, and Virgin Cruises, brand of Virgin Group and new cruise operator, have signed a binding Letter of Intent (LOI) for the construction of three cruise ships. The agreement, subject to the satisfaction of the usual customary conditions, is expected to be finalized in Q4 of 2015.

The new units will weigh 110,000 gross tons each and will feature 1430 guest cabins to host more than 2800 passengers on board, assisted by 1150 crew members. The delivery is scheduled respectively in 2020, 2021 and 2022.

"This is a very exciting day for Virgin and travelers around the globe", said Sir Richard Branson, founder of the Virgin Group. "We now have the right partners in place to build a world-class cruise line that will redefine the cruising experience for good. The Virgin Cruises approach will appeal to cruisers and noncruisers alike, and we look forward to being in Miami and delivering an experience for people who want a new way to cruise".

Tom McAlpin, President and CEO of Virgin Cruises added: "Virgin is a customer built brand that listens carefully to what customers want, sharing their ideas on what the new cruise line can do to deliver an incredible experience at sea. We are committed to making waves in the cruise industry, and partnering with Fincantieri sets Virgin Cruises up to do just that. Today's announcement and Fincantieri's expertise in prototyping, their creativity and understanding of our vision bring together important ingredients in our future success".

Giuseppe Bono, CEO of Fincantieri, stated: "I am honoured that our company is the selected partner for Virgin Cruises for such an important programme, which states the entry of a prestigious brand in the cruise industry. I am convinced that this choice will contribute to expand the audience of cruise passengers, considering that the market segment still has wide growth margins. I am sure that both our teams together will create a cutting edge project, in order to set up a memorable guest experience. This agreement increases the number of our partners and strengthens our world leadership. The backlog which we can count on allows us to give an important contribution to the economic growth our country and, thanks to it, our workers and suppliers can rely and trust on continuous employment for a long period".

* * *

Fincantieri is one of the world's largest shipbuilding groups and number one by diversification and presence in all high value-added market sectors, having built more than 7,000 vessels in over 230 years of its maritime history. It is world leader in cruise ship construction and a reference player in other sectors, from naval vessels to cruise ferries, from mega-yachts to special high value-added vessels, from ship repairs and conversions to offshore vessels. Headquartered in Trieste (Italy), the Group has approximately 21,900 employees, of whom around 7,700 in Italy, and 21 shipyards in 4 continents. In 2013 the Group acquired VARD, a company listed on the Singapore Stock Exchange that builds offshore support vessels for oil & gas exploration and production. Fincantieri has doubled in size to become the West's leading shipbuilder. Fincantieri operates in the United States through its subsidiary Fincantieri Marine Group (FMG). This company, which serves important government customers, including the U.S. Navy and Coast Guard, has three shipyards (Marinette Marine, Bay Shipbuilding, Ace Marine), all located in the Great Lakes region. Fincantieri is present in the UAE with Etihad Ship Building, a joint venture set up with Al Fattan Ship Industries and Melara Middle East, to design, produce and sell different types of civilian and military ships as well as perform maintenance and refitting activities.

Virgin is a leading international investment group and one of the world's most recognized and respected brands. Conceived in 1970 by Sir Richard Branson, the Virgin Group has gone on to grow successful businesses in sectors including mobile telephony, travel and transportation, financial services, leisure and entertainment, health and wellness, and space tourism.

Virgin Cruises is a new cruise line based in South Florida that is planning to offer its guests an outstanding experience matched with the famed Virgin service.

FINCANTIERI S.p.A. – Media Relations

Antonio Autorino Laura Calzolari Cristiano Musella Micaela Longo Tel. +39 040 3192473 Tel. +39 040 3192527 Tel. +39 040 3192225 Tel. +39 040 3192247 Mob. +39 335 7859027 Mob. +39 334 6587922 Mob. +39 366 9254543 Mob. +39 366 6856280 antonio.autorino@fincantieri.it laura.calzolari@fincantieri.it cristiano.musella@fincantieri.it micaela.longo@fincantieri.it

FINCANTIERI S.p.A. – Investor Relations

Luca Passa	Tijana Obradovic	Silvia Ponso
Tel. +39 040 3192369	Tel. +39 040 3192409	Tel. +39 040 3192371
luca.passa@fincantieri.it	tijana.obradovic@fincantieri.it	silvia.ponso@fincantieri.it

Image Building – Media Relations

Giuliana Paoletti	Simona Raffaelli	Alfredo Mele
Tel. +39 02 89011300	Tel. +39 02 89011300	Tel. +39 02 89011300
Mob. +39 335 6551356	Mob. +39 335 1245191	Mob. +39 335 1245185
fincantieri@imagebuilding.it	fincantieri@imagebuilding.it	fincantieri@imagebuilding.it