THE CRUISE EXAMINER - COMMENT ON THE LATEST CRUISE INDUSTRY NEWS BY MARK TRE'
Cybercruises.com
Monday September 2 - Week 36
Cruise Ship Building: Asia Invades Europe
For a long time now, Italy, France, Germany and Finland, and very occasionally Japan, have been the only serious builders in the world to produce large cruise ships. But with three recent shipbuilding takeovers, this may now be changing.
In January 2005, Kvaerner-Masa Yards and Aker Finnyards agreed to merge to form Aker Yards, a Finnish-based but Norwegian-owned company, and more yards have since been added in Germany.
In January 2006, Aker Yards and Alstom, owners of Chantiers de l'Atlantique, announced that they would merge. Aker acquired a 75% shareholding in the joint company and Alstom 25%, at least until 2010. The cost of the acquisition for Aker Yards was some €50 million and meanwhile Chantiers became Aker France.
But last month, South Korea's STX Group took over Aker Yards.(Click here to see the last columns by The Cruise Examiner)