Biggest shipyard in Romania gets new contracts, will build cruise ship

SeaDream, a cruise ship to be used on luxury voyages, will be built at the Mangalia yard in Romania after Damen Shipyards Group signed a contract with Norway-based SeaDream Yacht Club.

Damen Shipyards holds a 49% minority stake and the operational control in the Mangalia yard, while the Romanian state has a 51% stake.

The contract is Damen’s first for a cruise ship. The 155-meter mega yacht, a purpose-built ship, will be prepared to operate in destinations around the world, including polar and tropical. As such, the vessel will boast ice class Polar Code 6 credentials. Damen will begin construction of the vessel in October this year, with a scheduled delivery date of September 2021.

The SeaDream contract is one of several major ones the Mangalia shipyard received, the Economy Ministry announced. The shipyard will also build passenger transport ships and a complex ship for offshore farms, with a loading capacity of over 10,000 tonnes.

In order to fulfill the recent orders, more people will be hired at the yard. When Damen took over the operational control, the yard had 1,700 employees. It is expected to reach 2,500 by year end.

In 2018, Damen took over the operational control of the Mangalia shipyard. The yard, located on the Black Sea, is the largest in the Damen portfolio and brings with it the capabilities for the group to construct larger, more complex vessels, the company said.

Damen also holds the majority stake in another shipyard in Romania, in Galati.

(Photo source: damen.com)