TeamCo says river cruise ship ordered now would arrive in 2030

The 2030 delivery date

A lot of shipyards have 2027 and 2028 already fully reserved, and some even into 2029 and 2030, van Berchum told Cruise Industry News in an interview for its 2027 European River Market Report. Dutch building slots are filled well into the decade. He said that does not mean there are no options left. His advice was to start early and visit TeamCo.

Market demand in the Netherlands is high and capacity is limited, van Berchum said. Cruise Industry News reported that TeamCo was founded in 2005 by Marcel Zweers and Gerrie van Tiem on the site of an abandoned yard on the Meuse. It has delivered about 160 vessels, ranging from tanker barges and LNG carriers to river cruise ships.

Capacity tied to Celebrity

Cruise Industry News reported that much of TeamCo's capacity is committed to Celebrity River Cruises, which has ordered 20 river ships through 2031, all being built at TeamCo in Heusden. The first, the Celebrity Compass, is under construction. Two ships arrive in 2027 and four in 2028, with the remainder scheduled through 2031.

Van Berchum said TeamCo can deliver up to eight vessels per year, depending on the complexity of the projects. A large part of production capacity is reserved for Celebrity, but the yard will always have room for one or two other customers each year, he said. The eight-vessel figure is a maximum, not a fixed annual output.

The Celebrity program runs on a three-way model. Zwijnenburg Shipyard builds the hulls, Willemsen Interieurbouw handles interiors and TeamCo assembles and completes the vessels, according to Cruise Industry News. The model separates hull construction from interior work and final assembly.

Fit-out bottleneck

Interior fit-out is emerging as a less-discussed bottleneck in the river shipbuilding boom. With Concordia Damen, Vahali and TeamCo all ramping up production, the pool of specialist interior subcontractors is finite, Cruise Industry News reported.

Van Berchum said sustainability requirements are also adding complexity. Hybrid propulsion, diesel-electric systems with battery packs, low-draft lightweight hull design and heat recovery systems are all in use, but each ship is a compromise between guest space and technical possibilities. He acknowledged that the push toward sustainability had driven up costs somewhat, but said systems such as diesel-electric propulsion and heat recovery should pay back over time through lower fuel costs.

New entrants

Van Berchum remained optimistic that the industry could keep up. With the market growing, new parties and subcontractors are entering the market, he said. He said he has absolute confidence that the Dutch shipbuilding industry can adapt to all the growth quite quickly.