Overview
- The Swiss cruise operator MSC Cruises signed a letter of intent in Berlin for four to six ships, a package valued at up to €10 billion.
- Officials say the order will keep the Papenburg yard busy through around 2035–2036, with unions urging firm protection for roughly 3,100 jobs and support for more than 1,800 suppliers.
- Meyer Werft remains majority-owned by the federal government and Lower Saxony after a 2024 rescue that injected €400 million in equity and backed about €2.6 billion in loans.
- The agreement is an intent to proceed, with detailed contracts and technical specifications to be finalized over the next one to two quarters.
- Berlin signals a goal of eventual reprivatization, while governance tensions between the Meyer family and current management continue to shadow the stabilization effort.