Tor Hagen is now applying a similar breakneck building pace to his ocean cruise operation, which operated its maiden voyage in May and was met with rave reviews. Three more 930-passenger ships are on order and scheduled for delivery in 2016, 2017 and an as-yet undetermined date.

And now comes word from Italy that Hagen has ordered two more newbuilds to join the fleet in mid-2018 and late 2020. The Fincantieri shipyard says the ships also will measure 47,800 gross registered tons and accommodate 930 guests.

The contracts for the fourth, fifth and sixth newbuilds are subject to technical and financial conditions, but it’s clear that Hagen is applying a similar philosophy to his ocean operation that has worked for his river business. It does take longer to build ocean ships, but this is still a rapid pace of expansion. I can’t wait to see what he does next.