MSC Reportedly in Talks to Buy Majority Stake in Meyer Werft

MSC could be considering a much bigger investment in the future of cruise shipbuilding.

According to a September 20 Bloomberg report, MSC is in preliminary discussions about acquiring the roughly 80% stake in German shipbuilder Meyer Werft currently owned by Germany’s federal government and the state of Lower Saxony.

There is no deal yet, and this is important: the discussions are reportedly still open-ended, other bidders could emerge and the talks could ultimately end without an acquisition.

Still, the possibility is especially interesting for MSC Cruises because Meyer Werft is already preparing to build MSC’s next generation of cruise ships.

Why Does the German Government Own Meyer Werft?

Meyer Werft was family-owned for generations, but the German federal government and Lower Saxony stepped in during a financial restructuring of the shipyard in 2024.

Together, they invested €400 million and acquired an 80.73% stake in the company, while also supporting financing for the shipyard’s existing order book.

The Meyer family retained just under 20% of the business.

The government investment was intended as a temporary stabilization measure rather than permanent state ownership, making the possibility of the majority stake eventually returning to private ownership unsurprising.

The MSC New Frontier Connection

This is where the story gets particularly interesting for MSC cruisers.

MSC Cruises and Meyer Werft announced plans in December 2025 for four ships in an entirely new class known as MSC New Frontier, along with options for two additional ships.

The approximately 180,000-gross-ton ships are expected to carry a maximum of around 5,400 passengers, with deliveries planned annually beginning in 2030.

If all six ships are eventually built, the agreement would occupy a significant amount of Meyer Werft’s future shipbuilding capacity.

The New Frontier Contracts Still Aren’t Final

There is another interesting wrinkle.

Although MSC and Meyer Werft announced the New Frontier plans in December, the companies clarified in June 2026 that the original agreement was a letter of intent and that the detailed construction contracts were still being finalized.

At the time, both companies said negotiations had reached an advanced stage and that they expected to successfully conclude them in the coming weeks.

That makes the reported takeover discussions particularly noteworthy.

It does not mean the two negotiations are connected, and neither MSC nor Meyer Werft has publicly said that acquiring the shipyard is necessary for New Frontier.

But MSC potentially becoming Meyer Werft’s majority owner while simultaneously planning a major new generation of ships there would create a very different relationship between cruise line and shipbuilder.

What Could an MSC Takeover Mean?

For now, there are far more questions than answers.

Ownership of a major shipbuilder could potentially give the MSC Group greater access to future shipbuilding capacity as its cruise fleet continues to grow.

Meyer Werft also builds ships for cruise lines outside MSC, so another major question would be how those customer relationships would work under MSC ownership.

However, those are possible implications, not confirmed plans.

MSC has not announced an acquisition, and according to the initial report, no final decision has been made.

What Happens Next?

For MSC fans, the biggest thing to watch is whether the discussions progress into a formal offer.

There is also still unfinished business surrounding the New Frontier order itself. MSC and Meyer Werft have not yet announced that the final contracts for the four ships and two options have been completed.

If MSC does eventually acquire the government’s majority stake, it would be a major move for the MSC Group and could have long-term implications for how its future cruise ships are built.

For now, though, this remains a developing story rather than a done deal.