Chantiers de l'Atlantique is a shipyard in Saint-Nazaire, France. It is Europe’s largest shipyard and one of the world's largest, constructing a wide range of commercial, naval, and passenger ships. The Dock STX Europe is the fourth largest shipbuilding hall and the sixth-largest usable volume in the world as of 2025. It is located near Nantes, at the mouth of the Loire river and the deep waters of the Atlantic, which make the sailing of large ships in and out of the shipyards easy.

The shipyard was owned by Alstom from 1976 onwards, became Alstom-Atlantique, and was later part of Aker Yards when Aker Group acquired the Alstom Marine business in 2006. In 2008, the South Korean company STX Corporation acquired Aker Yards, and the shipyard became part of STX Europe (formed by the renaming of Aker Yards).

After the bankruptcy of STX Corporation, the shipyard was acquired by the French government and reverted to its original name of Chantiers de l'Atlantique.

History

The current Chantiers de l'Atlantique yard evolved from the Ateliers et Chantiers de Saint-Nazaire Penhoët, Saint-Nazaire, France, famous for building the transatlantic liners: , , and .

It was renamed to its current name in 1955 by the merger of Ateliers et Chantiers de la Loire and Ateliers et Chantiers de Penhoët. In 1961, it built the transatlantic ocean liner , the world's longest passenger vessel only overall, but not at the waterline. After the construction of the last Compagnie Générale Transatlantique liner and the closure of the Suez Canal, the yard began building large tankers, including , , and . A new dry dock was built for this purpose and allowed the construction of tankers exceeding one million tonnes, but it remained mainly unused except for the construction in 1975–1976 of the sister ships and Nestor and then again idle until construction of Cunard's liner .

Between 1985 and 1998, the shipyard built several cruise ships for Royal Caribbean Cruise Line (RCCL). In 1987 the first of these ships, , was delivered, and was the first mega cruise ship in the world. Subsequent deliveries to RCCL included , , , Legend of the Seas, , , and . In 2003, the shipyard also delivered to Crystal Cruises and Queen Mary 2 to Cunard. During the construction of RMS Queen Mary 2, a gangway to the dry-docked ship collapsed, killing sixteen people.

On 4 January 2006 Aker Yards purchased the Marine Division of Alstom, which included the Chantiers de l'Atlantique shipyard. In March 2007 Aker ASA divested its interest in Aker Yards, with South Korean STX Corporation acquiring a 39.2% stake in Aker Yards in October. By 3 November 2008 STX Corporation had acquired a controlling stake in the company, renaming it to STX Europe. The same year, the French government purchased a 33.34% stake in the shipyard.

After the bankruptcy of STX Corporation in 2016, STX France was put up for sale, and the Italian state-owned shipyard Fincantieri showed interest in acquiring STX France.

In September 2017, after difficult negotiations and a brief nationalization of the shipyard by the French government, the involved parties reached an agreement, with Fincantieri acquiring a 50% stake in STX France, and the remainder being held by the French Naval Group and the French government. A month later, it was announced that the Saint-Nazaire shipyard would regain its original name, Chantiers de l'Atlantique.

In 2022, a new crane entered service during the construction of , replacing the older crane from 1967.

Ships Notable passenger liners built by at the Chantiers de l'Atlantique yard (former Ateliers et Chantiers de Saint-Nazaire Penhoët) include: +Passenger shipsShip name (as built)Year deliveredBuilt forCurrent statusNotes1910sSS France1912Compagnie Générale TransatlantiqueScrapped 19361920sSS Paris1921Compagnie Générale TransatlantiqueBurned and Capsized at Dock 1939, Scrapped 1947SS Ile de France1927Compagnie Générale TransatlantiqueScrapped 1959Was used as a "movie prop" in the film The Last Voyage, prior to scrapping.1930sMS Lafayette1930Compagnie Générale TransatlantiqueBurned, scrappedSS L'Atlantique1931Compagnie de Navigation Sud AtlantiqueBurned, and scrappedSS Champlain1932Compagnie Générale TransatlantiqueSunk WWIISS Normandie1935Compagnie Générale TransatlantiqueBurned and Capsized at Dock 1942, Scrapped 1948It was the world's largest ship until Cunard's Queen Elizabeth, held Blue Riband. Capsized in New York Harbor, 1942. Scrapped in NJ, 1946.SS Pasteur1939Compagnie de Navigation Sud-AtlantiqueSank 1980 on way to scrap yard1950sSS Bretagne1952Société Générale de Transport MaritimesScrapped 1963MS General Mangin1953Cie de Nav Fraissinet et Cyprien FabreScrapped 1986MV Jean Mermoz1957Cie de Nav Fraissinet et Cyprien FabreScrapped 20081960sSS France 1962Compagnie Générale TransatlantiqueScrapped 2008Launched in 1961, the world's longest passenger ship from 1961 to 2004, became the SS Norway.MS Ancerville 1962Compagnie de Navigation PaquetHotel ShipA former passenger ship built in 1962, integrated as part of Sea World, a multi-purpose complex in Shenzhen, China since 1983.SS Shalom1964Zim Israel Navigation CompanySank on way to Scrap Yard 2001Israel flagship (1964).MS Renaissance1966Compagnie Francaise de NavigationScrapped 2010A French cruise liner that entered service in 1966 for service on the Marseilles-Haifa route.MV Yaohua1967China Ocean Shipping CompanyPossibly Hotel ShipLast ship to be launched from slipway at St. Nazaire1980sMS Nieuw Amsterdam1983Holland America LineScrapped 2018MS Noordam1984Holland America LineScrapped 2022MS Sovereign of the Seas1987Royal Caribbean Cruise LineScrapped 2020Was the largest cruise ship in the world from 1988 to 1990, and its sister ships, MS Monarch of the Seas and MS Majesty of the Seas.Danielle Casanova1989SNCMIn serviceSailing nowadays for Corsica Linea as the Mediterranee.MS Star Princess1989Sitmar Cruises/Princess CruisesScrapped 2021Ordered for Sitmar Cruises as the Fair MajestyBretagne1989Brittany FerriesIn ServiceCar ferry launched in 1989. Sails on the Portsmouth to Saint-Malo route. Brittany Ferries Ex-Flagship.1990sNordic Empress1990Admiral Cruises/Royal Caribbean Cruise LineIn ServiceOrdered as Future Seas for Admiral Cruises.Monarch of the Seas1992Royal Caribbean Cruise LineScrapped 2021Majesty of the Seas1992Royal Caribbean Cruise LineLaid upDreamward1992Norwegian Cruise LineScrapped 2022Windward1993Norwegian Cruise LineScrapped 2022Legend of the Seas1995Royal Caribbean Cruise LineIn ServiceSplendor of the Seas1996Royal Caribbean Cruise LineIn ServiceNapoleon Bonaparte1996SNCMIn ServiceSailing nowadays for Grandi Navi Veloci as the Rhapsody.Rhapsody of the Seas1997Royal Caribbean Cruise LineIn ServicePaul Gauguin1997Services Et Transports / Radisson Seven Seas CruisesIn ServiceVision of the Seas1998Royal Caribbean Cruise LineIn ServiceR One 1998Renaissance CruisesIn Service 8 sister shipsR Two1998Renaissance CruisesIn Service 8 sister shipsR Three1999Renaissance CruisesIn Service 8 sister shipsR Four1999Renaissance CruisesIn Service 8 sister shipsMistral1999Festival CruisesIn Service2000sR Five2000Renaissance CruisesIn Service 8 sister shipsR Six2000Renaissance CruisesIn Service 8 sister shipsMillennium2000Celebrity CruisesIn ServiceR Seven2000Renaissance CruisesIn Service 8 sister shipsR Eight2000Renaissance CruisesIn Service 8 sister shipsInfinity2001Celebrity CruisesIn ServiceSummit2001Celebrity CruisesIn ServiceSeven Seas Mariner2001Radisson Seven Seas CruisesIn ServiceThis is the world's first all balcony luxury cruise ship.European Vision2001Festival CruisesIn ServiceEuropean Stars2002Festival CruisesIn ServiceConstellation2002Celebrity CruisesIn ServiceCoral Princess2003Princess CruisesIn ServiceMSC Lirica2003MSC CruisesIn ServiceIsland Princess2003Princess CruisesIn ServiceCrystal Serenity 2003Crystal CruisesIn ServiceQueen Mary 22004Cunard LineIn ServiceFloated in 2003, is the longest, tallest, widest, and the largest ocean liner, and at the time of her construction, the largest passenger ship, and is currently the only ship to undergo regularly scheduled transatlantic crossings.MSC Opera2004MSC CruisesIn ServiceMSC Musica2006MSC CruisesIn ServiceMSC Orchestra2007MSC CruisesIn ServiceMSC Poesia2008MSC CruisesIn ServiceMSC Fantasia2008MSC CruisesIn ServiceMSC Splendida2009MSC CruisesIn Service2010sNorwegian Epic2010Norwegian Cruise LineIn ServiceMSC Magnifica2010MSC CruisesIn ServiceMSC Divina2012MSC CruisesIn ServiceMSC Preziosa2013MSC CruisesIn ServiceEuropa 22013Hapag & LloydIn ServiceHarmony of the Seas2016Royal Caribbean Cruise LineIn ServiceMSC Meraviglia2017MSC CruisesIn ServiceSymphony of the Seas2018Royal Caribbean Cruise LineIn ServiceCelebrity Edge2018Celebrity CruisesIn ServiceMSC Bellissima2019MSC CruisesIn ServiceMSC Grandiosa2019MSC CruisesIn Service2020sCelebrity Apex2020Celebrity CruisesIn ServiceMSC Virtuosa2021MSC CruisesIn ServiceWonder of the Seas2021Royal Caribbean InternationalIn service World's third largest cruise ship as of 2024 (236,857 GT)Celebrity Beyond2022 Celebrity CruisesIn serviceMSC World Europa2022MSC CruisesIn ServiceFirst in new class of MSC vesselsMSC Euribia2023MSC CruisesIn ServiceCelebrity Ascent2023Celebrity CruisesIn serviceUtopia of the Seas2024Royal Caribbean InternationalIn ServiceFirst LNG powered ship of the classIlma2024The Ritz-Carlton Yacht CollectionIn serviceMSC World America2025MSC CruisesIn serviceLuminara2025The Ritz-Carlton Yacht CollectionIn serviceCelebrity Xcel2025Celebrity CruisesIn service

Other ships built at the yard

- Four sloops, designed as seaplane tenders, but built as convoy escorts. all launched in 1940. Belle Abeto - Built in 1952 as LAENNEC 66 BELLE ABETO passenger/cargo ship. s - Four ships launched (1976–1979) and MV Nestor - Two LNG carriers built in 1975–1977 for the Dutch NSU (later Nedlloyd) and Ocean Group (later owned by Bonny Gas Transport). The large drydock, which was later used for the Queen Mary 2, was specially built for the building of supertankers in the 1970s, among which were these two ships. The drydock was never used again until the Queen Mary 2 was being built. - A part of it was launched in 2008. Russian amphibious assault ship Vladivostok (launched 2013) - Later purchased by Egypt. Russian amphibious assault ship Sevastopol (launched 2014) - Later purchased by Egypt.

Future ships on order Ships on orderShip name (as built)Delivery dateBuilt forTonnageCurrent statusMSC World Asia2026MSC Cruises205,700OrderedCorinthian2026Orient Express30,000OrderedOlympian2027Orient Express30,000OrderedMSC World Atlantic2027MSC Cruises205,700Ordered(Unnamed Oasis Class)2028Royal Caribbean International231,000OrderedCelebrity Xcite2028Celebrity Cruises140,600Ordered(MSC World Class 5)2028MSC Cruises205,700Ordered(MSC World Class 6)2029MSC Cruises205,700Ordered(MSC World Class 7)2030MSC Cruises205,700Ordered(MSC World Class 8)2031MSC Cruises205,700OrderedFrance Libre2035French Navy80,000Planned

References

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