Carnival Corporation has placed an order for three new ships for its namesake Carnival Cruise Line brand for a new class of vessel, at nearly 230,000grt, with Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri,
The new LNG-powered ships are scheduled to be delivered in 2029, 2031 and 2033, respectively.
Carnival Corporation has announced five newbuild orders so far in 2024. Carnival placed its first newbuild orders in five years for two more Excel-class ships that will join the Carnival Cruise Line fleet in 2027 and 2028. The company also recently announced a series of strategic shifts to further optimise the composition of its global brand portfolio and to increase capacity for Carnival Cruise Line, transferring a total of five vessels from sister brands to the Carnival Cruise Line fleet.
Josh Weinstein, Carnival Corporation CEO said: “We are doubling down on the growth of Carnival Cruise Line – our highest-returning brand – to keep up with the incredibly strong demand we continue to see for the world’s most popular cruise line. At this point, our newbuild pipeline is just one delivery in each of 2025, 2027, 2028, 2029, 2031 and 2033. We continue to take a disciplined approach to growth, strategically directing new capacity to the areas of highest demand at a rate of one to two new ships per year.”
With over 3,000 staterooms, the new ships will be the largest in the Carnival Corporation global fleet and will be able to accommodate almost 8,000 guests at full capacity. By 2033, Carnival Corporation will have a total of 16 LNG-powered ships – including eight Carnival Cruise Line ships – making up almost 30% of Carnival Corporation’s global capacity and delivering immediate GHG emission reductions. The new ships will feature advanced energy efficiency, waste management, and emission reduction technologies to further reduce the company’s environmental footprint.
Pierroberto Folgiero, CEO, Fincantieri said: “We are excited to join forces with Carnival Cruise Line to debut a new class of ship, which will be the largest cruise ship ever constructed by Fincantieri and the largest ship ever built in Italy. We are proud of the role Fincantieri has played in helping Carnival Corporation secure its position as the world’s largest cruise company and look forward to continuing this success story together.”
This order is contingent upon financing, which is expected to be completed later in 2024.
Image: Carnival Cruise Line Excel class ship – the three new orders will feature further increased capacity (source: Carnival Corporation)
