Carnival Corporation, the world’s largest cruise company, has signed a major contract with shipbuilder Fincantieri.
The Italian shipyard will build three new ships for the Carnival Cruise Line. These are a new class of cruise ships. The newbuilds will each have a gross tonnage of almost 230,000 and offer space for 8,000 guests. They will be powered by LNG. The agreement stipulates that Fincantieri will deliver the cruise ships in the summer of 2029, 2031 and 2033.
Carnival expands its cruise fleet
Carnival Cruises has now ordered five new ships this year. At the beginning of 2024, the company ordered two Excel-class ships, which are to be delivered by Meyer Werft in 2027 and 2028. Five additional ships from sister brands will also be transferred to Carnival Cruise Line’s fleet to increase its capacity.
“We are doubling the growth of Carnival Cruise Line – our highest-yielding brand – to keep pace with the incredibly strong demand for the world’s most popular cruise line,” said CEO Josh Weinstein. The strategic plan was to grow at a rate of one to two new ships per year. The order for Fincantieri is expected to increase the company’s capacity growth by around 1.5% per year until 2033.
Largest ships ever built in Italy
“We are delighted to be launching a new class of ship together with Carnival Cruise Line,” said Fincantieri CEO Pierroberto Folgiero. The newbuilds will soon be the largest ships ever built in Italy. They are “proud” to continue the joint success story.
Details of the ships’ design and itineraries will be announced in the future. The order is currently still subject to financing, which is expected to be finalised this year.
With 3,000 cabins, the new cruise ships will be the largest in the fleet. At full capacity, they will offer space for 8,000 guests. When they are delivered in 2033, Carnival will have a total of 16 LNG ships, half of which will belong to Carnival Cruise Line. This will increase the cruise line’s LNG share to 30% of its global capacity. There are also plans to further reduce the CO2 footprint of the ships using modern technologies. The cruise industry is still considered to be particularly harmful to the climate, as NABU recently showed in a recent ranking.
