Carnival orders another cruise ship from Meyer Werft. This order was urgently needed for the Papenburg-based shipbuilding group.
Finally, another new cruise ship order at the headquarters in Papenburg, Lower Saxony. The US shipping company Carnival Cruise Line has ordered another cruise ship from the long-established company in the so-called “Helios” series. Delivery is scheduled for 2027. [ds_preview]
According to a company statement, this is a sister ship to the “Carnival Jubilee“, which was delivered in December. “We are very pleased that the partnership will continue with this new order,” said the new Meyer Werft CEO Bernd Eikens.
Nine ships from Meyer for Carnival so far
The shipyards in Papenburg and Turku, Finland, have delivered a total of nine ships for four Carnival brands between 2018 and 2023, all of which are based on the “Helios” construction platform. All of these ships are 345 m long and 42 m wide and can accommodate up to 6,400 passengers for Carnival Cruise Line.
Once again, the US shipping company is relying on gas (LNG) as the energy source for propulsion and hotel operations. According to information from HANSA, however, the latest generation of Wärtsilä main engines will be installed instead of the Caterpillar engines previously selected. The reason for this is the closure of the MaK plant in Rostock by the US manufacturer two and a half years ago.
Most recently, two Helios-class ships, the “Mardi Gras” (built in 2020) and the “Carnival Celebration” (built in 2022), were built at the shipyard in Turku, Finland. A later change by the parent company Carnival Corp, then ensured that the “Carnival Jubilee” was the first ship to be built for the Miami-based shipping company at Meyer’s headquarters in Papenburg. It was originally intended to be another ship for the Carnival brand Aida Cruises.
Meyer extends capacity utilization until 2027
The order that has now been placed will keep the shipbuilding company busy until well into 2027. And it comes at the right time in view of a recently very tight order situation. In an interview with HANSA in May last year, senior partner Bernard Meyer said that an order would have to be placed in 2024 “in order to be able to keep our team as long as possible”.
The current order book in Papenburg and Turku comprises a total of five cruise ships, including the “Silver Ray” for Silversea Cruises and the “Disney Treasure” for Disney Cruise Line, both of which are due to be handed over to the shipping companies this year. The German research vessel “Meteor IV” will be delivered in 2026. The special ship is being built as a joint project with the Fassmer shipyard in Lower Saxony.
Offshore platforms cover employment gap
Meyer Werft last announced its entry into the offshore industry in November 2023. From this year until spring 2027, the long-established company will be manufacturing steel components for converter platforms on behalf of the Spanish shipyard Dragados.
The order includes a steel volume roughly the size of a large cruise ship. According to a shipyard spokesperson, this will partially close an impending employment gap, as the order will provide work in the design and production departments as well as in the technical offices. (Christoph Assies)
