Photo: gary yim / Shutterstock.com
Carnival Corporation & plc, the world’s largest cruise company, has finalized an agreement with Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri for the construction of three new cruise ships.
Scheduled for delivery in the summers of 2029, 2031, and 2033, the vessels will be part of a new class ships that will come in at nearly 230,000 gross registered tonnes, making them the largest in Carnival’s fleet and the largest cruise ships ever built in Italy. They will also be powered by liquefied natural gas (LNG).
The latest order brings the total number of new ship orders for Carnival Cruise Line in 2024 to five. Earlier this year, Carnival Corporation placed its first newbuild orders in five years for two more Excel-class ships, set to join the fleet in 2027 and 2028. Additionally, the company announced strategic shifts to optimize its global brand portfolio, planning to transfer five vessels from sister brands to Carnival Cruise Line between 2023 and March 2025.
Carnival Corporation’s CEO, Josh Weinstein, highlighted the company’s strategic growth. “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. Our newbuild pipeline is set for 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,” Weinstein said.
The new ships will feature over 3,000 guest staterooms and will be the largest in the Carnival Corporation global fleet, accommodating almost 8,000 guests at full capacity. With the delivery of these ships, Carnival Corporation will have a total of 16 LNG-powered ships, including eight from Carnival Cruise Line, making up almost 30% of the company’s global capacity. These vessels will also include advanced energy efficiency, waste management, and emission reduction technologies.
“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,” said Pierroberto Folgiero, CEO of Fincantieri. “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,” Folgiero said.
Design details and itinerary information for the new ships will be announced in the future. The order is contingent upon financing, expected to be completed later this year.
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