The Carnival brand ships are due in 2020 and 2022, and will be the first time an LNG-powered cruise ship is based in North America, while the P&O vessel is coming in 2020. All will be the largest for their brands. Each has about 5,200 lower berths.
'We are proud to be at the forefront of introducing LNG-powered ships to the cruise industry, working with our partners to achieve shipbuilding breakthroughs like this that will help us produce the most efficient and sustainable ships we have ever built,' said Arnold Donald, ceo, Carnival Corp. & plc.
In total, the company now has agreements in place to build seven LNG-powered ships across four of its 10 brands. As previously announced, the first of these are expected to be in service for AIDA Cruises and Costa Cruises in 2019.
Tom Strang, svp maritime affairs, Carnival Corp. & plc and playing a lead role in the group's LNG engagement, told Seatrade Cruise News during the gmec conference alongside SMM 2016 in Hamburg that Carnival's commitment to LNG-powered cruise ships demonstrates 'our commitment to this technology and to a clean future.' Strang said he is working with potential suppliers to ensure the supply chain is in place when the first LNg ship arrives.
'We are excited to welcome P&O Cruises back to Meyer Werft in Germany and Carnival Cruise Line back to Meyer Turku in Finland,' said Bernard Meyer, managing partner, Meyer Werft. 'These new ships will be built in our most modern and environmentally friendly facilities, and we are very proud to design, build and deliver these ships that provide breakthroughs in innovation and for the environment.'
Jan Meyer, ceo, Meyer Turku, noted the boost the Carnival Cruise Line order means for Finnish shipbuilding. Meyer Turku's orderbook now reaches to 2022.
'In Turku we are also very excited as these ships will be the first ones to the get full benefit from our investments in next-generation production facilities and IT systems,' he said. 'Another important aspect is the long-term horizon for our business. It creates an environment where we and also our suppliers can grow and develop. In the end this will lead to a lot of good work for us and other Finnish companies.'
In conjunction with the order for Turku, the delivery of the second ship for Costa Cruises will shift from 2020 to 2021.
Carnival Corp. now has 18 ships scheduled for delivery between 2016 and 2022—within the two to three ships per year the company has been targeting, UBS analyst Robin Farley said in a note to investors.
The order represents a return to shipbuilding in Finland for Carnival Cruise Line for the first time in a dozen years. Carnival currently has 12 vessels that were built there, including its eight Fantasy-class ships and four Spirit-class ships.
The newbuilds signify an 'extraordinarily exciting future for Carnival Cruise Line and the opportunities that lie ahead to introduce a variety of magnificent new features and innovations to further enhance our outstanding guest experience,' president Christine Duffy said.
The P&O newbuild will have a 'striking new exterior and interior design and will include the company’s classic and iconic features,' according to Paul Ludlow, svp, P&O Cruises. 'We are also developing and exploring new signature guest experiences, details of which will be announced soon.'
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