The 113,000gt ship will be built at Monfalcone yard and join Cunard’s fleet in 2022 – the first time since 1998 that Cunard will have four ships in simultaneous service.
The vessel will carry 3,000 passengers and be the 249th to fly the Cunard flag, the first since 2010 when Fincantieri delivered Queen Elizabeth, three years after Queen Victoria was built in 2007.
‘We are very pleased to announce a fourth ship for our immensely popular Cunard brand, which is also one of the most legendary brands in the entire vacation industry,’ said Arnold Donald, ceo of Carnival Corp.
‘While today’s news helps drive Cunard’s overall strategic growth plans, we also look forward to launching this next-generation cruise ship to help meet increasing global demand and entice even more travelers to explore the Cunard experience,’ Donald added.
‘Fleet enhancement is an important part of our ongoing goal to exceed guest expectations. This includes replacing less efficient ships with more efficient vessels over time as part of our managed capacity growth,’ the ceo remarked.
Simon Palethorpe, svp, Cunard said: 'We have only recently marked the 50th anniversary of one of Cunard's much loved ocean liners, the legendary QE2. What better way to celebrate her important role in Cunard's past than by announcing our commitment to Cunard's future with the commissioning of a new ship.'
Giuseppe Bono, ceo of Fincantieri, stated: ‘With this agreement we once more link our company's name with Cunard’s, a real icon of the cruise market, confirming us as a shipbuilder able to combine tradition and innovation like no one else in the world. It is a lasting journey that, besides the construction of the two authentic ‘queens’ like Queen Victoria and Queen Elizabeth, stresses the importance of our partnership with Carnival.’
Fincantieri has built 63 ships for Carnival, accounting today for almost two-thirds of its fleet, with other nine to come.
Bono called it a 'cooperation which can be defined as historical, based on relationships of mutual respect and trust.'
The MoA becomes operational when all financial and technical conditions are satisfied.
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