Costa brand to get 2 LNG newbuilds from Meyer Turku

These newbuilds are part of a previously announced order for four LNG vessels, with two of those to be built at Meyer Werft in Papenburg for Costa's sister brand, AIDA Cruises.

The pair of Costa ships are scheduled for delivery in 2019 and 2020. Each will exceed 180,000gt and offer more than 2,600 passenger cabins for a total capacity of 6,600 passengers.

The contract with Meyer is the result of a larger previously announced memorandum of understanding between Carnival Corp. & plc and shipbuilders Meyer Werft, Meyer Turku and Fincantieri for nine new ships between 2019 and 2022.

'These ships will expand the leadership position for the Costa Group, the market leader in all the major continental European markets,' said Michael Thamm, ceo of the Costa Group. 'The multibillion-dollar contract with Meyer mirrors our strategy to constantly innovate our vacation offers and to deliver unmatched cruise experience to our guests.'

It's an unusual twist—Costa brand ships being built in Finland, not Italy.

'We are honored that Costa Group has entrusted us with the technical design and construction of their next generation ships for Europe, featuring a revolutionary green cruising design implemented to meet specific Costa Group’s needs,' said Jan Meyer, ceo of Meyer Turku.

He added: 'We are building the ships with a strong team in Turku and with the support of mostly European suppliers, who are the best in their field. Among those leading suppliers, there are also a number of Italian companies, which we have worked well with in Finland as well as in Germany. We are aiming to continue this successful legacy.'

Costa said the first ship will be based in Savona and offer western Mediterranean itineraries.