The newbuilds are part of Carnival Corporation's order for four LNG ships at Meyer Werft and Turku
By
Rebecca Gibson |
Two of Carnival Corporation & plc’s four new LNG-powered cruise ships will join the Costa Cruises fleet when they debut in 2019 and 2020.
To be built at Meyer Turku in Finland, the 180,000gt newbuilds are part of Carnival Corporation’s recent multibillion-dollar order for four LNG vessels that includes two for Costa’s sister brand AIDA Cruises, which will be built at Meyer Werft in Papenburg, Germany. The order also builds on the two strategic memorandums of agreement Carnival Corporation signed with Meyer Werft and Fincantieri to construct a total of nine new cruise ships for its global fleet over a four-year period 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 an unmatched cruise experience to our guests.”
In an industry first, each of Costa’s 6,600-passenger newbuilds will be fitted with dual-powered hybrid engines, enabling them to use LNG to generate 100% of their power while at sea and in port. This will help to eliminate sulphur oxide and reduce exhaust emissions.
“The two Costa ships are a real innovation for the market, setting new standards for the whole industry: they will be the first green ships powered with LNG and they will offer an extensive number of guest-friendly features,” said Neil Palomba, president of Costa Cruises. “Furthermore they will be an expression of the new positioning, Italy's finest. The order also confirms that the Costa brand will continue to grow, becoming even stronger and keep on generating a positive economic impact in the main countries where it operates, including Italy.”
Around 750 Italian crew members are expected to work on the newbuilds.
“We are honoured 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. “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.”