By
Rebecca Gibson |
Carnival Corporation & plc has contracted Fincantieri to build a new cruise ship for its Holland America Line (HAL) and one for its Carnival Cruise Line brand.
Designed as a sister ship to Carnival Vista, which is due for delivery in spring 2016, Carnival Cruise Line’s new 3,954-passenger ship is scheduled for delivery in March 2018. The as-yet-unnamed newbuild will be the 26th ship in the line’s fleet and will offer many of many of Carnival’s signature features, as well as several exclusive innovations.
Scheduled for delivery in late November 2018, HAL’s newbuild will join the Pinnacle Class, which will debut with Koningsdam in February 2016. The unnamed ship, which will accommodate 2,650 guests, will feature new public spaces and venues that will be introduced on Koningsdam.
“These beautiful new ships on order from Fincantieri signify our ongoing commitment to provide the best possible guest experience across our industry-leading brands,” said Arnold Donald, president and CEO of Carnival Corporation. “New ships with the latest in features, accommodations and innovations really bring the modern cruise experience to life and will help us continue to grow new demand for cruising.”
“To have been once more chosen for such an important order is the best recognition for our skills,” said Giuseppe Bono, Fincantieri CEO. “Today Fincantieri can count on a solid order book, without equal in terms of diversification and quality of the product, which is a testament to our leadership in the cruise ship business sector. This position has been solidified over the years also thanks to our relationship with Carnival, a partnership that has allowed us to grow and which is now strengthened by our recent agreement involving the Chinese market and by today’s orders.”
In total, Carnival Corporation has another ten ships scheduled to be delivered between 2015 and 2018.
Next March, P&O Cruises UK will introduce Britannia, the largest ship ever built for the British cruise market, and both Carnival Vista and Koningsdam will debut in 2016.
Also in 2016, AIDA Cruises will introduce a 3,250-passenger sister ship to AIDAprima, while Seabourn will unveil its biggest ever ship.
Looking forward to 2017, Princess Cruises is working with Fincantieri to build a 143,000gt vessel featuring the popular design elements of the brand’s two newest ships, Royal Princess and Regal Princess.