World's largest cruise company's newbuild
pipeline includes eight new ships scheduled to enter service
between 2025 and 2033
Multi-fuel-capable engines will provide new
ships flexibility to operate using a range of fuel types,
including low- and no-carbon bio and synthetic fuels when available
at scale
MIAMI, April 7,
2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Carnival Corporation &
plc (NYSE/LSE: CCL; NYSE: CUK), the world's largest cruise company,
today announced an order for two new ships for the most popular
cruise line in Germany, AIDA
Cruises, for a new class of mid-sized vessel. The agreement with
Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri provides for the design,
engineering, and construction of these multi-fuel-capable ships,
which will be delivered in the first quarter of fiscal years 2030
and 2032, respectively.
"With approximately 2,100 cabins each, these remarkable new
ships give our guests a completely new class of ship which slot in
perfectly between our 1,600 cabin Hyperion Class vessels and our
more than 2,600 cabin Helios Class vessels," said Felix Eichhorn, President of AIDA Cruises. "Our
next generation of ships will delight our guests with amazing new
features and experiences that we will reveal over time. Its
innovative technology with multi-fuel propulsion systems including
LNG will future proof our operations into the coming decades."
Eichorn added that once the second ship is delivered, AIDA will
have a total of 13 ships in its fleet, further expanding its
leadership position in the German cruise market.
"The introduction of these next-generation ships, when combined
with the AIDA Evolution program modernizing much of the existing
fleet's décor, features and technologies, will drive even more
demand for our AIDA brand, which is synonymous with cruising in
Germany," said Josh Weinstein, chief executive officer of
Carnival Corporation & plc.
According to Weinstein, with today's order, Carnival
Corporation's newbuild pipeline includes eight new ships scheduled
to enter service between now and 2033, including Star Princess this
year and one each from 2027 to 2033. "We're maintaining our
disciplined approach to growth and strategically directing new
capacity to the highest-performing brands in our world-class
portfolio like AIDA Cruises and its sister brand Carnival Cruise
Line, which now account for seven of our eight ships on order. This
growth plan will maximize our returns and allow us to use our
strong free cash flow to continue lowering our debt balance and
transferring value from debt holders back to shareholders," he
said.
"We are honored that our long-standing partner Carnival
Corporation has selected Fincantieri to build ships for AIDA
Cruises for the first time in our history. This milestone confirms
our ability to serve the entire Carnival Corporation portfolio,
while ensuring long-term term visibility for our shipyards. These
new ships will embody the most advanced technologies for
sustainability and efficiency, further strengthening Fincantieri's
and Carnival Corporation's roles as leaders in cruise industry
innovation," said Pierroberto Folgiero, CEO, Fincantieri.
Design details and itinerary information for the new AIDA ships
will be announced in the future.
This order is contingent upon financing, which is expected to be
completed later this year.
About Carnival Corporation & plc
Carnival Corporation & plc is the largest global cruise company
and among the largest leisure travel companies, with a portfolio of
world-class cruise lines – AIDA Cruises, Carnival Cruise Line,
Costa Cruises, Cunard, Holland America Line, P&O Cruises,
Princess Cruises, and Seabourn.
For more information, please visit www.carnivalcorp.com,
www.aida.de, www.carnival.com, www.costacruises.com,
www.cunard.com, www.hollandamerica.com, www.pocruises.com,
www.princess.com, and www.seabourn.com.
To learn more about Carnival Corporation's purpose and our
positive impact worldwide on people and the planet, go to
www.carnivalcorp.com/impact/.
View original
content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/carnival-corporation-finalizes-agreement-with-fincantieri-for-two-next-generation-aida-cruises-ships-set-for-delivery-in-fiscal-2030-and-2032-302421605.html
SOURCE Carnival Corporation & plc
