Leading shipbuilding companies Fincantieri and Meyer Werft will build 9 state-of-the-art cruise ships for Carnival Corporation through two separate long-term partnerships.
Innovating in ship design will be the most efficient project in the company's history, seeking to further accelerate efforts to offer an unparalleled cruise experience to millions of customers
Carnival Corporation today signed two strategic agreements to add a total of nine new cruise ships to its fleet over a four-year period, from 2019 to 2022. The shipbuilding agreements include additional options for the vessels over the next few years, and the project is subject to several conditions, including satisfactory financing.
The Italian shipyard Fincantieri SpA and the German shipbuilder Meyer Werft will construct the new ships based on Carnival Corporation's latest-generation vessel designs, resulting in the most efficient ships in the company's history. With these new ships, the company aims to serve the cruise market in North America and Europe, as well as new markets, including China. Each ship will be designed and developed with guests in mind, serving and supporting the brand's overall objective of exceeding guest expectations and further elevating every aspect of the customer experience.
“We are very excited to take the next step in our fleet expansion plan with these two new agreements, which are in line with our long-term growth strategy,” said Arnold Donald, president and CEO of Carnival Corporation. “Our goal as a company is to exceed the expectations of every guest on every ship every day, and these new ships will allow us to do just that. These will be the most efficient ships we have ever built and will deliver a great guest experience, creating even more excitement around cruising – helping new cruisers have the ultimate vacation by combining the onboard experience with scheduled shore excursions.”.
Fincantieri, the world's largest cruise ship builder, will develop and build five ships at its shipyards in Monfalcone and Marghera, Italy.
“I am very proud of this unforgettable day for us. Today’s announcement offers us a strategic long-term perspective and reinforces the extraordinary collaboration between us and Carnival Corporation, developed over time thanks to the trust the group has always placed in us. We assure you that it will once again be well executed,” said Giuseppe Bono, CEO of Fincantieri.
“This agreement reflects the exceptional business vision of the world’s leading cruise operator, and our willingness and flexibility in interpreting their demands.”
Leading shipbuilder Meyer Werft, founded in Germany in 1795, will build four vessels at its shipyards in Papenburg, Germany, and Turku, Finland. Now in its seventh generation of family ownership, Meyer Werft has become well-known for building large, modern, and sophisticated cruise ships, including 39 luxury vessels the company has built for clients worldwide.
Bernard Meyer, managing partner of Meyer Werft, said: “We are very pleased and honored that Carnival Corporation is placing its trust in our strengths to bring this project to life in Turku and Papenburg.”
As part of the strategic agreement signed with each company, Carnaval Corporation is studying new orders for additional vessels for the next decade.
