Tag Archives: Newbuild

Carnival Cruise Line Orders Another Newbuild for 2028 Delivery

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Carnival Corporation announced it has signed an agreement with Meyer Werft shipyard for a fifth Excel Class cruise ship for its Carnival Cruise Line brand, set to be delivered in 2028.

This announcement confirms the addition of the 11th Excel Class ship to the corporation’s fleet across four brands, with Carnival Cruise Line operating the fifth vessel. This follows a February announcement for a newbuild for Carnival with a 2027 delivery date.

“Carnival’s Excel-class fleet will soon be a quintet of these very popular ships that provide outstanding guest amenities and tremendous operating efficiencies,” said Christine Duffy, president of Carnival Cruise Line.

“Since the introduction of Mardi Gras in 2021 and the subsequent expansion with Carnival Celebration in 2022 and Carnival Jubilee in 2023, these Excel-class ships are driving excitement, demand, and strong guest satisfaction ratings. With the arrival of Carnival Firenze in April, we are completing the addition of five ships to our fleet in less than 20 months, and then we will pivot to another phase of growth with these two Excel ships.”

Like its sister ships, the new vessel will be powered by liquefied natural gas (LNG) and designed to carry over 6,400 guests and 1,800 crew.

“This new order continues to balance our commitment to growth with our responsible capital approach to utilize strong free cash flow over the next several years to strategically improve our balance sheet, significantly reduce our leverage levels and continue to transfer value from debt holders to shareholders,” said Josh Weinstein, CEO of Carnival Corporation.

“Carnival Cruise Line continues to perform at an outstanding level, and we are focused on adding capacity across the company where it aligns with demand and our position in the marketplace,” added Weinstein.

This measured capacity growth strategy will result in our adding one to two ships per year beginning in 2027, and we will be identifying additional fleet plans over the coming months for our cruise lines to meet capacity demand and improve execution across all aspects of our operation, with the benefit of yielding higher return on invested capital.”

“We are proud of the role the Excel Class from Meyer Werft and Meyer Turku has played in contributing to the success of Carnival Corporation for many years now. We look forward to continuing this success story together,” said Bernd Eikens, CEO of Meyer Group.

First Look as New P&O Iona Sails into Southampton

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The new 5,200 guests P&O Iona sailed into Southampton on Sunday ahead of her naming ceremony.

Dame Irene Hays, chair of Hays Travel, Britain’s largest independent travel agency, will name the LNG-fueled ship and a specially produced Nebuchadnezzar (equivalent to 20x 750ml bottles) of Alex James’s Britpop cider will smash against the hull of the ship to bring it a good fortune in the future.

P&O Cruises president Paul Ludlow said “It is a landmark day for both P&O Cruises and for the travel industry as a whole.

“We are on the cusp of a bright new beginning and Iona’s arrival into Southampton this morning is very visible evidence of this much-anticipated future.

“Our guests are longing to get back to sea and Iona’s summer season of UK coastal cruises, including her maiden voyage on August 7 up to her namesake island of Iona, has seen overwhelming demand.”

Disney Teases Details on New Disney Wish

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The Disney Wish will introduce a brand-new, distinctly Disney design concept unlike anything at sea, the company said, ahead of bigger news coming on April 29. The ship will be delivered and start cruising in 2022. 

Disney said that the motif of enchantment is the architectural and thematic foundation of the ship’s design, weaving imagination, emotion and adventure into the very fabric of the vessel’s unique personality.

“Enchantment is about unlocking the wonder in everything we do and experience,” said Laura Cabo, portfolio creative executive, Walt Disney Imagineering. “For the Disney Wish, we are creating a signature design language that exudes this emotional magic like only Disney can, by infusing every inch of this enchanted ship with more Disney stories and characters than ever before. The Disney Wish will be a place where families really do get to wish upon a star.”

Inspired by nearly a century of Disney fairytales, Walt Disney Imagineers have captured the essence of enchantment through three design lenses, using:

  • fairytale castles, emulating the classic storybook charm at the core of many enchanted tales;
  • forests and animals, bringing to life fascinating natural worlds and the animals that inhabit them; and
  • spirit of the sea, embodying the magic and mystery of the watery world below.

For the Disney Wish, the bow will feature Captain Minnie Mouse for the first time and the stern will boast a custom sculpture of the optimistic and adventurous Rapunzel. This artistic Disney Princess will appear to be “decorating” the exterior of the ship with her paintbrush and the help of her chameleon pal, Pascal, Disney said, in a statement. 

Also new, is the Grand Hall, a bright, airy and elegant space that will welcome guests as they first step on the ship. Disney said that this fairytale castle-inspired atrium is touched with Gothic, Baroque and French Rococo influences that will give life to the columns, carvings, trimmings and adornments. At the base of a grand staircase, beneath the glow of the wishing star, will stand the personification of wish fulfilment herself: Cinderella. 


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