Carnival Corporation will decelerate its new building pace in an effort to not only moderate supply growth, but keep spending down, according to Josh Weinstein, president and CEO, speaking on the company’s year-end and fourth-quarter earnings call.
Weinstein said that the company didn’t expect to take delivery of any new ships in 2026, and beyond that, would only build two ships a year going forward.
“Going forward, we are committed to using our expected cash flow strength to repair the balance sheet over time, and we’ll be disciplined and rigorous in making newbuild decisions accordingly,” he said.
“We have just four ships on order through 2025, plus our second incredible Seabourn luxury expedition ship to be delivered in 2023.
“This is our lowest order book in decades,” Weinstein continued. “We don’t expect any new ships in 2026 and anticipate just one or two new builds each year for several years thereafter.”
Left on the Carnival orderbook through 2025 are the Carnival Jubilee, Cunard’s Queen Anne, the Sun Princess, another Princess newbuild that has yet to be named and the Seabourn Pursuit.
No new builds are on order for the company’s other brands including Holland America Line, AIDA Cruises, P&O Cruises and P&O Cruises Australia. Carnival’s joint venture with China State Shipbuilding Corporation was not mentioned.
With more old ships exiting combined with recent deliveries and the upcoming new build schedule, the company expects about 25 per cent of its capacity to be what it considers new ships in 2023.
That means an eight-percentage point increase in balcony cabins across the fleet, and differentiated onboard experiences resulting in greater onboard revenue.
Princess Cruises has revealed the brand’s largest ship, a bespoke ship platform that will run on dual-fuel LNG and accommodate more than 4,000 guests
Currently under construction at the Fincantieri shipyard and scheduled to debut in early 2024, the 175,500-tonne vessel is the largest Princess ship ever constructed and embraces Italian heritage by featuring a next-level Piazza and The Dome, an entertainment space inspired by the terraces of Santorini. Sun Princess will also feature Princess Medallion, extending Princess’s position in delivering personalised experiences.
“Sun Princess is a new and bespoke ship platform, designed to simultaneously embrace Princess heritage while boldly pressing into the future with iconic, elegant and pure lines unique to our brand,” said Princess Cruises president John Padgett. “A show-stopping, first-of-its-kind Dome on the top deck and suspended glass Piazza in the centre of Sun Princess offer innovative designs showcasing expansive ocean views for incredible opportunities to connect with the sea.”
The cruise line also announced Sun Princess will sail an inaugural spring/summer season of Mediterranean cruises followed by western and eastern Caribbean voyages out of Port Everglades, Florida in Q3 2024.
The line’s Piazza spans three stories, forming an architectural feature offering guests an outward-looking suspended space with comfortable seating and areas to enjoy the ocean views in every direction. An LED screen is also showcased in the centre of the Piazza that can be moved and configured to deliver live entertainment. Adjacent to the Piazza Atrium will be Coffee Currents coffee shop, Bellini’s Cocktail Bar, along with Princess favourites like Crooners’ Bar and Alfredo’s Pizzeria.
The other stand-out structure onboard Sun Princess is The Dome. Princess Cruises said, “Inspired by the terraces of Santorini, it is a multi-level covered deck and the first true glass-enclosed dome ever constructed on a cruise ship. During the day, the Dome features an indoor/outdoor pool and unique water features in a comfortable and relaxed space. At night, the pool becomes a stage, and the Dome transforms into an entertainment venue with a South Beach vibe, state-of-the-art lighting effects and the ability to deliver stunning aerial performances.”
With 2,157 staterooms, including 50 suites and 100 connecting rooms, 21-deck Sun Princess features more outdoor balcony space and all-balcony accommodations feature an in-room sofa.
Also launching exclusively on Sun Princess will be a new level of suite accommodations, the Signature Collection. In addition to premium stateroom amenities, Signature Collection suites include access to the Signature Restaurant, Signature Lounge and Signature Sun Deck, a private area of the Sanctuary.
With Sun Princess, Club Class accommodations on board this ship, and all Princess ships will now be called Reserve Collection, which is the best-located mini-suite staterooms. Within the Reserve, Collection will be Reserve Collection Cabana rooms, resort-style staterooms that offer a balcony and private cabana, and extra-large outdoor lounge space. These premium accommodations also include access to the Reserve Collection Restaurant.
Sun Princess is part of Carnival Corp’s green cruising focus and is one of 11 new ships in the corporate fleet powered by LNG fuel technology.
A second, next-generation Sphere-class ship is also on order, slated to be delivered by Fincantieri in Q2 2025.
Princess Cruises today revealed the new Sun Princess, which will debut in early 2024.
“Sun Princess is a new and bespoke ship platform, designed to simultaneously embrace Princess heritage while boldly pressing into the future with iconic, elegant and pure lines unique to our brand,” said John Padgett, Princess Cruises president. “A show-stopping, first-of-its-kind Dome on the top deck and suspended glass Piazza in the centre of Sun Princess offer innovative designs showcasing expansive ocean views for incredible opportunities to connect with the sea.”
Currently under construction at the Fincantieri shipyard and scheduled to debut in early 2024, the 175,500-ton vessel is the largest Princess ship ever constructed and embraces Italian heritage by featuring a next-level, brand-iconic Piazza and The Dome, a cutting-edge entertainment space inspired by the terraces of Santorini. Sun Princess will also feature the exclusive Princess Medallion, the company said.
The 4,300-guest ship will feature innovative entertainment venues, multi-story dining rooms and next-level stateroom accommodations while remaining true to the smooth clean lines and design aesthetics inspired by the Seawitch icon and popularized in the original “Love Boat” TV series and returning to the venerable “Sun Princess” name back into operation.
The cruise line also announced that Sun Princess will sail an inaugural spring/summer season of Mediterranean cruises followed by Western and Eastern Caribbean voyages out of Port Everglades, Florida in the fall of 2024.
According to Princess, infused with light, the ship connects guests with dynamic views of the world and innovative experiences, from service to food to entertainment. The line’s Piazza spans three stories, forming an iconic architectural feature offering guests an outward-looking suspended space with comfortable seating and areas to enjoy the ocean views in every direction. An impressive LED screen is also showcased in the centre of the Piazza that can be moved and configured to deliver live entertainment programming. Adjacent to the Piazza Atrium will be a new coffee shop, Coffee Currents, Bellini’s Cocktail Bar, along with Princess favourites like Crooners Bar and Alfredo’s Pizzeria.
The other stand-out structure onboard Sun Princess is The Dome. Inspired by the terraces of Santorini, it is a multi-level covered deck and first-of-its-kind true glass-enclosed dome ever constructed on a cruise ship. During the day, the Dome features an indoor/outdoor pool, and unique water feature, in a comfortable and relaxed space. At night, the pool becomes a stage, and the Dome completely transforms into an entertainment venue with a South Beach vibe, state-of-the-art lighting effects and the ability to deliver aerial performances.
The company said that with 2,157 total staterooms, including 50 suites and 100 connecting rooms, the 21-deck Sun Princess features more outdoor balcony space and all-balcony accommodations feature an in-room sofa.
Also launching exclusively on Sun Princess will be a new level of suite accommodations, the Signature Collection. In addition to premium stateroom amenities, Signature Collection suites include access to the Signature Restaurant, Signature Lounge, and Signature Sun Deck, a private area of the Sanctuary.
With Sun Princess, Club Class accommodations onboard this ship, and all Princess ships will now be called Reserve Collection, which is the best-located mini-suite staterooms. Within the Reserve, Collection will be Reserve Collection Cabana rooms, resort-style staterooms that offer a balcony and private cabana, and extra-large outdoor lounge space. These premium accommodations also include access to the Reserve Collection Restaurant.
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