Fincantieri has been awarded an order by Carnival Corporation & plc for the construction of two new cruise ships for Carnival Cruise Line and Holland America Line, the company said in its press release.
Both will be sisters ships respectively to “Carnival Vista” and “Koningsdam”, currently under construction at Fincantieri shipyards. The Carnival Cruise Line ship, the 26th unit in line’s fleet, with a gross tonnage of 133,500 tonnes, will have capacity for 3,954 passengers and will enter service in the spring 2018. The Holland America Line ship, a second Pinnacle class unit, will have a gross tonnage of 99,500 tonnes and accommodation for 2,650 passengers and will be delivered in autumn 2018.
Giuseppe Bono, CEO of Fincantieri, stated: “To have been once more chosen for such an important order is the best recognition for our skills. This is an extremely important sign, especially if we consider the shipbuilding industry’s present period of evolution, both in Europe and Asia. 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 which has allowed us to grow and which is now strengthened by our recent agreement involving the Chinese market and by today’s orders. We are hopeful that many others will follow in the future”.
“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 & 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”.
Fincantieri has built 67 cruise ships since 1990 and further 17 units, 8 of which for Carnival Group, will be built by 2018 at the company’s shipyards.