The steel cutting ceremony of “Seabourn Ovation”, the second of two ultra-luxury vessels which Fincantieri is currently building for the shipowner Seabourn, a brand of Carnival Corporation, took place today at the shipyard in Sestri Ponente, Genoa. The ceremony was attended by Seabourn President Richard Meadows and Fincantieri shipyard Director Raffaele Davassi. The sister ship, “Seabourn Encore”, is currently under construction in Marghera’s yard and will be delivered by the end of the year, the shipbuilding group said in a press release.
“Seabourn Ovation”, due to join Seabourn’s fleet in spring 2018, will be built according to the standards and technical solutions which make Seabourn one of the most prestigious brands in the ultra-luxury segment, continuing the fleet’s expansion started back in 2009.
The vessel, as its sister ship, will be approximately 41,000 gross tons, about 210 meters long, 28 wide, being able to reach a cruising speed of 18.6 knots. It will carry just 600 guests on board, based on double occupancy, featuring spacious suites each with private veranda.
Safety will be one of the ship's major strong points. It will be built using the very latest technologies, whose standards will exceed the requirements of the reference legislation. Fuel consumption will be significantly reduced by optimizing the ship's hydrodynamics.
Fincantieri has built 73 cruise ships from 1990 to today, 61 of which for Carnival’s different brands, while other 22 are currently being designed or built in the Group’s yards and 10 of these are for the shipowners of the American group. The cooperation between Fincantieri and Carnival Corporation has a remarkable strategic value not only for the shipbuilding industry but for the entire national economy. The American group, thanks to the partnership with Fincantieri, is one of the major foreign investors in Italy with an overall amount, from 1990 to today, of almost 30 billion euros.