“Carnival Panorama”, the new ship of Carnival Cruise Line, a brand under Carnival Corporation & plc, the world's largest cruise ship operator, was launched at the Fincantieri shipyard in Marghera (Venice), the company said in a press release. Interior fittings will now begin, leading the ship to its delivery, scheduled in autumn 2019.
The launching was introduced by the traditional and well-wishing “coin ceremony”, consisting, according to an ancient shipbuilding custom, in welding a silver dollar on the last deck of the ship. Godmother of the ceremony was Antonella Cazzin, employee of Fincantieri’s shipyard in Marghera for more than 35 years.
The new unit will be a sister ship of “Carnival Vista”, delivered in Monfalcone in April, 2016, as well as of “Carnival Horizon”, built in Marghera and delivered this year in March.
At 133,500 gross tons and 323 meters long: these are the figures of the “Vista” class, which includes the largest ships that Fincantieri has ever built for the Carnival Cruise Line’s fleet. She will have 2,004 passenger cabins added up to the 770 of the crew, being able to accommodate more than 6,500 people onboard, including staff.
The units of the “Vista” class are a new technological benchmark, in Europe and worldwide, in terms of cutting-edge layout, extremely high performance and high quality technical solutions. The interior fittings are of an extremely high level quality comfort, offering a wide range of onboard entertainments, restaurants, theatres, shops and wellness centers. On this ship as on the previous ones of the “Vista” class, there will be the Havana Area, a themed private and exclusive area, with cabins, open bars and an Infinity Pool. The access to this area is limited, during the day, only to those passengers whose cabins are in the Havana Area.
In addition to Carnival Panorama, launched today, Marghera shipyard has in its order book the second ship for the Costa Asia brand and the third "Pinnacle" class unit for Holland America Line, respectively scheduled to be delivered in 2020 and 2021.
Fincantieri has built 87 cruise ships since 1990 (of which 64 from 2002) and other 53 ships are currently being designed or built in the Group's yards.