Cruise shipping giant Carnival Corporation & plc has signed a memorandum of agreement with Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri for the construction of two new cruise ships with final contracts expected to be executed in early 2017.
Valued at over EUR 1 billion (USD 1.06 billion), the new ships are designated for Carnival’s Holland America Line and Princess Cruises brands.
Holland America Line’s new ship will be built at Fincantieri’s yard in Marghera, with an expected delivery in 2021. It will be a 99,500 ton and 2,660-guest ship and the third Pinnacle class vessel, after ms Koningsdam, delivered in March 2016, and Nieuw Statendam, scheduled for delivery in 2018, both from Marghera shipyard.
The new Princess Cruises ship, which will feature about 145,000-tons and carry 3,660 passengers, will be built in Monfalcone with an expected delivery in 2022. The vessel will be the sixth Royal class vessel, after Royal Princess, delivered in 2013, Regal Princess, delivered in 2014, and Majestic Princess, the world’s first ship designed specifically for the Chinese market and scheduled for delivery at the end of March 2017, as well as its sister ships – the two yet-to-be-named vessels also under construction at Fincantieri, scheduled for delivery in 2019 and 2020.
With the new agreement, Carnival Corporation now has 19 new ships scheduled to be delivered between 2017 and 2022.
“We are extremely pleased to formally announce these two new ships and build on the success and popularity of their sister ships already sailing guests around the globe,” Arnold Donald, CEO of Carnival Corporation, said.