Cruise liner conglomerate Carnival Corporation & plc has signed a shipbuilding contract for a second next-generation cruise ship for its P&O Cruises brand with German shipbuilder Meyer Werft GmbH.
The LNG-powered newbuild is scheduled to be delivered in 2022.
The new ship is part of Carnival Corporation’s ongoing fleet enhancement strategy with 19 new ships scheduled for delivery between 2018 and 2022.
The ship will have 180,000 gross tons and will be able to accommodate approximately 5,200 guests.
It will be similar to its sister ship due for delivery in 2020, and will be the largest cruise ship to be built specifically for the British market, Carnival said.
In addition, the cruise ship will feature “green cruising” design and will be powered by liquefied natural gas both while in port and at sea, thus reducing air emissions.
“These two next-generation ships for delivery in the next four years are real and tangible evidence of our absolute optimism for future growth,” Carnival UK President, Josh Weinstein , said.
“ We have a bold and ambitious vision for P&O Cruises to become Britain’s number one holiday choice and we can only do that by increasing our fleet. The build for our 2020 ship begins this spring and it will offer all generations of British guests the holiday of a lifetime on the next generation of P&O Cruises ships,” P&O Cruises Senior Vice President, Paul Ludlow, added.
In total, Carnival Corporation has ordered eight LNG-powered cruise ships from Meyer Werft and Meyer Turku, set for delivery between 2018 and 2022.
Two ships will join AIDA Cruises’ fleet in 2018 and 2021, two have been ordered for Costa Cruises with expected delivery in 2019 and 2021, two for P&O Cruises UK with expected delivery in 2020 and 2022 and two for Carnival Cruise Line scheduled for delivery in 2020 and 2022.