New 130,000-Ton Ship Ordered For Carnival Cruise Lines

Tuesday, 01 December 2009

Carnival Corporation & plc (NYSE/LSE: CCL; NYSE: CUK) has reached an agreement with Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri to construct a 130,000-ton cruise ship for its Carnival Cruise Lines brand, scheduled to enter service in spring 2012. To be built at Fincantieri’s Monfalcone yard under a U.S. dollar denominated contract, the all-in cost of the vessel is approximately $200,000 per lower berth. The new 3,690-passenger vessel will offer many of the same innovations featured on the recently launched Carnival Dream, as well as some exciting new elements to be announced at a later date. Like Carnival Dream, which has earned accolades for its creative design and on-board amenities, the new 130,000-ton ship will include a WaterWorks aqua park with a 300-foot-long corkscrew water slide, a stunning indoor/outdoor café and live entertainment venue called Ocean Plaza, and a wide range of staterooms including deluxe ocean views with two-bathrooms, some of which feature five berths and hold particular appeal for families. Expansive, modern facilities for children and teens, a 23,750-square-foot Cloud 9 Spa, and The Lanai, an outdoor promenade featuring cantilevered whirlpools that extend over the ship’s sides, will be included, as well. Already under construction at Fincantieri is the second sister ship to the Carnival Dream, the 130,000-ton Carnival Magic, which is scheduled to enter service in May 2011. “Barely in service for two months, Carnival Dream is already earning  rave reviews from guests and travel agents and ordering a third Dream-class ship speaks volumes about the confidence we have in the continued success of this series,” said Gerry Cahill, Carnival Cruise Lines’ president and CEO.  “The Dream class of ships embodies the evolution of our brand by providing the type of fun, affordable vacations that today’s consumers are seeking,” he added. Commented Fincantieri’s Chief Executive Officer Giuseppe Bono, “Fincantieri has been working with our partners at Carnival Corporation & plc for more than 25 years.  During this time it has been our privilege to build some of the most beautiful and technically advanced ships in cruising and we are honored to construct a third Dream-class ship for the Carnival Cruise Lines brand.” Carnival Corporation & plc is the largest cruise vacation group in the world, with a portfolio of cruise brands in North America, Europe and Australia, comprised of Carnival Cruise Lines, Holland America Line, Princess Cruises, The Yachts of Seabourn, AIDA Cruises, Costa Cruises, Cunard Line, Ibero Cruises, Ocean Village, P&O Cruises and P&O Cruises Australia. Together, these brands operate 93 ships totaling more than 180,000 lower berths with 13 new ships scheduled to be delivered between January 2010 and spring 2012. Carnival Corporation & plc also operates Holland America Princess Alaska Tours, the leading tour company in Alaska and the Canadian Yukon. Traded on both the New York and London Stock Exchanges, Carnival Corporation & plc is the only group in the world to be included in both the S&P 500 and the FTSE 100 indices.