In an ambitious move, Carnival Corporation’s Carnival Cruise Lines has announced plans to build three new mega-ships, each capable of accommodating up to 8000 passengers.
The vessels would eclipse Royal Caribbean’s current biggest ship in the world – Icon of the Seas which carries 7600 passengers.
The ships will be delivered by Italian shipbuilder, Fincantieri in 2029, 2031, and 2033.
The three ships will be the largest ships ever built by Fincantieri or in Italy. They will run on liquified natural gas, taking Carnival’s LNG fleet to 16. The order for the three ships is contingent on financing which Carnival expects to be completed later this year.
The news from the world’s largest cruise company comes soon after Carnival decided to close P&O Australia, our oldest cruise line, last month and fold the Australian operations into Carnival Cruise Line. Carnival President Christine Duffy blamed Australia and New Zealand’s regulatory regime and rising costs for the closure.
Duffy said the new build comes at a time when demand for cruising is at a “historic level”. She added that the new class of ships will be focused on creating innovative guest experiences that will take Carnival Cruise Line into the future.
Why is Carnival Corporation building massive cruise ships?
Earlier, the line announced it had placed orders for two new Excel-class ships to join the fleet in 2027 and 2028.
“We continue to take a disciplined approach to growth, strategically directing new capacity to areas of highest demand at a rate of one to two new ships per year,” said Josh Weinstein, CEO of Carnival Corp.
Each of the new builds at 230,0900 gross tons and have more than 3000 staterooms.
Currently, the world’s largest cruise ship is Royal Caribbean International’s Icon of the Seas at 248,663 gross tons and carrying a maximum of 7600 passengers and 2350 crew. It was christened on 23 January 2024.
Disney Cruise Line acquired Global Dream from the former Genting Hong Kong which it plans to complete in Singapore in 2025. The ship will accommodate 6000 passengers and 2300 crew.
