Carnival Corp Announces Agreement for Nine New Ships

[seacruise9]

Hi,

 

Do you think Cunard will receive any new ships as part of these agreements? It is not likely, but we can remain hopeful.

 

Chuck

 

News Release

 

Carnival Corporation Enters into Strategic Partnerships to Add Nine Cruise Ships to its Fleet over a Four-Year Period Starting in 2019

 

Leading shipbuilders Fincantieri and Meyer Werft to each build next-generation cruise ships for Carnival Corporation through two separate, long-term partnerships

 

Groundbreaking new ship design will be the most efficient in company history and will further accelerate efforts to deliver an unparalleled cruising experience to millions of guests

 

MIAMI, March 26, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Carnival Corporation & plc (NYSE/LSE: CCL; NYSE: CUK), the world's largest travel and leisure company, today signed two strategic memorandums of agreement that will add a total of nine new cruise ships to the company's industry-leading fleet over a four-year period from 2019 - 2022. The shipbuilding agreements, which include options for additional ship builds in the coming years, are subject to several conditions, including satisfactory financing.

 

Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri S.p.A and German shipbuilder Meyer Werft will each build new ships based on Carnival Corporation's next-generation ship designs, which will produce the most efficient ships in the company's history. The new ships are expected to serve established cruise markets in North America and Europe, as well as newer markets, including China. Each new ship will be specifically designed and developed for the brand and guests it will serve, and support the company's overall goal of exceeding guest expectations and further elevating every aspect of the guest experience.

 

"We're excited to take this next step in our fleet enhancement plan with these two new agreements that are consistent with our long-term strategy of measured capacity growth over time," said Arnold Donald, president and CEO of Carnival Corporation. "Our goal as a company is to exceed the expectations of every guest on every ship every day, and these new ships will further enable us to do just that. These will be the most efficient ships we have ever built and the great guest experience will create even more excitement around cruising – helping new cruisers realize the superior vacation experience and value that cruising offers versus land-based vacations."

 

Fincantieri, the world's largest cruise ship building company, will develop and construct five ships at its shipyards in Monfalcone and Marghera, Italy.

 

"I am extremely proud on this truly memorable day for us. Today's announcement provides us with a long-term strategic prospective, and reinforces the extraordinary partnership between us and Carnival Corporation, developed over time thanks to the confidence the group has always shown in us, which we assure will be once again well placed," said Giuseppe Bono, CEO of Fincantieri. "This agreement reflects the exceptional business vision of the world's most important cruise operator, and our readiness and flexibility in interpreting its demands."

 

Bono added, "This agreement is the best reward for our hard work over all these years, and in fact, our organizational, design and production skills have allowed us to consolidate our market leadership, confirming us at the top of such an exclusive and complex industry."

 

Meyer Werft, a leading global shipbuilder founded in Germany in 1795, will build its four ships at its shipyards in Papenburg, Germany, and Turku, Finland. Now in its seventh generation of family ownership, Meyer Werft has become well known for constructing large, modern and sophisticated cruise ships, including 39 luxury ships the company has built for its customers around the world.

 

Bernard Meyer, managing partner of Meyer Werft, said, "We are very happy and honored that Carnival Corporation trusts our strength to bring this ambitious newbuilding program to life in Turku and Papenburg."

 

As part of each company's long-term strategic partnership with Carnival Corporation, additional new ship orders are being explored over the coming decade.

 

Additional information on Carnival Corporation's cruise ship design, and which of the company's nine leading global brands will add these next-generation vessels to their fleets will be made available at a later date.

 

Carnival Corporation's fleet enhancement strategy will add two new ships to its fleet in 2015 and remove four ships from the fleet. P&O Cruises UK officially launched Britannia, the largest ship ever designed exclusively for Britain, in a majestic naming ceremony earlier this month. Later this year, the AIDA Cruises fleet will welcome AIDAprima, which is expected to be one of the most technically advanced and sustainable cruise ships ever built.

 

In addition to these new ships, Carnival Corporation continues to enhance its guest experience on existing ships. The overall fleet enhancement strategy combines new ship builds with an ongoing program to further elevate guest experience across the company's existing fleet and nine brands.

 

About Carnival Corporation

Carnival Corporation & plc is the largest cruise company in the world, with a portfolio of cruise brands in North America, Europe, Australia and Asia, comprised of Carnival Cruise Line, Holland America Line, Princess Cruises, Seabourn, AIDA Cruises, Costa Cruises, Cunard, P&O Cruises (Australia) and P&O Cruises (UK).

 

Together, these brands operate 101 ships totaling 216,000 lower berths with nine new ships scheduled to be delivered between 2015 and 2018. Carnival Corporation & plc also operates Holland America Princess Alaska Tours, the leading tour companies 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. Additional information can be found on http://www.carnivalcorp.com.

 

SOURCE Carnival Corporation & plc

[BlueRiband]

Thanks for posting this. From what I read into this all nine vessels are of the same new ship design with some "customization" to the specific fleet. If we are to use QM2's timeline it took about four years from initial project decision to the actual block laying. It will probably include new fleet deployments for China and Australia as well as replacment of ships retired from their fleets.

[MicCanberra]

Thanks for posting this. I believe the Italian shipyard is the same one that built the QE and the Costa ships.

[Jim Avery]

Thanks for posting this. I believe the Italian shipyard is the same one that built the QE and the Costa ships.

 

YEs, Tincantieri. And not one less than 3,000 passengers??:eek::D

[MicCanberra]

YEs, Tincantieri. And not one less than 3,000 passengers??:eek::D

 

I suppose the profits are in the bigger ships.

[Salacia]

I noted this "Carnival Corporation's fleet enhancement strategy will add two new ships to its fleet in 2015 and remove four ships from the fleet

 

What does it mean to "remove for ships from the fleet"? -S.

[Salacia]

I noted this "Carnival Corporation's fleet enhancement strategy will add two new ships to its fleet in 2015 and remove four ships from the fleet

 

What does it mean to "remove for ships from the fleet"? -S.

 

Sorry for the typo...not for but four ships.

 

Seems to mean that Carnival is planning on removing four ships? - Sounds like gangland talk for a 'hit':eek:

[pepperrn]

Sorry for the typo...not for but four ships. Seems to mean that Carnival is planning on removing four ships? - Sounds like gangland talk for a 'hit':eek:

I think it may have sounded/read better had they said "retire four ships"... ?

[Salacia]

I think it may have sounded/read better had they said "retire four ships"... ?

 

Is 'retire' used as a euphemism for 'sold'?

[pepperrn]

Is 'retire' used as a euphemism for 'sold'?

Sell or send to a beach... But decisions may not have been reached about the fate of each of the four yet.

Some/all may have a few years of service left, in the hands of a different cruise company. Some may not.

[balf]

Maybe, possibly, one of the new ships could be for Cunard. If it's not,then by 2022 and with QM2 having reached around 50% of the service life of QE2 the three ship fleet will be quite advanced in years by modern standards.

 

Surely those broken chairs will be replaced by then.

 

David.

[BlueRiband]

Cunard has been successful in selling their retired ships rather than sending them on a one way voyage to Alang. Sagafjord, Vistafjord, Cunard Countess, and Cunard Princess (still sailing) had second careers with new owners. The secondary lines - those that don't order newbuilds - will pick them up.

[seacruise9]

Hi,

 

If Carnival Corp. decides that Cunard will receive a new ship, it wouldn't surprise me if a new design for Holland America is modified and shared with Cunard.

 

Chuck

Edited March 27, 2015 by seacruise9

[DDBINK1]

Cunard has been successful in selling their retired ships rather than sending them on a one way voyage to Alang. Sagafjord, Vistafjord, Cunard Countess, and Cunard Princess (still sailing) had second careers with new owners. The secondary lines - those that don't order newbuilds - will pick them up.

 

Are you making a prediction regarding one or more of the Cunard ships?

[Jim Avery]

The stock market seems to like the CCL announcement.:D:D

[balf]

Are you making a prediction regarding one or more of the Cunard ships?

 

I didn't read it that way, but all the ships mentioned were relatively small and attractive to the second leaguers. Not so sure which line would take on, for instance one of the newer Queens.

 

And certainly the flagship would likely be un saleable. Who else would take her on?

 

David.

[seacruise9]

Hi,

 

I seriously doubt that any of the four ships that soon will be removed from the fleet will be Cunard ships. Most likely these will be some of the older / smaller Holland America, Costa or Carnival ships.

 

Chuck

[Jim Avery]

Hi,

 

I seriously doubt that any of the four ships that soon will be removed from the fleet will be Cunard ships. Most likely these will be some of the older / smaller Holland America, Costa or Carnival ships.

 

Chuck

 

I bet you are right but it's a shame as HAL is one of the few lines left with less than 2,000 passenger ships.

[seacruise9]

I bet you are right but it's a shame as HAL is one of the few lines left with less than 2,000 passenger ships.

 

Hi,

 

I agree with you, but the Veendam would not be a great loss. I enjoyed a cruise on this ship back in 1996 when it was only about four weeks old. However, I think the additions to the stern of the ship look horrible.

 

Chuck

[Jim Avery]

Hi,

 

I agree with you, but the Veendam would not be a great loss. I enjoyed a cruise on this ship back in 1996 when it was only about four weeks old. However, I think the additions to the stern of the ship look horrible.

 

Chuck

 

Right. Nice Mex cruise over Christmas on Veendam a few months ago. Would do it again for the right price but wish they put a different ship on the route. Warm weather cruise and one lousy small pool in a crowded area. The aft deck hot tubs are a waste and the area seems little used. I wish we had seen it with the aft pool.

[Salacia]

Hi,

 

I agree with you, but the Veendam would not be a great loss. I enjoyed a cruise on this ship back in 1996 when it was only about four weeks old. However, I think the additions to the stern of the ship look horrible.

 

Chuck

 

Seacruise, I agree. Twice I sailed on the Veendam - would not do it again, just my personal opinion. I know many others are fond of the Veendam. -S.

[Cunard's Queen]

Without looking at the timeline events and only basing this off recent press releases, could some of the four vessels be from Carnival Corporation's discontinuation of Ibero as it partially merges with Costa?

[sand dollar26]

I sailed four times on the Veendam. The last voyage went round trip New York to Bermuda. The ship was delayed for a full day for completion of dry docking but was not really ready for sailing when it arrived late in the afternoon on the second day. This last sailing resulted in my "jumping ship" to Cunard. We have not sailed on H.A. ever since and have become loyal Cunard fans.

[BlueRiband]

Yes, Tincantieri. And not one less than 3,000 passengers??...

 

Economy of scale. As just one exemple, a ship has one master whether it carries 3000 passengers or only 600.

 

Like six day crossings, there are not enough of us able or willing to pay the higher fares that would have to be charged. Downward price pressure forces Carnival to compete with RCI.

[Austcruiser84]

One of the ships up for sale is Ocean Princess.