In a shock announcement, Carnival Company revealed it can construct a fifth Excel-class ship for its Carnival Cruise Line model. The disclosure got here simply six weeks after the father or mother firm signed an settlement to assemble a fourth ship within the class for its flagship cruise line.
Newest New-Construct to Enter Service in 2028
Carnival Company, operator of 9 international cruise manufacturers, signed a contract with Germany’s Meyer Werft shipyard to assemble a fifth Excel-class vessel for Carnival Cruise Line, with a scheduled entry to service in 2028.
The ship, as but unnamed, is the second Excel-class new-build to be introduced in simply over a month. In mid-February 2024, Carnival Company revealed it signed an settlement with the identical shipyard to construct the model’s fourth ship within the class — a sister ship to present Excel vessels Mardi Gras, Carnival Celebration, and Carnival Jubilee. The fourth within the collection is because of launch in 2027.
“Carnival’s Excel-class fleet will quickly be a quintet of those extremely popular ships that present excellent visitor facilities and large working efficiencies,” stated Christine Duffy, president of Carnival Cruise Line.
“Because the introduction of Mardi Gras in 2021 and the next growth with Carnival Celebration in 2022 and Carnival Jubilee in 2023, these Excel-class ships are driving pleasure, demand, and powerful visitor satisfaction scores,” Duffy added.
The Excel-class ships, all with gross tonnage exceeding 180,000 and powered by LNG (liquified pure gasoline), pioneered new onboard areas and actions, reminiscent of the primary rollercoaster at sea on Mardi Gras. Ships within the class accommodate 6,400 friends with all berths occupied, and 1,800 crew.
The newly introduced fifth within the class would be the eleventh Excel ship throughout the total Carnival Company fleet. Different Excel-class ships embody P&O Cruises’ Arvia and Iona, as an illustration.
Government Hints at Extra Fleet Adjustments Coming
Carnival Company manufacturers reported strong financials in 2023, with revenues beating expectations and spurring future development. Within the third quarter of final yr, the corporate posted whole income of simply over $6 billion, and web revenue of $1.07 billion.
“Carnival Cruise Line continues to carry out at an impressive stage, and we’re targeted on including capability throughout the corporate the place it aligns with demand and our place within the market,” stated Josh Weinstein, CEO of Carnival Company.
The highest govt added that the most recent ship order for Carnival Cruise Line reveals the corporate’s dedication to development. Furthermore, he indicated there shall be extra “fleet plans” within the coming months to fulfill capability calls for throughout the corporate’s manufacturers.
Shipyard executives hailed the brand new ship order, which is contingent on financing and anticipated to be finalized later in 2024.
Learn Additionally: All Carnival Cruise Ships By Age: Latest to Oldest
“We’re happy with the function the Excel-class from Meyer Werft and Meyer Turku has performed in contributing to the success of Carnival Company for a few years now. We stay up for persevering with this success story collectively,” stated Bernd Eikens, CEO of Meyer Group.
Carnival Cruise Line’s present Excel-class ships are all working from US ports. Mardi Gras relies at Port Canaveral. The 180,000-gross ton ship operates 6- to 8-day Jap and Western Caribbean cruises.
Carnival Celebration, home-ported at PortMiami, weighs 183,521 gross tons and sails 6- to 8-day Jap and Southern Caribbean itineraries.
The 182,800-gross ton Carnival Jubilee, voted Greatest New Cruise Ship of 2023 in Cruise Hive’s annual awards, sails 7-day Western Caribbean cruises from Galveston, Texas.
