Tuesday, March 26, 2024
Carnival Corporation & plc, renowned as the world’s foremost cruise company, has just inked a significant deal with Meyer Werft shipyard for the construction of a fifth Excel-class cruise vessel under its Carnival Cruise Line brand. Anticipated delivery for this newest addition is slated for 2028.
Back in mid-February, Carnival Corporation had made waves with its announcement of the first newbuild order in half a decade, revealing plans for a fourth Excel-class ship to grace the Carnival Cruise Line fleet by the spring of 2027. This recent revelation solidifies the corporation’s commitment to expand its fleet with an 11th Excel-class ship, distributed among four of its premier brands, and notably, the fifth one to be operated by Carnival Cruise Line.
“Carnival’s Excel-class fleet will soon be a quintet of these very popular ships that provide outstanding guest amenities and tremendous operating efficiencies,” said Christine Duffy, president of Carnival Cruise Line. “Since the introduction of Mardi Gras in 2021 and the subsequent expansion with Carnival Celebration in 2022 and Carnival Jubilee in 2023, these Excel-class ships are driving excitement, demand, and strong guest satisfaction ratings. With the arrival of Carnival Firenze in April, we are completing the addition of five ships to our fleet in less than 20 months, and then we will pivot to another phase of growth with these two Excel ships.”
True to its lineage, this fifth Excel-class cruiser will be constructed on the same formidable platform as its predecessors. With a colossal weight of 180,000 tons, the vessel will run on liquefied natural gas (LNG) and boast a capacity to accommodate over 6,400 guests alongside a crew complement of 1,800.
“This new order continues to balance our commitment to growth with our responsible capital approach to utilize strong free cash flow over the next several years to strategically improve our balance sheet, significantly reduce our leverage levels and continue to transfer value from debt holders to shareholders,” said Josh Weinstein, CEO of Carnival Corporation & plc.
“Carnival Cruise Line continues to perform at an outstanding level, and we are focused on adding capacity across the company where it aligns with demand and our position in the marketplace. This measured capacity growth strategy will result in our adding one to two ships per year beginning in 2027, and we will be identifying additional fleet plans over the coming months for our cruise lines to meet capacity demand and improve execution across all aspects of our operation, with the benefit of yielding higher return on invested capital,” said Weinstein.
“We are proud of the role the Excel-class from MEYER WERFT and MEYER TURKU has played in contributing to the success of Carnival Corporation for many years now. We look forward to continuing this success story together,” said Bernd Eikens, CEO MEYER Group.
However, the fulfillment of this order is contingent upon securing financing, a process slated for completion later this year.
Sunday, April 28, 2024
Sunday, April 28, 2024
Sunday, April 28, 2024
Sunday, April 28, 2024
