Oct. 29 – The US group Carnival Corporation & plc and Fincantieri have reached an agreement for the construction of two new cruise ships for the Holland America Line and Carnival Cruise Lines brands. Both ships will be firsts in a new, innovative class of vessel. The Holland America Line ship will have a gross tonnage of 99,000 tonnes and accommodation for 2,660 passengers and will be delivered in fall 2015, joining the brand’s fleet five years after the “Nieuw Amsterdam”, delivered in Marghera in 2010. The Carnival Cruise Lines ship, with a gross tonnage of 135,000 tonnes, will have capacity for 4,000 passengers and will enter service in winter 2016, four years after the “Carnival Breeze”, delivered in Monfalcone in spring 2012. The parties have reached an understanding on all aspects of the agreement and expect to sign a contract as soon as all the closing conditions have been satisfied. The agreement between Fincantieri and Carnival Corporation & plc, the world’s top cruise operator with 100 ships and another 9 scheduled for delivery between 2013 and 2016, further confirms a successful relationship that dates back more than 20 years.
