Cruise giant Carnival orders three massive new ships
Big news, cruise fans: Three more giants are on the way.
Carnival Cruise Line announced on Tuesday that it ordered three massive new ships. They will be among the biggest cruise vessels ever built.
Scheduled to debut between 2029 and 2033, the three ships will be the biggest ever for Carnival at 230,000 tons. That’s about 25% bigger than the biggest Carnival vessels currently in operation.
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Only three cruise ships currently sailing are bigger than 230,000 gross tons: Royal Caribbean‘s recently unveiled Icon of the Seas, Utopia of the Seas and Wonder of the Seas.
Carnival released few details of the new ships other than their size and their cabin capacity. The ships will have 3,000 cabins that can hold nearly 8,000 passengers at full capacity, the line said.
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That’s more cabins than any ship in the history of Carnival.
“For this next generation ship, we are focused on creating innovative guest experiences that will take Carnival Cruise Line into the future with new fun features and excitement that we know our guests will love,” Carnival president Christine Duffy said in a statement accompanying the announcement.
Carnival said the first of the vessels would debut in 2029, and the next two ships in the series will arrive in 2031 and 2033, respectively.
The order comes just months after Carnival ordered two more ships in its Excel Class series of ships. Those vessels will begin sailing in 2027 and 2028, respectively.
Related: Monster growth! The cruise boom at Carnival continues
Carnival has been growing fast in the last two years as its business grows rapidly. In addition to adding newly built ships to its fleet, it’s been adding older vessels that are being transferred to the brand from sister lines.
Carnival on Tuesday said the newly announced ship orders are contingent upon financing, which is expected to be completed later this year.
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