By
Rebecca Gibson |
Italian shipyard Fincantieri has signed a memorandum of agreement to build a new cruise ship for Carnival Corporation’s luxury Cunard Line brand.
To be built at Fincantieri’s Monfalcone yard, the 113,000gt newbuild will accommodate 3,000 guests and be the 249th vessel to fly Cunard’s flag when she debuts in 2022. The ship’s launch will mark the first time Cunard will have four vessels in simultaneous service since 1998.
“We are very pleased to announce a fourth ship for our immensely popular Cunard brand, which is also one of the most legendary brands in the entire vacation industry,” said Arnold Donald, CEO of Carnival Corporation. “While today’s news helps drive Cunard’s overall strategic growth plans, we also look forward to launching this next-generation cruise ship to help meet increasing global demand and entice even more travellers to explore the Cunard experience.”
To date, Fincantieri has built 63 ships for Carnival Corporation and its brands – almost 66% of its total fleet – and will deliver nine more in the coming years.
“With this agreement we once more link our company's name with Cunard’s, a real icon of the cruise market, confirming us as a shipbuilder able to combine tradition and innovation like no one else in the world,” said Giuseppe Bono, CEO of Fincantieri. “It is a lasting journey that, besides the construction of the two authentic ‘queens’ like Queen Victoria and Queen Elizabeth, stresses the importance of our partnership with Carnival.”
The agreement will become operational when all the financial and technical conditions have been finalised.