Carnival Corp. has signed a letter of intent with the Italian shipyard Fincantieri Cantieri Navali Italiani for the construction of a new 110,000-ton vessel for Carnival Cruise Lines.
The new 2,974-passenger vessel, a longer and larger version of Carnival's Destiny-class series, will cost approximately $500 million and is expected to enter service in 2004.
The company also announced that two other Destiny-class ships currently under construction at Fincantieri, the Carnival Conquest and Carnival Glory, set to debut in 2002 and 2003, respectively, are being "stretched" by approximately 60 feet, which will make them the same size as the newly commissioned vessel. Construction on another Destiny-class ship, the Carnival Victory, expected to enter service on Aug. 31, is nearing completion at Fincantieri.
At 952 feet, the 110,000-ton vessels will be among the longest in the Carnival Cruise Lines fleet. The elongated design will accommodate an expanded food service area on the Lido deck, an alternative restaurant, a family entertainment center, a conference room/business center, an Internet café and an expanded sports and recreation area on each vessel.
Like the Destiny-class ships, the longer vessels will also feature a three-deck 1,500-seat show lounge, a 15,000-square-foot fitness center, four swimming pools, a duty-free shopping mall and a 9,000-square-foot casino.
Carnival Corp. owns Carnival Cruise Lines, the world's largest cruise line based on passengers carried; Holland America Line; Windstar Cruises; Cunard Line Ltd., which operates the Cunard and Seabourn ships; and interests in Costa Cruises and Airtours. Carnival Corp. properties operate 45 ships worldwide, primarily in Caribbean, Alaskan and European waters.