By GMM Technologies | 2024-02-18 | Ship Building News |

Carnival Corporation, the world’s leading cruise company, has announced its first newbuild order since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. The company on Tuesday said it has signed a contract with German shipbuilder Meyer Werft for a fourth Excel-class cruise ship for its Carnival Cruise Line brand.

The new 180,000-ton vessel, which will be the 10th Excel-class ship across four of the corporation’s brands, is anticipated to join the fleet in Spring 2027.

The newbuild ship will join Carnival Cruise Line’s current Excel-class vessels, which include Mardi Gras, Carnival Celebration, and Carnival Jubilee. With the capacity to accommodate over 6,400 guests, the new ship will be powered by liquefied natural gas (LNG).

Carnival Corporation & plc, as the world’s premier leisure travel company, operates more than 90 ships across 9 brands, with an additional eight new ships are scheduled to join the group fleet by 2025. Carnival Cruise Line is the company’s biggest brand with 27 ships.

The new ship marks the first newbuild order placed by Carnival Corporation in five years.

Carnival last month reported a strong start to the peak booking season, exceeding expectations. Since November, booking volumes have reached an unprecedented high. The company says it is also on track to achieve record bookings for 2024, with both pricing and occupancy significantly surpassing 2023 levels. In fact, the first half of 2024 is almost fully booked.