Carnival unveils new record capacity ‘green ships’

Carnival Corporation has revealed plans to build four ‘green ships’ – the first in the cruise industry to be powered at sea by Liquefied Natural Gas, said to be the world’s cleanest burning fossil fuel. 

The move is part of a previously announced contract with shipbuilders Meyer Werft and Fincantieri SpA for nine new ship orders between 2019 and 2022.

Each of the four ships will have a total capacity of 6,600 passengers – making them the largest in the world – feature more than 5,000 lower berths and exceed 180,000 gross tonnes. The company said two of the ships will be manufactured for AIDA Cruises at Meyer Werft’s shipyard in Papenburg, Germany, while the other two will be built in Turku, Finland.

Further information about the ships, including which brand the remaining two will be attached to, will be made at a later date.

Carnival said the ships’ dual-powered hybrid engines will run them both in port and on the open sea; Liquefied Natural Gas will be stored on board and used to generate 100 per cent of the power at sea, eliminating emissions of soot particles and sulfur oxides.

READ: Why the launch of Carnival’s fathom brand is a crucial moment for cruising

Arnold Donald, CEO of Carnival Corporation, said: “We are looking forward to executing on the next step in our fleet enhancement plan. At a cost per berth in line with our existing order book, these new ships will enhance the return profile of our fleet. These are exceptionally efficient ships with incredible cabins and public spaces

“It will be exciting to see our shipbuilding team bring these new ships to life. Every step of the way, our focus is on designing state-of-the-art ships that provide a vacation experience our guests will love, and we are putting all of our creative energy and resources into making sure we achieve that goal.”

Bernard Meyer, CEO of Meyer Werft, said: “In past years, we have built seven highly successful ships for AIDA Cruises. We are honored that Carnival Corporation has entrusted us with the implementation of this ambitious shipbuilding programme, and we look forward to building these four magnificent ships.”

The news follows Carnival’s recent unveiling of ‘social impact’ brand, fathom.