Carnival Corporation’s ultra luxury cruise line Seabourn has formally signed the paperwork for its next vessel with Fincantieri shipyard – to be delivered in 2016 – continuing the company’s fleet modernisation.
The ship, which will be based on the line’s Odyssey-class, will see the firm take its capacity up to three vessels following the staggered transfer of Seabourn Pride, Seabourn Spirit and Seabourn Legend to Windstar Cruises in April 2014, April 2015 and May 2015.
An order from a new brand is always a source of great satisfaction
Giuseppe Bono
Fincantieri, chief executive officer
“The new ship will continue the evolution that began with Seabourn’s fleet expansion, adding modern design elements and innovations consistent with Seabourn’s reputation for understated elegance,” explained Richard D. Meadows, Seabourn’s president. “With its delivery, the most highly rated cruise line in the world will also offer travellers the newest fleet of ships in the luxury segment.”
The new vessel will be 40,350 gross tonnes (GT), making it bigger than the other Odyssey-class ships which all weigh in at 32,000GT. However, capacity-wise the all-suite vessel will hold just 604-passengers based on double occupancy. The three vessels that have been sold to Windstar Cruises all have a gross tonnage of just 10,000 each.
The as yet unnamed vessel will include an additional deck and expanded public areas.
Giuseppe Bono, Fincantieri’s chief executive officer, said: “An order from a new brand is always a source of great satisfaction. Today we can also add a note of pride, because the addition to our customer base of Seabourn, the Carnival Group’s top-end cruise line, means that we are now building ships for all the operators in the ultra-luxury segment, a niche market that has seen strong investments in the past year”.
He added: “This gratifying result, which gives us cause to be optimistic about the future is the product of the cultural renewal being pursued with determination at every level of our business activity.”