Fincantieri, a multi-national shipbuilder, has signed a memorandum of agreement (MoA) with Princess Cruises, a global cruise brand of Carnival Corporation & plc, for the construction of two dual-fuel ships, powered primarily by Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG). The newbuilds will be the largest by capacity in the Princess Cruises fleet.
These next-generation 175,000-ton cruise ships which will be the largest ships built so far in Italy with deliveries scheduled in Monfalcone in late 2023 and in spring 2025. They will accommodate approximately 4,300 guests and will be based on a next-generation platform design, being the first Princess Cruises’ ships to adopt LNG, the marine industry’s most environmentally friendly advanced fuel technology and the world’s cleanest burning fossil fuel, which will significantly reduce air emissions and marine gasoil.
“This revolutionary platform for next-generation, LNG-powered cruise ships will introduce innovative design and leisure experiences driven by the future vacation and lifestyle trends of our guests – further evolving the already best-in-class Princess Cruises experience we deliver today,” said Jan Swartz, President of Princess Cruises. “We look forward to collaborating with Fincantieri to bring our vision for this next- generation premium cruise ship into service.”
While commenting on the announcement, Giuseppe Bono, CEO of Fincantieri, stated: “We are getting ready to enter, together, into a new era of our industry, increasingly aimed at reducing environmental impact. We proudly do this with an all-time record project, both in terms of size and technological level”.
The agreement for Princess Cruises’ next-generation cruise ships represent Carnival Corporation’s 10th and 11th contracted LNG-based vessels and are part of the company’s ongoing fleet enhancement strategy
Source: Fincantieri S.p.A. and Princess Cruises
