The world’s largest cruise company wants to get even bigger.
Carnival Corp. & PLC said Thursday that it has signed agreements with two European shipyards to add nine new ships companywide from 2019 to 2022.
The new vessels are expected to serve established sailing grounds in North America and Europe, as well as emerging markets such as China, the Miami-based company said in a news release.
The shipbuilding agreements with Italian shipyard Fincantieri and Germany’s Meyer Werft include options for additional ships in the coming years. They are subject to several conditions, including satisfactory financing.
Although the company did not disclose which of its nine cruise lines would receive the new ships, each vessel will be designed for the brand and the customers it will serve.
The cruise brands, which operate a combined 101 ships today, are Carnival Cruise Line, Princess Cruises, Holland America Line, Seabourn, Cunard, Costa Cruises, AIDA Cruises, P&O Cruises (UK) and P&O Cruises (Australia).
“Our goal as a company is to exceed the expectations of every guest on every ship every day, and these new ships will further enable us to do just that,” Carnival Corp. President and CEO Arnold Donald said. “These will be the most efficient ships we have ever built.”
Separately, Carnival has nine other ships set for delivery between 2015 and 2018, including the 3,954-passenger Carnival Vista, which will be based in Miami for Caribbean itineraries starting in November 2016.
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