SINGAPORE, 29 March 2024: Carnival Corporation announced earlier this week an agreement with Meyer Werft shipyard for a fifth Excel-class cruise ship that will sail under the Carnival Cruise Line brand, following its delivery set for 2028.
In mid-February Carnival Corporation had announced the first newbuild order placed in five years with news that a fourth Excel-class ship would join the Carnival Cruise Line fleet in Spring 2027.
This announcement confirms the corporation’s 11th Excel-class ship across four brands and the fifth under the Carnival Cruise Line flag.
This fifth Excel-class ship will be built on the same platform as its sisters, with the 180,000-ton ship powered by liquefied natural gas (LNG) and designed to carry over 6,400 guests and 1,800 crew.
“Carnival Cruise Line continues to perform at an outstanding level, and we are focused on adding capacity across the company where it aligns with demand and our position in the marketplace,” said Carnival Corporation CEO Josh Weinstein. “This measured capacity growth strategy will result in our adding one to two ships per year beginning in 2027, and we will be identifying additional fleet plans over the coming months for our cruise lines to meet capacity demand and improve execution across all aspects of our operation, with the benefit of yielding a higher return on invested capital,” Weinstein concluded.
The latest order is contingent upon financing, which is expected to be completed later this year.
