Carnival orders two new ships for AIDA Cruises
Cruise company Carnival has placed an order with Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri for two new vessels for AIDA Cruises, a cruise line in Germany.
The agreement with Fincantieri encompasses the design, engineering, and construction of a new class of two mid-sized ships that can operate on multiple fuels.
The delivery of the two ships is anticipated in the first quarter of the fiscal years 2030 and 2032, respectively.
Following the delivery of the second vessel, AIDA Cruises will increase its fleet to a total of 13 ships.
AIDA Cruises president Felix Eichhorn said: “With approximately 2,100 cabins each, these remarkable new ships give our guests a completely new class of ship which slot in perfectly between our 1,600 cabin Hyperion Class vessels and our more than 2,600 cabin Helios Class vessels.
“Our next generation of ships will delight our guests with amazing new features and experiences that we will reveal over time. Its innovative technology with multi-fuel propulsion systems including LNG will future proof our operations into the coming decades.”
Carnival’s newbuild pipeline now includes eight ships that are set to enter service from this year until 2033, with the Star Princess debuting this year and one each scheduled from 2027 to 2033.
Further details regarding the design and itineraries for the new AIDA ships will be disclosed in future, stated the company.
This order is subject to financing, which is expected to be finalised later this year.
Carnival CEO Josh Weinstein said: “The introduction of these next-generation ships, when combined with the AIDA Evolution programme modernising much of the existing fleet’s décor, features and technologies, will drive even more demand for our AIDA brand, which is synonymous with cruising in Germany.”
In July 2024, Carnival ordered three LNG-powered cruise ships from Fincantieri for Carnival Cruise Line.
The vessels will take at least five years to build, with the first delivery expected in 2029, followed by the second in 2031 and the third in 2033.
