• 24 Jul 2018

Fincantieri has signed with Princess Cruises, a brand of Carnival Corporation & plc, the largest cruise company in the world, a Memorandum of Agreement for the construction of two 171,000 gross tonnage cruise ships of next generation at the shipyard in Monfalcone, . which will be the largest so far made in Italy, with deliveries scheduled for the end of 2023 and the spring of 2025.

The two units, capable of hosting about 4,300 passengers, will be the first the first of the Princess Cruises fleet to be powered primarily by liquefied natural gas (LNG). It is the most advanced propulsion technology with the lowest environmental impact of the shipbuilding industry, as well as the world's most environmentally friendly fossil fuel, which will significantly reduce atmospheric emissions and the use of diesel.

Commenting on the agreement, Fincantieri CEO Giuseppe Bono said: "We are proud to further extend our long-standing partnership with Princess Cruises, a brand to which we are linked by our return to the cruise sector in 1990. After so many years, we are preparing together with entering into a new era of our industry, increasingly oriented towards reducing environmental impact, and we are proudly doing so with an absolute record, both in terms of tonnage and technological level"  concluding : "We are convinced that there are no more significant targets to reaffirm the acquired market leadership, which allow us to maintain a solid relationship between our country and the Carnival group, the largest foreign investor in Italy, at the same time preserving skills and increasing employment".

Jan Swartz, President of Princess Cruises, for his part remarked "The revolutionary platform of these new generation LNG-powered cruise ships will introduce an innovative design and a new way of conceiving the holiday for our guests, a further evolution of the our offer".

The agreement between the two companies follows a few days the announcement of the agreement between Fincantieri and TUI Cruises, the joint venture between TUI AG and Royal Caribbean Cruises, for the construction of two LNG fuelled cruise ships, with a  slightly lower gross tonnage of 161,000 tons, which will be delivered respectively in 2024 and 2026.

Fincantieri, recalls the note, has built 85 cruise ships since 1990 (of which 62 from 2002), 65 of which for the different Carnival brands, while another 49 are under construction or soon to be built in the group's plants.

Source:  Fincantieri