In a signal that cruising has finally recovered, Carnival Corp. has inked its first order for a new ship since before the pandemic. The fourth Excel-Class ship for Carnival Cruise Line will be built at the Meyer Werft shipyard and be delivered in 2027. And the company confirmed rumors reported in Seatrade Cruise News they are in discussion for as many as four ships to be built by Fincantieri in Italy.
Carnival Corp. had traditionally contracted for ships financed by cash flow. But it rolled up more than $30-billion in debt in the lockdowns and recovery from the pandemic. Now the family of cruise lines is reporting record bookings and revenues for 2024 and beyond and it’s going to need to build more capacity.
Read it all in The Cruisington Times