Carnival Corporation Assigns Previously Ordered...
Carnival Corporation & plc Assigns Previously Ordered Vessel to P&O Cruises
New Ship to Enter Service in Spring 2008
MIAMI, Sept. 21 -- Carnival Corporation & plc (NYSE/LSE: CCL; NYSE: CUK) has
assigned the newbuild slot for the previously announced 116,000-ton cruise ship
to U.K.-based P&O Cruises. To be built by Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri, the
vessel is scheduled to enter service in spring 2008.
The new 3,100-passenger vessel will become the largest cruise ship
specifically built for British cruise service and continues Carnival's ongoing
European expansion strategy. An itinerary for this vessel has not been
announced.
The new P&O Cruises ship was part of a five-ship agreement with
Fincantieri announced in September 2004 that also included the new 110,000-ton
Carnival Freedom for Carnival Cruise Lines, the 116,000-ton Emerald Princess
for Princess Cruises, a 110,000-ton ship that still must be assigned to a
particular Carnival brand, and a significant redesign of Cunard Line's
previously ordered Queen Victoria.
"The agreement with Fincantieri presented a unique opportunity to contract
for a package of five ships at a very attractive price. At the time we signed
the contract, we had not made a decision as to which brands would be
designated for two of the ships. Given P&O Cruises' strong performance and
the excellent demand for cruising in the UK market, the decision was made to
designate one of the ships for P&O Cruises," said Micky Arison, Carnival
Corporation & plc's chairman and CEO.
He said that the company will make a decision on which brand will receive
the second vessel by the end of the month.
The new P&O Cruises ship, to be named Ventura, will feature eight
restaurants, five pools and three show lounges, including the largest theater
on a British cruise ship. In addition to one of the largest spas afloat, the
ship will include a "family zone" featuring children's play areas, a "family
bistro" and two pools dedicated to families and children. Of the ship's 1,550
cabins, nearly 60 percent will offer private balconies.
Commenting on the announcement, David Dingle, managing director of P&O
Cruises, said, "This new order acknowledges the unprecedented demand for the
P&O Cruises brand and its increasingly wide appeal. Over the last 10 years,
P&O Cruises uniquely has introduced a progression of new ships purpose-built
for Britain, which have created record levels of demand. Ventura, through her
innovation, scale and contemporary appeal, marks the next major step forward
for Britain's leading cruise line, maintaining P&O Cruises' position at the
forefront of our industry."
Carnival Corporation & plc is the largest cruise vacation group in the
world, with a portfolio of 12 cruise brands in North America, Europe and
Australia, comprised of Carnival Cruise Lines, Holland America Line, Princess
Cruises, Seabourn Cruise Line, Windstar Cruises, AIDA Cruises, Costa Cruises,
Cunard Line, Ocean Village, P&O Cruises, Swan Hellenic, and P&O Cruises
Australia.
Together, these brands operate 79 ships totaling more than 137,000 lower
berths with 12 new ships scheduled for delivery between January 2006 and April
2009. Carnival Corporation & plc also operates the leading tour companies in
Alaska and the Canadian Yukon, Holland America Tours and Princess Tours.
Traded on both the New York and London Stock Exchanges, Carnival Corporation &
plc is the only group in the world to be included in both the S&P 500 and the
FTSE 100 indices.
SOURCE Carnival Corporation & plc
-0- 09/21/2005
/CONTACT: Media, US, Tim Gallagher, +1-305-599-2600, ext. 16000, Investor
Relations, US/UK, Beth Roberts, +1-305-406-4832, +44-7956-436-104, both of
Carnival Corporation & plc; UK, Brunswick Group, Sophie Fitton,
+44-20-7404-5959/
/Web site: http://www.carnivalcorp.com /
(CCL CUK)
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