CARNIVAL ORDERS NEW SHIPS FOR COSTA CROCIERE, AIDA
Carnival Corporation & plc Orders New Ships for Costa Crociere, AIDA Cruises
New Vessels Will Add More Than 6,500 Total Lower Berths to Fleet, Build Upon
Carnival's Leadership Position in European Marketplace
MIAMI, June 12 -- Carnival Corporation & plc (NYSE/LSE: CCL; NYSE: CUK),
today announced that it has ordered two cruise ships for its European brands
with an option for a third.
Included in today's order are a 92,700-ton vessel for Genoa, Italy-based
Costa Crociere, as well as an option for a sister ship, both to be built by
Italy's Fincantieri shipyard, and a 68,500-ton ship for its Rostock,
Germany-based AIDA Cruises to be built by Germany's Meyer Werft yard.
The new vessels will add more than 6,500 total lower berths to Carnival
Corporation & plc's fleet and build upon its leadership position within the
rapidly expanding European cruise market, with six million passengers expected
to set sail by 2015.
The new Costa ships will be built at Fincantieri's Marghera shipyard and
have a basis-two capacity of 2,260 each. The first ship is scheduled to enter
service in spring 2009. If the option is exercised, the second ship is slated
to debut in fall 2010. The all-in cost for each vessel will be approximately
420 million euro.
Including the new ship and option, Costa currently has five new vessels on
order from Fincantieri representing 13,520 total lower berths.
The new AIDA ship will have a basis-two capacity of 2,050. Scheduled
delivery is spring 2010. The vessel's all-in cost will be approximately 330
million euro and marks the fourth 68,500-ton vessel ordered for the brand in
just the past 19 months. Three other vessels, also being built at Meyer
Werft, are slated to debut in 2007, 2008 and 2009.
All four vessels will operate under AIDA Cruises' informal "club resort"
cruise concept which is marketed exclusively to German-speaking clientele and
offers a product aimed at younger, more active passengers who enjoy a host of
on-board amenities and facilities.
According to Carnival Corporation & plc Chairman and CEO Micky Arison,
today's announcement continues the company's aggressive expansion strategy in
the European market.
"We have invested a great deal of time and money expanding and
diversifying the European cruise market which possesses incredible potential
for growth. Costa is already the clear leader in the southern European market
and AIDA holds the same distinction in Germany. These new state-of-the-art
ships for Costa and AIDA will further bolster their positions in the
respective markets and ensure that we have adequate capacity available to meet
growing demand for European cruises," Arison said.
Commented Costa Crociere Chairman and CEO Pier Luigi Foschi, "We've
demonstrated that the European market is seeking new itinerary alternatives
and that requires a balanced mix of ships, especially for the more experienced
cruiser. Costa's new programs, including voyages featuring Dubai in
winter/spring 2006/2007 and a series of 13 cruises to the Far East scheduled
for spring 2006 to spring 2007, have received tremendous response from our
European customers, including a number of sailings selling out in a matter of
days. New ships will allow us to continue to diversify our cruise offerings
for European vacationers," he said.
The German-speaking market is one of the fastest growing in Europe with
one million passengers expected to set sail by 2010. "To keep pace with this
dramatic growth, we must continue to build ships and develop unique cruise
products such as AIDA that can cater specifically to the preferences of
German-speaking clientele," Foschi said.
Including the three new ships announced today, Costa and AIDA together
have nine new ships on order representing a collective 21,720 total lower
berths - more than any other European cruise line.
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 80 ships totaling approximately 141,000
lower berths with 16 new ships scheduled to enter service between June 2006
and spring 2010. 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.
MEDIA CONTACTS INVESTOR RELATIONS CONTACT
US US/UK
Carnival Corporation & plc Carnival Corporation & plc
Tim Gallagher Beth Roberts
1 305 599 2600, ext. 16000 1 305 406 4832
UK
Brunswick Group
Sarah Lindgreen/Ruban Yogarajah
44 (0) 20 7404 5959
SOURCE Carnival plc
-0- 06/12/2006
/Web site: http://www.carnivalcorp.com /
(CCL CUK)
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