MIAMI — Carnival Cruise Lines announced Friday that it has exercised an option with Kvaerner Masa-Yards of Helsinki, Finland, for the construction of a new 84,000-ton ship expected to be delivered in late 2001.
The 2,112-passenger vessel, to be named the Carnival Pride, will cost approximately $375 million. It will be a sister ship to the Carnival Spirit, currently under construction at Kvaerner Masa, which will begin a new class of vessel for Carnival when it enters service in early 2001. Carnival has an additional option remaining with the shipyard for one more 84,000-ton vessel.
"The exercise of this option for the second in this all-new class of vessel will continue Carnival's tradition of offering some of the most exciting and innovative ships in the industry," said Carnival President Bob Dickinson.
In addition to the two "Spirit-class" vessels, Carnival Cruise Lines has four new 102,000-ton "Destiny-class" ships scheduled to enter service over the next four years, including the Carnival Triumph, scheduled to debut from New York later this month, the Carnival Victory, expected to enter service Aug. 31, 2000, and the Carnival Conquest and Carnival Glory, slated to debut in 2002 and 2003, respectively.
Additionally, Carnival's sister company, Holland America Line, has three new vessels on order, including the 1,440-passenger Volendam and Zaandam, slated to debut in November 1999 and February 2000, respectively, and the 1,380-passenger Amsterdam, scheduled to be delivered in fall 2000. Also on order for Costa Cruises, another Carnival-affiliated cruise line, is the 2,112-passenger CostaAtlantica, which is scheduled to debut in late spring 2000. Collectively, these 10 vessels have an estimated value of more than $3.8 billion.
Carnival's new 960-foot-long Carnival Pride will feature a number of innovative guest-driven amenities, including a wedding chapel, conference center, a two-level fitness facility, a children's center and two consecutive decks of bars, lounges and nightspots, one with an outdoor wrap-around promenade.
The vessel will also feature a wide variety of accommodation categories, including several levels of suites. Additionally, 80 percent of the vessel's staterooms will offer an ocean-view with 87 percent of those including private balconies.
Also featured is a two-level main restaurant for all guests, an extensive
Lido-area casual eatery and a unique alternative restaurant topside that is bordered on one end by the ship's smokestack and on the other extends out over the uppermost section of the vessel's atrium.
The Carnival Pride will also offer expansive deck space for sunning and relaxing, along with multiple swimming pools, including one featuring a magradome.
Carnival Corporation is comprised of Carnival Cruise Lines, the world's largest cruise line based on passengers carried, Holland America Line, Windstar Cruises, a majority interest in Cunard Line Limited, which operates the Cunard and Seabourn cruise brands, and interests in Costa Cruises and Airtours plc. Combined, Carnival Corporation's various brands operate 44 ships in the Caribbean, Alaska, Europe and other worldwide destinations.
