Carnival Corporation & plc, announced it has signed a billion dollars contract to build four next-generation cruise ships with greater capacity for guests. The contract with Meyer Werft is part of the previously announced outstanding Meyer Werft shipyard Fincantieri SpA and nine orders for new ships between 2019 and 2022 strategic memorandum.

The four new ships will have a revolutionary design of "green ship". The ships will be the first in the industry to be motorized cruises at sea for liquefied natural gas (LNG) - the cleanest fossil fuel burning worldwide, representing an outstanding environmental novelty.

Since the company indicated that two of the ships will be built by AIDA Cruises on the site Meyer Werft shipyard in Papenburg, Germany. Later it will release more information about the ships, including the new ships will be added to each of the brands.

Based on the innovative new design of ship Carnival Corporation, each of the four ships next generation will have a total capacity of 6,600 guests, with more than 5,000 lower berths, exceeding 180,000 gross tons incorporating a wide range of friendly features with guests. An important part of the innovative design involves a much more effective use of space ship, creating an enhanced onboard experience for guests.

As a pioneer in a new era in the use of sustainable fuels, the four new cruise ships will be the first in the industry to use hybrid engines with dual LNG supply to drive the boat in the harbor and the open sea. LNG will be stored onboard and used to generate 100% of the offshore energy - producing another innovation within the industry for Carnival Corporation and its brands. Using LNG as energy for boats in the harbor and in the open ocean particulate emissions of soot and sulfur oxides are removed.

Besides the two new ships to be built in Germany, Meyer Werft - which has the capacity to accommodate these four orders of shipbuilding in its programming schedule - in addition to build two additional ships detailed in the announcement today at the shipyard Turku, Finland. Each of the new vessels will be designed specifically and developed for the brand and for the guests who will serve, underlining the objective of the company to overcome consistently exceeding the expectations of guests and providing guests first time and repeat unique vacation experience in life in each of the cruise.

CEO of Carnival Corporation, Arnold Donald, said the contract is consistent with the growth strategy of the company measurement to replace less efficient vessels with a capacity with newer vessels, large and with greater efficiency in fuel consumption over time.

"We are looking to run the next step in our plan to improve fleet," said Donald. "On a cost per berth in line with our existing backlog, these new ships will improve the return profile of our fleet. These new exceptionally efficient vessels with amazing cabins and public spaces has a design inspired by Micky Arison and Michael Thamm design They have been developed by new construction equipment. " Arison is chairman of the board of directors of Carnival Corporation & plc and Thamm is the CEO of Costa Group, which includes AIDA Cruises and Costa Cruises.

Donald added. "It will be exciting to see our team shipbuilding bring these new ships to life in every step taken, our goal has been to design boats of last generation that provide the vacation experience that our guests They love, and we are putting all our creative energies and resources on making sure that we got that goal. "

"These ships will expand our leadership position for Costa Group, market leader in the major markets of Europe," Thamm said. "These are spectacular boats designed specifically for our guests who sail with Costa Group brands."

Bernard Meyer, CEO of Meyer Werft, said: "In recent years we have built seven ships very successful for AIDA Cruises is honored that Carnival Corporation has entrusted us by implementing the ambitious program of shipbuilding, and. We are eager to build these four exceptional boats. "

The new order of vessels will allow Costa Group to continue to build its leadership position in the cruise market in Europe - a market in which 5 out of 10 guests cruising in 2014 embarked in a cruise of Costa Group. Costa Group - with Princess Cruise Lines, also part of the Carnival Corporation family - also occupies the leading position in the cruise market growth in China.