Above: a Carnival ship

By the Caribbean Journal staff

Carnival is planning a new fleet expansion.

Carnival Corporation announced Thursday that it had signed two memoranda of agreement to add a total of nine new cruise ships to the country’s fleet.

The deal with Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri S.p.A. and German shipbuilder Meyer Werft will pave the way for new ships over a four-year period from 2019 to 2022.

“We’e excited to take this next step in our fleet enhancement plan with these two new agreements that are consistent with our long-term strategy of measured capacity growth over time,” said Arnold Donald, president and CEO of Carnival Corporation. “Our goal as a company is to exceed the expectations of every guest on every ship every day, and these new ships will further enable us to do just that. These will be the most efficient ships we have ever built and the great guest experience will create even more excitement around cruising – helping new cruisers realize the superior vacation experience and value that cruising offers versus land-based vacations.”

Under the agreements, Fincantieri will develop and construct five ships, while Meyer Werft will construct four ships.

“We are very happy and honored that Carnival Corporation trusts our strength to bring this ambitious newbuilding program to life in Turku and Papenburg,” said Bernard Meyer, managing partner of Meyer Werft.