MIAMI, May 15, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Carnival Corporation
& plc (NYSE/LSE: CCL; NYSE: CUK), the world's largest leisure
travel company, on May 11 officially
launched Seabourn Ovation, the second of four new ships that will
enter service in 2018 across four of the company's nine global
cruise brands. The launch of Seabourn Ovation follows the delivery
of the corporation's first ship of 2018, Carnival Cruise Line's
Carnival Horizon, which has earned rave reviews since its
April 2 inaugural cruise.
Also, in late 2018, two more Carnival Corporation brands will
launch new ships:
- AIDAnova from AIDA Cruises, the leading cruise line in
Germany, marks a new generation of
the brand's ships that combine innovative design with
state-of-the-art technology to provide even greater onboard comfort
and further enhance the guest experience.
- Holland America Line, a leader
in premium cruising, will launch ms Nieuw Statendam, the line's
second Pinnacle Class ship following ms Koningsdam in 2016.
The four new ships are part of Carnival Corporation's ongoing
fleet enhancement strategy, which will build on the delivery of
Carnival Horizon and Seabourn Ovation with 18 new ships scheduled
for delivery between 2018 and 2023. The new ships continue the
corporation's focus on providing experiences that consistently
exceed guest expectations while also creating excitement and
accelerating demand for cruising, the fastest growing segment in
the vacation industry.
"Following the successful launch of three new ships in 2017, we
are excited to have four more spectacular ships join our fleet in
2018 that will further support our goal to consistently provide
extraordinary vacation experiences at an exceptional value for our
guests," said Roger Frizzell, chief
communications officer for Carnival Corporation. "The stunning new
Seabourn Ovation is the latest example of our long-term strategy to
build highly efficient and innovative new vessels that create
excitement for cruising and help boost consideration for cruise
vacations among consumers in the broader vacation market."
Added Frizzell: "In addition to the introduction of new ships,
our fleet enhancement plan includes refurbishing existing ships and
replacing less-efficient vessels over time as part of our measured
capacity growth strategy."
Introducing Seabourn Ovation – The Latest Ultra-Luxury Ship
from Seabourn
Seabourn Ovation was officially launched on
May 11 at a naming ceremony in
Valletta, Malta, to commemorate
its entry into service for the Seabourn fleet. One of the world's
most highly-acclaimed actresses and singers, Elaine Paige,
served as godmother and named the ship during a ceremony that lit
up the UNESCO World Heritage site and the 2018 European Capital of
Culture.
Seabourn Ovation was delivered on April
27 during an official handover ceremony at the Fincantieri
shipyard in Genoa, Italy.
Following the delivery ceremony, Seabourn Ovation began her maiden
season with an 11-day inaugural voyage departing May 5 from Venice,
Italy, and culminating with its arrival in Barcelona, Spain.
Seabourn Ovation will expand and build on the line's
award-winning and highly acclaimed Odyssey-class ships, which
revolutionized ultra-luxury cruising with enhanced accommodations
and innovative amenities when they were introduced between 2009 and
2011. A sister ship to Seabourn Encore, Seabourn Ovation features
300 all-oceanfront suites and maintains the line's high ratio of
space per guest, enabling highly personalized service.
Seabourn Ovation was fashioned by notable hospitality design
icon Adam D. Tihany with contemporary interiors, modern design
elements and innovations consistent with Seabourn's reputation for
understated elegance. Tihany's vision has delivered the world's
finest ultra-luxury resort that happens to traverse the oceans of
the world. The new ship will round out the current planned
expansion of the line's award-winning, newest and most consistent
fleet in the ultra-luxury segment.
The fifth all-suite ship in the Seabourn fleet, Seabourn Ovation
offers a number of in-suite amenities to provide guests with a
"home away from home" onboard experience, including a private
veranda in every luxurious suite. Featuring striking design and
sophisticated décor, each suite will include a comfortable living
area, elegant bedding, a walk-in closet, in-suite entertainment
options and a marble bathroom with separate bath and shower, and
luxury bath products, including the exclusive Seabourn Signature
Scents by Molton Brown.
Guests who sail on Seabourn Ovation will also find a number of
innovative offerings and programs, including partnerships with a
select group of companies and individuals whose dedication to
superior quality, exceptional service and consistent customer
satisfaction matches Seabourn.
These programs include "An Evening with Tim Rice," the evening entertainment experience
created exclusively for the line in association with Belinda King
Creative Productions; Spa and Wellness with Dr. Andrew Weil, offering guests a holistic spa and
wellness experience that integrates physical, social, environmental
and spiritual well-being; and The Grill by Thomas Keller,
reminiscent of the classic American restaurant from the 1950s and
1960s. Exclusive to Seabourn, The Grill is a unique culinary
concept for Chef Keller, focusing on updated versions of iconic
dishes.
Seabourn Ovation will spend the majority of its maiden season
cruising the waters of Northern Europe, offering a series of
seven-day Baltic and Scandinavian sailings between Copenhagen and Stockholm.
Seabourn Ovation will also sail on longer 14-day voyages,
visiting the majestic Norwegian fjords and British Isles. Select
sailings will also include the Ventures by
Seabourn program, which are optional for-charge
expedition-style excursions featuring a team of experts, Zodiacs
and kayaks with a focus on allowing guests to experience nature up
close.
Carnival Cruise Line Recently Launched Carnival
Horizon with Inaugural Voyage in April 2018
Carnival
Cruise Line, the world's most popular cruise line, took delivery of
the new 133,500-ton Carnival Horizon in March 2018 in a traditional maritime handover
ceremony held at the Fincantieri shipyard in Italy. The 3,954-passenger ship departed
Barcelona on April 2 on its inaugural 13-day voyage – the
first of four sailings from the European port. The ship is
currently sailing on a transatlantic crossing and will arrive in
New York on May 23 for a naming ceremony featuring the ship's
godmother, Grammy award-winning musical artist and acclaimed
actress Queen Latifah.
The 26th ship for Carnival Cruise Line, Carnival Horizon offers
a number of unique and exciting features, including the first Dr.
Seuss-themed WaterWorks aqua park, the line's first teppanyaki
dining venue and Guy's Pig & Anchor Bar-B-Que Smokehouse |
Brewhouse, a new restaurant concept that combines BBQ offerings
created by Food Network star and longtime Carnival partner Guy
Fieri, along with four specifically designed craft beers
brewed at an onboard brewery.
Carnival Horizon also offers many of the popular indoor and
outdoor dining, bar, entertainment and activity options that
debuted on its sister-ship, Carnival Vista, such as the
groundbreaking bike-ride-in-the-sky SkyRide attraction and an IMAX
Theatre. Guests can also enjoy a wide range of accommodations
including extra-roomy staterooms in Family Harbor and
tropical-inspired Havana staterooms and suites with
exclusive daytime access to a Cuban-themed bar and pool.
Carnival Horizon will operate a summer schedule of
four-day Bermuda and
eight-day Caribbean departures from New York and then shift to Miami for
year-round schedule six- and eight-day Caribbean cruises
beginning in September 2018.
AIDA Cruises: AIDAnova – Expected to launch in November
2018
Arriving in late 2018, AIDAnova will have more than 40
different restaurants and bars on board to provide guests with an
opportunity to enjoy a new level of world-class dining experiences
and culinary trends.
Versatile entertainment offerings include the beach club and
Four Elements adventure deck, complete with three water slides and
a climbing garden under the dome of a retractable glass roof, in
addition to a new escape room for puzzle lovers, a 360-degree
Theatrium and Studio X, a TV studio at sea.
Highlights include 20 different stateroom types, ranging from a
two-deck penthouse suite to spacious family and patio cabins to
comfortable single options with a balcony. The ship will also
feature the Body & Soul Spa, spanning two decks and offering
over 80 treatments from around the world.
AIDAnova will make history as the first cruise ship to be fully
powered in port and at sea by LNG, the world's cleanest burning
fossil fuel – an innovation that will reduce exhaust emissions to
help protect the environment and support Carnival Corporation's
aggressive sustainability goals.
The ship's next-generation, fully LNG-powered design is an
evolution from the brand's previous award-winning class of ships
that includes AIDAprima and AIDAperla, the first two cruise ships
in the world that can use LNG while in port. AIDAnova will be
followed by eight additional fully LNG-powered ships scheduled to
be delivered across several Carnival Corporation brands by
2023.
AIDAnova will be christened in August with a christening show
and live concert, AIDA Open Air, at the MEYER WERFT shipyard
in Papenburg, Germany – the first
christening of a cruise ship at the shipyard in more than 20 years.
Following the ship's delivery in November
2018, AIDAnova will begin its maiden voyage from
Hamburg to the Canary Islands
in December.
Holland America Line: ms Nieuw Statendam – Expected to
launch in December 2018
Nieuw Statendam is the second
Pinnacle Class ship for Holland America Line, joining Koningsdam,
which launched in April 2016. Due for delivery in December 2018, with a third Pinnacle Class ship
due in 2021, Nieuw Statendam is currently under construction
at Fincantieri's Marghera shipyard in Italy.
The 99,500-ton ship is the ultimate expression of the brand's
evolution, with grand light-filled spaces, visual drama and
sumptuous interiors inspired by the fluid curves of musical
instruments, created by leading hospitality designer Adam D. Tihany
and designer and architect Bjorn Storbraaten. The newest Pinnacle
Class ship will have eight more staterooms than its sister ship
Koningsdam, in addition to the redesigned Pinnacle Suite and
reconfigured family staterooms.
The ship will carry 2,666 guests and feature fine-dining options
at alternative restaurants Sel de Mer, a French seafood
brasserie, and Tamarind, an Asian fusion concept, in addition to
the Grand Dutch Café with traditional Dutch treats and European
beer.
Onboard entertainment will include the popular Music Walk area
featuring all genres of music showcased in venues including Lincoln
Center Stage, Billboard Onboard and the dynamic B.B. King's Blues
Club. With the 270-degree LED projection at World Stage, show-time
performances will immerse the audience in panoramic visual and
sound effects. The ship will also launch with the newly created
Exploration Central's hub located in the Crow's Nest, now a
comprehensive resource and engagement center with interactive
screens and a Virtual Bridge.
Nieuw Statendam is scheduled to depart Dec. 5, 2018, on its
maiden voyage with guests – a 14-day transatlantic crossing
to Fort Lauderdale. The ship will then spend the winter,
holiday and spring seasons cruising roundtrip from the South
Florida port on seven-day Caribbean itineraries,
with select three-, four- and 10-day options.
Following its inaugural season island-hopping throughout the
Caribbean, Nieuw Statendam will cross the Atlantic Ocean
in late April 2019 and spend the
summer and fall exploring northern Europe and the Mediterranean, homeporting in
Amsterdam, the Netherlands, for
the season.
About Carnival Corporation & plc
Carnival
Corporation & plc is the world's largest leisure travel
company and among the most profitable and financially strong in the
cruise and vacation industries, with a portfolio of 10 dynamic
brands that include nine of the world's leading cruise lines. With
operations in North America, Australia, Europe and
Asia, its portfolio features
Carnival Cruise Line, Princess Cruises, Holland America
Line, Seabourn, P&O Cruises (Australia), Costa Cruises, AIDA Cruises,
P&O Cruises (UK) and Cunard, as well as Fathom, the
corporation's immersion and enrichment experience brand.
Together, the corporation's cruise lines
operate 103 ships with 234,000 lower berths visiting over
700 ports around the world, with 18 new ships scheduled
to be delivered between 2018 and 2023. Carnival Corporation
& plc also operates Holland America Princess Alaska Tours,
the leading tour company in Alaska and the Canadian Yukon.
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.
In 2017, Fast Company recognized Carnival Corporation as being
among the "Top 10 Most Innovative Companies" in both the design and
travel categories. Fast Company specifically recognized Carnival
Corporation for its work in developing Ocean Medallion™, a
high-tech wearable device that enables the world's first
interactive guest experience platform capable of transforming
vacation travel into a highly personalized and elevated level of
customized service.
Additional information can be found
on www.carnival.com, www.princess.com, www.hollandamerica.com,www.seabourn.com, www.pocruises.com.au, www.costacruise.com, www.aida.de, www.pocruises.com, www.cunard.com,
and www.fathom.org.
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SOURCE Carnival Corporation & plc