A major milestone in the cruise industry has been marked as Fincantieri and Carnival Corporation, the world’s largest cruise company, celebrate 30 years of collaboration. The anniversary was commemorated during a ceremony at Fincantieri’s Monfalcone shipyard in Italy, where work also officially began on Carnival Cruise Line’s next generation of Ace-class ships with the first steel cutting for Carnival Destiny.
The new Carnival Destiny is the first of three Ace-class vessels on order for Carnival Cruise Line, with deliveries expected in 2029, 2031 and 2033. At approximately 230,000 gross tonnes, the ship will become both the largest vessel ever built by Fincantieri and the largest cruise ship ever constructed in Italy. The project also marks the shipbuilder’s entry into the construction of cruise ships exceeding 220,000 gross tonnes, reflecting the continued development of its engineering and production capabilities.
The collaboration between the two companies dates back to the construction of the original Carnival Destiny, which was delivered from the Monfalcone shipyard in 1996. At the time, it became the first cruise ship in the world to surpass 100,000 gross tonnes, setting a new benchmark for the global cruise sector. Over the past three decades, Fincantieri has delivered 76 vessels across Carnival Corporation’s portfolio of cruise brands, including 15 ships for Carnival Cruise Line.
A number of senior representatives attended the anniversary celebrations, including Micky Arison, Chairman of Carnival Corporation; Josh Weinstein, Chief Executive Officer of Carnival Corporation; Christine Duffy, President of Carnival Cruise Line; Biagio Mazzotta, Chairman of Fincantieri; Pierroberto Folgiero, Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of Fincantieri; Luigi Matarazzo, General Manager of Fincantieri’s Merchant Ships Division; Cristiano Bazzara, Director of the Monfalcone shipyard, alongside the Mayor of Monfalcone, Luca Fasan, and local civil and military authorities.
Designed to operate using liquefied natural gas (LNG), the new Ace-class ships will feature more than 3,000 cabins and will be capable of accommodating more than 8,000 guests at full capacity. The vessels will also incorporate technologies focused on improving energy efficiency, reducing emissions and enhancing waste management, supporting efforts to further reduce their environmental impact.
The project also highlights the continued importance of Fincantieri’s Monfalcone shipyard, which serves as the Group’s primary cruise ship production facility. More than 45 cruise ships have been built at the site, where around 6,500 people are employed each day. Ongoing investment in infrastructure, production capabilities and technology has enabled the shipyard to deliver increasingly complex and larger vessels, reinforcing its position as a leading international centre for next-generation cruise ship construction while continuing to play a significant role in the region’s economy and the future development of the shipbuilding industry.
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