Excellence-class cruise ship

Last updated
AIDAnova (cropped).jpg
AIDAnova, the first ship in the class, in 2018
Class overview
Builders
Operators
Preceded by
Built2017–2023
In service2018–present
Planned11
Building0
Completed9
Active9
General characteristics
Type Cruise ship
Tonnage183,900  GT
Displacement80,000
Length1,115 ft (340 m)
Height69.3 m (227 ft 4 in)-72 m (236 ft)
Installed power4x MaK 16VM46DF, 57.2 MW total
PropulsionTwo ABB azimuth thrusters, 37 MW total

The Excellence class, [1] [2] [3] including the sub-classes Helios class [4] and XL or Excel class, [5] is a class of cruise ships ordered by Carnival Corporation & plc for its subsidiary brands AIDA Cruises, Costa Cruises, P&O Cruises and Carnival Cruise Line. The ships are being constructed by Meyer Werft at their shipyard in Papenburg, Germany, and Meyer Turku at their shipyard in Turku, Finland. The first, AIDAnova, entered service for AIDA Cruises in 2018.

Contents

History

In March 2015, Carnival Corporation entered into a strategic partnership with Meyer Werft to build new ships between 2018 and 2022. [6] In June 2015, four ships were ordered for delivery between 2019 and 2020. [7] [8] In September 2016, three more ships were ordered for Carnival Cruise Line and P&O Cruises for delivery in 2020 and 2022. [9] In February 2024, Carnival Cruise Line placed an order for another Excellence class ship for delivery in 2027.

The Excellence class are the first cruise ships in the world to be dual fueled by liquefied natural gas (LNG) and traditional fuel oil, which is intended to make them more environmentally friendly than traditional, diesel-powered ships. [8] Each ship is expected to cost $950 million. [10]

The first four ships in the class suffered delivery delays. The delays of AIDAnova, Costa Smeralda and Mardi Gras were attributed to the ships being the first to be fueled by LNG, design complexities, difficulties coordinating subcontractors, and the large size of the ships. [3] The delay of Iona was due to a temporary suspension of operations by P&O Cruises, and slower construction progress, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. [11] Mardi Gras was later delayed until 2021, also due to the pandemic. [12]

Ships

ShipSubclassBuiltOperatorBuilderGross tonnageFlagIMO numberNotesImageNewbuilding no.
AIDAnova Helios class [13] 2018 AIDA Cruises Meyer Werft 183,858 [14] Civil Ensign of Italy.svg  Italy 9781865World's first LNG-powered cruise ship. [15] AIDAnova (cropped).jpg S.696
Costa Smeralda 2019 Costa Cruises Meyer Turku 185,010 [16] Civil Ensign of Italy.svg  Italy 9781889 Costa Smeralda Storebaelt IV (cropped).jpg NB 1394
Iona Excel class [5] 2020 P&O Cruises Meyer Werft184,089 [17] Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 9826548 IONA (49962467851).jpg S.710
Mardi Gras Excel class [18] 2020 Carnival Cruise Line Meyer Turku180,800 [19] Civil Ensign of the Bahamas.svg  Bahamas 9837444 Mardi Gras ship 22-12-2020 front view.jpg NB 1396
AIDAcosma Helios class [13] 2021AIDA CruisesMeyer Werft183,900 [10] Civil Ensign of Italy.svg  Italy 9781877Originally planned for 2020. Aida Cosma at Meyer Werft in Papenburg.jpg S.709
Costa Toscana 2021Costa CruisesMeyer Turku186,364 [10] Civil Ensign of Italy.svg  Italy 9781891Originally planned for 2020. Costa Toscana (ship) in September 2021.jpg NB 1395
Carnival Celebration [20] Excel class [18] 2022Carnival Cruise LineMeyer Turku183,521 [21] Civil Ensign of the Bahamas.svg  Bahamas 9837456Construction started on January 13, 2021. [22] Carnival Celebration no Funchal (52578168754) (cropped).jpg NB 1397
Arvia [23] Excel class [5] 2022P&O CruisesMeyer Werft185,581 [24] Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 9849693Construction started on February 22, 2021. [25] P&O Arvia.jpg S.716
Carnival Jubilee [26] Excel class2023Carnival Cruise LineMeyer Werft183,521 [27] Civil Ensign of the Bahamas.svg  Bahamas 9851737Originally ordered for AIDA Cruises. [28] Construction started on March 18, 2022. [29] Carnival Jubilee at Meyer Werft 17.jpg S.717 [30]
TBAExcel class2027Carnival Cruise LineMeyer Werft180,000Order announced February 13, 2024. [31]
first order by the Carnival Corporation after five years [32]
TBAExcel class2028Carnival Cruise LineMeyer Werft180,000Order announced March 26, 2024. [33]
Hermes cover underway [34] [35]

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<i>AIDAblu</i> Cruise ship built in 2010

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">AIDA Cruises</span> German cruise line

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Meyer Turku</span> Finnish shipbuilding company

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MS <i>Iona</i> P&O Cruise ship

MS Iona is an Excellence-class cruise ship in service for P&O Cruises, a subsidiary of Carnival Corporation & plc. Built by German shipbuilder Meyer Werft in Papenburg, she was delivered in October 2020 at a cost of £730 million. At 184,089 GT, Iona became the largest cruise ship commissioned for P&O and the British market upon delivery until sister ship Arvia was delivered in 2022. Iona was floated out on 18 February 2020 and delivered eight months later on 9 October amid the COVID-19 pandemic, which delayed her debut by more than a year until 7 August 2021, when she sailed her maiden voyage from Southampton.

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<i>AIDAnova</i> Cruise ship

AIDAnova is a cruise ship built by Meyer Werft GmbH in Papenburg, Germany under contract from Carnival Corporation for AIDA Cruises. The first of the new Excellence-class ships, she was launched on 21 August 2018 and delivered on 12 December 2018.

<i>Costa Smeralda</i> (ship) Excellence-class cruise ship operated by Costa Cruises

Costa Smeralda is an Excellence-class cruise ship currently operated by Costa Cruises, a subsidiary of Carnival Corporation & plc. At 185,010 gross tonnage (GT), she is the largest ship commissioned for and to ever operate for Costa, and is the eighth-largest cruise ship in the world, as of 2024. Costa Smeralda is also the second cruise ship in the world to be fully powered by liquefied natural gas (LNG), making Costa the second cruise line to operate a ship running on LNG, after sister brand, AIDA Cruises, became the first in 2018. Costa Smeralda has a sister ship, Costa Toscana, that was delivered in 2021. Costa Smeralda's inaugural cruise sailed on 21 December 2019.

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<i>Mardi Gras</i> (2020 ship) Excellence-class cruise ship

Mardi Gras is an Excellence-class cruise ship operated by Carnival Cruise Line. She is Carnival's lead vessel of the fleet's Excel-class, a subclass of the Excellence class, and was built by Finnish shipbuilder Meyer Turku in Turku, Finland. She also has often been incorrectly referred to as Carnival Mardi Gras, though Carnival has specified that her name does not include the "Carnival" prefix, a first since the Fantasy-class vessels originally omitted "Carnival" in their names upon their debuts. Mardi Gras has been subject to numerous delays in her construction, delivery, and debut amid the COVID-19 pandemic and its subsequent impact on tourism. First scheduled for a summer 2020 delivery and debut, she was delivered to Carnival on 18 December 2020. After her debut was postponed on numerous occasions, Mardi Gras began operating weekly sailings on 31 July 2021.

Costa Toscana Biggest Excellence-class ship operated by Costa Cruises

Costa Toscana is an Excellence-class cruise ship currently operated by Costa Cruises, a subsidiary of Carnival Corporation & plc. The ship was built in 2021. Costa Toscana has a sister ship, Costa Smeralda, which had been delivered in 2019. At 186,364 gross tonnage (GT), she is the largest ship commissioned for and to ever operate for Costa, and is the ninth-largest cruise ship in the world, as of 2024.

MS <i>Arvia</i> Cruise ships

MS Arvia is an Excellence-class cruise ship in service for P&O Cruises, a subsidiary of Carnival Corporation & plc. The keel was laid on 15 February 2022. The ship was built by German shipbuilder Meyer Werft in Papenburg and left the shipyard on 5 November 2022. She was delivered on 9 December 2022 to P&O Cruises. Construction officially started in February 2021.

<i>Carnival Jubilee</i> Carnival Cruise Line cruise ship

Carnival Jubilee is a cruise ship built for Carnival Cruise Line. It is the third ship of the line's Excel class, although it was the first built by Meyer Werft at Papenburg, Germany. It was delivered to Carnival on 4 December 2023, and entered service on 23 December 2023 out of the Port of Galveston in the United States. At 182,015 gross tonnage (GT), Carnival Jubilee is the one of the largest cruise ships in the world.

References

  1. ↑ "Carnival not occupied with building world's largest cruise ship". April 17, 2018. Retrieved January 11, 2020.
  2. ↑ "Steel cut for Carnival Cruise Line's first Excellence-class ship". November 15, 2018. Retrieved May 29, 2019.
  3. 1 2 "Mardi Gras delays not surprising but still costly for Carnival". January 5, 2020. Retrieved January 6, 2020.
  4. ↑ "AIDAnova". www.meyerwerft.de. Retrieved May 3, 2019.
  5. 1 2 3 "P&O Cruises and Cunard make 2022 single use plastics commitment" . Retrieved May 26, 2019.
  6. ↑ "Carnival Corporation Enters into Strategic Partnerships to Add Nine Cruise Ships to its Fleet over a Four-Year Period Starting in 2019". March 24, 2015. Retrieved January 2, 2017.
  7. ↑ "Carnival Corporation orders two cruise ships from Meyer Turku". June 15, 2015. Archived from the original on September 25, 2019. Retrieved January 2, 2017.
  8. 1 2 "Carnival Corporation Finalizes Contract with Meyer Werft to Build Four Next-Generation Cruise Ships". June 15, 2015. Retrieved January 2, 2017.
  9. ↑ "Carnival Corporation to Build Three New LNG-Powered Cruise Ships with Meyer Werft and Meyer Turku". September 6, 2016. Retrieved January 2, 2017.
  10. 1 2 3 "Cruise ship ordeerbook". 6 January 2011. Retrieved February 25, 2017.
  11. ↑ Spencer, Kerry (March 30, 2020). "P&O Cruises Reveals Maiden Voyage of New Ship Iona Will be Delayed". Cruise Critic. Archived from the original on January 16, 2023. Retrieved March 31, 2020.
  12. ↑ Limone, Jerry (July 7, 2020). "Another delay for Carnival's Mardi Gras ship". Travel Weekly. Retrieved July 7, 2020.
  13. 1 2 "AIDA orders third Helios-class cruise ship". 28 February 2018. Retrieved May 30, 2019.
  14. ↑ "AIDAnova (9781865)". LeonardoInfo. Registro Italiano Navale . Retrieved January 11, 2020.
  15. ↑ "AIDAnova, World's 1st LNG Cruise Ship, Delivered". World Maritime News. December 12, 2018. Retrieved September 10, 2019.
  16. ↑ "Costa Smeralda (9781889)". LeonardoInfo. Registro Italiano Navale . Retrieved January 11, 2020.
  17. ↑ "MS Iona (9826548)". LeonardoInfo. Registro Italiano Navale . Retrieved 2020-12-12.
  18. 1 2 "Carnival Cruise Line Names First XL-Class Ship Mardi Gras". 6 December 2018. Retrieved May 30, 2019.
  19. ↑ "Carnival Mardi Gras (9837444)". LeonardoInfo. Registro Italiano Navale . Retrieved 18 December 2020.
  20. ↑ Kalosh, Anne (August 21, 2020). "Carnival's 2022 Excel-class ship is named Carnival Celebration". Seatrade Cruise News. Retrieved August 21, 2020.
  21. ↑ "Carnival XL Class 2 | MEYER WERFT | Delivery in 2022". Meyer Werft. Archived from the original on 22 February 2020. Retrieved 18 December 2020.
  22. ↑ "Steel Cut for New Carnival Ship". Cruise Industry News. January 13, 2021. Retrieved April 22, 2022.
  23. ↑ Coulter, Adam (18 February 2021). "P&O Cruises Reveals Name of New Ship, Arvia". Cruise Critic. Archived from the original on 8 March 2021. Retrieved 18 February 2021.
  24. ↑ "Arvia". LR Class Direct. London: Lloyd's Register of Shipping. Retrieved 22 July 2023.
  25. ↑ Coulter, Adam (February 22, 2021). "P&O Cruises Cuts Steel For New Cruise Ship, Arvia". Cruise Critic. Archived from the original on March 8, 2021. Retrieved February 23, 2021.
  26. ↑ "Third LNG Carnival Vessel to Be Named Carnival Jubilee and Based in Texas". Cruise Hive. 2021-11-11. Retrieved 2021-11-11.
  27. ↑ "Excel Class | Cruise Ship #3". Meyer Werft. Archived from the original on 22 February 2020. Retrieved 18 December 2020.
  28. ↑ "Carnival Cruise Line To Grow Fleet By Two Additional Ships by 2023 – Carnival Cruise Line News". Carnival Cruise Lines. Retrieved 23 June 2021.
  29. ↑ "Steel Cut for New Carnival Ship Jubilee". Cruise Industry News. March 18, 2022. Retrieved April 22, 2022.
  30. ↑ Picture of the ship down the river Ems
  31. ↑ "MEYER WERFT to build another cruise ship for Carnival Cruise Line". MEYER WERFT. Retrieved 2024-02-13.
  32. ↑ "Carnival books new LNG-powered cruise ship at Meyer Werft". 14 February 2024.
  33. ↑ plc, Carnival Corporation &. "Carnival Corporation Orders an Additional Excel-Class Ship for Carnival Cruise Line, the Line's 5th Excel-Class Ship and the 11th Across the Global Fleet". www.prnewswire.com (Press release). Retrieved 2024-03-26.
  34. ↑ "Meyer Werft: Bürgschaft für AIDA-Eigentümer Carnival". 18 July 2024.
  35. ↑ "Unterstützung für Meyer Werft - Bürgschaft für Reederei Carnival".
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