MIAMI — The biggest leisure travel company in the world is set to add 18 new cruise ships to the industry’s largest fleet between 2018 and 2022, including four new vessels this year alone.
Carnival parent company Carnival Corporation will launch four new cruise ships in 2018 across four of its 10 global brands: Carnival, Holland America Line, Seabourn and AIDA Cruises.
The company says the new ships are part of Carnival Corporation’s ongoing fleet enhancement strategy and aim to accelerate demand for cruising, the fastest growing segment in the vacation industry.
Roger Frizzell, Carnival Corp.’s Chief Communications Officer, says the company’s fleet enhancement program enables it to manage the overall fleet by aligning new ship deliveries with its strategy for measured capacity growth over time, while refurbishing existing ships and phasing out less-efficient vessels.
Carnival Corporation’s four new cruise ship additions for 2018 include:
Carnival Cruise Line’s Carnival Horizon (April 2018)
As the 26th ship for Carnival Cruise Line, Carnival Horizon will offer the first Dr. Seuss WaterWorks aqua park, the line’s first teppanyaki dining venue and Guy’s Pig & Anchor Bar-B-Que Smokehouse | Brewhouse, a new restaurant that combines BBQ offerings created by Food Network star Guy Fieri along with four specifically designed craft beers brewed at an onboard brewery. Carnival Horizon will also offer many of the indoor and outdoor dining, bar, entertainment and activity options that debuted in 2016 on its sister ship, Carnival Vista, including the bike-ride-in-the-sky SkyRide and an IMAX Theatre. There’s also a Cloud 9 Spa, extra-large staterooms in Family Harbor, and tropical-inspired Havana staterooms and suites with exclusive daytime access to a Cuban-themed bar and pool.
The 133,500-ton Carnival Horizon will debut with a 13-day Mediterranean cruise from Barcelona in April 2018, the first of four round-trip departures from the port.
Carnival Horizon will then reposition to the U.S. with a 14-day transatlantic crossing from Barcelona to New York May 9-23, 2018, positioning the vessel for a summer schedule of four-day Bermuda and eight-day Caribbean departures from the Big Apple.
Carnival Horizon will shift to Miami to launch a year-round schedule of six- and eight-day Caribbean cruises beginning Sept. 22, 2018, and will also offer a special two-day cruise to Nassau from Miami Sept. 20-22, 2018.
Seabourn’s Seabourn Ovation (May 2018)
Following in the footsteps of its sister ship, Seabourn Encore, launched in early 2017, Seabourn Ovation will round out the current planned expansion of the line’s fleet. The fifth all-suite ship in Seabourn’s fleet, Seabourn Ovation will carry 600 guests, based on double occupancy. The ship offers a number of in-suite amenities to provide guests with a ‘home away from home’ onboard experience including a private veranda in each suite.
Following the ship’s delivery, Seabourn Ovation will embark on an 11-day inaugural voyage departing May 5, 2018, from Venice to Barcelona. The ship will spend the majority of her maiden season cruising the waters of Northern Europe, offering a variety of Baltic and Scandinavian cruises, which will include the line’s signature three-day stay in St. Petersburg.
Seabourn Ovation will also sail on longer 14-day voyages, visiting the Norwegian fjords and British Isles. Select sailings will also include the Ventures by Seabourn program, optional for-charge expedition-style excursions featuring a team of experts, Zodiacs and kayaks.
AIDA Cruises’ AIDAnova (December 2018)
Arriving in late 2018, AIDAnova will feature an onboard brewery featuring the first-ever beer garden, the beach club and Four Elements, complete with three water slides, in addition to a new escape room for puzzle lovers and 360-degreee Theatrium and Studio X, a TV studio at sea. In its debut season starting in December 2018, AIDAnova will offer seven-day trips around the Canary Islands. Prior to the Canary season, AIDAnova will make a stop in Hamburg, and will visit the Hanseatic City on the Elbe before setting off toward Gran Canaria.
Holland America Line’s ms Nieuw Statendam (December 2018)
Nieuw Statendam is the second Pinnacle Class ship for Holland America Line, joining ms Koningsdam, which launched in April 2016. The 99,500-ton 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.
Holland America Line’s first ship to be called Statendam sailed in 1898, and this will be the sixth ship in the company’s history to carry the name.
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 season cruising roundtrip from the South Florida port on seven-day Caribbean itineraries, with select three-, four- and 10-day options.
