AIDAnova, the first ship in the class, in 2018
Class overview
Builders
Operators
Preceded by
Built2017–2023
In service2018–present
Planned9
Building0
Completed9
Active9
General characteristics
TypeCruise ship
Tonnage183,900 GT
Displacement80,000
Length1,115 ft (340 m)
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.

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]

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.
AIDAnovaHelios class[13]2018AIDA CruisesMeyer Werft183,858[14] Italy9781865World's first LNG-powered cruise ship.[15]S.696
Costa Smeralda2019Costa CruisesMeyer Turku185,010[16] Italy9781889NB 1394
IonaExcel class[5]2020P&O CruisesMeyer Werft184,089[17] United Kingdom9826548S.710
Mardi GrasExcel class[18]2020Carnival Cruise LineMeyer Turku181,808[19] Bahamas 9837444NB 1396
AIDAcosmaHelios class[13]2021AIDA CruisesMeyer Werft183,900[10] Italy9781877Originally planned for 2020.S.709
Costa Toscana2021Costa CruisesMeyer Turku186,364[10] Italy9781891Originally planned for 2020.NB 1395
Carnival Celebration[20]Excel class[18]2022Carnival Cruise LineMeyer Turku183,521[21] Bahamas9837456Construction started on January 13, 2021.[22]NB 1397
Arvia[23]Excel class[5]2022P&O CruisesMeyer Werft185,581[24] United Kingdom9849693Construction started on February 22, 2021.[25]S.716
Carnival Jubilee[26]Excel Class2023Carnival Cruise LineMeyer Werft183,200[27]9851737Originally ordered for AIDA Cruises.[28] Construction started on March 18, 2022.[29]S.717

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. 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. 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)". Leonardo Info. 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)". Leonardo Info. Registro Italiano Navale. Retrieved January 11, 2020.
  17. ↑ "MS Iona (9826548)". Leonardo Info. 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)". Leonardo Info. 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. 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. Retrieved 18 February 2021.
  24. ↑ "Arvia". LR Class Direct. London: Lloyd's Register of Shiping. Retrieved 22 July 2023.
  25. ↑ Coulter, Adam (February 22, 2021). "P&O Cruises Cuts Steel For New Cruise Ship, Arvia". Cruise Critic. 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. 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.
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