Seabourn Cruise Line, a division of Miami-based Carnival Corporation, announced Thursday that it will build two new, ultra-luxury liners, for delivery in spring 2009 and 2010. Each ship will cost $250 million to build and construction will be handled by Genoa, Italy-based T. Mariotti S.p.A. The 32,000-GRT ships will each have 225 luxury suites, more than doubling Seabourn's current fleet capacity of 634 berths. The order reaffirms Carnival's confidence in the luxury cruising market, according to Micky Arson, Carnival Corp.'s chairman and CEO. The letter of intent to build the ships is subject to conditions including definitive contracts, financing and other terms.
