Cruise Preview: Carnival Corp.'s Four New Ships for 2016

Carnival Corporation has released a full preview of the four ships the company is set to debut this year. In all, there are 17 ships scheduled for delivery for Carnival Corporation's 10 brands through 2020. 

The four new ships for 2016 are:

koningsdamHolland America Line: Koningsdam

Official delivery date expected in April 2016

Currently under construction at Fincantieri's Marghera shipyard in Italy, the Koningsdam represents a new Pinnacle Class of ship for Holland America Line and is being designed by hospitality designer Adam D. Tihany and Architect and Designer Bjørn Storbraaten. Guests will have the opportunity to enjoy fine dining in several alternative restaurants, including Sel de Mer, a new French seafood brasserie; a new immersive farm-to-table dinner experience in the Culinary Arts Center presented by Food & Wine magazine; a re-designed casual Lido Market with themed serving stations; a main dining room; and favorites such as Pinnacle Grill, Canaletto Italian restaurant and pan-Asian Tamarind. The ship also will have Holland America Line's first purpose-built staterooms for families, in addition to single staterooms that together make up accommodations for the ship's 2,650 guests. For onboard entertainment, the ship will have a Music Walk area with venues including Lincoln Center Stage, offering chamber music nightly; Billboard Onboard, where live musicians rock the crowd with chart-topping hits; and the popular B.B. King's Blues Club in the Queen's Lounge, bringing the best of Memphis music to sea. World Stage brings 270-degree LED projection to the main show lounge, enabling new concepts for performances.

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carnival vistaCarnival Cruise Line: Carnival Vista

Official delivery expected in April 2016

Amenities on the newest ship for Carnival Cruise Line range from a unique suspended cycling experience called SkyRide and the Family Harbor staterooms and suites with a "family concierge" to cruising's first IMAX Theater and the line's first on-board brewery. The largest ship in the Carnival fleet, Carnival Vista will have a guest capacity of 3,954. Carnival Vista is scheduled to enter service on May 1, initially sailing from Europe. After repositioning to New York for a series of voyages in November 2016, Carnival Vista will reposition to Miami to launch year-round Caribbean service later that month.

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AIDA Cruises: AIDAprima

Official delivery date expected in April 2016

AIDAprima will be the newest flagship for AIDA Cruises, with 1,643 cabins. Designed to be environmentally friendly, the ship will have a new air lubrication system that will pump bubbles below the waterline, reducing friction and lowering fuel consumption by allowing the ship to ride on a cushion of air. Ship features include "The Beach Club" – a transparent dome providing a place for guests to hang out by the pool regardless of weather – a water slide, high ropes course and the new AIDA Mini Club, which will provide childcare for kids six months and up.

seabourn encoreSeabourn: Seabourn Encore

Official delivery date expected in December 2016

Seabourn Encore, also designed by Adam D. Tihany, will have contemporary interiors and modern design elements that expand and build on the line's Odyssey-class ships, which were introduced between 2009 and 2011. The ship will be configured with one additional deck and new expanded public areas, and is expected to carry 600 guests, based on double occupancy. In addition, every suite will have a private veranda. Seabourn Encore will maintain the line's high ratio of space per guest, enabling highly personalized service by close to one staff member for each guest on board.

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More New Cruise Ships Ahead

In December, Carnival Corporation announced that it has signed a memo of agreement with Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri S.p.A. to build four new cruise ships with final contracts expected to be executed in 2016. Two of the four new ships will be built for Costa Asia for deployment in China, and one will be built each for P&O Cruises Australia and Princess Cruises.

Additionally, in 2015 Carnival announced the finalization of a contract with Meyer Werft to build four next-generation cruise ships with the largest guest capacity in the world. The ships will be manufactured for Costa Cruises and AIDA Cruises, and they will be the first in the cruise industry to be powered at sea by Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG), a clean-burning fossil fuel.

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