Carnival Corporation commits to natural gas to fuel vessels

With the latest agreement between the company and shipbuilders Meyer Werft and Meyer Turku, CC will fuel its next three cruise ships with Liquefied Natural Gas

The three contracted ships, entirely powered by LNG, are expected to be delivered in 2020 and 2022, while Carnival Corporation has decided that two of the ships will go to Carnival Cruise Line and the other to P&O Cruises UK. Also, for the future, the company plans to order seven more LNG-powered cruise ships that will operate for AIDA Cruises and Costa Cruises brands.

Arnold Donald, CEO at Carnival Corporation, commented about the company’s next steps in committing to sustainability: “We are proud to be at the forefront of introducing LNG-powered ships to the cruise industry, working with our partners to achieve shipbuilding breakthroughs like this that will help us produce the most efficient and sustainable ships we have ever built. This is also an important step in our fleet enhancement plan that enables us to execute on our long-term strategy of measured capacity growth over time, while delivering innovative new ships that further elevate our already great guest experience.”

The new vessels will be an industry first, as the company hopes this is just the beginning of the first generation of “green cruise” ships, powered by LNG.

Moreover, the environmental contribution is considered to be significant: the alternative fuel reduces exhaust emissions, supports both the environment and the company’s sustainability goals, while fully powering the ships during cruises.

“Every time we launch a new ship, we have a new opportunity to create excitement and show consumers why cruising is a great vacation at an exceptional value, especially for those who typically consider land-based vacations,” Donald added.