On 6th September, as part of a new multi-ship order announced that day by Carnival Corporation & plc, Carnival Cruise Line is scheduled to take delivery of two new 180,000gt cruise ships in 2020 and 2022 which will be the largest in the Carnival Cruises. Both ships will be fuelled by Liquefied Natural Gas under Carnival Corporation’s exclusive “green cruising” design and will mark the first time an LNG-powered cruise ship is based in North America. The two ships, with an approximate passenger capacity of 5,200 based on double occupancy, are being constructed by Finnish shipbuilder Meyer Turku at the company’s Turku, Finland, shipyard.

The agreement represents a return to shipbuilding in Finland for Carnival Cruise Line for the first time in 12 years. The company has 12 ships in its current fleet that were constructed in Finland, including its eight Fantasy-class ships and four Spirit-class ships. In addition to the two new ships announced, the 133,500gt Carnival Horizon is under construction by Fincantieri, Italy, and is set to make her debut in 2018. The Memorandum of Agreement announced with Meyer Turku is subject to several conditions, including satisfactory financing.

On 27th August the 133,596gt/ 2016 built Carnival Vista (above) made Social Media and YouTube fame after the wash from her propellers overwhelmed a small boat marina in Messina, Sicily. The ship strayed too close to the area and the thrust of her propellers to push her away swamped boats and overturned pontoons at the marina.

The local port authority has reportedly launched an investigation into the incident, with local newspapers reporting as much as $250,000 in damages. The incident happened just days after classification society Lloyd’s Register had bestowed the ECO Notation designation on the new ship, marking the first Carnival Cruise Line ship to achieve this distinction. The notation recognises that the cruise line designed, built and operates Carnival Vista in a manner that exceeds current maritime statutory environmental regulations.

The 70,367gt/1995 built Carnival Imagination (above) has undergone an extensive multi-milliondollar renovation that will add a variety of exciting new food and beverage concepts. Announced on 1st September, the new spaces were added during a three-week dry dock 4th-25th September. Following the makeover, the Carnival Imag-ination resumed her year-round schedule of three and four-day Baja cruises from Long Beach, California. The new additions will include: Guy’s Burger Joint, BlueIguana Cantina, a complimentary poolside Mexican eatery, RedFrog Rum Bar, a poolside watering hole, Alchemy Bar, a “cocktail pharmacy” themed lounge, BlueIguana Tequila Bar, a fun and festive outdoor bar offering a laid-back Mexican-themed atmosphere and tequila-based frozen drinks and beers and Cherry On Top, the ‘sweetest spot on board’ which celebrates the joys of simple indulgences with bins of bulk candy, fun fanciful gifts and novelties, custom apparel and more. Carnival is the only cruise line to operate three ships year-round from the West Coast. In addition to the Carnival Imagination, Carnival Inspiration operates three and four-day Baja cruises and Carnival Miracle offers week-long Mexican Riviera voyages. For the first time, Carnival Cruise Line will offer a 14-day Alaskan adventure round-trip from Long Beach, in September 2017 aboard the 85,942gt/2004 built Carnival Miracle. The 85,942gt/2002 built Carnival Legend will also offer Alaska voyages in 2017 and 2018, including 7 week-long Glacier Bay cruises.

In another first, the 85,920gt/2001 built Carnival Spirit (above) will call at Vietnam and Thailand as the ship heads to China in 2018. The Carnival Spirit’s 19-night cruise sails from Sydney on 3rd May 2018 and will include five ports, including Airlie Beach and Darwin in Australia, Bali in Indonesia, as well as the ship’s maiden calls to Ho Chi Minh City and Ko Samui.