OREANDA-NEWS. Carnival Corporation & plc (NYSE/LSE: CCL; NYSE: CUK), the world's largest travel and leisure company, will launch four new ships in 2016 across four of its global cruise brands. These additions are part of the 17 ships scheduled for delivery for Carnival Corporation's 10 brands through 2020, creating measured capacity growth over time that enables the company's global fleet to meet accelerating demand for cruise vacations in every region of the world.

"As we execute our fleet enhancement plan -- which includes a long-term strategy for bringing highly efficient, state-of-the-art ships to market and elevating the overall cruise experience, we are excited about seeing these new ships come to life this year," said Arnold Donald, CEO of Carnival Corporation. "With each new ship we introduce, we generate new levels of excitement it creates for our guests and the industry. It also supports our goal to provide the best possible vacation experience at a value that land-based vacations cannot match. In the end, with our existing and new ships, our focus is for our guests to come away from a cruise vacation having had a great time and looking forward to going on another cruise."

Donald added: "We also remain focused on managing our fleet capacity in a responsible way by delivering and refurbishing ships that are innovative and efficient, while we phase out some of our existing ships – all designed to reinvigorate the options available to travelers looking to explore the more than 700 destinations we visit around the world."

The four new ships scheduled to join Carnival Corporation's industry-leading fleet of 99 ships in 2016 include:

Holland America Line: ms Koningsdam – Official delivery date expected in April 2016
Currently under construction at Fincantieri's Marghera shipyard in Italy, the 99,500 gross ton Koningsdam represents a new Pinnacle Class of ship for Holland America Line and it is being designed by famed hospitality designer Adam D. Tihany and Architect and Designer Bj?rn 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 stunning main dining room; and favorites such as Pinnacle Grill, Canaletto Italian restaurant and pan-Asian Tamarind. The ship also will feature Holland America Line's first purpose-built staterooms for families, in addition to single staterooms that together make up spacious accommodations for the ship's 2,650 guests. Onboard entertainment will be taken to a new level with the energetic Music Walk area featuring all genres of music showcased in 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 show-time performances and immersing the audience in panoramic visual and sound effects.

Carnival Cruise Line: Carnival Vista – Official delivery expected in April 2016
From a unique suspended cycling experience called SkyRide and the innovative Family Harbor staterooms and suites featuring a "family concierge" to cruising's first IMAX Theater and the line's first on-board brewery, Carnival Vista promises fun for guests of all ages. The largest ship in the Carnival fleet, Carnival Vista will measure 133,500 tons, 1,055 feet long and have a guest capacity of 3,954. Carnival Vista is scheduled to enter service on May 1, 2016, 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.

AIDA Cruises: AIDAprima – Official delivery date expected in April 2016
AIDAprima will be the newest flagship for AIDA Cruises, with 1,643 cabins at 124,100 gross tons. In addition to being one of the most technologically advanced vessels in the world, it will join its fleet as the most environmentally friendly cruise ship in the world. A new air lubrication system 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: Seabourn Encore – Official delivery date expected in December 2016
Seabourn Encore, fashioned by hospitality design icon Adam D. Tihany, will feature contemporary interiors and modern design elements and innovations consistent with the line's reputation for understated elegance. Seabourn Encore will expand and build on the line's award-winning and highly acclaimed Odyssey-class ships, which revolutionized ultra-luxury cruising with enhanced accommodations and innovative amenities when they were introduced between 2009 and 2011. The 40,350-gross ton 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 feature 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.

More New Ships to Join the Fleet in Coming Years
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) -- the world's cleanest burning fossil fuel.

With these new agreements, Carnival Corporation has 17 new ships scheduled to be delivered between 2016 and 2020.