Re Contract
Costa Crociere Orders Two New Cruise Ships From Fincantieri
Including the Two New Vessels, Costa Now has Five Ships on order from
Fincantieri New Concordia-Class Ships Will Bring Costa's Fleet to 17 by 2012
GENOA, Italy, Oct. 18 -- Costa Crociere, the leading cruise
line in Italy and Europe, has announced an order for two new 114,200-ton ships
to be delivered in 2011 and 2012. Costa Crociere S.p.A., the Italian
subsidiary of Carnival Corporation & plc (NYSE/LSE: CCL; NYSE CUK), signed an
agreement with Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri for the construction of the two
new vessels at an all-in cost of approximately euro 1 billion (euro 510
million per ship). The two new ships will be built at Fincantieri's Marghera
shipyard and be sister ships to the Costa Concordia, Costa Serena and Costa
Pacifica, the latter of which is currently being built at Fincantieri's Sestri
Ponente shipyard. The new ships will each be able to accommodate 3,780
passengers in total (including all upper berths) or 3,012 guests based on
double occupancy.
"By ordering two additional ships for our fleet of twelve, plus three
ordered previously, we are not only reinforcing our position as the market
leader in Italy and Europe, but also responding to the increasing demand for
our product from our customers across the globe," said Pier Luigi Foschi,
Chairman and CEO of Costa Crociere S.p.A. "We are very pleased to have
Fincantieri build these two new Concordia class ships and to enjoy our
continued successful relationship." Fincantieri's Chief Executive Officer,
Giuseppe Bono, added: "We are most proud to have contributed and to continue
contributing to Costa's growth. The largest cruise operator in Europe, Costa
has just celebrated its millionth passenger in the year. I am confident that
this alliance will stand the test of time and enable our companies to further
consolidate our positions as market leaders in our respective business areas.
This new agreement means that over the course of the last year we have gained,
in the cruise sector alone, orders for 12 ships, of which 2 options, for a
total value of over 5 billion euros."
The two new ships ordered will offer the same innovative elements featured
on the other Concordia class ships including the 23,000 square-foot Samsara
spa, which is one of the largest spas at sea, complete with exclusive cabins
featuring direct access to the spa and a dedicated restaurant. The ships will
also feature two swimming pools with retractable magrodomes, the central one
equipped with a giant movie screen and authentic Grand Prix race car driving
simulators, which provide the most accurate representation of Formula One
driving available. In addition, the new ships will boast 17 additional veranda
cabins and an overall total of 1,506 cabins, six more than the other Concordia
class ships. The two ships will also feature additional innovations to the spa
area as well as upgrades to onboard entertainment for both adults and children
and teens, among many other new and unique features.
Costa's total capacity will increase by 20% (based on double occupancy)
with the addition of the two new vessels, confirming the Italian cruise line's
position as market leader in Europe. The two new orders bring Costa's fleet
expansion program, which began in 2000, to a total value of euro 5.5 billion and
the total number of vessels introduced between 2000 and 2012 to 13. By 2012,
when the last of the new orders is completed, the Costa fleet will be 17
strong and have a total guest capacity of approximately 36,700 based on double
occupancy.
Since 1990 Fincantieri has built 41 cruise ships. Today's order means that
there are now 18 vessels on which construction is in progress or about to
start up at the shipyards of Monfalcone, Marghera, Sestri Ponente and Ancona,
thereby guaranteeing Fincantieri a market share of 45%. These 59 ships have
brought the company revenues of over 25 billion dollars.
Costa Crociere, Italy and Europe's Number One Cruise Line, is based in
Italy and boasts 60 years of rich history. In 2006, Costa Crociere carried a
total of 880,000 guests, a figure which topped the historic 1 million mark in
2007. Its fleet is Europe's largest and most advanced with 12 ships in service
and five on order. By 2012, the Costa fleet will be 17 strong with a total
guest capacity of approximately 36,700. All of the vessels fly the Italian
flag and are deployed in the Mediterranean, Northern Europe, the Baltic Sea,
the Caribbean, South America, Dubai, the Far East and the Indian Ocean. Costa
Crociere is RINA certified with the BEST4, a highly structured system of
voluntary certifications involving social accountability (SA 8000, 2001),
environment (UNI EN ISO 14001, 2004), safety (OHSAS 18001, 1999) and quality
(UNI EN ISO 9001, 2000) and also supports the WWF in efforts to protect marine
eco-regions in the Mediterranean Sea, the Greater Antilles and Brazil. All of
the Costa Group vessels fly the Italian flag. Costa Crociere S.p.A. is a
member of Carnival Corporation & plc, the world's largest cruise operator.
Fincantieri is one of the world's largest shipbuilding concerns.
Headquartered in Trieste, the company employs a staff of approximately 9,200
and is a world leader in the construction of cruise ships, a reference
operator in the large ferry sector and has a substantial order book in the
military field. Construction is carried out at ten shipyards which are divided
into six business areas:
-- cruise ships (shipyards at Monfalcone (Gorizia), Marghera (Venice) and
Sestri Ponente (Genoa) and Ancona);
-- merchant ships (shipyards at Ancona, Castellammare di Stabia (Naples)
and Palermo);
-- ship repairs and conversions (shipyards at Palermo and Bremerhaven);
-- naval vessels (shipyards at Riva Trigoso (Genoa) and Muggiano-La
Spezia);
-- naval systems and components (shipyards at Riva Trigoso and Bari);
-- mega-yachts (shipyard at Muggiano).
The design centres are located in Trieste, the largest in Europe, and in
Genoa. The company's activities are supported by several subsidiary companies
controlled and coordinated centrally which include: Orizzonte Sistemi Navali,
Isotta Fraschini Motori, Fincantieri Marine Systems North America and CETENA -
Centre for Naval Studies.
SOURCE Carnival Plc
-0- 10/18/2007
/CONTACT: Media, Fabrizia Greppi, V.P. Corporate Communication,
+39 010 5483903, greppi@costa.it, or Davide Barbano, +39-0105483523,
mobile, +39-3346525216, barbano@costa.it, both of Costa Crociere S.p.A.; or
Antonio Autorino, Press Office Manager, +39-040-319-2473, or
fax, +39-040-3192427, antonio.autorino@fincantieri.it, or Francesca Vivarelli,
+39-040-319-2265, francesca.vivarelli@fincantieri.it, or Marco Cappeddu,
+39-010-599-5654, marco.cappeddu@fincantieri.it, or Giovanna Culot,
+39-040-319-2430, Giovanna.culot@fincantieri.it, or Anna Vitaliani,
+39-040-31902274, anna.vitaliani@fincantieri.it, all of Fincantieri/
/Web site: http://www.carnivalcorp.com /
(CCL CUK)