Carnival Exercises Option for New Ship

Carnival Corporation & plc announced that it has exercised an option for a new 130,000-ton ship for its Carnival Cruise Lines brand. The new vessel, which will have 3,652 lower passenger berths, will be built by Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri at its Monfalcone yard at an estimated all-in cost of 565 million euros. The ship is scheduled for delivery in summer 2010. The vessel will be a sister ship to a previously announced 130,000-ton ship slated to enter service in fall 2009 that will begin a new class for the line. The two sister ships will be the largest ever constructed for Carnival Cruise Lines. With this announcement, Carnival Cruise Lines now has four new ships on order or under construction with Fincantieri representing a combined 13,284 total lower berths. Corporate-wide, Carnival Corporation & plc now has 19 new ships on order - - 13 of which are being constructed by Fincantieri.