Carnival Corporation & plc announced that it signed a letter of intent for a new 116,000-ton ship for its P&O Cruises brand. The new vessel, which will have 3,076 lower passenger berths, will be built by Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri at its Monfalcone yard, at an estimated all-in cost of €535 million. The ship is scheduled for delivery in spring 2010. Externally, the vessel will be similar to P&O Cruises Ventura, which is scheduled to enter service in spring 2008, but the new product features and interior design will be announced at a future date. This latest ship order will bring the total number of vessels in the P&O Cruises fleet to seven, including five existing ships, as well as the new Ventura, which will be Britain’s largest cruise ship when it enters service in April 2008.