Fincantieri makes First Delivery to Seabourn Cruise

The handover ceremony of “Seabourn Encore”, the first of two ultra-luxury cruise ships ordered to Fincantieri by the ship owner Seabourn Cruise Line, brand of Carnival Corporation, the world’s largest cruise company, took place today at the Marghera shipyard (Venice).

The ceremony was attended for the ship owner, among others, by Micky Arison, Chairman of Carnival Corporation, Richard D. Meadows, President of Seabourn Cruise Line and Arnold Donald, CEO of Carnival Corporation, while Fincantieri was represented by the Chairman, Giampiero Massolo and the CEO, Giuseppe Bono.

“Seabourn Encore” was built according to the standards and cutting-edge technical solutions that make Seabourn one of the most prestigious brands in the ultra-luxury segment and will continue the fleet modernization started in 2009.

The unit is 40,350 gross tons, 210 metres long and 28 metres wide and is able to reach a cruising speed of 18.6 knots. It carries up to 600 guests in 300 spacious suites featuring a private veranda. Every guest will therefore receive an extraordinary level of treatment and personalized service, with a nearly one-to-one staff-to-guest ratio.

“Seabourn Encore” is a particularly innovative project, focused on energy optimisation and minimum environmental impact. The ship was built using the very latest technologies, whose standards exceed the requirements of the relevant regulation.

Richard D. Meadows, President of Seabourn Cruise Line, stated: “We have been looking forward to this day for over two years. Seabourn Encore has become a stunning ship that will set a new standard in ultra-luxury cruising. I am very proud of our partnership with Fincantieri, and it has been a great pleasure to work together to transform raw materials into this incredible vessel that will make a great addition to the Seabourn fleet”.

Giuseppe Bono, CEO of Fincantieri, commented: "The jewel we are delivering today is the first ship built for Seabourn and dry dock works for the second vessel for this new and prestigious client will start in two days in our shipyard in Sestri Ponente. I say this with a certain pride and a lot of satisfaction, because Seabourn represents the top-of-the-range of the Carnival Group’s offer and Fincantieri is now widely recognized by the market as an absolute reference point, able to offer tailor-made products to an ever wider range of customers. Bono continued: "This gratifying result was made possible thanks to the strategy stubbornly followed in the last years, that has allowed us to be in the best conditions to seize the opportunities offered by the market".

“Seabourn Encore” will be officially christened at a ceremony in Singapore on January 7. International recording artist and world’s best-selling soprano, Sarah Brightman, will be the godmother and officially name the ship during the celebration. The vessel will then depart on its Inaugural Voyage, the 10-day Gems of the Java Sea cruise, bound for Indonesia.

Fincantieri has built 75 cruise ships from 1990 to today, 62 of which for Carnival’s different brands, while other 26 are currently being designed or built in the Group’s yards and 9 of these are for the shipowners of the American group. The cooperation between Fincantieri and Carnival Corporation has a remarkable strategic value not only for the shipbuilding industry but for the entire national economy. The American group, thanks to the partnership with Fincantieri, is one of the major foreign investors in Italy with an overall amount, from 1990 to today, of almost 30 billion euros.