Fincantieri celebrates 30 years of strategic partnership with Carnival Corporation

Fincantieri and Carnival Corporation (NYSE: CCL), the world’s largest cruise company, today celebrated at the Monfalcone shipyard the 30th anniversary of their collaboration, one of the most significant and long-standing industrial partnerships in the global cruise industry. During the ceremony, the first steel cutting for Carnival’s Ace-class ships also took place. The vessel, officially named Carnival Destiny, is the first of three new ships for Carnival Cruise Line, with deliveries scheduled for 2029, 2031 and 2033.

This milestone holds special symbolic value in the history of both groups, as it was in Monfalcone that their collaboration began with the original Carnival Destiny, delivered in 1996 and was the world’s first cruise ship to exceed 100,000 gross tons, helping to redefine industry standards. Since then, Fincantieri has delivered 76 ships across the Carnival Corporation cruise line portfolio, including 15 for Carnival Cruise Line, strengthening a relationship built on mutual trust, continuity and a shared commitment to innovation.

The ceremony was attended by the Mayor of Monfalcone, Luca Fasan; the civil and military authorities;  Micky Arison, Chairman of Carnival Corporation; Josh Weinstein, Chief Executive Officer of Carnival Corporation; Christine Duffy, President of Carnival Cruise Line; Biagio Mazzotta, Chairman of Fincantieri; Pierroberto Folgiero, Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of Fincantieri; Luigi Matarazzo, General Manager of Fincantieri’s Merchant Ships Division; and Cristiano Bazzara, Director of the Monfalcone shipyard.

During the event, the first steel-cutting ceremony for Carnival Destiny marked the launch of a new industrial program for Fincantieri. With a gross tonnage of approximately 230,000 tons, the vessel will be the largest ship ever built by the Group and the largest ever constructed in Italy. This achievement confirms the evolution of Fincantieri’s design and shipbuilding capabilities and marks the company’s entry into the segment of ships exceeding 220,000 tons.

Powered by liquefied natural gas (LNG), Carnival’s Ace-class ships will feature more than 3,000 cabins and accommodate over 8,000 passengers at full capacity. The new ships will be equipped with advanced technologies aimed at improving energy efficiency, waste management and emissions reduction, with the goal of further minimizing overall environmental impact.

The construction of Carnival’s Ace-class ships further confirms the strategic role of the Monfalcone shipyard, the Group’s main production site and an international benchmark for building next-generation cruise ships. More than 45 cruise ships have been built there, and around 6,500 people work there every day. Significant infrastructure and production investments have further strengthened the site’s ability to manage increasingly complex programs and larger vessels, adapting facilities, processes and technologies to the challenges of the new generation of cruise ships. Today, the shipyard represents a key industrial and employment engine for the region and a central asset for innovation and the evolution of shipbuilding.