P&O Cruises’ fleet is set to gain a second 3,000-passenger ship after parent company Carnival signed an agreement with Italian shipyard Fincantieri.
Due to enter service in 2011, the new ship will be structurally the same as Ventura, which will increase P&O Cruises’ capacity by 30% when it enters service next year. It is the largest ship ever built for a British cruiseline.
P&O Cruises managing director David Dingle said: “This latest order results from the strong continuing growth of the cruise market in the UK. Each of the new ships we have built for the British market has increased the demand for cruising, and our projections indicate we will require further capacity to meet this demand by 2010.”
The new ship will cost €535 million and is the 20th new-build on order by Carnival, the world’s largest cruise operator.