Page 30: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (February 2025)

CRUISE SHIPPING

In late January 2025, RCL announced another order with According to the yard, these vessels, to sail under the Carnival the French yard, for an Xcel class vessel (to be methanol fu- Cruise brand, will be “…a new class of LNG powered vessels.” eled) with 2028 delivery. LNG fueling, with CCL’s Aida brand debuting in 2015, has

The Chantiers yard, in Saint-Nazaire, France, delivered an achieved signi? cant market penetration in the cruise sector. In

LNG-powered “Oasis Class” vessel, the UTOPIA OF THE announcing the new order, company Weinstein stressed the

SEAS, with a maximum capacity of 7,000 passengers, to the vessels’ “…latest technological advancements to minimize our company in mid-2024. In regulatory ? lings RCL said that: “To environmental footprint…” While the price of the order has not ? nance the delivery, we borrowed a total of $1.5 billion under been announced publicly, the rumor mill, earlier in the year, had the committed ? nancing agreement, resulting in an unsecured put a price-tag of $1.25 billion per vessel on the order. term loan which is 100% guaranteed by BpiFrance Assurance Fincantieri had delivered another LNG fueled vessel, SUN

Export.” RCL had noted in an October 2024 regulatory ? ling PRINCESS, with a capacity of 4,300 passengers, to Princess that: “The aggregate cost of our ships on order … not includ- Cruises (a brand within CCL) in late February, 2024 from its ing any ships on order by our partner brands [TUI Cruises and Monfalcone yard, following QUEEN ANNE (3,000 passen-

Hapag Lloyd Cruises], was approximately $5.9 billion.” gers, under the Cunard brand), delivered several months later from its Marghera facility. Earlier in the year, the LNG fueled

Cruise Ship Building Takes Off CARNIVAL JUBILEE a 6,400 passenger (Excel-class, with

Among the biggest news on the ordering front was CCL’s a homeport in Galveston, Texas) had been delivered from blockbuster mid-2024 three ship order from Fincantieri in Italy. Meyer Werft in Papenburg. During 2024, Carnival Corpora-

The almost 230,000 gt vessels with a passenger capacity of near- tion placed orders for two more Excel-class ships to be built at ly 8,000 passengers are to be delivered in 2029, 2031 and 2033. Meyer Werft, for delivery in 2027 and 2028, ending a Pandem-

Image courtesy Q-LNG

Embrace of LNG

While the maritime industry’s “fuel of the future” is still in cruise ships, using ATBs with tugs tied to barges able to fuel ? ux, LNG has made important strides on the cruise sector. CCL the vessels. A major player, Seaside LNG (part owner of LNG said in a 2023 Sustainability report that: “LNG is currently the producer JAX LNG) is the owner of Polaris New Energy, best readily available fuel to help reduce GHG emissions. While which supplies fuel to the cruise sector with a trio of barges,

LNG is a fossil fuel that generates GHG, it can be produced as CLEAN EVERGLADES (5,500-cu. m., built 2023 at Fincan- a low carbon fuel as biomethane and ultimately e-methane.” tieri Sturgeon Bay), CLEAN CANAVERAL (5,500 cu. m.,

In the same report, it said that: “We have nine LNG pow- built 2021 at Fincantieri Sturgeon Bay), and CLEAN JACK- ered cruise ships in operation as of January 1, 2024, and four SONVILLE (2,200-cu. m. built 2018 at Conrad Shipyard). A that are expected to join the ? eet through 2028.” RCL will subsidiary of Harvey Gulf, well known in the offshore service have four LNG powered vessels in the water by 2026 when sector, owns the Q-LNG 4000 barge (4,000 m3, blt 2021 at its third Icon class vessel is delivered. Disney has three LNG VT Halter), which serves multiple sectors including cruise, powered ships under construction. with fuel sourced from Shell in Elba Island, Ga.

The big cruise ports in Florida, Miami, Port Everglades Carnival has its LNG-fueled, 6,400-passenger CARNIVAL and Port Canaveral, have enabled Jacksonville to emerge JUBILEE homeported in Galveston. It is supplied by a Sea- as something of a hub for LNG fueling of vessels including side LNG barge, with fuel sourced from Stabilis Solutions.

30 Maritime Reporter & Engineering News • February 2025

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