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Carnival Cruise Lines to Launch Three Ships in Three Years
by Roy Witman © 2007

When a company gains the lion’s share of a marketplace, you might think they would choose to rest on their laurels. Not the case with Carnival Cruise Lines. Holding a reported 60% share of the cruise market, according to Kiplinger, Carnival has become a giant following a strategy of making cruising accessible to the average person. With that success comes a push for bigger, better and more entertaining ships. From 2008 until 2010, Carnival will build and launch “Splendor” plus two additional ships: The largest Carnival has ever endeavored to build.

Carnival “Splendor”

Announced in December 2006, “Splendor” is the second of four ships ordered from Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri. “Splendor” will weigh in at 112,000 tons and will offer several firsts in the Carnival fleet.

A massive spa (17,800 square feet), the largest ever built on a Carnival ship, will encompass two forward decks. The spa area will feature an elaborate thermal suite, as well as a thalassotherapy pool, featuring warm salt water plus a peaceful winter garden, which includes a ceremonial teahouse. Another first is the 5,500-square-foot children’s playroom complete with its own water play area. The mid-ship pool will boast an enclosure with retractable dome roof so that the pool can remain open even during rainy weather.

Of 1,500 staterooms planned for “Splendor,” 60% offer ocean views and 60% feature private balconies, giving more passengers the opportunity to cruise with a view.

“Splendor” is slated to launch in spring 2008.

Super Liners for 2009 & 2010

As spectacular as “Splendor” sounds, Carnival has even bigger plans. The super liners planned for 2009 and 2010 will be sister ships of a groundbreaking class for Carnival - 130,000 tons. Both remain unnamed at this point in time and details are sketchy, but each ship promises to exceed anything Carnival has ever launched before.

There are currently 21 “Fun Ships” in Carnival’s fleet that drop anchor in Alaska, the Bahamas, Canada, the Caribbean, Europe, Hawaii, Mexico and Panama. Carnival also offers ultra-luxurious transatlantic voyages.

By making once exclusive cruises accessible to everyone, Carnival has, in essence, created a beast it now must battle. Because cruising has become affordable to virtually all, the popularity of these vacations has soared. With it has come an increased demand for newer, better and grander ships. In order to keep pace with demand, Carnival, like other cruise lines, is now in a race to give the public what they want.

If you love to cruise, or if you’ve been thinking of trying it out, now’s an excellent time to find bargains. With all the cruise lines pouring money into new ships, they’ll be making deals to recoup their investments. Keep your eyes open and you’re sure to find highly affordable vacations to exciting destinations onboard one of these new, luxurious ships.

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