Carnival cruise lines has announced its plans to build two new cruise ships for the Chinese market. Both ships will be Vista-class cruise ships and built on the the Carnival Vista platform, in partnership with the China State Shipbuilding Corporation.
The agreement between the Carnival Corporation, the CSSC, and the China Investment Capital Corporation makes this the first time that a cruise ship will be built in China specifically for the Chinese market.
Carnival released a statement about the news.
“Carnival Corporation’s cruise joint venture in China will operate the new ships as part of its plans to launch the first multi-ship domestic cruise brand in China. Based on Carnival Corporation’s Vista-class platform, the design for the new ships will be tailored for the new Chinese cruise brand and the specific tastes of Chinese travelers.”
The first ship is expected to be ready in 2022, but while they wait for that they are planning to start using existing Carnival ships.
“We are excited about the potential for the first new cruise ships to be built and deployed in China for the enjoyment of Chinese travelers, which will be an important milestone in the development of the Chinese cruise market.”
