The contracts sealing the agreements announced in February last year, concerning the building of 2 cruise ships for "CSSC Carnival Cruise Shipping Ltd", due to be the first units of the kind ever made in China for the local market, have been signed.
The project, with a total value of around US$1.5 billion, not counting the options for additional four vessels, will be achieved by SWS (Shanghai Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding Co., Ltd), a subsidiary of CSSC (China State Shipbuilding Corporation).
Additionally, the joint venture will purchase 2 existing ships from Carnival Corporation’s Costa Group: the 2,210-passenger Costa Atlantica, due to be transferred to the new Chinese line by the end of 2019. Sister ship Costa Mediterranea, will be transferred at a date that is still to be announced.
The joint venture set up by Fincantieri and CCTD (CSSC Cruise Technology Development Co. Ltd) will grant technology license of the vessel model platform and provide technical services to SWS, such as supply chain management, project management activities, and sales of components and fundamental systems of the ship.
The design will be specifically tailored for the tastes of Chinese travelers and CSSC Carnival Cruise Shipping, the new Chinese brand of the joint venture between Carnival Corp. and CSSC, that will also operate the units.
The first delivery is due in 2023.