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Carnival Corporation & plc has today announced that it has signed a memorandum of agreement with German and Finnish shipbuilders Meyer Werft and Meyer Turku to deliver three next-generation cruise ships that will be fully powered by liquefied natural gas (LNG).

Two of the new LNG-fuelled ships are designated for Carnival Cruise Line, and will be built by Meyer Turku at its shipyard in Turku, Finland, with delivery dates expected in 2020 and 2022. The other new ship, for P&O Cruises UK, will be built by Meyer Werft at its shipyard in Papenburg, Germany, with an expected delivery date in 2020.

Once delivered, both 180,000-gross-registered-ton ships for Carnival Cruise Line are set to mark the first time an LNG-powered cruise ship is based in North America.

The agreement represents a return to shipbuilding in Finland for Carnival Cruise Line for the first time in 12 years. The company has 12 ships in its current fleet that were constructed in Finland, including its eight Fantasy-class ships and four Spirit-class ships.

In conjunction with the order, the delivery dates for the newbuilds for Germany-based AIDA Cruises and Italy-based Costa Cruises for 2020 will shift to 2021. This, the company says, will allow it to more effectively allocate measured capacity growth across its 10 global cruise brands in more markets throughout the world.

In total, the company now has agreements in place to build seven LNG-powered cruise ships across four of its 10 global cruise brands over the coming years. As previously announced, the first of these ships is expected to be in service for AIDA Cruises and Costa Cruises in 2019.

Based on Carnival Corporation's next-generation 'green cruising' ship design, these new ships will use LNG to generate 100 percent of the ship's power both in port and on the open sea - a development that is set to significantly reduce exhaust emissions.

"We are proud to be at the forefront of introducing LNG-powered ships to the cruise industry, working with our partners to achieve shipbuilding breakthroughs like this that will help us produce the most efficient and sustainable ships we have ever built," said Arnold Donald, CEO of Carnival Corporation & plc. "This is also an important step in our fleet enhancement plan that enables us to execute on our long-term strategy of measured capacity growth over time, while delivering innovative new ships that further elevate our already great guest experience. Every time we launch a new ship, we have a new opportunity to create excitement and show consumers why cruising is a great vacation at an exceptional value, especially for those who typically consider land-based vacations."

As part of its fleet enhancement plan, Carnival Corporation has already taken delivery of three new ships in 2016 for its AIDA Cruises, Carnival Cruise Line and Holland America Line brands, and plans to launch the all-new Seabourn Encore in December 2016. Including Seabourn Encore and the three new ships announced today for Carnival Cruise Line and P&O Cruises UK, Carnival Corporation has a total of 18 new ships scheduled to be delivered between 2016 and 2022.

Bernard Meyer, managing partner of Meyer Werft, with roots dating back to its founding in Germany in 1795, said: "We are excited to welcome P&O Cruises back to Meyer Werft in Germany and Carnival Cruise Line back to Meyer Turku in Finland. These new ships will be built in our most modern and environmentally friendly facilities, and we are very proud to design, build and deliver these ships that provide breakthroughs in innovation and for the environment."

"This new ship order signifies an extraordinarily exciting future for Carnival Cruise Line and the opportunities that lie ahead to introduce a variety of magnificent new features and innovations to further enhance our outstanding guest experience," said Christine Duffy, president of Carnival Cruise Line. "We are also thrilled to be introducing Carnival Corporation's 'green cruising' design platform to North America. Both of these ships will be fully powered at sea and in port by liquefied natural gas, which is the world's cleanest burning fossil fuel. These ships are being designed for maximum energy efficiency and environmental friendliness."

The shipbuilding agreements announced today are subject to several conditions, including satisfactory financing, Carnival said.