Image credit: Carnival Cruise Line

---

Carnival Cruise Line - a brand of Carnival Corporation - has reached an agreement in principle with Canaveral Port Authority for its new, largest-ever ship to homeport at the Florida port.

The 180,000-tonne ship, due to launch in 2020, is set to be the first US-based cruise vessel to be powered by LNG.

The terms of the agreement are expected to be included on the agenda of the Canaveral Port Authority Board of Commissioners' meeting on August 29. If approved, the agreement will clear the way for Carnival's plans to homeport the as-yet-unnamed vessel at Port Canaveral.

Construction of the cruise ship is scheduled to begin in November 2018 with the official steel-cutting ceremony at the Meyer-Werft shipyard in Turku, Finland.

Carnival currently has three year-round ships based in Port Canaveral. In October, the cruise operator is also due to reposition the Carnival Breeze to homeport there.

Commenting on the news, Canaveral Port Authority Port Director and CEO, Captain John Murray, said: "Carnival's commitment to Port Canaveral demonstrates their confidence in our ability to support one of the world's most successful cruise brands. We're excited and looking forward to having their largest and newest class of ship homeported here."

Christine Duffy, president of Carnival Cruise Line, described Port Canaveral as "a valued business partner for more than 25 years."