Meyer Turku cuts steel for Carnival’s LNG-powered liner

Finland’s Meyer Turku shipyard said it has started the construction of a 5,286-lower berth LNG-powered cruise ship for Carnival Cruise Line.

The ship will be the first North American-based cruise ship to run on liquefied natural gas and will also be the largest Carnival cruise ship ever built with 180 000 gross tonnage (GT), Meyer Turku said in its statement.

With the first steel cutting the physical form of the ship will start to takeshape, with the ship’s name is scheduled to be revealed in early December.

The as-yet-unnamed Carnival cruises ship will operate from Florida beginning in 2020. A second XL class ship is scheduled for delivery in 2022.

Carnival Cruise Line has already reached an agreement with the Canaveral Port Authority to make it the homeport for its LNG-powered liner.