Carnival Exercises Option For Third 84,000-Ton Cruise Ship

Carnival Cruise Lines has exercised an option with Kvaerner Masa Yards of Helsinki, Finland, for the construction of a new 84,000- ton ship expected to be delivered in 2002. The 2,112-passenger vessel, to be named Carnival Legend, will cost approximately $375 million. It will be a sister ship to the Carnival Spirit and Carnival Pride, both currently under construction at Kvaerner Masa and expected to enter service in early and late 2001, respectively. In addition to the three Spirit-class ships, Carnival Cruise Lines has three new 102,000-ton Destiny class ships scheduled to enter service over the next four years, including the Carnival Victory, expected to enter service Aug. 31, 2000, and the Carnival Conquest and Carnival Glory, slated to debut in 2002 and 2003, respectively. Carnival Corporation unit Holland America Line has four vessels on order, including the 1,440-passenger Zaandam, scheduled for delivery in early 2000, the 1,380-passenger Amsterdam expected to debut in late 2000, and two 84,000- ton vessels expected to enter service in 2002 and 2003. Also on order for Costa Cruises, another Carnival Corporation-affiliated cruise line, is the 2,112-passenger Costa Atlantica, which is scheduled to debut in late spring 2000. Collectively, these 11 vessels have an estimated value of nearly $4.3 billion.