Seabourn orders two of the best

Seabourn Cruise Line has placed an order to build two new, ultra luxury ships, for delivery in spring 2009 and 2010. Seabourn, a division of Miami-based Carnival Corporation, has signed a letter of intent for the project with shipbuilder T. Mariotti of Genoa, Italy. The sister ships will have an all-in cost of $250 million each and the letter of intent is subject to a number of conditions including definitive contracts, financing and other terms.

Each of the 32,000 gt ships will accommodate all guests in 225 luxury suites, 90% of which will offer private verandas. Combined, the two vessels will more than double Seabourn?s current fleet capacity of 624 berths.

“Our brand has been experiencing more demand in the marketplace than we could fulfil for quite some time now,” stated Deborah L. Natansohn, president of Seabourn. “The new ships will allow us to bring the unique Seabourn experience to a larger number of people, particularly the highly affluent and active baby boomer generation just now heading towards the more leisurely years of their lives.”

According to Micky Arison, Chairman and CEO of Carnival Corporation & plc, “This order represents our confidence in the luxury segment of the cruising market, which has shown significant and consistent revenue growth in recent years, with robust future potential. Through our own and independent research, we know that the luxury consumer views the Seabourn brand as the absolute ultimate in leisure travel. This new generation of yacht-like ships will secure its position at the top of the cruise industry pyramid for many years to come.”

The vessels have been specifically designed to enable Seabourn?s staff to deliver the highly personalized service experience that is a hallmark of the brand. “They will be spacious, with the sleek lines and relaxed, personal feel of an oversized yacht,” Natansohn said. “We?ve essentially taken the signature elements of our existing yachts and added some exciting new features that the larger hulls will allow.”

With this order, Mariotti confirms its leadership in the small/medium size ultra luxury ships market. The design specifications call for hulls 200 metres, with a beam of 25.84 metres and a draught of 6.45 metres. The ships will have a diesel electric power plant driving twin screw propellers, with a service speed of 19 knots. They will be equipped with two bow thrusters to enhance manoeuvrability and two stabilizers. The ships will also be “green ships” employing advanced wastewater treatment technology.