The Meyer Werft shipyard in Papenburg, Germany, provided a glimpse into the build process and an update on Carnival Cruise Line’s third Excel-class cruise ship, Carnival Jubilee.
The shipyard uses a process called the block construction method, where the vessel is put together using different blocks of steel. These form huge parts of the vessel, including the bridge, which was fitted on Friday.
Also, the huge engine room block arrived in the shipyard from Rostock, Germany, this week and will be fitted as soon as another Excel-class ship, P&O Cruises’ Arvia, moves to the next stage of her build.
Carnival Jubilee Engine Room to Be Fitted This Week
The modern manner in which ships are being built is certainly something that surprises at times. This week, the construction of Carnival Jubilee received a number of updates, pushing the build time along with German precision.
Carnival Jubilee is being constructed at the Meyer Werft in Papenburg, Germany, and while the cutting of the first steel and the laying of the keel is only a few weeks ago, the vessel is already looking like a cruise ship. The bridge wings were installed earlier today, and at the same time, the FERU unit arrived in the shipyard.
The FERU unit, or Floating Engine Room Unit, is equally as important as the bridge section of the vessel. It houses the power units that will propel the 180,000 gross tons cruise ship forward. The unit was constructed at the Neptun shipyard in Rostock, Germany, and towed to the Meyer Werft, some 400 kilometers away.
In the near future, the FERU unit will be joined to the Carnival Jubilee structure. However, before that happens, the P&O Arvia, a sister ship to Carnival Jubilee, which is also currently under construction, will be moving to the outfitting stage of construction.
Although the images already make her look as striking as her sisters, Mardi Gras and Carnival Celebration, construction on Carnival Jubilee will take another year at least.
The Ninth and Last Excellence-Class Cruise Ship
Carnival Jubilee will be the ninth and last of the Excel-class cruise ships when she sets sail. The groundbreaking class of ships has been a game-changer in the cruise industry, both in terms of low environmental impact due to them being LNG-powered, as well as facilities and features such as the BOLT roller coaster.
Besides Mardi Gras and Carnival Celebration, there are excellence-class ships sailing for Costa Cruises, Costa Smeralda and Costa Toscana; P&O Cruises, Iona and Arvia; and AIDA, AIDAnova and AIDAcosma.
Originally scheduled to sail for AIDA Cruises, last year Carnival Corporation decided to transfer the Carnival Jubilee to Carnival Cruise Line. Given the huge success Carnival Cruise Line had with Mardi Gras and the excitement that is building over Carnival Celebration, this came as no surprise.
Jubilee is the first Excel-class ship for Carnival being built in Germany; her sisterships were both constructed at the Meyer Turku shipyard in Finland. Carnival Jubilee is scheduled for her first cruise in November of next year from Galveston, Texas.
Christine Duffy, Carnival Cruise Line’s President: “Our plans for Texas are as big as the state itself, and we’re looking forward to bringing guests aboard our third Excel-class ship that will be just as magnificent as her sister ships Mardi Gras and Carnival Celebration.
Read Also: All Carnival Cruise Ships By Age – Newest to Oldest
From her Texas homeport, she will be operating seven-day cruises to the Western Caribbean starting November 18, 2023, including voyages to Cozumel and Costa Maya in Mexico and Mahogany Bay on Isa Roatan, Honduras.
