New cruise ships to hold a record 6,600 passengers

Gene Sloan | USA TODAY

Cruise giant Carnival Corp. on Monday ordered four new ships that will hold up to 6,600 passengers apiece -- a new record.

The parent company of Carnival, Holland America, Princess and seven other lines says two of the 180,000-ton vessels will be operated by its German brand, Aida. The company didn't say which brand would get the other two ships but suggested they would sail for one of its Europe-based lines.

Along with Italian line Costa Cruises, Aida is part of a Europe-based division of Carnival Corp. known as the Costa Group.

"These ships will expand our leadership position for the Costa Group, the market leader in all the major European markets," the CEO of the Costa Group, Michael Thamm, says in a statement accompanying the announcement. "These will be spectacular ships designed specifically for our guests who sail on our Costa Group brands."

The Costa Group also has a leading position in the rapidly growing cruise market in China.

The new vessels will be able to accommodate about 300 more passengers than Royal Caribbean's two Oasis class ships, which currently hold the record for maximum capacity with room for about 6,300 passengers. At 225,282 tons, the two Oasis class vessels will retain the record for cruise ship size.

All four of the new Carnival Corp. vessels will be built by German shipbuilder Meyer Werft and are among nine new ships that the company has planned to order for delivery between 2019 and 2022.

In another notable development, Carnival Corp. says the new ships will be powered by liquefied natural gas -- a cruise industry first. Liquefied natural gas is considered cleaner than the bunker oil and other fuels now used to power cruise ships.

Carnival Corp. released few details of what it plans for the designs of the ships.

The four new vessels will be in addition to several new ships that already are on order for Carnival Corp. brands for delivery between now and 2019. Both the Carnival and Holland America brands are scheduled to receive new ships in 2016 and 2018, and a new Princess ship is scheduled to debut in 2017. Carnival's upscale Seabourn brand has two ships on order for delivery in 2016 and 2018.

Two Carnival Corp. brands unveiled new ships this year. The company's P&O Cruises brand debuted its largest ship ever in March, the 3,647-passenger Britannia. At 143,000 tons, it's the 11th largest cruise ship ever built. Aida also has a new ship out this year as well as one coming in 2016.

For a deck-by-deck look at the new Britannia, click through the carousel below.