NEW SHIPS FOR HOLLAND AMERICA, CARNIVAL

New ship alert! Carnival has announced it has two more ships on order -- a 99,000-ton ship for its Holland America Line brand and a 135,000-ton vessel for its Carnival Cruise Lines brand. According to their release, Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri will construct "a 2,660-passenger ship for Holland America Line scheduled for delivery in fall 2015 and a 4,000-passenger ship for Carnival Cruise Lines scheduled for delivery in winter 2016." Both the Holland America ship and the Carnival ship will represent a new class of vessel for both. Currently the company has nine new ships scheduled for delivery – two for 2013, two for 2014, three for 2015 and two for 2016. -- Gerry