20th Dec 2019 13:41
(Alliance News) - Cruise ship operator Carnival PLC warned on Friday the delivery of the Mardi Gras ship is to be delayed, resulting in the cancellation of eight sailings next year.
This comes shortly before the FTSE 100 firm releases results for the fourth quarter ended November, scheduled for 1500 GMT.
Carnival said the first sailing of the new cruise ship will now be November 14 next year, compared to a planned date of August 31. This means eight separate sailings have been cancelled.
The Mardi Gras is being built by Finnish shipbuilder Meyer Turku Oy, at its construction facilities in the Finnish city of Turku.
"We have been working closely with Meyer Turku executives to keep the Mardi Gras delivery on schedule, and while we deeply regret disappointing our guests, this change in the delivery date is required to make sure all of the ship's systems, features and technology will be fully operational, so that we can give our guests the vacation they expect," said Ben Clement, Carnival Cruise Line's senior vice president of newbuild.
"Our commitment is to deliver a great and innovative ship, and Mardi Gras will definitely be that when it arrives in North America," he added.
Carnival said it will offer customers affected a full refund and a 25% credit toward a future holiday.
The Mardi Gras is one of two ships the company currently has waiting to be delivered. The other vessel has not yet been named, and is targeted for launch in 2022.
Shares in the company were down 0.1% in London on Friday afternoon at 3,355.58 pence each, with the stock in New York up 0.3% in pre-market trade at USD46.81.
By George Collard; [email protected]
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