Carnival opts Italian build cruiser

Carnival Corp. and PLC said its Cunard Line has ordered a 92,000-ton ocean liner from Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri for about $700 million.

The 92,000-tonne liner, the second-largest in Cunard’s history after the Queen Mary 2, will go into service in 2010. The 2092-passenger ship - to be named Queen Elizabeth - will be built at Fincantieri's Monfalcone yard. Fincantieri is also completing the Queen Victoria, a 90,000-tonne passenger liner, for Cunard at its Margh-era shipyard in Venice. Fincantieri said the deal brought the number of ships on order at its shipyards to 16, giving it a market share of 40 per cent. The Queen Victoria will be launched in December by the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall. The Queen Elizabeth will be based at Southampton and fly the Red Ensign, as is the case with other Cunard liners.

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