OCTOBER 21, 2013 — Carnival Corporation's Seabourn Cruises has signed a Letter of Intent for the construction of a new ultra-luxury cruise ship with Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri.

Seabourn Odyssey

The new ship will be modeled after the line's three newest vessels, Seabourn Odyssey, Seabourn Sojourn, and Seabourn Quest. Designed by Yran & Storbraaten, those 450 passenger ships were built by Italy's T. Mariotti shipyard in Genoa. Seabourn says the new ship will encompass the features that have made the three ships so successful.

The vessel will replace the capacity that is leaving the Seabourn brand with the sale of Seabourn Pride, Seabourn Spirit and Seabourn Legend. As we reported in February, these ships will be transferred to their new owners, Windstar, in April 2014, April 2015 and May 2015, respectively.

"We are pleased to be moving forward with the plans we announced earlier this year to build a fourth ship similar to the highly regarded new design we introduced with Seabourn Odyssey, Seabourn Sojourn, and Seabourn Quest," said Seabourn President Richard Meadows. "The experience and the amenities offered by these award-winning ships have raised the bar in ultra-luxury cruising."

Gabriele Cocco, Fincantieri's Executive Senior Vice President Merchant Vessels, said: "We are very pleased to have acquired a new customer like Seabourn and at the same time to have strengthened our historic partnership with the Carnival Group. This agreement is particularly important: it strengthens our leadership in the luxury cruise niche and confirms our primacy in the cruise industry."