The Meyer shipyard in Papenburg, Germany, a shipyard that builds cruise ships for Royal Caribbean, Disney Cruise Line, and Carnival Corporation, said that cruise lines signaled to them that they won’t need all of the new ships they ordered.
The shipyard played a video for their employees talking about the effects that the COVID-19 pandemic is having on the cruise industry. The shipyard currently has orders for new cruise ships through 2023.
The shipyard expects to have no new orders come in for the next three years. In addition, they said that cruise lines will not need all of the new cruise ships that they ordered due to a slowdown in demand. To prevent cancelations, the production on new cruise ships is being stretched.
This will delay the completion date for new ships that are currently under construction. The shipyard will now build just two new cruise ships a year.
Carnival Corporation CEO Arnold Donald said in a call with the media this week that most new cruise ships will be delayed from their original target start date.
The shipyard did not say which cruise lines are looking into canceling orders for new ships.
Shifts at the shipyard have been shortened and areas divided on the property so social distancing can take place while they continue to work.
The previous timetable for the completion date for new cruise ships from Meyer was as follows:
- P&O Iona – April 2020
- Saga Adventure – Summer 2020
- Royal Caribbean’s Odyssey of the Seas – November 2020
- AIDAcosma – Spring 2021
- Disney Wish – Late 2021
- Disney Cruise Line vessel – 2022
- P&O Cruises vessel – 2022
- AIDA Cruises vessel – 2023
- Disney Cruise Line vessel – 2023
The Meyer shipyard said that COVID-19 was the greatest crises that they have ever experienced.
