Carnival to Fit Silverstream System on Three Ace-Class Ships
Carnival’s operating fleet has logged more than one hundred twenty-seven thousand hours with the system, which releases controlled bubbles beneath the hull to reduce friction.
Carnival Corporation will install Silverstream Technologies’ air lubrication system on all three 230,000-GT Ace-class ships under construction at Fincantieri in Monfalcone, Italy. The rollout will begin with Carnival Destiny, scheduled for delivery in summer 2029.
The order will expand Carnival’s Silverstream deployment to 18 ships across several brands, comprising 13 vessels in service and five newbuilds. The LNG-powered Ace-class ships will be the largest vessels in Carnival’s fleet and the largest cruise ships built by Fincantieri.
Silverstream deployment expands to 18 ships
Carnival’s operating fleet has accumulated more than 127,000 hours using the Silverstream System. In addition to the three Ace-class orders, the five-ship newbuild total includes two Excel-class vessels being constructed at Meyer Werft.
The system releases controlled bubbles beneath a vessel’s hull, reducing friction between the hull and the water while underway. Silverstream puts typical net fuel savings at 5% to 10%, depending on vessel type and operating profile. Retrofits to existing ships take 10 days or less.
Clarksons data count 431 vessels using air lubrication technology across the shipping industry, with systems ordered for another 218 vessels.
“As we introduce these ships, we remain focused on delivering meaningful gains in energy-efficient performance to reduce our fuel use in support of our ongoing decarbonisation aspirations,” said Bo-Erik Blomqvist, Carnival Corporation’s senior vice president for corporate shipbuilding.
Silverstream founder and CEO Noah Silberschmidt said the Ace installations extend a relationship with Carnival that has run for more than a decade. He said the technology would lower fuel use and associated emissions aboard the new ships.
Ace class sets a new scale for Carnival
Each Ace-class vessel will have more than 3,000 passenger staterooms and capacity for almost 8,000 guests at maximum occupancy. Following Carnival Destiny, the other two ships are scheduled for delivery in 2031 and 2033.
The first steel for Carnival Destiny was cut in early July 2026. Carnival has said the ship will have more outward-facing areas than any other vessel in its fleet, while more than 70% of its dining, beverage and entertainment lineup will be new.
The name returns to Carnival’s fleet three decades after the original Carnival Destiny entered service in 1996. That vessel measured about 101,000 GT and was the first passenger ship to exceed 100,000 GT, according to Giorgio Gomiero, Fincantieri’s senior vice president of operations. Fincantieri has delivered 65 ships to Carnival Corporation during the companies’ 30-year relationship, with another eight vessels in its pipeline.
Excel-class installations come first
Before the Ace-class debut, Silverstream equipment will be installed on Carnival Cruise Line’s fourth and fifth Excel-class newbuilds. The approximately 180,000-GT ships will each accommodate more than 5,000 passengers and will become the second and third Excel-class vessels fitted with the system.
Carnival Festivale is scheduled for delivery in spring 2027, followed by Carnival Tropicale in 2028.
