Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI), the Japanese shipbuilder that is constructing two 124,500 gross ton ships for Carnival Corp & plc’s German brand AIDA Cruises, has written to sub-contractors and suppliers to observe agreed delivery schedule despite a second six month delay in the completion of AIDAprima, the first ship.

“Regardless of the delay in ship delivery, MHI kindly asks all contractors and their sub-contractors to strictly observe and maintain the present delivery schedules and construction schedules except those which need to be adjusted to your own delay. We will appreciate your continuing utmost cooperation and effort to complete this project,” said Hideki Omori, VP General Manager of Procurement Department at MHI’s Commercial Aviation and Transportation Systems in a letter to contractors obtained by Cruise Business Online.

On 4 August, AIDA Cruises said the maiden voyage of AIDAprima would be postponed to April 2016 from October 2015. The postponement is due to the fact that the shipyard will not be able to complete ship as planned. This is the second time the delivery of the ship has been postponed - initially, it was due to enter service in June this year.