Princess Cruises and Fincantieri shipbuilding company have signed the final contracts for the construction of two next-generation cruise ships. The new ships will be the largest ever built so far in Italy. Delivery for the 4,300-guest, 175,000-tonne vessels is scheduled for late 2023 and spring 2025 respectively.
Princess Cruises’ new ships will be based on a next-generation platform design, being the first Princess Cruises vessels to be dual-fuel powered primarily by Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG). LNG is the marine industry’s most environmentally friendly advanced fuel technology and the world’s cleanest fossil fuel, which will significantly reduce air emissions and marine gasoil usage.
The two ships are being designed to include Princess Cruises’ MedallionClass platform, powered by Ocean Medallion.
The Ocean Medallion was introduced in 2017 and is a complimentary, automated piece of technology, the same size as a 10p piece. The medallion enables features such as keyless stateroom access and quicker and easier embarkation and disembarkation.
Guests can currently experience the Medallion on Caribbean Princess and Regal Princess. By the end of the year, the Medallion will be activated on three additional ships: Royal Princess, Crown Princess and Sky Princess.
Three new Royal-class ships are currently on order with the next new ship, Sky Princess, under construction in Monfalcone (Italy) scheduled for delivery in October 2019.
Sky Princess will feature the spectacular Sky Suites. Measuring 700 square feet and with a 270-degree panorama, the suites will feature the largest private balconies at sea with a prime view of the ship’s Movie Under the Stars screen. Sky Suites will have sleeping capacity for five guests and plenty of room for entertaining, making them ideal for families and celebrations.
The 143,700-ton Sky Princess is designed to offer her 3,660 guests more ways to unwind, with a new contemporary design for its relaxing adults-only Sanctuary area and twice as many private cabanas as its sister ships. Also new for Sky Princess will be the addition of a Wakeview pool on its aft decks, plus two new deep-tank top deck pools, a restorative Retreat Pool and more Jacuzzis, including two cantilevered over the deep-tank pools.
Other ship highlights will include a soaring central Piazza-style atrium, the iconic Seawalk, Princess Live! entertainment venue with a new café, Camp Discovery youth and teen centers.The two new (LNG) ships will be the largest ships in the Princess fleet, accommodating approximately 4,300 guests with expected delivery in 2023 and 2025. Princess now has five ships arriving over the next six years between 2019 & 2025.