It has just been announced that another giant new Princess ship is now officially under construction.
The steel cutting ceremony of the bow section was held earlier this month at Fincantieri shipyard in Castellammare di Stabia, Italy. The new build design will follow sister ships, Royal, Regal and Majestic Princess, and is scheduled for delivery in 2019.
Executive vice president of fleet operations for Princess Cruises, Keith Taylor, stated at the ceremony: ‘Today’s steel cutting of Hull 6268 signals the continuation of a 16 year partnership that has delivered some of the most spectacular and innovative cruise ships at sea for Princess Cruises.’
The yet unnamed, 143,700 tonne vessel, will feature signature Princess features with a soaring central atrium with multiple dining, entertainment, retail venues and an outdoor Movies Under the Stars cinema experience.
While similiar to Royal Princess and Regal Princess, the newest addition to the fleet won’t be an exact copy. In an announcement made last year, Princess’ parent company, Carnival Corp, revealed that the ship would have some new innovations, but kept the remaining details quiet.
Taylor continued: ‘We are delighted with the longevity of our partnership with Fincantieri and know that this next ship will follow on the successful design platform demonstrated with her sister ships.’
Princess’ newest ship is one of three on order for the line, which currently has a fleet of 17 ships, and she will carry 3,560 passengers at double occupancy.
Another sister vessel to Royal Princess and Regal Princess is to be called Majestic Princess and is due in 2017, though it will not be aimed at the brand’s traditional audience. Princess has said that instead she will be deployed permanently to China and cater to the local Chinese market.
So, that’s the news for today! What are your thoughts on Princess’ announcement? Will you be sailing with the newest addition to the line? What’s your favourite thing about Princess? Leave us your thoughts and comments!
