Princess Cruises last week celebrated the float out of its next-generation ship – Sun Princess – at the Fincantieri Shipyard in Monfalcone, Italy.
The float out completes the first comprehensive phase of construction for Sun Princess which now transitions to focus on building the ship’s interiors.
The milestone was marked by a special ceremony where a “Madrina” is named to offer blessings and best wishes for the vessel, celebrating the flow of water into the ship’s building dock.
Princess Cruises Hotel General Manager Simona Stumberger was selected to serve in this special role as an ambassador for Princess.
John Padgett, President of Princess Cruises, said: “Simona is the ideal candidate to serve as Madrina of our newest ship, Sun Princess, because she embodies all the best qualities that our company has to offer – an unwavering commitment to service, hospitality and friendliness.
“Sun Princess will usher in an exciting new era for our company and the industry, and we can’t think of a better person to serve in this important role.”
Princess also announced that it has appointed Gennaro Arma as captain who will lead Sun Princess shipbuilding operations, readiness and delivery, and overseeing the ship’s final stages of construction.
The captain will also work closely with brand’s naval architects, engineers and shipbuilding experts, as well as the shipyard management team.
The 175,500-tonne, 4,300-guest Sun Princess will offer an array of exciting new dining, entertainment and activity offerings, as well as luxurious staterooms and suites across a broad spectrum of categories.
The ship will be highlighted by amazing, never-before-seen spaces such as The Dome, a transformational entertainment venue inspired by the terraces of Santorini, the next-level, brand-iconic Piazza, and three-story Horizons dining room.
Sun Princess has also been designed to improve energy efficiency and reduce carbon emissions. Sun Princess’ sustainability features include Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) as the primary fuel.
The ship also has two shore power connections, also known as “cold ironing,” on both sides of the vessel, enabling it to turn off the engines and connect to local electricity in various ports.
The ship will also feature the world’s most compact, efficient and environmentally safe technology to convert a variety of combustible materials into thermal energy
Food waste management is designed with distributed and centralised bio-digesters and dehydrators as a clean alternative to recycle food waste and reduce the use of landfills.
Inaugural 2024 Sun Princess cruises to the Mediterranean and Europe are currently on sale. More ship information and images can be found at princess.com/sunprincess.
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