Princess Cruises Showcases Progress of Three New Royal-Class Ships Under Construction at Fincantieri Shipyard
Ceremony Marks Cruise Industry First and Signals Strength of Brand and Global Industry
SANTA CLARITA, Calif. (February 14, 2019) – Princess Cruises, the world's largest international premium cruise
line, is growing and today major milestones for three ships under construction
at the same time were celebrated, at Fincantieri Shipyard in Monfalcone,
Italy.
The three milestones included the introduction of the Sky
Princess crew member who was nominated by her peers to serve as Madrina to
celebrate the recent float out of the ship which will enter service in October
2019; the keel laying ceremony for Enchanted Princess launching June 2020 and
the steel-cutting ceremony for the sixth and final Royal-Class ship, yet to be
named, debuting 2022. With two additional ships on order for delivery in 2023
and 2025, Princess Cruises will increase its capacity by 32 percent over the
next six years, adding to its current fleet of 17 ships.
"The number of people enjoying cruise vacations has
increased on average more than one million new cruisers every year over the
last decade, an overall increase of more than 68 percent," said Jan Swartz,
Princess Cruises and Carnival Australia group president. "As we continue to
grow our fleet with five new ships arriving by 2025, we're proud to not only
celebrate these three major construction milestones in the same day but also to
continue to innovate our product with cutting-edge technology and elevated
guest experiences that will be offered on all of these ships."
Sky Princess is the first new ship to join the fleet
activated with Princess MedallionClass™ Vacations enabled by the
OceanMedallion, the vacation industry's most advanced wearable technology
delivering guests the enjoyment of hassle-free, personalized cruise vacations.
Sky Princess will also feature MedallionNet, the best Wi-Fi at sea delivering
land-like internet speeds for watching sports, movies or making video calls
from a smart-phone.
In an industry-first event, three significant ship
building construction milestones occurred in the same day, including:
Steel-Cutting Ceremony for the final Royal
Class ship
The steel-cutting ceremony for the sixth and final
Royal-class ship, was broadcast live to the Fincantieri shipyard in Monfalcone
from the builder's yard in Naples, Italy. This ceremony marked the cutting of
the first plates of steel to begin the building phase of the ship, which is
scheduled to launch in 2022.
Enchanted Princess Keel Laying Ceremony
Princess Cruises
and Fincantieri executives started the countdown to the launch of Enchanted
Princess as the keel – the bottom-most part of the ship – was ceremoniously
lowered into position in the dry dock. Following a traditional blessing, the
ship's keel – which weighs approximately 500 tons – was lifted then lowered
into position by a huge crane onto the keel blocks. Representatives and invited guests participated in a
traditional coin ceremony, and for this occasion, welding an OceanMedallion
into the ship believed to bring good luck to the vessel and all who sail
on her.
Sky Princess Madrina Celebration in Honor of the recent Sky
Princess Float Out
Ms. Kerry Ann
Wright, 2nd officer for Princess Cruises, nominated by her fellow crew
members will serve as the Madrina recognizing her "Reach for the Sky" story and
the career she is forging in the cruise industry. Sky Princess is nearing the final construction and
interior outfitting phase before joining the fleet in October 2019.
Swartz added, "We couldn't think of better day to mark
these milestones than on Valentine's Day, a day when we typically celebrate
romance and our co-starring role on ‘The Love Boat.' While we'll always be
known for love on the high seas, today also solidifies our position as the
fastest growing premium cruise line in the world."
All three 143,700-ton Royal-class ships carry 3,660 guests
and will include the best of the stunning features found on Royal Princess,
Regal Princess and Majestic Princess, as well as new offerings that represent
an evolution of the current ships' designs.
Recently announced features to debut onboard Sky Princess,
include:
- Largest Balconies at Sea for guests in the Sky Suites accommodations, featuring the largest continuous private balconies ever offered by any cruise line. Measuring 1,012 square feet (starboard side Sky Suite) and 947 square feet (port side Sky Suite), the furnished balconies will provide a private vantage of the ship's Movie Under the Stars screen and create the ultimate space for entertaining. The two suites will also offer 270-degree panorama views and have sleeping capacity for five guests, and more room for gathering -- making them ideal for families.
- Princess MedallionClass™ Vacations enabled by the OceanMedallion, this complimentary wearable device is the most advanced in the vacation industry. Delivering a hassle-free, personalized vacation giving guests more time to enjoy what they love most about cruising.
- Award-winning entertainment offerings, including new jazz lounge Take Five, the popular Vista Lounge, an enhanced Princess Theatre, and new exclusive entertainment options.
- World-class dining with more than 25 restaurants and bars onboard. From the World Fresh Marketplace to guest favorites like the Crown Grill Steakhouse and Sabatini's Italian Trattoria, offering the Northern Italian flavors of acclaimed chef, Angelo Auriana and La Mer, a French Bistro by Chef Emmanuel Renaut whose Flocons de Sel restaurant has received three Michelin stars.
- Contemporary-designed Sanctuary with eight private cabanas – offering an adults-only area for rest and relaxation.
- The Enclave at Lotus Spa. Sky Princess will include Princess's largest thermal suite at sea – featuring a stunning hydrotherapy pool, heated stone beds, Turkish bath and dry, steam, and aromatherapy chambers.
Sky Princess is scheduled
to launch in the Mediterranean in October 2019, before debuting in North
America in December 2019 marked with the traditional naming ceremony before
sailing a season of Caribbean cruises roundtrip from Ft. Lauderdale.
Additional information about Princess Cruises is
available through a professional travel advisor, by calling 1-800-PRINCESS (1-800-774-6237), or by visiting the company's website at princess.com.
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About
Princess Cruises
One of the best-known names
in cruising, Princess Cruises is the fastest growing international premium
cruise line and tour company operating a fleet of 17 modern cruise ships,
carrying two million guests each year to 380 destinations around the globe, including
the Caribbean, Alaska, Panama Canal, Mexican Riviera, Europe, South America,
Australia/New Zealand, the South Pacific, Hawaii, Asia, Canada/New England,
Antarctica and World Cruises. A team of professional destination experts have
curated 170 itineraries, ranging in length from three to 111 days and Princess
Cruises is continuously recognized as "Best Cruise Line for Itineraries."
In 2017 Princess Cruises,
with parent company Carnival Corporation, introduced MedallionClass Vacations
enabled by the OceanMedallion, the vacation industry's most advanced wearable
device, provided free to each guest sailing on a MedallionClass ship. The
award-winning innovation offers the fastest way to a hassle-free, personalized vacation giving guests
more time to do the things they love most. MedallionClass Vacations will be
activated on
five ships by the end of 2019. An activation plan will continue across the
global fleet in 2020 and beyond.
Princess Cruises continues
its multi-year, "Come Back New Promise" – a $450 million-dollar product
innovation and cruise ship renovation campaign that will continue to enhance
the line's onboard guest experience. These enhancements result in more moments
of awe, lifetime memories and meaningful stories for guests to share from their
cruise vacation. The product innovations include partnerships with
award-winning Chef Curtis Stone; engaging entertainment inspired shows with
Broadway-legend Stephen Schwartz; immersive activities for the whole family
from Discovery and Animal Planet that include exclusive shore excursions to
onboard activities; the ultimate sleep at sea with the award-winning Princess
Luxury Bed and more.
Three new Royal-class ships
are currently on order with the next new ship under construction, Sky Princess,
scheduled for delivery in October 2019, followed by Enchanted Princess in June
2020. Princess previously announced that two new (LNG) ships which will be the
largest ships in the Princess fleet, accommodating approximately 4,300 guests
are planned for delivery in 2023 and 2025. Princess now has five ships
arriving over the next six years between 2019 and 2025, increasing fleet
capacity 32 percent. The company is part of Carnival Corporation & plc
(NYSE/LSE: CCL; NYSE:CUK).
Newsroom:
Additional media information
is available at princess.com/news.
Media Relations contacts:
Negin Kamali, 661-753-1539, nkamali@princesscruises.com
Alivia Owyoung, 661-753-1542, aowyoung@princesscruises.com
