Princess Cruises has celebrated a major construction milestone with the float out of its bespoke, next-generation ship, Sun Princess, at the Fincantieri Shipyard in Monfalcone, Italy.
This event marks the end of the first comprehensive phase of construction, as the ship now transitions to focus on building the ship’s interiors.
Suggested read: How Long Does It Take To Build A Cruise Ship?
The Italian shipyard’s float out ceremony is marked by a special blessing and best wishes for the vessel, celebrating the flow of water into the ship’s building dock.
In this ceremony, Princess Cruises’ Hotel General Manager, Simona Stumberger, was named “Madrina” (godmother). She is an ambassador for Princess Cruises who epitomises professionalism and service with a smile.
Stumberger began her career at sea in the bar department and diversified her hotel experience by working in guest services and alongside the hotel and food and beverage divisions. A native of Slovenia where she studied hospitality management, Stumberger has been with Princess Cruises for nearly five years.
“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,” said John Padgett, President of Princess Cruises.
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 feature 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 a three-story Horizons dining room that are sure to have everyone talking.
Sun Princess has been designed to improve energy efficiency and reduce carbon emissions. The ship will be powered by liquified natural gas (LNG), reducing air emissions and marine gas-oil to minimise the cruise line’s environmental footprint.
It will also feature two shore power connections on both the port and starboard side of the vessel, known as “cold ironing,” enabling the ship to turn off the engines and connect to local electric power to run all onboard services during day-long calls in various ports.
Sun Princess is outfitted with custom-built electrical connection cabinets that automatically connect the ship’s electrical network to the local electrical network ashore, reducing air emissions in ports that support shore power.
Another first for Princess, Sun Princess will be outfitted with two Azipod propulsions for forward and backward movements, and the four largest Controllable Pitch Propellers, known as bow thrusters, on the market for sideways navigation.
Waste management has also been carefully considered on Sun Princess, with all Micro Auto Gasification System (MAGS) installed for waste. MAGS is the world’s most compact, efficient and environmentally safe technology to convert a variety of combustible materials into thermal energy – energy that can be used in other systems onboard.
Food waste management has been designed with distributed and centralised bio-digesters and dehydrators as a clean alternative to recycle food waste and reduce the use of landfills.
Princess Cruises has also announced that Gennaro Arma has been appointed captain, leading Sun Princess’ shipbuilding operations, readiness, and delivery, and overseeing the ship’s final stages of construction, working closely with the brand’s naval architects, engineers, and shipbuilding experts, as well as the shipyard management team.
The float out of Sun Princess marks a momentous occasion for Princess Cruises and the industry. With its innovative design and commitment to sustainability, Sun Princess is set to offer guests an unforgettable experience while minimising its impact on the environment.
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Jenni Fielding is the founder of Cruise Mummy. She has worked in the cruise industry since 2015 and has taken over 30 cruises. Now, she helps over 1 million people per month to plan their perfect cruise holidays.
