Princess Cruises orders another ship at Fincantieri

The as-yet unnamed 143,000-ton vessel, which will be built at an all-in cost of approximately 600 million euros, will carry 3,560 passengers, and feature the successful design platform introduced by sister ships Royal Princess in 2013 and Regal Princess which entered service this past May

JULY 30, 2014 —Carnival Corporation & plc subsidiary Princess Cruises has reached an agreement with Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri covering construction of a new 143,000 gt, 3,560 passenger cruise ship that will enter service in 2017.

The ship will be built at an all-in cost of approximately 600 million euros and will feature the platform introduced by sister ships Royal Princess in 2013 and Regal Princess which entered service this past May.

“We are incredibly excited to add this fabulous new ship to our already formidable fleet,” said Jan Swartz, Princess Cruises president. “Royal Princess and Regal Princess have been exceptionally successful for us and have received numerous accolades from guests, travel agents and media, so adding another sister ship will enable us to continue to expand our innovative vacation experiences. We’re very pleased that this new ship order is an indication of the confidence that our parent Carnival Corporation has in the future of the Princess brand.” She added that this is the only new order Carnival Corporation & plc anticipates for 2017 delivery.

The new ship will include the signature elements that have become synonymous with the Princess Cruises guest experience such as a central atrium hub with multiple dining, entertainment and retail venues; the adults-only Sanctuary; Movies Under the Stars cinema experience, and 80 percent of all staterooms with balconies.

The ship will also include what Princess says will be “some brand-new innovations to enhance the guest experience even further.”

Specific features and amenities for the ship, along with deployment details, will be revealed in the coming months.

Fincantieri CEO Giuseppe Bono said: “All the orders we win are important for our Group, but some are more special than others. The one we’re announcing today certainly belongs to this select category. In fact, it’s no coincidence that Fincantieri is the universally recognized leader among the builders of cruise ships. It’s a source of great pride to be able to immediately build another ship for a prestigious brand like Princess Cruises following the successful deliveries of two jewels like ‘Royal’ and ‘Regal, which have already become part of maritime history.”