Princess takes delivery of new Sun Princess, but again delays maiden cruise
Written by Nick Blenkey
YouTube video showed Sun Princess on sea trials back in J anuary. [Screengrab from YouTube video]
Carnival Corporation’s Princess Cruises brand has now taken delivery of its 4,300-passenger Sun Princess, the largest vessel ever constructed in Italy and both Fincantieri’s and Princess’s first LNG fueled cruise ship.
Back on January 25, Princess said that it and Fincantieri had mutually agreed to delay delivery of the vessel, leading to the cancellation of the ship’s inaugural 10-day voyage, originally set to depart from Barcelona on February 8.
Today, Princess said that “the ship does need to remain alongside in the shipyard to allow for additional technical work to ensure an outstanding vacation is delivered. Accordingly, the cruise line regrettably is cancelling the February 18 voyage. Sun Princess now will make its maiden voyage on February 28 from Rome.
“Guests who were booked on the February 18 voyage will receive a full refund of the cruise fare along with any additional onboard services that were pre-purchased, as well as a 50% future cruise credit (FCC) that can be used on a future Princess voyage.”.
The cruise brand is also offering financial reimbursement for select travel costs for guests who have already arrived ahead of their sailing and for guests who have not yet started their travel certain changes fees related to flights.
The 175,500-ton, Sun Princess is described by Princess as “the most impressive luxurious and stunning Love Boat ever created, offering an array of exciting new entertainment and activities, as well as sensational staterooms and suites across a broad spectrum of categories. With the most balconies on any Princess ship, guests can take in the sunshine and crystal-clear waters of the Mediterranean and Caribbean from the comfort of their stateroom. The Dome, a transformational entertainment venue inspired by the terraces of Santorini, is the perfect place to relax and the Arena! is an evolution and the most technologically advanced Princess Theater design.”
We carried a preview of some of those features in September last year.
Categories: Cruise Ships, News
