March 26, 2023. Princess Cruises, the world’s most iconic cruise brand that delivers dream vacations to millions of guests every year, celebrated a momentous construction milestone with the float out of the cruise line’s bespoke, 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 175,500-ton, 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 that are sure to have everyone talking.
In addition, Sun Princess has been designed to improve energy efficiency and reduce carbon emissions. Sun Princess sustainability features include:
Fuel and Energy Management:
- Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) as the primary fuel and the first ship in the Princess fleet to be powered by LNG. This cleaner burning fuel will significantly reduce air emissions and marine gas-oil to minimize the cruise line’s environmental footprint. With a capacity of 4,000m3 sufficient for almost 9 days sailing at service speed. The secondary fuel is marine gas-oil so no heavy or intermediate fuel oil will be carried on board.
- Two shore power connections, also known as “cold ironing,” on both the port and starboard side of the vessel to enable 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 the ports that support shore power.
- Another first for Princess to supply sustainable power and better maneuverability to save fuel, 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:
- 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 designed with distributed and centralized bio-digesters and dehydrators as a clean alternative to recycle food waste and reduce use of landfills.