Princess Cruises celebrated major milestones for 3 ships under construction on Thursday, February 14, at Fincantieri Shipyard in Italy's Monfalcone.
The milestones included the introduction of a Sky Princess crew member nominated by her peers to serve as the Madrina to celebrate the float out of the vessel which is due to enter service in October; the keel laying for Enchanted Princess launching in June 2020, and the steel-cutting for the 6th and final Royal-Class cruise ship, yet to be named, scheduled to debut in 2022.
With a couple of additional ships due to be delivered in 2023 and 2025, the cruise line will increase its capacity by 32% over the next 6 years, adding to its current fleet of seventeen ships.
Sky Princess is the first newbuild to join the fleet that is activated with Princess MedallionClass Vacations enabled by OceanMedallion, the industry’s most advanced wearable technology delivering passengers the enjoyment of personalized, hassle-free cruise vacations. The ship will also feature MedallionNet Wi-Fi delivering land-like internet speeds for watching movies, sports or making video calls.
In the cruise-industry-first event, 3 significant shipbuilding milestones occurred on the same day:
- Sky Princess Madrina Celebration to honor the recent Sky Princess Float Out. The 2nd officer for Princess Cruises, Ms.Kerry Ann Wright, nominated by her fellow crew members is due to serve as the Madrina recognizing the “Reach for the Sky” story and a career she's forging in the industry. Sky Princess is nearing her final interior and construction outfitting phase prior to joining the fleet in October.
- Enchanted Princess Keel Laying. Princess Cruises and Fincantieri executives began the countdown to Enchanted Princess' launch as the keel of the ship was lowered into position in the dry dock. After a traditional blessing, the keel, weighing approximately 500 tons, was lifted and then lowered into position by a large crane on the keel blocks. Invited guests and representatives participated in the traditional coin ceremony. Welding an OceanMedallion into the vessel is believed to bring good luck to the ship and all who sail on her.
- Steel-Cutting for the final Royal Class cruise ship. The ceremony for the 6th and final Royal-class vessel was broadcast live to Fincantieri's Monfalcone shipyard from the builder’s yard in Naples. The ceremony marked the cutting of the first plates of steel to start the building phase of the vessel, which is due to launch in 2022.