Sun Princess celebrates float out of its next-gen ship

Princess Cruises, an most iconic cruise brand, has 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. Following the Italian shipyard’s tradition, the float out is marked by a special ceremony where a “Madrina” is named to offer blessings and best wishes for the vessel, celebrating the flow of water into the ship’s building dock.

Princess Cruises Hotel General Manager Simona Stumberger was selected to serve in this special role as an ambassador for Princess, because she epitomizes professionalism and always delivers service with a smile.

A native of Slovenia where Stumberger studied hospitality management, she began her career at sea in the bar department and further diversified her hotel experience by working in guest services, and hand in hand with the hotel and food and beverage divisions. 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. “Sun Princess will usher in an exciting new era for our company and the industry, and we can’t think of a better person to serve in this important role.”

The float out completes the first comprehensive phase of construction for Sun Princess which now transitions to focus on building the ship’s interiors.  

Princess also announced that it has appointed Gennaro Arma as captain, leading Sun Princess shipbuilding operations, readiness and delivery, and overseeing the ship’s final stages of construction, working closely with brand’s naval architects, engineers and shipbuilding experts, as well as the shipyard management team.

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.

Inaugural 2024 Sun Princess cruises to the Mediterranean and Europe are currently on sale.