Future Ships
In early 2010, Fincantieri and Carnival Corporation & plc reached an agreement to build two ships for Princess Cruises. The agreement is subject to the execution of a definitive contract, financing and other customary conditions.
The contract was then finalized on May 4, 2010. While in the midst of Economic downturn, Princess managed to finalize the contract with the help of Italian Export Credit Companies, particularly SACE S.p.A.
The two ships are designed to have a tonnage of 141,000-GT, with a passenger capacity of 3,600. The new ships are predicted to enter service in Summer 2013 and 2014 and will be the largest newbuilds to date for Princess Cruises. The ship's design will be evolutionary, from the current Princess fleet and will offer new innovations in the fleet. 100% of its outside staterooms will have balconies, which will comprise the 80% of all staterooms. The signature Piazza atrium will have an expansion. Other innovations is yet to be unveiled in the upcoming months.
The first of the two ships will become the new Royal Princess; the former Royal Princess left the Princess fleet in May 2011 when it joined P&O Cruises as MV Adonia.
In mid-March 2011, Princess released a video of their new Royal Princess, planned to debut in spring 2013. New features include a cantilevered walkway and bar on the top deck, an enlarged Sanctuary bar, an adult-only pool and the largest Movies Under The Stars screen Princess has built so far.
On April 9, 2013, Princess announced that Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, would be godmother to Royal Princess and would attend its naming ceremony in Southampton, UK, on June 13, 2013.
It was announced on August 29, 2012 that the sister ship to the new Royal Princess will be named the Regal Princess.
Read more about this topic: Princess Cruises
Famous quotes containing the words future and/or ships:
“Every member of the family of the future will be a producer of some kind and in some degree. The only one who will have the right of exemption will be the mother ...”
—Ruth C. D. Havens, U.S. suffragist. As quoted in History of Woman Suffrage, vol. 4, ch. 13, by Susan B. Anthony and Ida Husted Harper (1902)
“The ships we sank with women and children aboard. The lifeboats we shelled. Mmm ... we were good at that.”
—Emeric Pressburger (1902–1988)