Keel laid for Sun Princess sister ship Star Princess at Fincantieri shipyard

Princess Cruises has celebrated the keel laying for its upcoming cruise ship Star Princess at the Fincantierishipyard in Monfalcone, Italy.

Star Princess is a sister ship to Sun Princess and the second in the new Sphere Class. Like Sun Princess she will be dual-fuelled and primarily powered by liquefied natural gas (LNG), the cleanest marine fuel currently available on a large scale in the market.

The vessel will be able to carry 4,300 guests and is due for delivery in September, 2025, with her first cruises in August, one year after Sun Princess.

The keel, the bottommost part of the ship and main foundation, is the first block of the vessel to be constructed. 

Star Princess’ 500-ton (1.1 million pound) keel was ceremoniously lowered by crane into position on the keel blocks in the dry dock, where the ship will remain until the float out. 

The computer-guided maneuver took only minutes, commencing the more than two million man-hours that will ultimately go into building the cruise ship.

Followed by a traditional blessing and ceremony, Princess and Fincantieri executives welded a Princess Medallion into the ship, believed to bring good luck to the vessel and all who sail on her.

“Our multi-decade shipbuilding collaboration continues to progress as we build spectacular ships that are enabled by the most advanced technology available while infusing magnificent Italian craftsmanship and respecting beautiful Princess design heritage,” said John Padgett, President of Princess Cruises.

The 175,000-ton ship is set to offer a series of itineraries in the Mediterranean and Southern Europe, which will coincide with Princess Cruises 40th anniverary in the region.

The the program features a 9-day Grand Mediterranean itinerary that sails to Italy and Greece, in addition to a series of 10-day cruises to Greece, Italy and Spain, sailing roundtrip from Rome.

Other destinations being visited by the ship during its maiden season include Kotor, in Montenegro; Istanbul, in Turkey; Marseille, in France; Santorini, in Greece; Gibraltar, in the United Kingdom; and Messina, in Italy.

In October, before crossing the Atlantic Ocean for its North American debut, Star Princess is also set to offer a 10-night cruise to Southampton, England from Barcelona, visiting Palma de Mallorca, Cádiz, Málaga and Vigo.

Following a 16-night repositioning voyage, Star Princess is set to arrive in Fort Lauderdale on November 5th, 2025.