Princess delays the launch of their new build Sun Princess
NewsPrincess Cruises has delayed the delivery of their new-build Sun Princess, two weeks before her maiden voyage.
Both the cruise line and the shipyard did not give a reason why the delivery was postponed. Or, when the ship would enter service.
What the line said
A spokesperson for Princess Cruises, told the travel agent trade publication Travel Weekly the ship was being delayed due to “unforeseen challenges” at Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri.
The postponement Princess said has “regrettably led to the cancellation of the ship’s inaugural 10-day voyage. It was originally set to depart from Barcelona on February 8th”. At this time, the company has only cancelled one voyage but has not announced a new target date for delivery.
“We understand that this news is disappointing, and we share in that disappointment,” said John Padgett, president of Princess Cruises. “We recognise the anticipation that surrounded this sailing, and we sincerely apologise for the inconvenience this cancellation causes.”
While it’s not unusual for new-build ships like the Sun Princess to be delayed, several ships over the last 12 months were behind schedule.
Last northern hemisphere summer, Fincantieri had a more challenging delay for the Explora I cruise ship. It was informed by a supplier that some of its fireproofing materials had failed certification.
Princess passengers expressed their disappointment due to the short notice before the maiden voyage. Bookings had opened for the Sun Princess new build in April 2023.
About the Sun Princess
The Sun Princess will be approximately 175,500 gross tonnes. And she will be able to accommodate 4,000 passengers and 1150 crew. The two-ship new build order was made in 2018 by Carnival Corporation.
The company is rumoured to be negotiating with Fincantieri to build 208,000 gross tonne ships.
The Sun Princess and her sister, Star Princess are both 20 per cent larger than the previous class of ship.
They will also be the biggest ships built at Fincantieri, and the largest ships built to date in Italy.
