A year out from its first scheduled sailings, Princess Cruises’ prized new ship Sun Princess has announced its captains and leading staff members.

Captains Craig Street and Paolo Arrigo have a combined 60 years of experience working for Princess Cruises and will proudly guide Sun Princess on her way. Mr Street joined Princess as a deck cadet in 1990 and has since served as captain of 13 different Princess ships. Similarly, Mr Aiigo started with Princess as a deck cadet in 1996, eventually being named a captain for the first time in 2017.

Princess President John Padgett said: “With such an amazing opportunity to elevate the guest experience, it takes an equally talented team of revered mariners to oversee the ship’s final stages of construction at the Fincantieri shipyard, then officially take delivery of the ship and welcome the first guests onboard.

“Sun Princess promises something special for everyone and we’re pleased to announce the skilled and deserving team, led by Captains Street and Arrigo, who will guide Sun Princess through the remainder of the construction phase and ready her for her shining debut in just one year.”

What to expect on Sun Princess?

Sun Princess, set to sail her inaugural season in the Mediterranean, is the largest Princess ship ever constructed, packing in a massive 4000 guests. It will also be the first Princess ship to be powered by Liquified Natural Gas, an environmentally superior option to traditional fuel. Sun Princess is the first of Princess Cruises ‘Sphere Class’, marking an elevated level of luxury, entertainment, and design. 

Mr Padgett says: “With the new platform and size of Sun Princess, we’re uniquely able to refresh venues we know our guests love and expand upon, redesign and elevate them to the next level. We know our sun-inspired designs will exceed expectations and elevate the entire Princess experience.”

What’s new?

New for Princess Cruises is the Horizons Dining Room, a huge three-story dining venue, with each deck having its own personality and feeling, allowing you to personalise your dining experience. Beautiful views are promised, including a decorative sculpture that stretches from deck six to deck eight.

The Princess Arena is the most modern and innovative Princess theatre yet.  It boasts brand new decorative design above and around the stage, as well as moveable seats for ideal sight lines and increased production capabilities. The arena will seat more than 1000 people with a brand new curved roof, mirroring the ocean tides carrying the ship around.

Princess’s Italian heritage will be recognised in the creation of ‘The Dome’, a suspended glass piazza, influenced by the terraces of Santoirini. This multi-level structure will be unique to Sun Princess, with attractions including a beautiful indoor/outdoor pool, that come night time transforms into a stage for state-of-the-art entertainment.

Plenty of other Princess favourites will be returning with enhancements, such Alfredo’s Pizzeria’s brand-new open-mouth oven, which will ensure the signature Neapolitan pizza is the best you’ve ever tasted it. Plenty of other restaurants have gotten a makeover, with Crown Grill and Sabatini’s getting contemporary redesigns, elevating themselves to match the luxury and design of the rest of the ship.

The casino will also be returning bigger and better, with over 200 new machines and increased capacity. Similarly, the shops of Princess aboard Sun Princess will be familiar but improved. Expect more interactive shopping experiences, larger boutiques and a brand-new layout.

Beyond these, you can also expect reimagined spaces for Crooner’s, Wheelhouse Bar, International Cafe, Good Spirits, Gelateria and more.

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