Fincantieri’s first cruise ship delivery since Covid

But the Princess Cruises’ vessel is also the first cruise ship delivered by Fincantieri since the outbreak of Covid-19.

“We believe it demonstrates the best ability to tackle the hardest times with passion and commitment, as well as the historic resilience of our industry,” commented Fincantieri chief executive Giuseppe Bono.

Built by the Monfalcone shipyard, Enchanted Princess is the latest in a successful class of cruise ships that started in 2013. With a gross tonnage of 145,000, the vessel can accommodate 4,610 passengers in 1,830 cabins and 1,411 crew.

In 2021, the Monfalcone shipyard will deliver the sixth vessel in the Royal class, Discovery Princess.

While the Royal class is impressive, Princess Cruises’ next series of vessels will be a step change. At 175,000 gt, they will be the largest built in Italy, accommodating 5,300 passengers and will be the first in Princess Cruises’ fleet to be powered by dual-fuel engines capable of burning marine gasoil (MGO) and LNG. The ships are scheduled for delivery in Q4 2023 and in Q1 2025.

Another Carnival Corporation brand, P&O Cruises, took delivery of 184,000-gt, LNG-powered Iona from Germany’s Meyer Werft. Capable of accommodating 5,206 passengers, Iona is Britain’s largest cruise vessel and first to be powered by LNG. Constructed to RINA class, the cruise ship has a length overall of 344.5 m, beam of 42 m, with 2,614 passenger cabins. Another Meyer Group shipyard, Neptun Werft in Rostock, Germany, manufactured Iona’s engineroom unit containing the LNG fuel tanks. Iona’s sister vessel will be delivered in 2022.

Other Carnival brands have six more cruise ships on order from Meyer Werft and Meyer Turku in Finland.