Fincantieri to construct Princess Cruises’ LNG-powered duo

Princess Cruises and shipbuilder Fincantieri have signed final contracts for the construction of two next-generation 175,000-ton dual-fueled cruise ships.

Princess Cruises said on Thursday that the two vessels would be the largest ships ever built in Italy, with deliveries scheduled in Monfalcone in late 2023 and spring 2025.

This announcement follows the initial signing of a memorandum of agreement between the two parties in July 2018.

The vessels will accommodate approximately 4,300 guests and will be based on next-generation platform design, being the first Princess Cruises’ ships to be dual-fuel powered primarily by liquefied natural gas (LNG).

Jan Swartz, Princess Cruises president, said: “Princess Cruises continues to grow globally — adding new ships to our fleet built by our long-time trusted shipbuilding partner, Fincantieri, who brings decades of expertise to these next-generation cruise ships.”

Giuseppe Bono, CEO of Fincantieri, added: “[…] we firmly believe that a new class of Princess Cruises’ ships, one of Carnival Group’s top brands, can stem from this promising project. In fact, for Princess Cruises, we have received orders for 21 ships, another unprecedented result in this industry.”

Fincantieri has built 85 cruise ships since 1990 (62 from 2002), 65 of which for Carnival’s different brands, while other 49, including agreements, are currently being designed or built in the group’s yards.