Update: The Duchess of Cambridge Christens Royal Princess

Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cambridge today named Princess Cruises’ newest addition to the fleet, the next-generation 3,600-passenger ship Royal Princess. Nearly 2,000 invited guests in Southampton witnessed this spectacular event that formally welcomed the new ship into the company’s fleet.

Standing on the naming platform with the ship’s Captain Tony Draper, The Duchess pronounced, “I name this ship Royal Princess. May God bless her and all who sail in her.”

At 141,000 gross tons, 330 metres long and 38 metres wide, the new ship is the largest ship ever built by Fincantieri. It has 1,780 cabins, of which 1,438 with balconies (81% of the total), and is able to accommodate 3,600 passengers, with a total capacity for over 5,600 people including crew.

As an innovative prototype for a new ground-breaking class of ship, Royal Princess stands out for its new “future-proof design”, not only in terms of layout and state-of-the-art performance, but also because it complies with the most recent regulations in shipping.

Among the special features found on board Royal Princess is a dramatic multi-story atrium serving as the social hub of the ship, offering a host of dining and entertainment options; an over-water SeaWalk, a top-deck glass-bottomed walkway extending 28 feet beyond the edge of the ship; plush private poolside cabanas that appear to be floating on water; the new Princess Live! television studio; the largest pastry shop at sea; a special Chef’s Table Lumiere, a private dining experience that surrounds diners in a curtain of light; and balconies on all outside staterooms.

Following the ship’s maiden voyage to Barcelona on June 16, Royal Princess will sail on Grand Mediterranean cruises throughout the summer, followed by Eastern Caribbean cruises beginning in the autumn.

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Shipbuilding Tribune Staff, June 14, 2013; Image: Princess Cruises