Discovery Princess, the newest ship under construction for Princess Cruises, has completed an important milestone with her successful sea trials this month. The ship completed the 5-day test and has now returned to the shipyard for finishing details in preparation for her March 2022 debut.
Discovery Princess Completes Sea Trials
The newest upcoming ship for Princess Cruises, Discovery Princess, recently completed her 5-day sea trials that included tests of her steering, navigation, engines, and propulsion. The ship is under construction at the Fincantieri Shipyard in Monfalcone, in northeastern Italy, and showed her paces in the Adriatic Sea.
Sea trials are always part of the last phase of a cruise ship’s construction, and give the shipbuilder as well as some of the ship’s initial officers and crew an opportunity to test all the ship’s technical systems. Sea trials often include pushing a ship to its limits for speed and braking, as well as other tests to ensure the vessel is operating properly under real-life conditions.
This major milestone brings Discovery Princess closer to completion, though interior and exterior details must still be finished. The ship has returned to the Fincantieri Shipyard for that work, and her construction timeline remains on schedule for her for her maiden voyage in 2022.
Debut Planned for California
Discovery Princess is now slated to debut from the Port of Los Angeles on March 27, 2022, as earlier Mediterranean, Caribbean, and South American initial sailings have been canceled because of delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic and cruise industry shutdown. The ship’s first voyage will be a 7-night Mexican Riviera sailing, with ports of call in Cabo San Lucas, Mazatlan, and Puerto Vallarta.
Through the end of April 2022, the ship will continue to offer Mexican Riviera and California coastal sailings from 5-7 days, until she leaves Los Angeles on April 29 to reposition to Vancouver and then to Seattle for a summer of Alaska sailings. Her 7-day Alaska voyages are Inside Passage sailings roundtrip from Seattle, visiting Ketchikan, Juneau, and Skagway.
Details about Discovery Princess‘s naming ceremony and other festivities surrounding her California debut have not yet been announced.
Last Royal Class Vessel
Discovery Princess is the sixth and final of the Royal class ships in the Princess Cruises fleet. She joins her popular sisters, Enchanted Princess, Sky Princess, Majestic Princess, Regal Princess, and Royal Princess in offering guests truly royal treatment for every moment of their cruise vacation.
The 145,000-gross ton vessel has a passenger capacity of 3,660, and will provide ultimate luxury to every guest on board.
Guests will enjoy 270-degree sweeping views from the largest balconies at sea – more than 1,000 square feet of balcony space – in the innovative Sky Suites, which also include a private master bathroom with bathtub and separate rain shower, upgraded luxury linens, dedicated service, reserved show seating, and many more outstanding amenities.
Passengers can unwind in ultimate comfort at the exclusive, adults-only area The Sanctuary, and indulge in delightful tastes with world-class dining options from Chocolate Journeys to the Salty Dog Grill to an array of specialty dining options.
Comedy shows, live music, guest entertainers, and mesmerizing new Broadway-style production shows will also be featured on board, giving passengers multiple entertainment options throughout each sailing.
Discovery Princess will also be the newest ship offering Princess Medallion Class Vacations. This high-tech experience begins with the a quarter-sized, wearable device that enables everything from expedited contactless boarding to locating loved ones anywhere on board to onboard deliveries.
Up Next for Princess Cruises
While Discovery Princess is the last Royal class vessel, Princess Cruises is already moving forward with their highly anticipated Sphere class of ships, with the first of the class under construction at Fincantieri Shipyard and scheduled to debut in November 2023.
At an anticipated 175,000 gross tons, the Sphere class ships will be the largest vessels ever built for Princess Cruises and the first in the Princess fleet to be powered by liquified natural gas (LNG).
