Princess Cruises has unveiled the name of its second Sphere Class ship, which is scheduled to begin its maiden Mediterranean cruise season in August 2025.
The massive 4,300-guest cruise ship is currently under construction at the Fincantieri shipyard in Italy and is the sister ship to Sun Princess, which will debut in 2024.
A New Addition to the Princess Fleet
Princess Cruises has revealed the name of its second Sphere-class cruise ship today, May 12. The 175,500 gross tons cruise ship will be called Star Princess. Currently, under construction at the Monfalcone Fincantieri shipyard in Italy, Star Princess will join the Sun Princess as the largest ship in the Princess fleet.
The innovative LNG-powered cruise ship will have an air lubrication system to reduce drag on the hull and improve fuel efficiency. The design of the vessel offers a unique experience for guests, combining the familiar aspects of Princess with new, outward-looking views of the sea.
John Padgett, president of Princess Cruises, expressed his enthusiasm for the upcoming addition: “There’s much to be admired about Star Princess – her sleek, eye-catching design, spacious interiors, and of course, the remarkable views of the sea and sky, just like the features found on Sun Princess that have prompted cruise lovers to snap up inaugural year bookings.”
“We’ve carefully designed these ships to feel familiar to our guests yet significantly advanced with lots of exceptional new and expanded experiences to embrace and explore.”
Despite being 20 percent larger than the line’s existing ships, the Star Princess will maintain the intimate settings for which Princess is renowned.
The vessel will feature new spaces, such as The Dome, an entertainment venue inspired by the terraces of Santorini, and the Piazza, which features a glass sphere. The high-tech Princess Arena and a majestic dining room promise to offer guests unforgettable wake views.
Princess Cruises promises to reveal more details about its newest ship over the coming months.
Enhancing the Cruise Experience
The second Sphere Class ship will also introduce several features unique to Star Princess, including new food and beverage concepts, an expanded casino, a two-story Lotus Spa, and entertainment led by Cirque Éloize.
Each performance at Cirque Éloize will bring together various artistic, and acrobatic skills, such as aerial hoops, poles, bungees, Cyr wheel, silks, astonishing contortion, and more, all accompanied by music and a variety of technical effects.
Star Princess will make its debut on August 4, 2025, with a nine-day Italy & Greece roundtrip voyage from Rome, stopping at Corfu, Kotor, Mykonos, Santorini, and Naples, from where guests can visit Capri and Pompeii.
The ship will then offer various 9- and 10-day cruises from Rome, Athens, or Trieste, visiting coastal ports in the Mediterranean. Bookings for the Star Princess cruises will open on June 1, 2023, as part of the larger Europe 2025 program that Princess intends to release on that date.
Meanwhile, the Star Princess‘s sister ship, Sun Princess, is set to debut in the U.S. in October 2024. After completing a season of Mediterranean and European cruises from February to September 2024, Sun Princess will be stationed at Port Everglades, Ft. Lauderdale, starting October
