Sphere-class cruise ship

LNG powered cruise ship

Sphere class

Lead Ship, Sun Princess in Piraeus on 6 July 2024

Class overview
Builders| Fincantieri, Monfalcone, Italy
Operators| Princess Cruises
Preceded by| Royal class
Built| 2021–2025
In service| 2024–present[1]
Planned| 2[2]
Building| 1
Completed| 1
General characteristics
Type| Cruise ship
Tonnage| 175,000 GT
Length| 345.3 m (1,132 ft 10 in)
Beam| 47 m (154 ft 2 in)
Decks| 21
Installed power| Dual-fueled LNG power
Capacity| 4,300 passengers
Crew| 1,500

The Sphere-class cruise ship is a class of cruise ships that entered service with Princess Cruises in February 2024. They are the largest ships built for Princess Cruises and the company's first ships powered by liquefied natural gas (LNG). The first ship is named Sun Princess.

## Design and construction

[edit]

In July 2018, Fincantieri announced it signed a memorandum of agreement with Princess Cruises, for the construction of two cruise ships with a gross tonnage of 175,000 GT, the largest ships built in Italy. The deliveries were planned for late 2023 and early 2025.[3] The construction was to take place at Monfalcone. The signing of the final contracts was announced in March 2019.[4]

The ships have a capacity of about 4,300 passengers[5] and will be primarily powered by LNG.[6] The vessels measure 345.3 metres (1,132 ft 10 in) long[7][8] with a beam of 47 m (154 ft 2 in). The ships have 2,157 cabins and are served by a crew of 1,500.[9]

Steel was cut for the first ship by Fincantieri in September 2021. The second ship is planned to be completed in 2025.[10] It will be the largest ship ever built in Italy, eclipsing MSC Cruises' recently launched flagship MSC Seashore, which currently holds the record at 170,412 gross tons.[11] The first float-out took place on 8 March 2023.[12] Sun Princess was delivered on 14 February 2024.[9] There were technical issues aboard the ship after entering service, delaying its first port of call.[13][14][15]

In April 2024, Princess announced that the delivery of the Star Princess will be delayed by two months.[16] The ship was launched in September and is scheduled for delivery in fall 2025.[17]

## Ships in class

[edit]

Name | Gross tonnage | Capacity | Builder

|
|
|

Sun Princess[18] | 175,000 GT | 4,300 passengers  | Fincantieri, Monfalcone, Italy
Star Princess[19]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Princess Cruises to Build Two Next Generation LNG Cruise Ships" (Press release). Princess Cruise Lines, Ltd. 23 July 2018. Archived from the original on December 9, 2018.
2. ^ "Fincantieri Starts Construction of New 'Sphere' Class Ship for Princess Cruises". Cruise Industry News. 3 September 2021. Retrieved 19 February 2024.
3. ^ "2 Next-Generation LNG Ships for Princess Cruises" (Press release). 23 July 2018. Retrieved 19 February 2024.
4. ^ "Princess Cruises and Fincantieri Sign Contract For Two Next-Generation Cruise Ships" (Press release). 27 March 2019. Retrieved 19 February 2024.
5. ^ Sloan, Gene (23 July 2018). "Princess Cruises joins list of cruise lines ordering giant new ships". USA Today. Retrieved 19 February 2024.
6. ^ "Fincantieri: Construction of New "Sphere" Class Ship for Princess Cruises Begins" (Press release). Fincantieri S.p.A. 3 September 2021. Retrieved 19 February 2024.
7. ^ "Sun Princess Cruise Ship, USA". Ship Technology. 15 March 2023. Retrieved 19 June 2023.
8. ^ "Fincantieri Floats Its First LNG and Largest Cruise Ship Sun Princess". The Maritime Executive. 8 March 2023. Retrieved 19 June 2023.
9. ^ a b Groizeleau, Vincent (15 February 2024). "Fincantieri livre le paquebot Sun Princess" [Fincantieri delivers the Sun Princess liner]. Mer et Marine (in French). Retrieved 19 February 2024.
10. ^ Thakkar, Emrys (3 September 2021). "Construction Begins on First Sphere-Class Princess Cruise Ship". Cruise Hive. Retrieved 19 February 2024.
11. ^ Williamson, Jeanine. "Sun Princess Review". Cruise Critic. Retrieved 19 February 2024.
12. ^ "Sun Princess Floats Out at Fincantieri". Cruise Industry News. 8 March 2023. Retrieved 19 February 2024.
13. ^ "Technical Delays Lead to Change in Sun Princess' Itinerary". Cruise Industry Daily. 15 March 2024. Retrieved 13 April 2024.
14. ^ "Princess Cruises, Fincantieri Mutually Agree to Postpone Sun Princess Delivery February 8 Inaugural Voyage Cancelled". Princess Cruises. Monfalcone, Italy: Princess Cruises. January 24, 2024.
15. ^ "Princess Cruises Takes Delivery of New Sun Princess from Fincantieri; Additional Work in Shipyard Required to Support New February 28 Maiden Voyage". Princess Cruises. Monfalcone, Italy: Princess Cruises. February 14, 2024.
16. ^ "Princess and Fincantieri to Delay Star Princess Delivery". Cruise Industry News. Cruise Industry News. April 19, 2024.
17. ^ Anne Kalosh (September 26, 2024). "Fincantieri's Monfalcone shipyard floats out Star Princess". SeatradeCruiseNews. Informa PLC Informa UK Limited.
18. ^ "Next Princess Ship Set to Be Named Sun Princess, Debut Spring 2024". Cruise Industry News. 15 September 2022. Retrieved 19 February 2024.
19. ^ Kalosh, Anne (12 May 2023). "Second Sphere-class ship, Star Princess, to debut August 2025". Seatrade Cruise News. Retrieved 19 February 2024.

## External links

[edit]

* Princess Cruises: Sun Princess
* Princess Cruises: Star Princess

* v
* t
* e

Ships of the Princess Cruises fleet

Current|

| Coral class|

* Coral Princess (2003)
* Island Princess (2003)

|

Grand class|

* Grand Princess (1998)
* Diamond Princess (2004)
* Sapphire Princess (2004)
* Caribbean Princess (2004)
* Crown Princess (2006)
* Emerald Princess (2007)
* Ruby Princess (2008)

Royal class|

* Royal Princess (2012)
* Regal Princess (2013)
* Majestic Princess (2017)
* Sky Princess (2019)
* Enchanted Princess (2020)
* Discovery Princess (2022)

Sphere class|

* Sun Princess (2024)

Future|

| Sphere class|

* Star Princess (2025)

|

Former|

| Various classes|

* Princess Patricia (1965)
* Princess Italia (1967)
* Princess Carla (1968)
* Sun Princess (1974)
* Sea Princess (1979)
* Royal Princess (1984)
* Fair Princess (1988)
* Dawn Princess (1988)
* Sky Princess (1988)
* Star Princess (1989)
* Golden Princess (1993)

|

Pacific class|

* Island Princess (1974)
* Pacific Princess (1975)

Crown class|

* Crown Princess (1990)
* Regal Princess (1991)

Sun class|

* Sun Princess (1995)
* Dawn Princess (1997)
* Sea Princess (1998, 2005)
* Ocean Princess (2000)

Grand class|

* Golden Princess (2001)
* Star Princess (2002)

R class|

* Ocean Princess (2002)
* Royal Princess (2007)
* Pacific Princess (2002)

* v
* t
* e

List of ships built by Fincantieri

Warships|

* Andrea Doria
* Assad-class corvettes
* Bergamini-class frigates
* Caio Duilio
* Carvajal
* Cassiopea-class patrol vessels
* Cavour
* Deepak
* Diciotti-class offshore patrol vessels
* Doha-class corvettes
* Durand de la Penne-class destroyers
* Esmeraldas-class corvette
* Etna
* Falaj 2-class patrol vessels
* Giuseppe Garibaldi
* Laksamana-class corvettes
* Maestrale-class frigates
* Minerva-class corvettes
* San Giorgio-class amphibious transport docks
* San Giusto
* Sauro-class submarines
* Scirè
* Shakti
* Toti-class submarines
* Vittorio Veneto
* Musherib-class offshore patrol vessels
* Villavicencio
* Vulcano-class logistic support ships

Cruise ships|

* Amsterdam
* Arcadia
* L'Austral
* Azura
* Le Boreal
* Britannia
* Caribbean Princess
* Carnival Breeze
* Carnival Conquest
* Carnival Dream
* Carnival Freedom
* Carnival Glory
* Carnival Horizon
* Carnival Liberty
* Carnival Magic
* Carnival Panorama
* Carnival Splendor
* Carnival Sunshine
* Carnival Sunrise
* Carnival Valor
* Carnival Victory
* Carnival Vista
* Concordia-class cruise ships
* Costa Concordia
* Costa Deliziosa
* Costa Diadema
* Costa Fascinosa
* Costa Firenze
* Costa Fortuna
* Costa Luminosa
* Costa Magica
* Costa neoClassica
* Costa neoRomantica
* Costa Pacifica
* Costa Serena
* Costa Venezia
* Crown Princess
* Dawn Princess
* Discovery Princess
* Destiny-class cruise ships
* Disney Magic
* Disney Wonder
* Emerald Princess
* Eurodam
* Fram
* Golden Princess
* Grand Princess
* Koningsdam
* Le Lyrial
* Maasdam
* Majestic Princess
* Marina
* Nieuw Amsterdam
* Nieuw Statendam
* Noordam
* Ocean Princess
* Oosterdam
* MS Ambience
* Pacific Jewel
* Queen Elizabeth
* Queen Victoria
* Regal Princess
* Riviera
* Rotterdam
* Royal Princess
* Ryndam
* Royal-class cruise ships
* Ruby Princess
* Sea Princess
* Seabourn Encore
* Seabourn Ovation
* MSC Seaside
* MSC Seaview
* Seven Seas Explorer
* Sky Princess
* Silver Muse
* Silver Spirit
* Le Soléal
* Star Princess
* Sun-class cruise ships
* Sun Princess (1995)
* Sphere-class cruise ships
* Sun Princess (2024)
* Star Princess
* The Calypso
* Vasco da Gama
* Veendam (1996)
* Ventura
* Viking Sea
* Viking Sky
* Viking Star
* Viking Sun
* Volendam
* Westerdam
* Zaandam
* Zuiderdam

Ferries|

* al-Salam Boccaccio 98
* Almudaina Dos
* Gotlandia II
* Knossos Palace
* Festos Palace
* Hellenic Wind
* MDV1200-class fast ferries
* Pride of Hull
* Pride of Rotterdam
* Star-class ferries
* Speedrunner III
* Speedrunner IV
* Superstar

Cargo ships|

* Britannia Seaways
* Cape Victory
* Cape Vincent

Yachts|

* Destriero
* Serene
* Victory

Miscellaneous vessels|

* Alliance
* Castoro Sei
* Elettra
* Karadeniz Powership İrem Sultan
* Spirit of Columbus
* Sagar Nidhi
* Saipem 7000
* Scarabeo 8
* Ta Kuan

Related|

* Cantieri Riuniti dell'Adriatico
* Fincantieri

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