by Scott Laird
Last updated: 8:55 PM ET, Tue April 23, 2024
Princess Cruises has officially named its newest ship?Sun Princess?in a ceremony Tuesday in Barcelona. British actress Hannah Waddinghamthe ships godmothernamed the ship in a ceremony in the Princess Arena onboard.?
I name this ship?Sun Princess. May God bless her and all who sail on her, she said, before fitting a piece of a sun graphic on stage which released a Nebuchadnezzar of Veuve Clicquot Champagne against the outside of the ships hull, to cheers from Princess employees outside, and an array of passengers and assorted dignitaries inside the arena.?
In remarks during the ceremony, Waddingham referenced her excitement at serving as the ships godmother, Ive seen over the years, the magnificent godmothers that have been asked to associate with the ships, and I couldnt believe itand I was so quick to reply to the e-mail. She also referenced a long personal connection to the sea, As much as theatre ripples through my bloodstream, I have the strongest history of maritime in my familywe still have my grandfather, hes 107he was in the North Atlantic convoy scraping the ice of the bow of the shipso its in my blood and in my bones.?
Included in the festivities were three original cast members of The Love Boat series: Bernie Kopell, Ted Lange, and Jill Whelan. Whelan, who played Captain Steubings teenage daughter Vicki on the series, now serves as Celebrations Ambassador for Princess and was also on hand earlier in the day during a news conference when Princess announced the new Sanctuary Collection onboard?Sun Princess, which will debut later this year.
Natasha Bedingfield performs at the Sun Princess naming ceremony (Photo Credit: Scott Laird)
Princess also announced that the new?Star Princessthe second Sphere Class ship scheduled for delivery in September 2025is slated to sail to Alaska during the 2026 summer season, making it the largest Princess ship ever to sail on Princess itineraries to the 49th State.
Food and beverage updates were also revealed. A new restaurant concept, Love by Britto, inspired by artist Romero Britto, and the new Love Line Premium Liquors, a selection of three celebrity liquors, including Voli Vodka by Pitbull, Love Prosecco by Britto, and Melorosa Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet Sauvignon from Jason Aldean. The liquor selection is currently available on?Sun Princess, and will soon be introduced to the rest of the fleet.
Princess expects?Sun Princess?to be the new normal for the line in terms of ship size and design, Princess President John Padgett told TravelPulse during the event. We think this is the sweet spot, he said, and what sets us apart is our abilityusing MedallionClassto provide personalized, small ship service on a ship of this size.
Padgett added that the first passenger reactions to?Sun Princess?have been overwhelmingly positiveeven with longtime customers one might expect to look back with nostalgia. He referenced a passenger he spoke with on a recent?Sun Princess?sailing who had been sailing Princess since 1972. When he asked the passenger which ship out of all the Princess ships hed sailed over the years was his favorite, his response was immediate: This one.
Designating a godmother to name a ship is a longstanding maritime tradition. Godmothers name ships and become part of the ships history and legacy. Waddingham joins several members of the Royal Family, and other legendary world-renowned actresses and personalities as godmothers of Princess ships, including Diana, Princess of Wales; Catherine, Princess of Wales; Audrey Hepburn; Sophia Loren; Alaska First Lady Nancy Murkowski; and Martha Stewart.
Sun Princess?also marks?a number of?superlatives, such as the largest ship ever built for Princess Cruises, with?lower-berth?capacity for 4,300 passengers in 2,157 staterooms including 80 suites on 21 decks. Shes also the first Princess ship to be powered by Liquid Natural Gas, reducing carbon emissions. The ship also debuts a new cabin category for Princess, the Cabana Mini-Suite, which offers a transitional indoor-outdoor seating space between the indoor seating area and the outdoor balcony.
Built by Fincantieri, and weighing in at 177,882 tons she is also the largest ship to date for her builders, and the largest ship ever built in Italy.
Sun Princess?itineraries in the Mediterranean during the summer of 2024 and will reposition to Fort Lauderdale for Caribbean cruises in the fall of 2024.
For the latest travel news, updates and deals, subscribe to the daily TravelPulse newsletter.
Topics From This Article to Explore
