Princess Cruises celebrated a major construction milestone today of its second Sphere Class vessel, Star Princess, with the traditional maritime float out ceremony at the Fincantieri Shipyard in Monfalcone, Italy. The new ship will now transfer to the outfitting quay where construction will continue in anticipation of her autumn 2025 debut.
Honouring the hundreds-year-old seafaring custom, the float out celebrates the first time the superstructure of a new ship meets water for the first time. Third Engineer Chiara del Vecchio, who currently works aboard sister ship Sun Princess, served as the brand’s madrina and became the first member of the Princess technical team to hold this time-honoured role.
“Today is a celebration of teamwork, craftsmanship, and innovation. Star Princess is the second ship in our new Sphere Class, and now, as she prepares to take the water for the first time, it is a testament to the incredible dedication and skill of the entire shipyard team,” said John Padgett, Princess Cruises president. “Fincantieri has again turned vision into reality, building on the success of her sister ship - Sun Princess - which has already captured the hearts of our guests with its elegance and cutting-edge design. Together, we are creating amazing machines that will inspire adventure and deliver unforgettable experiences for all who sail with us for decades to come.”
Padgett also announced that Commodore Nick Nash and Captain Gennaro Arma, who were both on hand for the ceremony, will serve as masters of Star Princess. Arma will serve as master of Star Princess when the ship is delivered next autumn ahead of Commodore Nash’s turn at the helm.
Additional Star Princess senior officers include:
- Chief Engineer Gaetano Guida joined Princess Cruises in 2002 and was named chief engineer aboard Royal Princess in 2017. Guida was part of the team that delivered Sun Princess and continues to play an important role in guiding the construction and delivery of Star Princess from the Fincantieri shipyard.
- Chief Engineer Massimiliano Imperiale is a 15-year Princess Cruises veteran, having joined the company in 1999 as third engineer, with his first appointment as Chief Engineer in 2013 aboard Caribbean Princess.
- Staff Captain Chirs King joined Princess Cruises in 2010 as a third officer, following several years working as a deck cadet on container ships. He was named Staff Captain in 2023 and currently serves in this capacity aboard Discovery Princess.
- Staff Captain Michele Russo has worked at Princess Cruises for nearly two decades, joining the company as a deck cadet on the since-retired Dawn Princess. After moving up through the ranks, he was named Safety Officer in 2017 and his current position, Staff Captain, last year.
- Hotel General Manager Ralph D’Souza joined Princess Cruises in 2006 as a junior purser and was named hotel general manager in 2019. He has been part of the launch team for several ships, including the new Sun Princess, and was also part of the deployment team for the MedallionClass Experience in 2017.
- Hotel General Manager Bosco Pires has been a Princess Cruises hotel general manager since 2019 and has served on a variety of ships throughout the fleet. His nearly 25 years of specialised cruise industry experience has provided him with a solid foundation in both business and hospitality operations.
The 4,300-guest, 1780,000-tonne Star Princess is the second in the new Sphere Class of ships for Princess Cruises and will also be powered by liquefied natural gas (LNG). Sister ship Sun Princess, also built by Fincantieri in Monfalcone, debuted in February and is hailed as the next-level Love Boat featuring the iconic and elegant structural lines Princess Cruises is known for while delivering an evolution of the brand with new eye-catching architectural spectacles like The Dome, the cruise industry's first geodesic feature on the top deck; The Sphere, the suspended glass Sphere Piazza at the centre of the ship; and The Arena, the most technically advanced theatre at sea.
