Princess Cruises just announced an order for three brand-new ships that will introduce an all-new Voyager class to the fleet. And while the cruise line is clearly very excited about what’s coming, it’s also keeping most of the details to themselves for now. What we do know is that these ships will be the largest Princess has ever built, and that alone is enough to get attention.
According to today’s press release, Princess signed agreements with Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri for three next-generation ships scheduled to arrive in late 2035, 2038, and 2039. That means yes, these aren’t coming anytime soon, but it also gives us a look at where Princess sees the brand heading over the next decade.
The new ships will come in at 183,000 gross tons and carry about 4,700 guests, which officially puts them above today’s largest Princess ships. For comparison, Princess’s current biggest ships, Sun Princess and Star Princess, are listed at 175,500 gross tons with a guest capacity of 4,310.
Princess says the Voyager class will be its largest and most advanced class yet, and the line says these ships will blend the Princess experiences guests already know with reimagined outer decks, staterooms, and Piazza designs, while also building on the foundation laid by the Sphere Class ships.
When a cruise line says it’s building on what already works, that usually means it’s taking the features that got a strong response on the newest ships and refining them instead of starting from scratch. So while Princess isn’t ready to show off deck plans, venues, or renderings just yet, it’s pretty safe to assume these ships will feel like an evolution of Sun Princess and Star Princess, just on an even bigger scale.
With Princess sayings the new ships will feature completely reimagined outer decks, staterooms, and Piazza spaces, it sounds like the line knows exactly where people will be looking for improvements. The Piazza has long been one of the signature features of Princess ships, so anytime the cruise line says it’s rethinking that space, it’s worth paying attention. Same goes for cabins and pool decks, since those are areas where passengers notice every little design choice very quickly.
Beyond that, details are still pretty thin. Princess president Gus Antorcha did say the line has been using customer and travel advisor research to strike a balance between keeping proven favorites and introducing new ideas, with a focus on dining, pool environments, entertainment, and reimagined public spaces.
One thing Princess did confirm is that the Voyager-class ships will be dual-fuel ships powered primarily by LNG, just like Sun Princess and Star Princess. Carnival Corporation said these three ships will become its 19th, 20th, and 21st LNG-based vessels.
So for now, the bottom line is: Princess is getting three new ships, they’ll launch a brand-new class, and they’ll be the biggest ships the line has ever had.
The rest will come later.
So stay tuned.