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Princess Cruises took delivery of the Enchanted Princess in a ceremony held at Fincantieri’s shipyard in Monfalcone, Italy, and attended virtually by cruise line executives from Miami, Seattle and Princess headquarters in Santa Clarita, Calif.
Giuseppe Conte, Italy’s prime minister, speaking by video from Rome, told Fincantieri that the ship’s delivery during the Covid-19 pandemic is “a reason for pride” and confirms “the enormous resilience” of the industry, according to a translator.
The 3,660-passenger Enchanted Princess was originally scheduled to enter service in Europe in June. Its delivery was delayed due to the shipyard’s six-week closure due to the pandemic. It is the fifth ship in Princess’ Royal class, preceded by the Royal, Regal, Majestic and Sky Princess.
Jan Swartz, group president of Princess Cruises and Carnival Australia, noted that the Enchanted princess was the 100th passenger ship built by Fincantieri, and that the line’s original Crown Princess, delivered in 1990, was the first. “We have a long traditional of celebrating milestones together,” she said.
Swartz said that although the Enchanted Princess’ first few months would be “quite different” from usual with a new cruise vessel, “the heart and soul of the ship are always its team. They will ease her into service and take care of her.”
In introducing the masters of the ship, captains Nick Nash and Gennaro Arma, Swartz commended Arma for his actions while at the helm of the Diamond Princess in February, when a coronavirus outbreak on the ship made it the face of the virus before it had even been declared a pandemic.
“Captain Arma did everything in his power to lift the spirits of all onboard and keep them safe during a very challenging period and quarantine,” Swartz said. “[Nash and Arma] are a great team to bring the ship into service and to look after her.”
Source: travelweekly.com
