‘Made In Italy’ Reaches A New Scale
Floated out at the Monfalcone yard near Trieste on March 8, the 4,300 passenger-capacity vessel also has the distinction of being the first LNG dual-fuel cruise ship built by Fincantieri, and the first application of dual-fuel technology in the fleet operated under Carnival Corporation’s Princess Cruises brand.
Embodying a new design platform and dubbed the Sphere class, the 345m Sun Princess is scheduled to be phased into service during February 2024, to be followed in the spring of 2025 by a sister vessel from Monfalcone.
The intention is to run primarily on LNG, with the Wartsila wide-bore, medium-speed prime movers affording the flexibility to switch to marine diesel oil (MDO) if required. The power plant in the dual-fuel-electric system is based on four 46DF engines, comprising pairs of 12- and 16-cylinder models.
Back in February 2018, Carnival Corporation announced plans to implement LNG powering across various brands, and the first newbuild with dual-fuel propulsion was AIDA Cruises’ Meyer Werft-built AIDAnova. The contract award to Fincantieri for the new-generation Princess ships was announced in March 2019.
The bid for enhanced, interlinked environmental and economic performance is expressed in the Sphere-class not only by the LNG capability, but also in the specification of an under-hull air lubrication system, waste heat recovery optimisation, LED lighting and other features.
Silverstream Technologies of London has provided its patented air lubrication solution, which has been shown in Princess Cruises’ Diamond Princess to achieve up to 5% net fuel and emission savings. The system shears air from air release units in the hull to create a uniform carpet of microbubbles, coating the full flat bottom of the vessel and thereby decreasing frictional resistance.
Particular attention has been given in the passenger spaces to natural light and to maximised space for outside views. One of the key architectural features is the three-level Piazza, enabling the passing scene to be viewed in every direction, and another is the top deck, glass-enclosed geodesic structure known as The Dome. Tillberg Design of Sweden was appointed as the coordinating architectural consultant for the ship’s interiors and styling.
The ship is set to begin her career with an inaugural cruise programme in the Mediterranean lasting the 2024 spring and summer seasons, pursuant to which she will redeploy in November to Port Everglades, Florida, to begin a period of Caribbean duty.
