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Princess Cruises officially took delivery of its brand-new Star Princess this week at the Fincantieri shipyard in Monfalcone, Italy. The handover ceremony on September 26 marked the completion of the second Sphere-Class ship, following the debut of Sun Princess in 2024.
The 177,800-ton ship can carry 4,300 guests and is the 17th vessel in the Princess fleet. More than 1,500 of its staterooms are balconies, and the ship introduces 30 dining and bar venues along with entertainment spaces that the line has been spotlighting over the past year. Venues include The Dome, a multi-deck entertainment and relaxation space; The Arena, Princess’s most advanced theater; The Piazza, a dramatic centerpiece with floor-to-ceiling windows; and the immersive Spellbound by Magic Castle experience.
Guests will also see the expansion of the Sanctuary Collection, a private-access area that comes with its own restaurant, Sanctuary Club, and adults-only pool deck—something Princess says is designed as a more exclusive escape at sea.
Now staffed with 1,600 crew, Star Princess will leave Italy for Barcelona, where she’ll start her inaugural season on October 4 with an 11-day Western Mediterranean itinerary. After a few Mediterranean sailings, she’ll cross the Atlantic and begin a series of Caribbean cruises from Fort Lauderdale on November 7. Looking ahead to 2026, the ship is scheduled to sail through the Panama Canal to the West Coast and then spend her first summer season in Alaska.
Princess Cruises president Gus Antorcha called the delivery “a proud moment” for the brand and praised the long-standing partnership with Fincantieri that brought the new ship to life.
Photo Credit: Princess Cruises
Meet Kathy Ava, a food, travel, and cruise writer based in Los Angeles/Pasadena, and the owner and main writer of Tasty Itinerary. With over 20 years of experience planning trips and logistics at her full-time job and for herself, she’s become a pro at crafting unforgettable tasty itineraries. She’s always on the hunt for delicious, fun travel destinations and cruise itineraries. She firmly believes that life is short and we must make the most of it, so always say yes to dessert.