Princess Cruises welcomes its biggest ship ever with help from a star
It took a star to welcome the sun.
The Sun Princess, that is.
Princess Cruises on Tuesday officially hailed the arrival of its newest megavessel — at 177,882 tons, its biggest ever —with the help of "Ted Lasso" star Hannah Waddingham.
The Emmy Award-winning actress and singer presided over a star-studded 19-minute christening ceremony in the ship's Princess Arena theater that included a traditional bottle breaking, with a twist.
Serving as the ship's godmother, Waddingham placed a triangular "sun ray" representing Sun Princess into a sun sculpture on stage to trigger the smashing of a huge bottle of Veuve Cliquot Champagne — a nebuchadnezzar that holds the equivalent of 20 traditional bottles — against the ship's hull.
"As much as theater ripples through my bloodstream, I have the strongest history of maritime in my family," a clearly proud Waddingham said moments before triggering the bottle smash.
She noted that her still-living, 107-year-old grandfather served on convoy ships crossing the Atlantic during World War II. She also grew up boating.
"It's in my blood and in my bones," she added.
Built at the giant Fincantieri shipyard in Monfalcone, Italy, Sun Princess is the most notable new Princess ship to debut in more than a decade. Capable of holding up to 5,189 passengers (a record for a Princess ship), it's not only significantly bigger than previous Princess ships but packed with more onboard venues.
The naming celebration came two months after Sun Princess began sailing for the first time with paying passengers, a debut that was unexpectedly delayed by 20 days due to construction issues.
"Sun Princess is incredible. It's the largest, most luxurious love boat ever," John Padgett, Princess president, said at the event, harking back to the line's long-standing tie to the hit television show "The Love Boat" that ran in the late 1970s and early 1980s.
Three stars from the show — Ted Lange, Bernie Kopell and Jill Whelan, who played bartender Isaac Washington, ship's doctor Adam Bricker and captain's daughter Vicki Stubing, respectively — were in attendance at the event.
The "Love Boat" stars were seated just a couple rows behind Carnival Corporation chairman Micky Arison and CEO Josh Weinstein.
Carnival Corporation is the parent company of Princess Cruises.
Makoto Okuwa, a James Beard Foundation honoree who designed a sushi eatery for Sun Princess, and Dario Cecchini, a celebrity Italian butcher who created a meat-focused restaurant for the ship, were also in attendance. So was the Brazilian artist Romero Britto, who sat to the right of Arison. Britto's colorful, upbeat art is the theme for the ship's high-end restaurant, Love by Britto.
Other celebrities at the event included model and television personality Tyra Banks, wildlife show host Jeff Corwin, fashion designer and television host Randy Fenoli and mixologist Rob Floyd. British singer-songwriter Natasha Bedingfield performed her smash hit "Pocketful of Sunshine" among other hit songs on the top deck of the ship after the ceremony.
The biggest Princess ship ever
Under development for more than six years, Sun Princess is the first of the new Sphere Class of Princess vessels. The ships have been designed to be significantly bigger than previous Princess vessels and offer several new-for-the-line features.
First look: Inside Sun Princess, the giant new ship from Princess Cruises
Sun Princess is the first Princess ship with suites that come with exclusive access to a private restaurant, lounge and sun deck — part of an effort to draw more upscale customers to the brand.
Additionally, Sun Princess offers an innovative new type of "cabana cabin" on the ship's extra-wide 10th deck that features exclusive access to a private deck area. The top deck of the ship also received some unusual-for-Princess sizzle. Passengers will find a glass-dome-topped pool area that transforms into a nightspot after the sun goes down.
Other differences between Sun Princess and earlier Princess ships include the lack of a buffet restaurant on its main pool deck. But don't worry, buffet lovers: There still is a buffetlike venue on the ship. Called The Eatery, it's eight decks below the pool deck, closer to the ship's central piazza and just off its outside promenade.
The ship's main theater, the Princess Arena, also has a new look. Its new-for-Princess, in-the-round shape can be converted into a more traditional proscenium-type theater or a keyhole-type theater to allow for different types of productions.
Among other standout venues, Sun Princess features a secret hideaway for magical performances designed in partnership with the Magic Castle performance venue in Los Angeles.
Related: My strange night out at Princess's new magic-infused night spot
Princess also has revamped its main dining room program with the debut of Sun Princess. It now offers three distinct options for cruisers in its main dining rooms, ranging from a traditional fixed seating experience to a casual, come-when-you-want option that includes quick-served meals and even breakfast for dinner.
The arrival of Sun Princess marks the first time Princess has launched a new class of ship in nearly 11 years. With its debut, Princess now has 16 vessels in its fleet that collectively have room for about 50,000 passengers. That makes Princess the world's fifth-biggest cruise line, behind Royal Caribbean, Carnival Cruise Line, MSC Cruises and Norwegian Cruise Line.
Related: The 4 types of Princess ships, explained
Sun Princess is initially sailing in Europe through the fall. It'll then reposition to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, for voyages to the Caribbean. Fares start at $577 per person, not including taxes and fees, for a seven-night Caribbean sailing.
A second ship in the new Sphere Class series, to be called Star Princess, is on order from the Fincantieri shipyard for delivery in 2025. Its first voyage is scheduled for Aug. 4, 2025, and will take place in the Mediterranean.
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