By
Rebecca Gibson |
Regal Princess was floated out from its building dock at Fincantieri’s Monfalcone shipyard in Italy during a traditional ceremony on 26 March 2013, marking a significant construction milestone.
Following the two-day process of setting the 330-metre vessel afloat, it will be moved to a dock to undergo the final construction and interior outfitting stages.
Rai Caluori, executive vice president of fleet operations and Stuart Hawkins, vice president of newbuilding represented Princess Cruises during ceremony, while representatives from Fincantieri included Enrico Buschi, chief operative officer and Carlo De Marco, shipyard manager.
Regal Princess – the sister ship of Royal Princess, which will debut in June 2013 – is the second of Princess’ new-generation cruise vessels. The 3,600-passenger ship features 1,780 cabins, outside balcony staterooms, private poolside cabanas and the new Princess Live! television studio, as well as a variety of dining and entertainment venues and SeaWalk, a cantilevered, glass-bottomed walkway extending more than 28ft beyond the edge of the vessel.
Regal Princess is due to enter service in June 2014 with a season of Mediterranean itineraries.