A CRUISE ship which will be officially launched in Southampton next year has been introduced to the sea for the first time.

The Enchanted Princes, which will accommodate 3,660 passengers, was floated out from her building dock at Fincantieri shipyard in Monfalcone, Italy.

The event is a milestone in in the construction of Princess Cruises’ 143,700-tonne ship, which will be launched in Southampton in June 2020.

Floating out is an Italian custom in which a godmother known as a madrina blesses the vessel and wishes her a safe journey as water flows into the building dock.

Tony Roberts, Princess Cruises’ vice president UK and Europe, said: “We’re delighted to see another significant stage of Enchanted Princess’ construction successfully completed.

“The countdown to her launch in Southampton next year continues and we’re eagerly anticipating the final development of this stunning ship over the next few months.”

Serving as the madrina for the ceremony was Doris Ho, president and chief executive of the Philippines-based Magsaysay group – one of the largest human resources companies in the Asia Pacific region. She has been head of a long-standing partnership with Princess Cruises to recruit, train and develop crew members.

The Enchanted Princess will include the key features of sister ships Royal Princess, Regal Princess, Majestic Princess and Sky Princess as well new features including:

n Two ‘Sky Suites’ on the top decks which will have the largest balconies at sea – 1,012sqft on the starboard side and 947sqft on the port side. The balconies will offer a private view of the Movies Under the Stars cinema screen and sleep up to five guests.

n A digitally enhanced escape room experience called Phantom Bridge.

n Entertainment including a jazz lounge, a Vista Lonunge, a Princess Theatre and the recently announced show Rock opera.

n More than 25 dining venues and bars.

n A redesigned Sanctuary, a spa-inspired top deck retreat for adults.

n The Enclave, at the Lotus Spa, which will include the largest thermal suite at sea, including hydrotherapy pool, heated stone beds, Turkish bath and dry, steam and aromatherapy chambers.

The Princess Medallion Class experience will see passengers issued with a wearable device that allows benefits such as expedited arrival, touchless stateroom entry, on-demand service, interactive game play, a family and friends locator, and an interactive voyage timeline which allows guests to bookmark activities that interest them.

Princess Cruises is selling seven-day Mediterranean and Agean cruises, starting in September 2020 and sailing from Rome (Civitavecchia) to Athens, starting at £1,009.

Princess Cruises operates 17 cruise ships carrying two million guests each year.

Three new Royal class ships are on order, with the next new ship, Sky Princess, due for delivery next month.

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