by InTrieste
Interviews: Pierroberto Folgiero, Chief Executive Officer and General Manager of Fincantieri; Luigi Matarazzo, General Manager of the Merchant Ships Division; Captain Gennaro Arma, Master of Star Princess
Princess Cruises, part of the Carnival Group, officially took delivery of the Star Princess on Friday, marking exactly one year since the vessel’s technical launch. The 435-meter cruise ship was handed over by its builder, Fincantieri, to the American cruise line.
After a brief period operating in the Mediterranean, the ship is scheduled to cross the Atlantic. It is the seventeenth vessel in Princess Cruises’ fleet and, along with its sister ship, the Sun Princess, it is the largest ship built for the company to date. The Sun Princess was constructed at the same shipyard and delivered last year.
The Star Princess incorporates several technological innovations, particularly in its propulsion system. The ship primarily runs on liquefied natural gas (LNG), switching to diesel only as a secondary power source. The use of LNG is intended to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and significantly limit pollutants associated with diesel combustion, offering environmental benefits to port cities such as Trieste, where cruise ships dock close to residential areas.
Fincantieri CEO Giuseppe Bono and other company representatives noted that the Monfalcone shipyard will continue building some of the largest cruise ships in the world in the coming years, aided by a new specialized crane. Current orders are expected to secure work for the cruise division through 2036. “This shipyard will continue to grow,” said Bono.
Trieste Mayor Roberto Fasan expressed satisfaction with the delivery but also underscored the need to revisit arrangements with the company regarding a system based on “low-cost contracts,” suggesting further discussions are necessary.
