While the “Queen Anne” was recently delivered by the Fincantieri shipyard for the Cunard shipping company, things are not going according to (time) plan for the Carnival Group with the “Star Princess”: the new build for Princess Cruises has been delayed.
The Italian shipbuilding group Fincantieri and the shipping company have announced the “joint decision” to postpone the delivery of the next ship in the Sphere class, the “Star Princess”.
The newbuild is now scheduled for delivery on 26 September 2025 instead of 29 July. Apparently, construction is behind schedule: “After a comprehensive review of the remaining steps in the construction of the ship, both parties have decided to postpone the delivery date of the ship,” the statement reads. As a result, nine voyages will be cancelled.
Fincantieri needs more time
“It has become apparent that additional time is needed to ensure that ‘Star Princess’ meets the highest standards our guests expect,” said John Padgett, President of Princess Cruises.
The parties involved did not provide any further details about where the construction at Fincantieri is stuck and who is responsible for the delay. The “Star Princess” is the second ship in the new Sphere class. The sister ship ” Sun Princess”, which was built by Fincantieri in Monfalcone, celebrated its premiere in February. However, there have already been delays with this ship too.
