Princess Cruises’ Sun Princess makes UK debut in Southampton
Princess Cruises’ newest ship, Sun Princess, made its UK debut over the weekend after it docked in Southampton
The event, hosted by Sun Princess captain Craig Street, featured a traditional plaque and key ceremony and was attended by councillor Dave Shields, mayor of Southampton, and witnessed by local stakeholders and members of ABP (Associated British Ports).
The ship also hosted an invitation-only event on Sunday (22 September), which was attended by journalists, travel agents, content creators and local stakeholders.
This inaugural arrival of Sun Princess in Southampton, the line said, reinforces the importance of the UK market to the company and emphasises its commitment to providing an “unforgettable cruising experience” for its UK guests.
“We have been counting down the days until the highly anticipated arrival of Sun Princess to the UK and today we are delighted to welcome our next level Love Boat to the shores of Southampton,” said Eithne Williamson, vice president of Princess Cruises UK and Europe.
Sun Princess joined the Princess fleet earlier this year and its visit to Southampton marks the completion of its inaugural Mediterranean season. Following Sunday’s (22 September) event, Sun Princess departed for Fort Lauderdale to start its inaugural Caribbean season.
Tom Dynes, general manager of landside operations, ABP Southampton, said: “We are really excited to welcome Sun Princess to the Port of Southampton, the newest vessel from Princess Cruises and the first in its Sphere class.”
Princess Cruises’ Sun Princess to utilise Southampton’s shore power connectivity
He continued: “During her stay, we are pleased to commission her for shore power, which means testing her onboard systems to ensure she can plug in and achieve zero emissions whilst in port.
“The Port of Southampton is proud to be the first port in the UK to offer shore power and the capability to commission new cruise ships.”
In addition to shore power capabilities that are enabled on every Princess ship, Sun Princess is the first ship in the Princess fleet to be powered by liquified natural gas (LNG) and boasts a number of other sustainable innovations that help to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
