The 3,660-guest Sky Princess has been welcomed into the Princess Cruises family during a ceremony at the Fincantieri shipyard in Monfalcone, Italy.

The 143,000-tonne vessel is the first purpose-built MedallionClass ship in the fleet, taking and improving on designs from sister ships Royal Princess, Regal Princess and Majestic Princess.

OceanMedallion is a small, wearable device, roughly the same size as a 10p piece, that includes a raft of features intended to improve the passenger experience and personalise each cruise, including touchless stateroom entry, on-demand services, a family and friends locator and interactive voyage timeline.

Sky Princess’ inaugural cruise is a seven-day Mediterranean and Adriatic voyage on October 20, 2019. She will then sail a short season in the Mediterranean before heading to the Caribbean. The ship will return to Europe next year, sailing from Copenhagen to the Baltics and Russia.

New entertainment options include the Phantom Bridge escape room, while an enhanced Princess Theatre will debut production shows Rock Opera and 5-SKIES.

Princess Cruises president Jan Swartz said: “We wish to extend our sincere gratitude to our long-time shipbuilding partner Fincantieri who delivered Sky Princess to us today.

“As our new flagship in the fleet, Sky Princess represents the absolute best Princess Cruises has to offer our guests by connecting them with what matters most, unique destinations, loved ones and new friends, while enjoying all the state-of the-art experiences in comfort and style.”

The Princess Cruises fleet will continue to expand with the launch of Enchanted Princess and three additional ships arriving in 2021, 2023 and 2025.

Princess Cruises is offering an 11-day Scandinavia & Russia voyage on Sky Princess, departing 28 May 2020. Sailing roundtrip from Copenhagen, ports of call include Oslo, Berlin, Tallinn, St Petersburg, Helsinki and Stockholm. Prices start from £1,949pp.