By the Caribbean Journal staff

Princess Cruises is adding two new cruise ships to its fleet, the company announced Wednesday.

The cruise line has signed contracts with shipbuilder Fincantieri for two “next-generation” 175,000-ton cruise ships, with deliveries scheduled for late 2023 and spring 2025, respectively.

Each ship will have capacity for around 4,300 guests. More crucially, they will be the first-ever Princess ship that will be powered primarily by liquefied natural gas.

That follows similar orders by parent company Carnival Cruise Line for the industry’s first LNG-powered ships.

“Princess Cruises continues to grow globally — adding new ships to our fleet built by our long-time trusted ship building partner, Fincantieri, who brings decades of expertise to these next-generation cruise ships,” said Jan Swartz, president of Princess Cruises. “Even more exciting is that these two ships are being designed to include our MedallionClass platform, powered by OceanMedallion, the most advanced wearable device available within the global hospitality industry.”

Princess Cruises has five ships in development over the next six years.

— CJ