Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1498279
B M & T ••• May/June 2023 ••• www.blackmeetingsandtourism.com 60 ship – Sun Princess - at the Fincantieri Shipyard in Monfalcone, Italy. Following the Italian shipyard's tradi- tion, the float out is marked by a special ceremony where a "Madrina" is named to offer blessings and best wishes for the vessel, celebrating the flow of water into the ship's building dock. Princess Cruises Hotel General Manager Simona Stumberger was selected to serve in this special role as an ambassador for Princess, because she epitomizes profes- sionalism and always delivers service with a smile. A native of Slovenia where Stumberger studied hospitality man- agement, she began her career at sea in the bar department and further diversi- fied her hotel experience by working in guest services, and hand in hand with the hotel and food and beverage divi- sions. Stumberger has been with Princess Cruises for nearly five years. "Simona is the ideal candidate to serve as Madrina of our newest ship, Sun Princess, because she embodies all the best qualities that our company has to offer – an unwavering commitment to service, hospitality and friendliness," said John Padgett, president of Princess Cruises. "Sun Princess will usher in an exciting new era for our company and the industry, and we can't think of a bet- ter person to serve in this important role." The float out completes the first comprehensive phase of construction for Sun Princess, which now transitions to focus on building the ship's interiors. Princess also announced that it has appointed Gennaro Arma as captain, leading Sun Princess shipbuilding oper- ations, readiness and delivery, and over- seeing the ship's final stages of con- struction, working closely with brand's naval architects, engineers and ship- building experts, as well as the shipyard management team. The 175,500-ton, 4,300-guest Sun Princess will offer an array of exciting new dining, entertainment and activity offerings, as well as luxurious state- rooms and suites across a broad spec- trum of categories. The ship will be highlighted by amazing, never-before- seen spaces such as The Dome, a trans- formational entertainment venue inspired by the terraces of Santorini, the next-level, brand-iconic Piazza, and three-story Horizons Dining Room that are sure to have everyone talking. In addition, Sun Princess has been designed to improve energy efficiency and reduce carbon emissions. Sun Princess sustainability features include: FUEL AND ENERGY MANAGEMENT Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) as the primary fuel and the first ship in the Princess fleet to be powered by LNG. This cleaner burning fuel will significant- ly reduce air emissions and marine gas- oil to minimize the cruise line's environ- mental footprint. With a capacity of 4,000m3 sufficient for almost 9 days sail- ing at service speed. The secondary fuel is marine gas-oil so no heavy or intermedi- ate fuel oil will be carried on board. Two shore power connections, also known as "cold ironing," on both the port and starboard side of the vessel to enable the ship to turn off the engines and con- nect to local electric power to run all onboard services during day-long calls in various ports. Sun Princess is outfitted with custom-built electrical connection cabinets that automatically connect the ship's electrical network to the local elec- trical network ashore, reducing air emis- sions in the ports that support shore power. Another first for Princess to supply sustainable power and better maneu- verability to save fuel, Sun Princess will be outfitted with two Azipod propul- sions for forward and backward move- ments and the four largest Controllable Pitch Propellers, known as bow thrusters, on the market for sideways navigation. WASTE MANAGEMENT All Micro Auto Gasification System (MAGS) installed for waste. MAGS is the world's most compact, efficient and environmentally safe technology to con- vert a variety of combustible materials into thermal energy – energy that can be used in other systems onboard. Food waste management designed with distributed and centralized bio- digesters and dehydrators as a clean alternative to recycle food waste and reduce use of landfills. Inaugural 2024 Sun Princess cruises to the Mediterranean and Europe are cur- rently on sale. More ship information can be found at www.princess.com/sun- princess. Additional information about Princess Cruises is available to meeting planners and travel agents by calling 1- 800-PRINCESS (1-800-774-6237) or by visiting the company's website at www.- princess.com.