The newest cruise ship in the Princess Cruises fleet was delivered on January 28, 2022, during an official handover at the Monfalcone facilities of Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri. Classed by Lloyd's Register and sailing under the flag of Bermuda, Discovery Princess is the sixth and final Royal-Class newbuild in the Princess Cruises fleet.
The newbuild has a length of 1,080 feet (330 metres), a beam of 125.9 feet (38.38 metres), a draught of 27.9 feet (8.49 metres), a gross tonnage of over 145,000, and capacity for 3,660 guests plus 1,346 crewmembers across 18 decks.
The 1,830 guest cabins are available in six classes including balcony staterooms, suites, and even wheelchair-accessible cabins. Some of the cabins also have additional upper berths for groups that include small children.
Around 81 per cent of the guest cabins have balconies while some of the suites each have a total area of 1,000 square feet (93 square metres) – the largest of any of the ships in the Princess fleet – making these spaces also ideal for holding private group events. Another 757 cabins are for housing the crew.
Other facilities include pools, retail shops, a casino, cafes, bars, lounges, specialty restaurants, venues for live entertainment, a sports court for both basketball and volleyball, a miniature golf course, and activity areas for younger guests aged three to seventeen. The top deck features an enclosed walkway while one of the bars has panoramic windows and glass floors to provide guests with an all-around view as they dine.
The ship is powered by a diesel-electric system of two 19,300hp (14,400kW) and two 22,500hp (16,800kW) generators, two 24,000hp (18,000kW) electric motors, and two propellers. This configuration delivers a service speed of 22 knots and a maximum speed of just over 23 knots.
Discovery Princess' initial operational sailings departed from the Port of Los Angeles and covered the California coast and the Mexican Riviera from March to April 2022. This season, it will operate out of Seattle and serve seven-day cruises that also encompass the Alaska Inside Passage.
| Discovery Princess | |
| SPECIFICATIONS | |
| Type of vessel: | Cruise ship |
| Classification: | Lloyd's Register |
| Flag: | Bermuda |
| Owner: | Carnival Corporation, USA |
| Operator: | Princess Cruises, USA |
| Builder: | Fincantieri, Italy |
| Length overall: | 1,080 feet (330 metres) |
| Beam: | 125.9 feet (38.38 metres) |
| Draught: | 27.9 feet (8.49 metres) |
| Gross tonnage: | 145,000 |
| Propulsion: | 2 x propellers |
| Generators: | 2 x 19,300 hp (14,400 kW); 2 x 22,500 hp (16,800 kW) |
| Maximum speed: | 23 knots |
| Cruising speed: | 22 knots |
| Type of fuel: | Diesel |
| Accommodation: | 1,830 x guest cabins; 757 x crew cabins; pools; retail shops; casino; cafes; bars; lounges; restaurants; entertainment venues; sports court; miniature golf course; children's activity areas |
| Crew: | 1,346 |
| Passengers: | 3,660 |
| Operational areas: | US West Coast; Alaska Inside Passage |