Southampton-based Princess Cruises is gearing up for the entry into service of the 88,000-ton Coral Princess, the first in a new class of ships.
One of the most advanced passenger vessels in the world, Coral Princess is due to join the company's American fleet in December.
Designers use a vessel's funnel to distinguish a ship and create an identity for the operator but Princess Cruises has gone one stage further with innovative power generation technology.
Placed inside the funnel will be a gas turbine producing vast amounts of power. This configuration saves space inside the ship allowing for an even wider range of passenger facilities.
Building work on Coral Princess, the largest Princess Cruises ship to be able to transit the Panama Canal, began in December, 2000 at the Chantiers De l'Atlantique shipyard at St Nazaire in France.
During her first season, which ends in April, 2003, Coral Princess will be based in Florida and undertake a series of Caribbean voyages before being repositioned for a programme of cruises in Alaska.
CORAL PRINCESS FACTFILE:
Passenger capacity: 1,950
Tonnage: 88,000
Builder: Chantiers de l'Atlantique
Length: 964 feet
Height: 203 feet
Beam: 106 feet
Draft: 26 feet
Decks: 16
Crew; 900
Maximum speed: 21.5 knots
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article