Princess Cruises Floats Out New Ship Enchanted Princess

(4:32 p.m. EDT) -- Princess Cruises passed another construction milestone for Enchanted Princess as the new-build met the sea for the first time on September 17 with its float-out at the Fincantieri Shipyard in Monfalcone, Italy.  

Presiding over the ceremony as Madrina for Enchanted Princess was Doris Magsaysay Ho, President and CEO of the Magsaysay Group in the Philippines, which recruits, trains and develops skilled crew members who work onboard the line's ships around the world.

"At Princess Cruises, our crew members are truly the heart of our company and the reason we are able to create memorable vacation experiences for our guests every day," said Jan Swartz, Princess Cruises' president.

"Ms. Ho's passion for the ship manning business and our seafarers led her to grow Magsaysay into the successful business it is today, and we're proud to employ more than 7,000 Filipino crew members onboard our ships. We're honored to reflect on our successful partnership and proudly name her Madrina of Enchanted Princess."

Scheduled to debut in June 2020, 143,700-ton Enchanted Princess -- the fifth in Princess' Royal Class of ships -- will carry 3,660 passengers.

The vessel will feature some of the largest balconies at sea when it debuts boasting Princess' new Sky Suites concept. The vessel is currently undergoing final construction and interior outfitting in advance of its June 19, 2020, launch date.

When it debuts in 2020, Enchanted Princess will offer Princess' Ocean Medallion technology; a digitally enhanced escape room; new entertainment offerings, including an onboard jazz theatre; a spa featuring Princess' largest thermal suite; and more than 25 different restaurants and bars.