TRIESTE – Fincantieri today delivered the Star Princess in Monfalcone, the second Sphere-class ship for Princess Cruises and the new flagship of the LNG-powered fleet. On the sidelines of the ceremony, CEO Pierroberto Folgiero spoke about employment and safety issues.
With a gross tonnage of around 178,000, the Star Princess is a sister ship to the Sun Princess, delivered in 2024, and represents the second-largest vessel ever built in Italy. Dual-fuel propulsion and LNG as the main fuel mark a step forward in the decarbonization path, significantly reducing greenhouse gas and air pollutant emissions. The ship can accommodate over 4,300 passengers and is based on a new-generation platform integrating technological solutions for greater energy efficiency and improved environmental performance.
Princess Cruises, with a fleet of 17 ships operating in more than 330 global destinations, is thus strengthening its commitment to innovative and sustainable vessels.
“Star Princess is a symbol of our ability to build the future of cruising, combining tradition and innovation. With this ship we confirm Fincantieri’s leadership in delivering next-generation, sustainable and highly technological vessels, which reinforce the competitiveness of Italian industry worldwide. The Monfalcone yard, a true global benchmark, represents the highest expression of our skills and know-how: here we build ships that carry Italy’s name around the world and consolidate our country’s role as a global leader in shipbuilding,” said Folgiero.
The CEO also emphasized the company’s commitment on the employment front. “The rhetoric portraying Fincantieri as a low-cost company is wrong. Our greatest interest is in finding Italian personnel and passing on to the new generations the know-how of our supervisors before they retire,” he explained. With the “Maestri del Mare” project, new hires have been made via the Libro Matricola – about 200–250 people – after decades, to form what Folgiero calls the “head of the workforce,” the skilled labor of the future.
On safety, following a recent string of accidents at Monfalcone, Folgiero recalled the progress achieved in recent years: “We have improved all safety indicators by 50% over the past three years. This gives us confidence, because it means we are on the right path and that the measures we’ve taken are effective. But safety is a journey with no end: countermeasures are never enough and only results in the field matter.”
The Monfalcone yard, Fincantieri’s production hub for cruise ship construction, has delivered more than 40 vessels since 1990. Thousands of workers and a supply chain generating over 23,000 jobs operate within it, confirming its role as a strategic asset for industrial growth, where manufacturing tradition, technological innovation and collaboration with universities and research centers contribute to a unique model.
