“The Star Princess embodies the direction we are going,” said Gus Antorcha, president of Princess Cruises, speaking aboard the new ship.
“It’s elegant, it’s beautiful, but it’s approachable, it’s comfortable.
“We are not trying to be edgy, not trying to be hip,” he added.
“Our guests want to connect with the places we go and with each other. So, we offer lots of enrichment but all in a lively atmosphere.
“The ship is carefree, lively and elegant, with energy.”
“That is not a big departure from what we have been. It is an evolution of who we are as a brand.”
Antorcha said their guests want to travel and explore, which fits nicely into Princess’ deployment calling at destinations in every ocean, on every continent, and with year-round deployment in Asia.
“We are doubling our capacity in Japan; we sail in Australia; we have magnificent itineraries in the Mediterranean, extensive deployment in Northern Europe and lots in the Caribbean as well,” he noted.
“The anchor, what we are really known for, is Alaska, where we have eight ships and carry some 400,000 guests.
“This ship (Star Princess) will be deployed in Alaska come this summer and will be the newest ship there, the most modern, most up to date and most feature-rich ship. It is really an advantage frankly that we have in this class, being capable of taking our newest hardware to Alaska.”
Ultimately what matters is the guest experience, according to Antorcha who said that Princess’ NPS (net promoter scores) have been climbing since 2023 with the overall score setting a record across the fleet, including entertainment and dining.
“Newbuilds need to settle in,” he continued, “but with the Star Princess we have hit the ground running. The team onboard has done a fabulous job, and it shows in the ratings. It talks to our team, the service and the hardware.
“The combination of those things sets up our team to deliver what Princess is known for, our warm, caring, service-oriented culture.”
Princess will continue to fine-tune the experience and lead with innovation and evolution onboard its ships, Antorcha said.
Excerpted from the 2025-2026 Winter Cruise Industry News Quarterly Magazine.
