The newest ship to join the Princess Cruises fleet, Regal Princess, arrived in Venice today to welcome guests on its maiden voyage.

Regal Princess is sister ship to Royal Princess, which was launched last year by HRH, The Duchess of Cambridge. The new ship, the 18th in the Princess Cruises fleet, has:

-  Capacity for 3,560 guests
-  1,780 staterooms
-  17 decks
-  1,346 crew
-  16 bars and restaurants including three dining rooms
-  A luxury spa and fitness centre

The ship also includes several signature Princess Cruises’ features including SeaWalk, a top-deck glass-bottomed walkway that extends 28 feet over the edge of the ship, and Princess Live, a television studio with on board programming throughout the day.

At a length of 1,083 feet, Regal Princess is longer than the height of the Shard, the tallest building in the UK. And at 217 feet high she is taller than 15 double-decker London buses stacked on top of one another.

Regal Princess’ seven-day inaugural cruise includes stops in Corfu, Mykonos and an overnight call in Istanbul. She will continue to sail across the Mediterranean throughout the summer. In November her naming ceremony will take place in the US, followed by a season of Eastern Caribbean cruises.

Paul Ludlow, Princess Cruises’ managing director UK and Europe, said: “Regal Princess is a magnificent ship and it’s a pleasure to welcome her into our fleet. The variety of on board options means guests will be spoilt for choice when they take a cruise, from being pampered in the luxury spa, to dining in the specialty restaurants to taking a dip in the fresh water pools.

“If you’re planning your summer holiday and want to combine the Mediterranean summer sun with everything Regal Princess has to offer, now is the time to book up.”