Princess Cruises has taken delivery of the 3,660-guest Sky Princess, the 18th ship to join its fleet, at an official handover ceremony at the Fincantieri shipyard in Monfalcone, Italy.

The 143,000-tonne vessel is the first purpose-built Princess MedallionClass ship.

It features an evolution of the design platform used for its three sister ships: Royal Princess, Regal Princess and Majestic Princess.

Sky Princess boasts a host of new features that will also be on another sister ship, Enchanted Princess, which launches in Southampton in June.

These include two Sky Suites, which have the largest balconies at sea and are centrally located on the top decks with 270-degree panorama views.

Each sleeps up to five guests.

Sky Princess’ inaugural cruise is a seven-day Mediterranean and Adriatic voyage on October 20th.

She will sail a short season in the Mediterranean before heading to the Caribbean.

The ship will return to Europe next year, sailing from Copenhagen to the Baltics and Russia.

Jan Swartz, president of Princess Cruises, said: “We wish to extend our sincere gratitude to our long-time shipbuilding partner Fincantieri who delivered Sky Princess to us today.

“As our new flagship in the fleet, Sky Princess represents the absolute best Princess Cruises has to offer our guests by connecting them with what matters most, unique destinations, loved ones, and new friends, while enjoying all the state-of the-art experiences in comfort and style.”

The Princess Cruises fleet will continue to expand with the launch of Enchanted Princess and three additional ships arriving in 2021, 2023 and 2025.