In a bold move, Princess Cruises has unveiled an updated livery and hull art for the upcoming Majestic Princess that will apply fleet-wide over the next few years. It comes out as the line continues to introduce its new “Come Back New” brand marketing campaign.
The announcement came on Chinese New Year as the new Majestic readies for the China cruise market with its initial float-out celebration at the Fincantieri shipyard in Monfalcone, Italy. She will be the first in the fleet to sport the iconic “Seawitch” logo oversized on its bow. The aesthetic mirrors the approach corporate cousin P&O Cruises employs with the Union Jack proudly applied to its bows.
“For nearly half a century our Princess logo has represented the adventure of cruise travel around the globe,” said Jan Swartz, Princess Cruises president. “Now our ships sail to more than 360 ports of call worldwide and will be instantly recognized from afar. As the very first cruise ship built for China, we take great pride that Majestic Princess is our first ship to proudly display our new livery design.”
Present at the ceremony were Executive Vice President of Fleet Operations Keith Taylor and recently appointed Majestic Princess Captain Dino Sagani. Presiding over the ceremony was the ship’s “madrina,” or godmother, as Captain Sagani’s mother, Graziella Sagani, cut the cord that brought forth the water into the ship’s building dock where it was first floated.
As for the new livery, the hull art follows mainstream competitor Norwegian Cruise Line but is less congruent with premium cruise lines like Celebrity Cruises, which it more closely targets. In fact, the line describes the design as meant to “reinforce the premium experience of Princess Cruises, recognized around the world as a destination leader.”
While from a graphic design perspective (I have a college degree in the art discipline) the logo is timeless and evokes the motion of the waves in which it sails, its enormous application on the hull might be perceived as someone tacky. Norwegian Cruise Line’s detailed designs and even the more nuanced Union Jack of P&O Cruises work better as hull art thanks to several colors and elements. On the other hand, the facial qualities of the logo soften the large swash of blue, making it appear more delicate and refined. Time will tell just how it’s received by the public.
The Majestic Princess will feature a number of favorites from her preceding sister ships – the Royal and Regal Princess – such as The Piazza atrium, cantilevered glass-floored SeaWalk, Princess Live! interactive studio and Chef’s Table Lumiere dining. She will also showcase new China-focused venues and experiences to be announced in the coming months as well.
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