Princess Cruises will remove the line’s iconic Skywalkers Nightclub from the Grand Princess when the ship undergoes a major refurbishment this spring.
Princess said the removal of Skywalkers from its 18th deck would significantly improve the ship’s fuel efficiency. The nightclub has given Princess ships their distinctive profile since the debut of the Grand Princess in 1998.
A new nightclub on the top deck called One5 will replace Skywalkers.
The change is part of a what Princess Executive Vice President Jan Swartz called "the largest makeover we’ve ever undertaken for any of our ships."
The Grand Princess will enter a 24-day drydock during which it will receive many of the line’s new features, such as the piazza-style atrium and Crown Grill steakhouse found on the line’s newest ships.
The ship also will have spaces that are new to Princess, like the Leaves tea lounge and library and the Alfredo’s pizzeria.
The work will be done from April 11 to May 4 at the Grand Bahama Shipyard in Freeport, Bahamas.
The renovated ship will reenter service May 5 in Fort Lauderdale, where it will depart on a transatlantic crossing to begin its summer sailings out of Southampton, England.