Pacific Adventure

Pacific Adventure is a Grand-class cruise ship operated by P&O Cruises Australia , a subsidiary of Carnival Corporation & plc. Princess finalized the order for the ship in 1998 in response to the strong demand for her sister ship, Grand Princess, making her the fleet's second Grand-class ship. She was built by Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri in Monfalcone, delivered in 2001, and christened by Merlisa George in Saint Thomas in April 2002. While operating as Golden Princess, she has sailed to all seven continents, beginning with her debut in Southampton in May 2001, followed by seasonal deployments serving regions around the Caribbean and Europe. In 2007, she circumnavigated South America and debuted along the West Coast of the United States before also sailing around ports in Asia and Oceania bordering the Pacific Ocean until 2020.

For other ships with the same name, see Golden Princess (ship).

Pacific Adventure
Pacific Adventure As Golden Princess in Kobe, Japan, 2016
History
United Kingdom
Name:
  • Pacific Adventure (2020–onwards)
  • Golden Princess (2001–2020)
Owner: Carnival Corporation & plc
Operator:
Port of registry: London,  United Kingdom
Ordered: January 1998
Builder:
Cost: US$425 million
Yard number: 6050[1]
Launched: 31 August 2000[2]
Sponsored by: Merlisa George (Miss US Virgin Islands 2002)
Christened: 17 April 2002
Maiden voyage: 16 May 2001 (Southampton to Barcelona)[3]
In service: 2001–present
Identification:
General characteristics
Class and type: Grand-class cruise ship
Tonnage: 109,000 GT[1]
Length: 290 m (950 ft)[1]
Beam: 36 m (118 ft)[1]
Draught: 8.05 m (26.4 ft)[1]
Decks:
  • 17 total decks[2]
  • 13 passenger decks[2]
Installed power:
  • 4 × Sulzer 16 ZAV Diesel generators producing 11,520 kW (15,450 hp) each[1]
  • 2 × Sulzer 12 ZAV Diesel generators producing 8,640 kW (11,590 hp) each[1]
Propulsion: 2 × diesel-electric propulsion motors producing 19,000 kW (25,000 hp) each
Speed: 23 knots (43 km/h; 26 mph)[1]
Capacity: 2,600 passengers[2]
Crew: 1,100[2]
Notes: [4][5][6][3]

In 2017, Carnival Corporation announced Golden Princess would be transferred from Princess to sister brand P&O Cruises Australia as a part of P&O's fleet renewal. She was originally expected to debut as Pacific Adventure in October 2020, sailing itineraries around Oceania, but in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, her debut is subject to P&O's resumption of operations.

Construction

In January 1998 Princess announced it was ordering two additional Grand-class ships at a cost of approximately US$425 million each from Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri for delivery in 2001.[7]

The first ship, named Golden Princess, was floated out on 31 August 2000 in Monfalcone.[8] She sailed her maiden voyage on May 16, 2001.[9] She was originally planned to be christened by Jane Seymour on 12 October 2001,[10] but was later christened by Merlisa George, Miss US Virgin Islands 2002, on 17 April 2002 in Saint Thomas.[11][12]

Design and specifications

Princess made several changes to the design of Golden Princess compared with Grand Princess, including a modified stern. Princess commissioned Golden Princess to have similar dimensions to Grand Princess: they both measure 109,000 GT and have an approximate capacity of 2,600 passengers.[7] Additionally, they have a length of 290.0 metres (951.4 ft), a draft of 8.05 metres (26.4 ft), and a beam of 36 metres (118 ft). Golden Princess is powered by a diesel-electric genset system, with six Sulzer engines: four producing 11,520 kilowatts (15,450 hp) and two producing 8,640 kilowatts (11,590 hp). Main propulsion is via two diesel-electric propellers. The system gives the vessel a maximum speed of 23 knots (43 km/h; 26 mph). The ship has 1,299 passenger cabins and 627 crew cabins. She has a maximum capacity of 4,160 passengers and crew.

On board, Golden Princess retains much of the design of Grand Princess, aside from several changes. Instead of the slanted bulkheads of the tiered decks below her sister ship's navigation bridge, she has flat bulkheads.[13] Additionally, in order to reduce the ship's weight, she features a modified stern made of lighter materials, particularly in the "handle," which housed the ship's nightclub.[13]

Covid-19

The 2019–2020 season marked the last active season that the ship sailed as Golden Princess. She began with weekly Alaska voyages in summer 2019[14] before returning to Melbourne in fall 2019.[15] In March 2020, during a round-trip sailing from Melbourne to New Zealand amid the COVID-19 pandemic, three passengers were quarantined onboard after one was suspected of having the coronavirus when they began developing symptoms.[16] At the time of the announcement, the ship was bound for Akaroa[16] and proceeded to anchor in Akaroa Harbour to allow for medical officials to test the guests, who ultimately tested negative.[17] The remainder of the voyage was subsequently cancelled and the ship was cleared to return to Melbourne, following the Australian government's ordinance for all cruise ships to return to their homeports.[18] The ship returned on 19 March 2020 and all guests were tested and subsequently cleared to disembark after none of the tests returned positive.[18] Golden Princess was scheduled to perform a full season of Alaska voyages from Los Angeles in summer 2020[19] and a final transpacific crossing to Singapore in fall 2020,[20] but due to the pandemic, all sailings of the ship since the cruise line's suspension of operations have been cancelled.[21]

Pacific Adventure

Background

In December 2015, Carnival Corporation announced it had ordered a new 4,200-passenger ship from Fincantieri for Princess' sister brand, P&O Cruises Australia, as a part of its "fleet enhancement plan."[22] The new ship, scheduled for delivery in 2019, would become P&O's first-ever new-build vessel and its largest ship overall in the fleet.[22] However, in December 2016, the order for the new ship was transferred to sister brand Carnival Cruise Line (CCL) in exchange for Carnival Splendor joining the P&O fleet instead.[23] In a statement, P&O president Sture Myrmell conceded that the market's current infrastructure and its anticipated pace of development would be inadequate to support the brand's earlier, more ambitious expansion goals.[23] But in September 2017, Carnival issued a further fleet realignment, announcing Golden Princess would transfer to P&O, with Carnival Splendor continuing to operate for CCL.[24] In September 2018, after hosting an online naming contest, P&O announced Golden Princess would be renamed Pacific Adventure and debut in October 2020, featuring modified accommodations and onboard facilities designed in-line with the P&O brand.[25]

Service

In October 2018, P&O unveiled the inaugural schedule for Pacific Adventure, with cruises of various lengths from Australian ports, visiting New Zealand, Fiji, Papua New Guinea, and other destinations in Oceania, beginning in October 2020.[26] However, the COVID-19 pandemic has led P&O to halt its operations, affecting the ship's debut; as of August 2020, it is scheduled to suspend all cruises until 2 December 2020.[27] The ship was transferred in October 2020, but she won't enter service before 2021 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.[28]

After Golden Princess transitions into P&O's fleet, her guest capacity will be increased to 3,100, with modifications including the addition of five-berth cabins.[25] P&O also invited the public to contribute suggestions in order to design a more family-oriented experience on the ship.[29] Other new features will consist of a new adults-only lounge space[25] and a recreational park.[29][30]

References
  1. "Golden Princess" (PDF). Fincantieri. Retrieved 5 May 2020.
  2. "Golden Princess". scheepvaartwest. Retrieved 5 May 2020.
  3. "Golden Princess". Simplonpc. Retrieved 24 July 2008.
  4. Ward, Douglas (2005). Berlitz Complete Guide to Cruising & Cruise Ships. Singapore: Berlitz. ISBN 978-9812467393.
  5. "Golden Princess (26988)". Port State Information Exchange. United States Coast Guard.
  6. "Golden Princess (IMO: 9192351)". vesseltracker.com. Retrieved 24 July 2008.
  7. Golden, Fran (6 January 1998). "Princess Orders Two More Cruise Liners". Travel Weekly. Northstar Travel Group. Archived from the original on 1 September 2020. Retrieved 1 September 2020.
  8. "Fincantieri Launches Golden Princess". Maritime Activity Reports. 31 August 2000. Archived from the original on 20 March 2017. Retrieved 23 August 2020.
  9. "Golden Princess Fact Sheet". Princess Cruises.
  10. "Jane Seymour to Christen Golden Princess". BNET. Business Wire. 31 March 2004. Retrieved 23 July 2008.
  11. "Princess Cruises Ship Christeners". Princess Cruises.
  12. Dake, Shawn (10 October 2014). "Princess Cruises Golden Anniversary Celebration In 2015". Maritime Matters.
  13. Saunders, Aaron (2013). Giants of the Seas: The Ships that Transformed Modern Cruising. Barnsley, England: Seaforth Publishing. pp. 80–82. ISBN 9781848321724.
  14. "Princess Cruises Celebrates 50th Year of Alaska Cruises with Largest Deployment Ever in 2019". Princess Cruises. 5 December 2017.
  15. Wu, Vanessa (13 March 2020). "Princess Cruises Voluntarily Suspends All Operations Of Its Fleet Until May 10". Cruise Passenger.
  16. "Coronavirus in NZ: Golden Princess passenger suspected case, ship quarantined in Akaroa". The New Zealand Herald. 15 March 2020. Archived from the original on 22 June 2020. Retrieved 22 August 2020.
  17. Zdanowicz, Christine (17 March 2020). "Multiple cruise ships are left stranded as coronavirus cases increase". CNN. Archived from the original on 13 August 2020. Retrieved 23 March 2020.
  18. "Coronavirus cruise ship: Golden Princess passengers to disembark in Melbourne after tests return negative". Nine News. 19 March 2020. Archived from the original on 13 August 2020. Retrieved 23 August 2020.
  19. "Princess Cruises Announces 2020 Alaska Cruises and Cruisetours". Princess Cruises. 13 November 2018.
  20. "2020-2021 Asia" (PDF). Princess Cruises.
  21. "Extension of voluntary pause of our global ship operations" (PDF). Princess Cruises.
  22. Goldsbury, Louise (30 December 2015). "P&O Cruises Australia to Build its First Brand New Ship". Cruise Critic. Archived from the original on 11 June 2016. Retrieved 3 September 2020.
  23. Goldsbury, Louise (14 December 2016). "P&O Cruises Loses Brand New Ship, Replaced with Carnival Splendor". Cruise Critic. Archived from the original on 27 March 2018. Retrieved 3 September 2020.
  24. Mathisen, Monty (26 September 2017). "Golden Princess to Transfer to P&O Australia, Splendor Staying with Carnival". Cruise Industry News. Archived from the original on 3 June 2019. Retrieved 3 September 2020.
  25. Wu, Vanessa (26 September 2018). "P&O names its newest ship, the Pacific Adventure". Cruise Passenger. Cruise Media Australasia. Archived from the original on 3 September 2020. Retrieved 3 September 2020.
  26. "P&O Australia Announces Maiden Season for New Pacific Adventure". Cruise Industry News. 18 October 2018.
  27. Murali, Kiran (28 August 2020). "Carnival's P&O Cruises extends suspension of cruises from Australia until Dec. 2". S&P Global. Archived from the original on 3 September 2020. Retrieved 3 September 2020.
  28. "Princess Cruises Advances Transition of Golden Princess and Star Princess to Sister Company P&O Cruises Australia". 21 October 2020. Retrieved 22 October 2020.
  29. Stewart, Sammy (20 October 2019). "First look: Inside new Aussie megaship". Escape.com.au.
  30. Scott, Katherine (19 October 2018). "P&O unveil poshest ship yet, complete with exclusive beach club". 9Travel.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.