Princess Cruises
Encyclopedia
Princess Cruises is a British
-American
owned cruise line
, based in Santa Clarita
, California
in the United States
. Previously a subsidiary of P&O Princess Cruises PLC
, the company is now one of ten cruise ship brands operated by Carnival Corporation & PLC
and accounts for approximately 19% share of its revenue. Being based in America, executive control of Princess Cruises was transferred to Carnival Corporation's American division following the merger between Carnival and P&O Princess in 2002, however Carnival UK is responsible for sales and marketing of the company in the United Kingdom. The company was made famous by The Love Boat
TV series, in which two of its ships, the Island Princess
and Pacific Princess
were featured. In May 2013, the brand new Royal Princess
will become the flagship of Princess Cruises.
chartered Canadian Pacific Limited
's Alaska
cruise ship Princess Patricia for Mexican Riviera
cruises from Los Angeles
during a time when she would have usually been laid up for the winter. However, Princess Pat, as she was fondly called, had never been designed for tropical cruising, lacking air-conditioning, and Princess ended her charter in favor of a more purpose-built cruise ship Italia.
The Italia had originally been ordered in 1963 and was one of the first to implement modern design elements, such as lifeboats mounted lower on the ship, allowing for uncluttered upperdecks, and engines placed far in the rear, allowing for spacious public rooms amidships. Gustavo Finali and Romano Boico had designed the ship's interiors, designers whose résumés included such ships as the Augustus and Raffaello (of Italian Line) and the Oceanic and Homeric (of Home Lines).
Construction proceeded slowly, and accordingly, the Italia was not launched until the spring of 1965, and during the fitting out, both the owners and the builder were declared bankrupt. The Italia was passed onto a bank who created a company to charter or sell the ship, and consequently, the company chartered the Italia to Princess.
Princess, who marketed the ship as Princess Italia but never officially renamed her, used the ship to inaugurate their Mexican Riviera cruises out of Los Angeles, and did not even receive the Princess logo on her funnel until 1967.
In 1969, the Princess Italia was used on Alaskan cruises from San Francisco, but by 1973, the charter was canceled, and the Italia returned to Europe on charter to Costa Cruise Line
.
Princess's third charter ship was none other than Costa's Carla C. Originally, Compagnie Générale Transatlantique
's Flandre
, the ship had been purchased by Costa in the late sixties and given a major rebuilding. Almost immediately after completion, the ship was chartered to Princess, and it was on board the ship, which was marketed as, but again not officially renamed, Princess Carla
, that Jeraldine Saunders wrote the first chapters of her nonfiction book The Love Boats.
Britain's Peninsular & Oriental Steam Navigation Company (P&O) which by 1960 was the world's largest shipping company with 320 ocean going vessels acquired Princess Cruise Lines in 1974 and their Spirit of London (originally to have been Norwegian Cruise Line's Seaward) was transferred to the Princess fleet, becoming the first Sun Princess.
The two ships that were to be featured heavily in the television series The Love Boat
were built in 1971 at Nordseewerke
for Flagship Cruises and originally named the Sea Venture (for the original Sea Venture
, the 1609 wreck of which resulted in the settlement of Bermuda
) and Island Venture. In 1974, P&O purchased them for their Princess division, and they served as the Island Princess
and Pacific Princess
respectively.
A part time addition to the Princess fleet was the former Swedish transatlantic liner Kungsholm, purchased by P&O from Flagship Cruises in 1978, and then restyled and rebuilt in Bremen as the Sea Princess
. She was initially based in Australia
as a P&O ship until 1981 when her role there was taken over by the Oriana
. After that, she alternated between P&O and Princess colours as she moved between fleets. The Sea Princess returned to the P&O UK fleet permanently and in 1995 and was renamed Victoria
to allow a then new Princess ship to be named Sea Princess
.
The first P&O Princess Cruises purpose-built cruise ship was the Royal Princess in 1984, the largest new British passenger ship in a decade, and one of the first, if not the first, ships to completely dispense with interior cabins. The ship now serves in P&O Cruises
fleet as the Artemis
. The Swan Helenic Cruiseship Minerva II, originally built as the Renaissance Cruises R8 was renamed Royal Princess in 2007 after an extensive refit during a drydock in Gibraltar.
In 1986, P&O Princess Cruises acquired Tour Alaska, which operated on the Alaska Railroad
. Based in Anchorage, Alaska
, Princess Tours
now operates ten luxury railcars
with full-service scenic tours of Mount McKinley
and can accommodate over 700 passengers per day.
P&O Princess Cruises acquired Sitmar Line in 1988 and transferred all of its major tonnage to Princess, including three cruise ships then under construction. The and Fair Princess
were both ex-Cunarders, and the former Sitmar Fairsky became Princess's Sky Princess
. The first of the three new Sitmar ships came into the Princess brand in 1989 as the Star Princess
, the largest British exclusively cruising ship. Two 70,000 grt cruise ships entered service in 1990 as the Crown Princess
and Regal Princess
, bringing Princess's fleet up to ten deluxe cruise ships.
Princess Cruises was involved in litigation with GE
in 1998 over consequential damages
and lost profits resulting from a contract
the two parties entered into. GE was to provide inspection and repair services upon the SS Sky Princess. Upon noticing surface rust
on the rotor
, the vessel was brought ashore for cleaning and balancing, but good metal
was unintentionally removed. This destabilized the rotor, forcing Princess Cruises to cancel two 10-day cruises while additional work was performed. Princess originally prevailed, being awarded nearly $4.6 million. On appeal
, however, the judgment
was reversed in favor of GE, and Princess Cruises only recovered the price of the contract, less than $232,000.
On October 23, 2000, the Peninsular & Oriental Steam Navigation Company (P&O) demerged its passenger division to form an independent company, P&O Princess Cruises PLC. The company subsequently merged with Carnival Corporation on April 17, 2003, to form the world's largest cruise operating company in a deal worth US$5.4 billion.
As a result of the merger, Carnival Corporation and P&O Princess were integrated to form Carnival Corporation & PLC
, with a portfolio of eleven cruise ship brands. It is a dual listed company, registered in both the United States and the United Kingdom, with the former P&O Princess PLC being relisted as Carnival PLC, more commonly known as Carnival UK. As an American based company, executive control of Princess Cruises was transferred to Carnival's American operations, with Carnival UK taking control of Southampton
based Cunard Line
. Princess and Cunard have offices at Carnival's head offices in both the United States and the United Kingdom.
On April 3, 2008 Micky Arison
, the chairman of Carnival Corporation & plc, stated that due to the low value of the US dollar, inflation and high shipbuilding costs, the company would not be ordering any new ships for their US-based brands (Princess, Carnival Cruise Lines
and Holland America Line
) before the economic situation improves.
On February 17, 2010, Carnival Corporation & plc and Fincantieri builders reached an agreement for the construction of 2 new cruise ships for Princess Cruises. These ships are scheduled to enter service in Spring 2013 and 2014.
On May 4, 2010, Carnival Corporation & plc finalized the contract for the two new ships.
and Carnival Corporation & plc reached an agreement to build two ships for Princess Cruises. The agreement is subject to the execution of a definitive contract, financing and other customary conditions.
The contract was then finalized on May 4th, 2010. While in the midst of Economic downturn, Princess managed to finalize the contract with the help of Italian Export Credit Companies, particularly SACE S.p.A.
The two ships are designed to have a tonnage of 141,000-GT, with a passenger capacity of 3,600. The new ships are predicted to enter service in Spring 2013 and 2014 and will be the largest newbuilds to date for Princess Cruises. The ships design will be evolutionary, from the current Princess fleet and will offer new innovations in the fleet. 100% of its outside staterooms will have balconies, which will comprise the 80% of all staterooms. The signature Piazza atrium will have an expansion. Other innovations is yet to be unveiled in the upcoming months.
Royal Princess left the Princess fleet in May 2011 when it joins P&O Cruises
as MS Adonia.
In mid-March 2011, Princess released a video of their new Royal Princess
, planned to debut in spring 2013. New features include a cantilevered walkway and bar on the top deck, an enlarged Sanctuary bar, an adult-only pool and the largest Movies Under The Stars screen Princess has built so far. The 2014 ship has yet to be named.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
-American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
owned cruise line
Cruise line
A cruise line is a company that operates cruise ships. Cruise lines have a dual character; they are partly in the transportation business, and partly in the leisure entertainment business, a duality that carries down into the ships themselves, which have both a crew headed by the ship's captain,...
, based in Santa Clarita
Santa Clarita, California
Santa Clarita is the fourth largest city in Los Angeles County, California, United States and the twenty-fourth largest city in the state of California. The 2010 US Census reported the city's population grew 16.7% from the year 2000 to 176,320 residents. It is located about northwest of downtown...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Previously a subsidiary of P&O Princess Cruises PLC
P&O Princess Cruises PLC
P&O Princess Cruises plc was a shipping company that existed between 2000 and 2003, operating the P&O Cruises, Princess Cruises, P&O Cruises Australia, A'Rosa Cruises, AIDA Cruises and Ocean Village branded cruise lines...
, the company is now one of ten cruise ship brands operated by Carnival Corporation & PLC
Carnival Corporation & plc
Carnival Corporation & plc , is a American-British Company, and the world's largest cruise ship operator. It is a dual listed company, with headquarters at Carnival Place in the Miami suburb of Doral, Florida, USA, and at Carnival House in Southampton, England, UK...
and accounts for approximately 19% share of its revenue. Being based in America, executive control of Princess Cruises was transferred to Carnival Corporation's American division following the merger between Carnival and P&O Princess in 2002, however Carnival UK is responsible for sales and marketing of the company in the United Kingdom. The company was made famous by The Love Boat
The Love Boat
The Love Boat is an American television series set on a cruise ship, which aired on the ABC Television Network from September 24,1977, until May 24,1986.The show starred Gavin MacLeod as the ship's captain...
TV series, in which two of its ships, the Island Princess
Discovery (cruise ship)
MV Discovery is a cruise ship, currently in operation with Voyages of Discovery-History:...
and Pacific Princess
Pacific (ship)
MS Pacific is a cruise ship owned and operated by the Brazil-based Viagens CVC. She was built in 1971 by Nordseewerke, Emden, West Germany as Sea Venture for Flagship Cruises. She operated cruises between the USA and Bermuda, which had been settled by the survivors of the original Sea Venture...
were featured. In May 2013, the brand new Royal Princess
Royal Princess (2013)
MS Royal Princess is a cruise ship that is under construction and planned to enter service in 2013 for Princess Cruises.Princess Cruises ordered Royal Princess, as well as a sister ship, both at the time unnamed, on 17 February 2010...
will become the flagship of Princess Cruises.
History
Princess Cruises began in 1965, when founder Stanley McDonaldStanley McDonald
Stanley B. McDonald is the founder of Princess Cruises, one of the largest cruise lines in the World.-Career:Born in Canada and educated at Roosevelt High School in Seattle and the University of Washington, Stan McDonald joined the United States Navy Air Corps.After World War II, Stan McDonald...
chartered Canadian Pacific Limited
Canadian Pacific Limited
Canadian Pacific Limited was created in 1971 to own properties formerly owned by Canadian Pacific Railway, a transportation and mining giant in Canada...
's Alaska
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
cruise ship Princess Patricia for Mexican Riviera
Mexican Riviera
The Mexican Riviera refers collectively to twenty cities and lagoons lying on the western coast of Mexico. Although there are long distances between these cities, they are often referred to as the Mexican Riviera because of their popularity among tourists. Cruise ships often visit three or four of...
cruises from Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
during a time when she would have usually been laid up for the winter. However, Princess Pat, as she was fondly called, had never been designed for tropical cruising, lacking air-conditioning, and Princess ended her charter in favor of a more purpose-built cruise ship Italia.
The Italia had originally been ordered in 1963 and was one of the first to implement modern design elements, such as lifeboats mounted lower on the ship, allowing for uncluttered upperdecks, and engines placed far in the rear, allowing for spacious public rooms amidships. Gustavo Finali and Romano Boico had designed the ship's interiors, designers whose résumés included such ships as the Augustus and Raffaello (of Italian Line) and the Oceanic and Homeric (of Home Lines).
Construction proceeded slowly, and accordingly, the Italia was not launched until the spring of 1965, and during the fitting out, both the owners and the builder were declared bankrupt. The Italia was passed onto a bank who created a company to charter or sell the ship, and consequently, the company chartered the Italia to Princess.
Princess, who marketed the ship as Princess Italia but never officially renamed her, used the ship to inaugurate their Mexican Riviera cruises out of Los Angeles, and did not even receive the Princess logo on her funnel until 1967.
In 1969, the Princess Italia was used on Alaskan cruises from San Francisco, but by 1973, the charter was canceled, and the Italia returned to Europe on charter to Costa Cruise Line
Costa Cruises
Costa Cruises is a British-American owned Italian cruise line, based in Genoa, Italy.Founded in 1924, the company originally operated cargo ships, until the introduction of passenger services in 1947, with regular services between Italy and South America...
.
Princess's third charter ship was none other than Costa's Carla C. Originally, Compagnie Générale Transatlantique
Compagnie Générale Transatlantique
The Compagnie Générale Transatlantique , typically known overseas as the French Line, was a shipping company established during 1861 as an attempt to revive the French merchant marine, the poor state of which was indicated during the Crimean War of 1856...
's Flandre
Flandre
Flandre, also known as Carla C, Carla Costa, and Pallas Athena, was an ocean liner and cruise ship that took passengers on transatlantic voyages and on Caribbean and Mediterranean cruises from 1952 to 1994...
, the ship had been purchased by Costa in the late sixties and given a major rebuilding. Almost immediately after completion, the ship was chartered to Princess, and it was on board the ship, which was marketed as, but again not officially renamed, Princess Carla
SS Flandre
A number of steamships have been named Flandre, a cargo ship built in 1889 for the Wick & Pulteneytown Steamship Co Ltd, wrecked in 1920., an ocean liner built in 1913 for Compagnie Générale Transatlantique which struck a mine and sank in 1940, an ocean liner built in 1951 for the French Line....
, that Jeraldine Saunders wrote the first chapters of her nonfiction book The Love Boats.
Britain's Peninsular & Oriental Steam Navigation Company (P&O) which by 1960 was the world's largest shipping company with 320 ocean going vessels acquired Princess Cruise Lines in 1974 and their Spirit of London (originally to have been Norwegian Cruise Line's Seaward) was transferred to the Princess fleet, becoming the first Sun Princess.
The two ships that were to be featured heavily in the television series The Love Boat
The Love Boat
The Love Boat is an American television series set on a cruise ship, which aired on the ABC Television Network from September 24,1977, until May 24,1986.The show starred Gavin MacLeod as the ship's captain...
were built in 1971 at Nordseewerke
Nordseewerke
Nordseewerke is a shipbuilding company located in Emden, Germany. The name Nordseewerke means "North Sea shipyard" in German. The shipyard employs some 1,400 people and is the second-largest plant in Emden, following Volkswagen...
for Flagship Cruises and originally named the Sea Venture (for the original Sea Venture
Sea Venture
The Sea Venture was a 17th-century English sailing ship, the wrecking of which in Bermuda is widely thought to have been the inspiration for Shakespeare's The Tempest...
, the 1609 wreck of which resulted in the settlement of Bermuda
Bermuda
Bermuda is a British overseas territory in the North Atlantic Ocean. Located off the east coast of the United States, its nearest landmass is Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, about to the west-northwest. It is about south of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, and northeast of Miami, Florida...
) and Island Venture. In 1974, P&O purchased them for their Princess division, and they served as the Island Princess
Discovery (cruise ship)
MV Discovery is a cruise ship, currently in operation with Voyages of Discovery-History:...
and Pacific Princess
Pacific (ship)
MS Pacific is a cruise ship owned and operated by the Brazil-based Viagens CVC. She was built in 1971 by Nordseewerke, Emden, West Germany as Sea Venture for Flagship Cruises. She operated cruises between the USA and Bermuda, which had been settled by the survivors of the original Sea Venture...
respectively.
A part time addition to the Princess fleet was the former Swedish transatlantic liner Kungsholm, purchased by P&O from Flagship Cruises in 1978, and then restyled and rebuilt in Bremen as the Sea Princess
Mona Lisa (ship)
MV Mona Lisa is a cruise ship that was last owned by Leonardo Shipping and operated under charter by Lord Nelson Seereisen . She was built in 1966 by the John Brown & Company shipyard in Clydebank, Scotland as the combined ocean liner / cruise ship MS Kungsholm for the Swedish American Line. She...
. She was initially based in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
as a P&O ship until 1981 when her role there was taken over by the Oriana
SS Oriana (1959)
SS Oriana was the last of the Orient Steam Navigation Company's ocean liners. She was built at Vickers-Armstrong, Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria and launched on 3 November 1959 by Princess Alexandra...
. After that, she alternated between P&O and Princess colours as she moved between fleets. The Sea Princess returned to the P&O UK fleet permanently and in 1995 and was renamed Victoria
Mona Lisa (ship)
MV Mona Lisa is a cruise ship that was last owned by Leonardo Shipping and operated under charter by Lord Nelson Seereisen . She was built in 1966 by the John Brown & Company shipyard in Clydebank, Scotland as the combined ocean liner / cruise ship MS Kungsholm for the Swedish American Line. She...
to allow a then new Princess ship to be named Sea Princess
Sea Princess
Sea Princess is a operated by the Princess Cruises line. She has three sister ships: and Dawn Princess in the Princess Cruises fleet and Oceana in the P&O Cruises fleet.-History:...
.
The first P&O Princess Cruises purpose-built cruise ship was the Royal Princess in 1984, the largest new British passenger ship in a decade, and one of the first, if not the first, ships to completely dispense with interior cabins. The ship now serves in P&O Cruises
P&O Cruises
P&O Cruises is a British-American owned cruise line based at Carnival House in Southampton, England, and operated by Carnival UK. Originally a constituent of the Peninsular & Oriental Steam Navigation Company, P&O Cruises is the oldest cruise line in the world, having operated the world's first...
fleet as the Artemis
Artemis (ship)
MV Artania , is a cruise ship of the Phoenix Reisen fleet. The ship was built by Wärtsilä at the Helsinki New Shipyard in Helsinki, Finland.- Royal Princess :...
. The Swan Helenic Cruiseship Minerva II, originally built as the Renaissance Cruises R8 was renamed Royal Princess in 2007 after an extensive refit during a drydock in Gibraltar.
In 1986, P&O Princess Cruises acquired Tour Alaska, which operated on the Alaska Railroad
Alaska Railroad
The Alaska Railroad is a Class II railroad which extends from Seward and Whittier, in the south of the state of Alaska, in the United States, to Fairbanks , and beyond to Eielson Air Force Base and Fort Wainwright in the interior of that state...
. Based in Anchorage, Alaska
Anchorage, Alaska
Anchorage is a unified home rule municipality in the southcentral part of the U.S. state of Alaska. It is the northernmost major city in the United States...
, Princess Tours
Princess Tours
Princess Tours is an Alaskan sightseeing passenger car service owned by P&O Princess Cruises and operated by its Rail Division. Princess Tours runs ten cars a day from Anchorage to Fairbanks on the Alaska Railroad, stopping at Talkeetna, Denali, and occasionally Whittier...
now operates ten luxury railcars
Railroad car
A railroad car or railway vehicle , also known as a bogie in Indian English, is a vehicle on a rail transport system that is used for the carrying of cargo or passengers. Cars can be coupled together into a train and hauled by one or more locomotives...
with full-service scenic tours of Mount McKinley
Mount McKinley
Mount McKinley or Denali in Alaska, United States is the highest mountain peak in North America and the United States, with a summit elevation of above sea level. It is the centerpiece of Denali National Park and Preserve.- Geology and features :Mount McKinley is a granitic pluton...
and can accommodate over 700 passengers per day.
P&O Princess Cruises acquired Sitmar Line in 1988 and transferred all of its major tonnage to Princess, including three cruise ships then under construction. The and Fair Princess
RMS Carinthia (1956)
RMS Carinthia was an ocean liner built in 1956 as one of the four Saxonia class ships. She sailed for Cunard Line from her completion until 1968 when she was sold to for Sitmar Line, rebuilt into a full-time cruise ship and renamed SS Fairsea. She sailed with Sitmar until 1988, when Sitmar was sold...
were both ex-Cunarders, and the former Sitmar Fairsky became Princess's Sky Princess
Sky Wonder
The Atlantic Star is a cruise ship built in 1984. As of May 2006, she operates in the Pullmantur Cruises fleet, Spain's biggest cruise and tour operator, owned by Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd.-History:The Atlantic Star was built in 1984 by Chantiers de Nord et de la Mediterranee of La Seyne-Sur Mer...
. The first of the three new Sitmar ships came into the Princess brand in 1989 as the Star Princess
Ocean Village (ship)
For other ships with the same name, see Arcadia .Pacific Pearl is the sixth cruise ship of the P&O Cruises Australia brand. She was built by Chantiers de l'Atlantique, at their shipyard in Saint-Nazaire, France, and launched in 1988 as Sitmar FairMajesty...
, the largest British exclusively cruising ship. Two 70,000 grt cruise ships entered service in 1990 as the Crown Princess
AIDAblu
Pacific Jewel is a cruise ship currently operated by P&O Cruises Australia, and operating from Sydney, Australia. Built by Fincantieri and launched in 1989 for Sitmar Cruises, ownership of the vessel was transferred to P&O Princess Cruises PLC after P&O acquired Sitmar...
and Regal Princess
Regal Princess
Pacific Dawn is a cruise ship owned and operated by P&O Cruises Australia. She was built in 1991 by the Fincantieri shipyard in Monfalcone, Italy as Regal Princess...
, bringing Princess's fleet up to ten deluxe cruise ships.
Princess Cruises was involved in litigation with GE
Gê
Gê are the people who spoke Ge languages of the northern South American Caribbean coast and Brazil. In Brazil the Gê were found in Rio de Janeiro, Minas Gerais, Bahia, Piaui, Mato Grosso, Goias, Tocantins, Maranhão, and as far south as Paraguay....
in 1998 over consequential damages
Consequential damages
Consequential damages, otherwise known as special damages, is one of the damages, the other being direct damages, that may be awarded to plaintiff in a civil action who claims that terms of an agreement were not honored....
and lost profits resulting from a contract
Contract
A contract is an agreement entered into by two parties or more with the intention of creating a legal obligation, which may have elements in writing. Contracts can be made orally. The remedy for breach of contract can be "damages" or compensation of money. In equity, the remedy can be specific...
the two parties entered into. GE was to provide inspection and repair services upon the SS Sky Princess. Upon noticing surface rust
Rust
Rust is a general term for a series of iron oxides. In colloquial usage, the term is applied to red oxides, formed by the reaction of iron and oxygen in the presence of water or air moisture...
on the rotor
Rotor
Rotor may refer to:*A rotating part of a mechanical device, for example in an electric motor, generator, alternator or pump.In engineering:...
, the vessel was brought ashore for cleaning and balancing, but good metal
Metal
A metal , is an element, compound, or alloy that is a good conductor of both electricity and heat. Metals are usually malleable and shiny, that is they reflect most of incident light...
was unintentionally removed. This destabilized the rotor, forcing Princess Cruises to cancel two 10-day cruises while additional work was performed. Princess originally prevailed, being awarded nearly $4.6 million. On appeal
Appeal
An appeal is a petition for review of a case that has been decided by a court of law. The petition is made to a higher court for the purpose of overturning the lower court's decision....
, however, the judgment
Judgment
A judgment , in a legal context, is synonymous with the formal decision made by a court following a lawsuit. At the same time the court may also make a range of court orders, such as imposing a sentence upon a guilty defendant in a criminal matter, or providing a remedy for the plaintiff in a civil...
was reversed in favor of GE, and Princess Cruises only recovered the price of the contract, less than $232,000.
On October 23, 2000, the Peninsular & Oriental Steam Navigation Company (P&O) demerged its passenger division to form an independent company, P&O Princess Cruises PLC. The company subsequently merged with Carnival Corporation on April 17, 2003, to form the world's largest cruise operating company in a deal worth US$5.4 billion.
As a result of the merger, Carnival Corporation and P&O Princess were integrated to form Carnival Corporation & PLC
Carnival Corporation & plc
Carnival Corporation & plc , is a American-British Company, and the world's largest cruise ship operator. It is a dual listed company, with headquarters at Carnival Place in the Miami suburb of Doral, Florida, USA, and at Carnival House in Southampton, England, UK...
, with a portfolio of eleven cruise ship brands. It is a dual listed company, registered in both the United States and the United Kingdom, with the former P&O Princess PLC being relisted as Carnival PLC, more commonly known as Carnival UK. As an American based company, executive control of Princess Cruises was transferred to Carnival's American operations, with Carnival UK taking control of Southampton
Southampton
Southampton is the largest city in the county of Hampshire on the south coast of England, and is situated south-west of London and north-west of Portsmouth. Southampton is a major port and the closest city to the New Forest...
based Cunard Line
Cunard Line
Cunard Line is a British-American owned shipping company based at Carnival House in Southampton, England and operated by Carnival UK. It has been a leading operator of passenger ships on the North Atlantic for over a century...
. Princess and Cunard have offices at Carnival's head offices in both the United States and the United Kingdom.
On April 3, 2008 Micky Arison
Micky Arison
Micky Arison is an Israeli-American businessman of Romanian Jewish ancestry, and Chief Executive Officer of Carnival Corporation, the world's largest cruise operator, and owner of the NBA's Miami Heat....
, the chairman of Carnival Corporation & plc, stated that due to the low value of the US dollar, inflation and high shipbuilding costs, the company would not be ordering any new ships for their US-based brands (Princess, Carnival Cruise Lines
Carnival Cruise Lines
Carnival Cruise Lines is a British-American owned cruise line, based in Doral, Florida, a suburb of Miami in the United States. Originally an independent company founded in 1972 by Ted Arison, the company is now one of eleven cruise ship brands owned and operated by Carnival Corporation & plc...
and Holland America Line
Holland America Line
The Holland America Line is a cruise shipping company. It was founded in 1873 as the Netherlands-America Steamship Company , a shipping and passenger line. Headquartered in Rotterdam and providing service to the Americas, it became known as Holland America Line...
) before the economic situation improves.
On February 17, 2010, Carnival Corporation & plc and Fincantieri builders reached an agreement for the construction of 2 new cruise ships for Princess Cruises. These ships are scheduled to enter service in Spring 2013 and 2014.
On May 4, 2010, Carnival Corporation & plc finalized the contract for the two new ships.
Future ships
In early 2010, FincantieriFincantieri
Fincantieri - Cantieri Navali Italiani S.p.A. is a shipbuilding company based in Trieste, Italy. It was formed in 1959 and is the largest shipbuilder in the Mediterranean, and one of the largest in Europe...
and Carnival Corporation & plc reached an agreement to build two ships for Princess Cruises. The agreement is subject to the execution of a definitive contract, financing and other customary conditions.
The contract was then finalized on May 4th, 2010. While in the midst of Economic downturn, Princess managed to finalize the contract with the help of Italian Export Credit Companies, particularly SACE S.p.A.
The two ships are designed to have a tonnage of 141,000-GT, with a passenger capacity of 3,600. The new ships are predicted to enter service in Spring 2013 and 2014 and will be the largest newbuilds to date for Princess Cruises. The ships design will be evolutionary, from the current Princess fleet and will offer new innovations in the fleet. 100% of its outside staterooms will have balconies, which will comprise the 80% of all staterooms. The signature Piazza atrium will have an expansion. Other innovations is yet to be unveiled in the upcoming months.
Royal Princess left the Princess fleet in May 2011 when it joins P&O Cruises
P&O Cruises
P&O Cruises is a British-American owned cruise line based at Carnival House in Southampton, England, and operated by Carnival UK. Originally a constituent of the Peninsular & Oriental Steam Navigation Company, P&O Cruises is the oldest cruise line in the world, having operated the world's first...
as MS Adonia.
In mid-March 2011, Princess released a video of their new Royal Princess
Royal Princess (2013)
MS Royal Princess is a cruise ship that is under construction and planned to enter service in 2013 for Princess Cruises.Princess Cruises ordered Royal Princess, as well as a sister ship, both at the time unnamed, on 17 February 2010...
, planned to debut in spring 2013. New features include a cantilevered walkway and bar on the top deck, an enlarged Sanctuary bar, an adult-only pool and the largest Movies Under The Stars screen Princess has built so far. The 2014 ship has yet to be named.
Grand class
| Ship | Built | Builder | Entered service for Princess |
Gross Tonnage Gross tonnage Gross tonnage is a unitless index related to a ship's overall internal volume. Gross tonnage is different from gross register tonnage... |
Flag | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grand Princess Grand Princess Grand Princess is a Grand-class cruise ship owned by Princess Cruises. Built in 1998 by Fincantieri Cantieri Navali Italiani in Monfalcone , Italy, at a cost of approximately US$450 million, she was the largest and most expensive passenger ship ever built at the time... |
Fincantieri | 1998Present | 109,000 tons |  Bermuda |
Largest and most expensive ship built in 1998 - Last Refurbished in May 2011 |
| Golden Princess Golden Princess Golden Princess is a Grand-class cruise ship for Princess Cruises that entered service in 2001. It is the sister ship of Grand Princess and Star Princess. It measures 109,000 gross tons and carries 2,600 passengers plus 1,100 crew members... |
Fincantieri | 2001Present | 109,000 tons | Bermuda |
Last refurbished in 2009 |
| Star Princess Star Princess Star Princess is a Grand-class cruise ship, operated by Princess Cruises. Star Princess is a sister ship to Grand Princess and the Golden Princess.... |
Fincantieri | 2002Present | 109,000 tons | Bermuda |
Fire swept through berths in 2006 | Last Refurbished in 2008 |
| Diamond Princess Diamond Princess (ship) Diamond Princess is a large cruise ship owned and operated by Princess Cruises. She began operation in March 2004 and primarily cruises in Alaska during the summer and the Asia in the winter. She is a Grand Class ship and subclassed as a Gem Class ship... |
Mitsubishi Mitsubishi The Mitsubishi Group , Mitsubishi Group of Companies, or Mitsubishi Companies is a Japanese multinational conglomerate company that consists of a range of autonomous businesses which share the Mitsubishi brand, trademark and legacy... |
2004Present | 116,000 tons | Bermuda |
Originally named Sapphire Princess |
| Sapphire Princess Sapphire Princess The Sapphire Princess is a cruise ship owned by Princess Cruises which entered service in 2004. It is one of the world's largest cruise ships, with a capacity of approximately 2670 passengers and is the sixth Gem Class ship built by Princess Cruises.... |
Mitsubishi | 2004Present | 116,000 tons | Bermuda |
Originally named Diamond Princess |
| Caribbean Princess | Fincantieri | 2004Present | 113, 000 tons | Bermuda |
Last refurbished in 2009 |
| Crown Princess Crown Princess (ship) Crown Princess is a Grand Class ship owned and operated by Princess Cruises. Her maiden voyage took place on June 14, 2006, departing Red Hook, Brooklyn for Grand Turk , Ocho Rios , Grand Cayman , and Port Canaveral... |
Fincantieri | 2006Present | 113,000 tons | Bermuda |
|
| Emerald Princess Emerald Princess Emerald Princess is a Grand-class cruise ship for Princess Cruises that entered service in April 2007. Her sister ships include Caribbean Princess and Crown Princess. She features two nightclubs, a piazza style atrium, multiple pools and hot tubs, a spa, and a gym... |
Fincantieri | 2007Present | 113,000 tons | Bermuda |
|
| Ruby Princess Ruby Princess Ruby Princess is a Grand-class cruise ship owned and operated by Princess Cruises. She was built in 2008 by Fincantieri in Trieste, Italy. She is a sister ship to Crown Princess and Emerald Princess. Ruby Princess was turned over to Carnival Corporation and Princess Cruises in late October 2008... |
Fincantieri | 2008Present | 116,000 tons | Bermuda |
|
Sun class
| Ship | Built | Builder | Entered service for Princess |
Gross Tonnage | Flag | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun Princess MS Sun Princess Sun Princess is a Sun class cruise ship built in 1995 and operated by the Princess Cruises line. At the time of her construction, she was one of the largest cruise ships in the world... |
1995 | Fincantieri | 1995Present | 77,000 tons | Bermuda |
Last Refurbished in 2010 |
| Dawn Princess | 1997 | Fincantieri | 1997Present | 77,000 tons | Bermuda |
Last Refurbished in 2009 |
| Sea Princess | 1998 | Fincantieri | 1998Present | 77,000 tons | Bermuda |
Previously Adonia |
| Coral Princess Coral Princess The Coral Princess is a cruise ship owned and operated by Princess Cruises line. The vessel, along with sister ship Island Princess, was launched in 2002. The Coral Princess and Island Princess are the only two Panamax ships operated by Princess Cruises. She holds the highest paid toll to pass... |
2002 | Chantiers de l'Atlantique Chantiers de l'Atlantique Chantiers de l'Atlantique is part of the South Korean STX Shipbuilding Group and one of the world's largest shipyards, based in Saint-Nazaire, France... |
2002Present | 92,000 tons | Bermuda |
Panamax Panamax Panamax and New Panamax are popular terms for the size limits for ships traveling through the Panama Canal. Formally, the limits and requirements are published by the Panama Canal Authority titled "Vessel Requirements"... -type |
| Island Princess Island Princess Island Princess is a cruise ship for the Princess Cruises line. She is the sister ship to the Coral Princess and together they are the only Panamax ships in Princess's fleet. Built at Chantiers de l'Atlantique - France. The ship features a combined diesel and gas turbine electric powerplant. This... |
2003 | Chantiers de l'Atlantique | 2003Present | 92,000 tons | Bermuda |
Panamax-type |
Explorer Class
| Ship | Built | Builder | Entered service for Princess |
Gross Tonnage | Flag | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ocean Princess | 1999 | Chantiers de l'Atlantique | 2002Present | 30,277 tons | Bermuda |
Previously R Four and Tahitian Princess |
| Pacific Princess Pacific Princess MS Pacific Princess is a cruise ship owned by Princess Cruises and operated by Princess Cruises and P&O Cruises Australia. She was built in 1999 by the Chantiers de l'Atlantique shipyard in St... |
1999 | Chantiers de l'Atlantique | 2003Present | 30,277 tons | Bermuda |
Previously R Three |
Future ships
| Ship | Builder | Delivery | Gross Tonnage Gross tonnage Gross tonnage is a unitless index related to a ship's overall internal volume. Gross tonnage is different from gross register tonnage... |
Registry | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Royal Princess Royal Princess (2013) MS Royal Princess is a cruise ship that is under construction and planned to enter service in 2013 for Princess Cruises.Princess Cruises ordered Royal Princess, as well as a sister ship, both at the time unnamed, on 17 February 2010... |
Fincanteri | 2013 | 141,000 | Bermuda |
Princess Cruises' largest ship ever built |
| unnamed | Fincanteri | 2014 | 141,000 | Bermuda |
Sister to largest Princess ship ever built |
Former fleet
- Princess Paticia (1965-19??) - First Princess ship in the fleet. Current status unknown.
- Princess Italia (1967-1973) - Since 2002 sailing for Louis Cruise LinesLouis Cruise LinesLouis Cruises is a Cyprus-based cruise line that operates cruises from Cyprus, France, Italy, India and Greece . The company also charters several ships to Thomson Cruises...
as SapphireMS SapphireMS Sapphire is a 1967 Italian built cruise ship that most recently operated for Louis Cruise Lines, now laid up at Eleusis Bay awaiting sale.-Construction:...
. - Carla C (1968-1970) - Former SS Flandre of the French Line. Owned by Costa Cruises and marketed as Princess Carla while under charter to Princess, though never formally renamed. Later sold by Costa to Epirotiki Lines and renamed Pallas Athena. She was sold for scrap after being destroyed by a fire in 1994.
- Island Princess (1972—1999) - Since 2003 sailing for Discovery World Cruises as DiscoveryDiscovery (cruise ship)MV Discovery is a cruise ship, currently in operation with Voyages of Discovery-History:...
. - Sun Princess (1974—1989) - Since 2004 sailing for Cruise Elysia as New FlamencoNew Flamenco (ship)The Spirit of London was an Italian built cruise ship put into service in 1972. After being inactive for almost two years the vessel was sold for scrap.-Delayed construction:...
. - Recently sold for scrap at Alang, India in 2010 - Pacific Princess (1975—2002) - Since 2008 sailing for Quail Cruise as PacificPacific (ship)MS Pacific is a cruise ship owned and operated by the Brazil-based Viagens CVC. She was built in 1971 by Nordseewerke, Emden, West Germany as Sea Venture for Flagship Cruises. She operated cruises between the USA and Bermuda, which had been settled by the survivors of the original Sea Venture...
. - Sea Princess (1979—1995) - Since 2008 sailing for Lord Nelson Seereisen as Mona LisaMona Lisa (ship)MV Mona Lisa is a cruise ship that was last owned by Leonardo Shipping and operated under charter by Lord Nelson Seereisen . She was built in 1966 by the John Brown & Company shipyard in Clydebank, Scotland as the combined ocean liner / cruise ship MS Kungsholm for the Swedish American Line. She...
. - Royal Princess (1984—2005) - Since 2005 sailing for P&O CruisesP&O CruisesP&O Cruises is a British-American owned cruise line based at Carnival House in Southampton, England, and operated by Carnival UK. Originally a constituent of the Peninsular & Oriental Steam Navigation Company, P&O Cruises is the oldest cruise line in the world, having operated the world's first...
as ArtemisArtemis (ship)MV Artania , is a cruise ship of the Phoenix Reisen fleet. The ship was built by Wärtsilä at the Helsinki New Shipyard in Helsinki, Finland.- Royal Princess :...
. Recently in 2011, transferred to Phoenix ReisenPhoenix ReisenPhoenix Reisen is a Germany-based travel agency that also operates a fleet of cruise ships. The company first entered the cruise business in 1988 by chartering the Soviet Union-owned cruise ship .-History:...
and sails as Artania. (1988—1997) - Scrapped in Alang, India 2005. - Dawn PrincessDawn PrincessDawn Princess is a Sun class cruise ship built in 1997 in Italy operated by Princess Cruises. The ship features eight restaurants, four swimming pools, five Jacuzzis, seven lounges and bars, and two children centres. Some restaurants offer “anytime dining” where passengers can dine with whom they...
(1988—1993) - Scrapped in Alang, India 2004. - Sky Princess (1988—2000) - Since 2006 sailing for Pullmantur CruisesPullmantur CruisesPullmantur Cruises is a cruise line headquartered in Spain. It began operations in the late 1990s as an offshoot of the Madrid-based travel agency Pullmantur. Pullmantur Cruises, through its parent company, was purchased by Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. in 2006.- Overview :Pullmantur Cruises is the...
as the Sky WonderSky WonderThe Atlantic Star is a cruise ship built in 1984. As of May 2006, she operates in the Pullmantur Cruises fleet, Spain's biggest cruise and tour operator, owned by Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd.-History:The Atlantic Star was built in 1984 by Chantiers de Nord et de la Mediterranee of La Seyne-Sur Mer...
. - Star Princess (1989—1997 ) - Since 2003 sailing for Ocean VillageOcean VillageOcean Village was a British-American owned cruise line, based in Southampton, England. Designed to offer and alternative cruise experience, Ocean Village was founded by P&O Princess Cruises PLC, which later merged with Carnival Corporation to form Carnival Corporation & PLC...
as Ocean VillageOcean Village (ship)For other ships with the same name, see Arcadia .Pacific Pearl is the sixth cruise ship of the P&O Cruises Australia brand. She was built by Chantiers de l'Atlantique, at their shipyard in Saint-Nazaire, France, and launched in 1988 as Sitmar FairMajesty...
. Recently in 2010, transferred to P&O Cruises AustraliaP&O Cruises AustraliaP&O Cruises Australia is a British-American owned cruise line with corporate headquarters at Carnival House in Southampton, England and operational headquarters in North Sydney, New South Wales, Australia...
and sails as Pacific Pearl. - Golden Princess (1993–1996) - Since 2005 sailing for Fred. Olsen Cruise LinesFred. Olsen Cruise LinesFred. Olsen Cruise Lines is a UK based, Norwegian-owned cruise shipping line with four cruise ships. The company headquarters are in Ipswich, Suffolk, United Kingdom and is owned by Bonheur and Ganger Rolf. The company is part of the Fred...
as MV BoudiccaMV BoudiccaMV Boudicca is a cruise ship owned and operated by Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines. She was built in 1973 by Wärtsilä Hietalahti shipyard in Helsinki, Finland as Royal Viking Sky for Nordenfjeldske Dampsibsselskap, Trondheim, who placed the ship in Royal Viking Line service...
. - Regal Princess (1992—2007) - Since 2007 sailing for P&O Cruises AustraliaP&O Cruises AustraliaP&O Cruises Australia is a British-American owned cruise line with corporate headquarters at Carnival House in Southampton, England and operational headquarters in North Sydney, New South Wales, Australia...
as Pacific Dawn. - Crown Princess (1992—2002) - Since 2004-2009, sailed for Ocean VillageOcean VillageOcean Village was a British-American owned cruise line, based in Southampton, England. Designed to offer and alternative cruise experience, Ocean Village was founded by P&O Princess Cruises PLC, which later merged with Carnival Corporation to form Carnival Corporation & PLC...
as Ocean Village Two. In 2009, transferred to P&O Cruises AustraliaP&O Cruises AustraliaP&O Cruises Australia is a British-American owned cruise line with corporate headquarters at Carnival House in Southampton, England and operational headquarters in North Sydney, New South Wales, Australia...
and sails as Pacific Jewel. - Ocean Princess (2000—2002) - Since 2002 sailing for P&O CruisesP&O CruisesP&O Cruises is a British-American owned cruise line based at Carnival House in Southampton, England, and operated by Carnival UK. Originally a constituent of the Peninsular & Oriental Steam Navigation Company, P&O Cruises is the oldest cruise line in the world, having operated the world's first...
as Oceana. - Royal Princess (2007—2011) - Since 2011 sailing for P&O CruisesP&O CruisesP&O Cruises is a British-American owned cruise line based at Carnival House in Southampton, England, and operated by Carnival UK. Originally a constituent of the Peninsular & Oriental Steam Navigation Company, P&O Cruises is the oldest cruise line in the world, having operated the world's first...
as Adonia.