Pacifc Princess goes for scrap

[Copper10-8]

JT, disregard what I said in the previous post! I took another look at your pic and the vessel you are depecting there is the former Spirit of London built (finished) in 1972 at Fincantieri Riva Trigoso Sestri Levente, Italy. She became Sun Princess for Princess Cruises in 1985 (see below) so no affiliation (apart from fleet mate) to sisters Pacific Princess or Island Princess

 

 

Here's a pic of her as Southern Cross (1994-1998), sailing for CTC Lines

 

 

 

 

She was supposedly sold for scrap in 2009 after a year of lay-up off Singapore, having last operated as the hotel ship New Flamenco for Club Cruise in New Caledonia. As of January 2012 it was reported that the ship was renamed Ocean Dream with a dragon painted on her bow. Her operators are listed as Runfeng Ocean Deluxe Cruises and she will apparently be operating cruises from Haikou, China to Halong Bay, Vietnam

This vessel (Spirit of London) was never Discovery! Discovery is the former Island Venture and Island Princess, and is still sailing as Discovery for Voyages of Discovery

[bob brown]

I too am saddened by the loss of this icon. The old Love Boat TV series influenced me to select the Pacific Princess for my first cruise. It was from Whittier to Vancouver in 1991. What a perfect ship! While compact by today's standards, it had everything you could want on a cruise ship except perhaps balcony cabins.

The Love Boat theme was used heavily by Princess in those years. They played the tune on board for the opening of every evenings entertainment. It was used prominently in all TV advertisement. The old tag line "It's more than a cruise, it's the Love Boat", IMHO beats the lame current "Escape Completely". I can only guess they changed to avoid paying royalties.

In the interesting history of this ship was its rescue of the QE2 by evacuating her passengers when the QE2 grounded on a sandbar. I believe there were some other interesting stories as well.

One thing I remember from my cruise was seeing the original name Sea Venture on the ship's builder's plate.

I had hoped to board her again some day for nostalgia, but not to be. Perhaps I better check out her near twin the former Island Princess before that's too late as well....

[Himself]

ms Sea Venture (1971-present) Built in 1971 as ms Sea Venture by Rheinstahl Nordseewerke GmbH, Emden, (then) West Germany for Norwegian-based Flagship Cruises. She departed on her maiden voyage on 8 May 1971 and would operate on the New York City to Hamilton, Bermuda run as well as on Caribbean cruises for Flagship but only for one month shy of four years.

 

 

In April 1975, she was sold (along with her sister Island Venture) to the UK-based P&O Group and assigned to Princess Cruises as Pacific Princess with her sister becoming Island Princess. Princess would initially use her for cruises to The Mexican Riviera out of Los Angeles (San Pedro), summer itineraries to Alaska and a gradual expansion via the Panama Canal into the Caribbean. Later on, she would be used for world-wide cruising.

 

 

Princess Cruises agreed to have both these ships featured in the televison romantic weekly sitcom "The Love Boat", which debuted in May 1977 and would stay in production for nine seasons. The ship featured in nearly every episode of the series (which was filmed primarily on sets in a production studio) was Pacific Princess, although other ships also appeared, including Island Princess. The term "Love Boat" was heavily used by Princess Cruises in their marketing, and became synonymous with the Pacific Princess. The success of the television show, which remained on the air until 1986, is largely credited with the increase in popularity of cruise ship travel in Nortn America.

 

Pacific Princess was sold in 2001 to Seahawk North America Inc, Nassau, Bahamas, but was leased back immediately and continued to operate as part of the Princess fleet until 2002, when the former Renaissance Cruises R-Three replaced her and took her name. Pacific Princess made her final voyage with Princess Cruises in October/November 2002, sailing from New York City to Rome (Civitavecchia), Italy.

 

 

She then began operating for Spanish-based tour operator Pullmantur Cruises under the new name Pacific, sailing in the Caribbean as well as in the Meditteranean from Valencia, Spain.

 

 

In December 2007, she was aquired by Brasilian tour operator Viagens CVC Tur Ltda, Sao Paulo. They operated her out of Sao Paulo during the Southern hemisphere summer. Between April and October 2008 she was chartered to newly-established Spanish-based Quail Cruises to operate Western Med cruises out of Valencia.

 

 

In October 2008, she was seen in Valencia, still in Quail Cruises livery, and listing slightly to port. She had failed certain safety tests, and consequently had been "arrested" by the Spanish

Authorities. This cancelled her South American winter cruise and forced Quail to use the former Cunard Countess (now Ocean Countess) as a replacement.

 

Pacific, subsequently arrived at the San Giorgio Del Porto shipyard in Genoa, Italy in November 2008 for repairs as a result of corrosion and generator problems. She was due to go back in service for Quail in July 2009, sailing seven-day cruises once again from Valencia, Spain through November.

 

 

On 15 July 2009 however, Pacific was seized by the Guardia Costiera/Italian Coast Guard while still at Genoa due to a financial debt of U.S. 14 million owed to the shipyard by Quail Cruises and her owners, Templeton International Inc..

In order to liquidate the debt amount, the Italian authorities tried to sell the Pacific by auction three times between 2010 and 2011, but no one made any offer for her. On March 6th, 2012, it was announced that the ship had been sold for 2.5 million euros to the Turkish company "Cemsan", which specializes in ship breaking, officially declaring the end for the Pacific. Current plans are for the ship to be towed to her final destination in Aliaga, Turkey

 

Thank you for your information. You knowledge of ships is awsome and you are a polethera of good solid information.

[3rdGenCunarder]

We saw the Discovery in Darwin, Australia a few weeks ago. Everyone was telling us it was the "Love Boat." I was suprised because the last I knew was the sale to Pullmantur. Now that confusion has been cleared up.

 

We saw Pacific Princess in St Georges, Bermuda when we were on a different ship. I thought, "OK, next year we're going to Bermuda on the Love Boat!!" But the next year, she was out of the Princess fleet.

 

A few years after that, we were in Barbados on QM2. I looked down from the forward outlook at the smaller ship docked in front of us. I saw those two or three round pools and thought, "I know that ship, but I've never been on her. How can that be?" It drove me crazy for a few minutes until I flashed on a mental picture of all those scenes at night by the round pools, and how they floated candles in the pools. And then I knew who she was!

 

When we walked by, sure enough, she was now just the "Pacific," but you could see where "Princess" had been painted over. I think the conversion to Pullmantur was done on the cheap.

 

It's always sad to see a famous ship sold "down the food chain," and eventually go to scrap.

[JYGresham]

When my husband retired we sailed once or twice a year for about ten years as bridge lecturers and directors on both the Pacific and sister ship Island Princesses. Many fond memories and started us on a love of cruising which we have continued. Our next is on Zuiderdam, April 9.

[jayteeaitch]

Thanks Copperman - your info is great.

 

Reading the thread over again - its not surprising how easy it is to get confused :confused: - with all these boats produced in the early 70's - the Dawn of Cruise ships????

 

They had a design shape and character - and were a nice size to get into small ports - and no more than 1000 pacs:)

 

I wonder if some day - in around 40 years - people will be just as confused with the Monoliths being built and used for cruising today.:confused:

 

Will they confuse them with the Sheep and cattle carriers that we see leaving Australian/Argentine ports today - honestly - I really can't see much difference between the new Qs and Hal's big boats - and the cattle boats.:eek:

 

Please HAL - don't discard your smaller ships just yet - especially Zaandam - great to look at - inside and out - well - not until I have finished cruising anyway:D

[MrsMuir]

I didn't go online yesterday and missed this sad news. Of course I have to add my condolences to this lovely lady, Pacific Princess. With all due respect to DH, whom I met after my initial, single cruising days, I had the time of my life aboard Pacific Princess. She was my first ship, and I like to think she sailed sweeter for me than any other master -- oh wait, that's from "The Ghost and Mrs Muir."

 

Pacific Princess was my first ship: I fell in love with the Electrical Engineer, a Welshman named Ian, and had my heart broken at no extra cost. It was on that cruise that I first heard of Monty Python: all the lads were saying "nudge, nudge," and talking about a parrot who had expired and I had no idea what they were going on about. The disco was the Skal Bar, and my best friend Joan and I danced the night away with the officers in their formal jackets and cummerbunds; each one so handsome and so British -- who could resist? Ian did visit me later, but on dry land he wasn't the same.

 

The next year, on an Alaskan cruise with Joan, I met an engineering officer from Durham who wasn't much to look at in his boiler suit but who was ruddy-cheeked and darling in his uniform. He joined Joan and me and shipboard friends aboard the Skagway to White Pass train. He brought a thermos of Harvey Wallbangers and some "sammies" and we had our own picnic on the rocks at White Pass while the others dined on (shudder) reindeer at the lodge below. When we were at Juneau, I think it was, the Island Princess was also at anchor and we went aboard her for a "pourout" with their officers.

 

Another time we celebrated Ramadan in the Chief Engineer's quarters with several other officers, eating with our right hands in the Muslim tradition and drinking Heineken. The meal, prepared by the Indonesian crew's chef, was so good we all just stretched out and fell asleep on the floor. At the end of that magical cruise, Rod told me that he had a girlfriend back in England. I was crushed but kept the flame alive with him just the same. I had a little card that permitted me aboard the ship whenever she called at San Pedro -- all I had to do was flash it and I was aboard. Rod and I would join the pourout in the Chief Engineer's day room until the ship's horn sounded and the tannoy told all visitors to go ashore. The last time I saw him I told him I'd met someone else, my future DH. I heard later that he was so upset he burned himself down in the boiler room and had been comforted by a pretty nurse.

 

DH and I boarded the Pacific Princess together when she called in Seattle in 1979 or 1980. The Chief Engineer, who had been my Dutch uncle on my Princess cruises, had invited us to lunch aboard. Unfortunately he was unable to join us due to technical problems.

 

I'm so glad that the "IP" -- as we called the Island Princess -- continues to ply the oceans. I worked aboard her for a week to see if I could give up my good job on land. Sometimes I wish I had accepted the shops position, but then I look at DH and am convinced I made the right decision.

 

Thank you, Pacific Princess, for all the memories.

 

Mrs M

[Topsham]

Here is a very rare shot of the PP outbound from Sydney in 1976.

 

Not the funnel colours.... Princess Cruises turquoise top but the 'Vomiting Witch' logo painted over... and the main part of the funnel painted in P&O buff!

 

Taken by a friend in New Zealand.

[jayteeaitch]

Thanks again copperman - may I ask another "Princess" Question :confused:

 

I dont see this one - Sea Princess) mentioned anywhere in the thread.

 

we sailed on her for 30 days early 1980 form Melbourne to Hk and here she is offshore at Bali

 

She was P&O and her crew told us that she was the sister to The Love Boat and many of her crew had been on that ship on Alaskan cruises

 

During our cruise we had a break in Singapore whilst she went into the British Naval Base to have her engines done over - and when we got to HK - see had a complete paint job

 

What Happened to her eventually:confused:

[Copper10-8]

Thanks again copperman - may I ask another "Princess" Question

 

I dont see this one - Sea Princess) mentioned anywhere in the thread.

 

we sailed on her for 30 days early 1980 form Melbourne to Hk and here she is offshore at Bali

 

She was P&O and her crew told us that she was the sister to The Love Boat and many of her crew had been on that ship on Alaskan cruises

 

During our cruise we had a break in Singapore whilst she went into the British Naval Base to have her engines done over - and when we got to HK - see had a complete paint job

 

What Happened to her eventually

 

The ship you're referring to was launched in 1965 as Kungsholm after being built by John Brown & Company, Clydebank, Scotland. Kungsholm was operated by the Svenska Amerika Linjen or Swedish America Line as a trans-Atlantic liner used on their Gothenburg-New York City route.

In 1975, the Swedish America Line dissolved and Kungsholm was sold to Flagship Cruises, who retained her name and used her for cruising from the USA.

She was purchased by P&O in 1978 and they renamed her Sea Princess and based her in Australia where she replaced the ss Arcadia. Sea Princess herself was replaced in Australia by ss Oriana, three years later in 1981. She went back to the UK (still for P&O) and for Princess Cruises.

P&O renamed her Victoria in 1995, because a new Sea Princess (1998-2003 & 2005-present) was in the making.

She subsequently sailed as Mona Lisa (2002-2006) for German operator Holiday Kreuzfahrten, as a hotel ship in Quatar (2006), as Oceanic II (2007) for RCCL, Louis Hellenic Cruises, Spanish operator Pullmantur Cruises and for the Scholar Ship international education program (2007-2008). Still in 2008, she became Mona Lisa again for German operator Lord Nelson Seereisen. In 2008 and the first half of 2009 she sailed for the Japanese Peace Boat organization and for the remainder of that year, she was back with Lord Nelson Seereisen. For the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, BC, she served as an accomodation ship in Squamish, BC and then back to Lord Nelson (until August 2010).

[Copper10-8]

Her future since that date has been somewhat messy. A Swedish

entrepeneur had plans to bring her home to Gothenburg, Sweden as a floating hotel/museum under her orinal name of Kungsholm. Those plans have fallen through! Since October 2010, Mona Lisa has found a new home at Duqm, Oman as a luxury floating hotel

[euro cruiser]

There is more to the story. I think your information is only partly correct.

You might want to take that up with Princess, as Asiwish's information was taken directly from their web site: http://www.princess.com/news/article.jsp?newsArticleId=na960&submit=pk

[ASIWISH]

How did you post such LARGE pictures..???

 

Every time I post pictures they come up as small little thumbnails.

 

I love the large pictures!!!

[GeorgesGal]

So sad! I took the Pacific Princess transatlantic in '87, the "year of Donna" as one of my presents to myself celebrating my divorce! It was a wonderful ship, and travelling solo for the first time in my lefe, I met some interesting fellow passengers.

 

It is a trip I'll always remember, and my first experience dining at the Captain's Table!

[jayteeaitch]

Thanks Copper 10 - much appreciated for taking sooooh much trouble:)

Good to see she is still alive and not razor blades.

 

We must have been on her for her last Aussie trip in '81 and maybe that's why they renovated her for the long voyage back to UK.

 

Our recent cruise on Zaandam - was only our second since then.:(