Your first cruise ship

[Copper10-8]

Copper: Great information and pics. Thanks, don't know why I never started to read this thread before.

 

First voyage (other than overnight ferries,) transatlantic on the ??? Maru, a Japanese freighter in 1957. 11 pax, we took it so we could arive in NY with our VW (4 guys). Loved every minute on board and had the opportunity to visit the bridge for a couple of hours while land and a lot of ships were still visible, and the engine room. Both before and after I delivered stores to Jap freighters in the LA harbor area, and always found the ship and crew to be immaculate.. No exception on this ship. Everybody dined with an officer, and one was a DR. A retired DR. for max 12 pax on a freighter!

 

First cruise: DW won it and I can't remember when. A 4 day NCL cruise from Miami to the Bahamas. Unfortunately, we had kids to raise (Well not that bad, lot's of fun but no money to cruise with all) so it was a while before we started cruising.

 

Favorite ships: NCL Crown last year before she left the NCL line. Most comfortable ship we've been on. Star Clippers Royal Clipper, most beautiful ship by far.

 

Crown Odyssey (1988-present) Built in 1988 as Crown Odyssey by the Jos L. Meyer Werft GmbH, Papenburg, (then) West Germany for Greece-based Royal Cruise Line for world-wide cruising. The contract for the vessel was signed in April 1985 at a cost of U.S. $150 million. The first section was laid on 30 April 1987 and, after six months of intense work, the ship was floated out for the first time on 1 November 1987. The 34,240 gross registered ton ship with a passenger capacity of 1,050 souls was one of the earliest vessels to introduce private verandahs and an atrium lobby. Reminiscent of the day of the ocean liner, Crown Odyessey came equipped with an indoor swimming pool.

 

Crown Odyssey's technical trials were conducted from 20 to 30 December 1987. The ship was named and christened on 14 May 1988 by her godmother, Irene Panagopoulos, daughter of Royal Cruise Line president and CEO Pericles Panagopoulos. She was subsequently delivered to her owners on 31 May 1988, two weeks ahead of schedule. Panagopoulos, the line's owner, called the vessel his idea of a perfect cruise ship. On 4 June 1988 she left Emden, West Germany for Tilbury, England. For her maiden cruise, Crown Odyssey departed Tilbury on 7 June 1988 for a thirteen-day Baltic cruise, continuing with this series and itinerary until 25 August. Crown Odyssey then made a transatlantic crossing to New York City from where she operated two cruises to New England and Canada.

 

The ship then sailed to Los Angeles, CA via a trans (Panama) Canal crossing which would become her home port during the 1988-1989 winter with cruises to the Mexican Riviera and Panama Canal. Crown Odyssey, as had Royal Cruise Line in fifteen years, built up a loyal clientele of mostly mature cruises, many of which were repeaters looking for novel itineraries, value for money and good service onboard.

 

 

On 17 November 1989, Royal Cruise Line was purchased for U.S. two hundred twenty-five million dollars by Knut Kloster's Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL). Under KLoster's wing, RCL continued to operate as a separate line however, only a year after the purchase, Royal Cruise Line started to lose its identity. In 1990, their ships (Golden Odyssey, Royal Odyssey and Crown Odyssey) were re-flagged to Nassau in the Bahamas and their Greek crews were swapped out to become "international".

 

In the early nineties, the Kloster Group (Norwegian Cruise Line, Royal Cruise Line and Royal Viking Line) ran into financial problems. In 1995, they were near bankruptcy and it was rumored that Carnival was a potential buyer.

 

Only Norwegian Cruise Line (parent company NCL Holdings) would survive as in December 1995, Royal Viking Line was sold off and Royal Cruise Line dismantled. On 30 March 1996 Crown Odyssey was renamed Norwegian Crown and assigned to NCL. She maintained her pattern of longer cruises however, operating Baltic and Norwegian Fjord itineraries in the summer of 1996. For the next two years, she sailed both South American 1997-1998 winter and Bermuda (from New York) 1998 summer itineraries.

 

 

In NCL service, additional features were added to appeal to NCL's younger, sports-minded passengers, including TV sets and hair-dryers in the cabins. The wicker-chaired Lido Bar was turned into NCL's signature sports bar, its glass walls extended into the aft deck area to make room for big-screen TV sets. More durable soft furnishings that replaced leather and ultra-suede chair and sofa coverings gradually appeared, so that now only the brass, marble, and polished granite surfaces (and a few glove leather sofas in the Forum) remained from her Crown Odyssey days.

 

In 1998 NCL Holdings purchased Orient Lines, a destination orientated operator founded in 1992, which operated one ship, the Marco Polo. As a result of expansion plans for this new branch, an announcement was made in April 1999 that Norwegian Crown would be transferred to Orient Line and once again renamed Crown Odyssey.

 

After finishing her South America season for NCL, she was delivered to Orient Line on 13 April 2000 in San Juan, PR. From there, she crossed the Atlantic to the Mediterranean island of Malta where she underwent a complete refit. Among her major changes, her Yacht Club was transformed into a double-line buffet and a much larger casual dining area and her former Penthouse Bar became the Cafe Italia for casual buffet dinners. Other changes involved the Top of the Crown, renamed Le Bar, observation and The Club lounges and the Lido Bar. New additions included a meeting room off the casino and a small internet center nearby. Her library was moved to the card room area and her Coronet Theater was updated.

 

Private verandas adorn the vessel's 16 deluxe suites, called apartments, each with separated sleeping and living areas plus dining table and chairs, marble bathroom with whirlpool tub and shower, and walk-in closets. Four other accommodations categories are termed suites and standard inside and outside cabins measure from 154 to 165 square feet, with two lower beds and bathroom with shower. Most, but not all of the ship's cabins have twin beds that can be rearranged as a queen-size bed.

 

 

Upon emerging from her refit in May 2000 and while berthed in Istanbul, Turkey, the ship was officialy re-christened Crown Odyssey by her new godmother, Lady June Hillary, the wife of Sir Edmund Hillary of Mount Everest fame. According to Deborah Natansohn, Orient Lines' president that day, "The Crown Odyssey always had a loyal following of passengers who appreciated unusual destinations and the camaraderie which develops on board a mid-size liner. That's why we decided to revert to the original name." With the addition of Crown Odyssey, Orient Line could boast a two-ship fleet that cruises all seven continents. That same afternoon, she departed Istanbul on her maiden voyage for Orient, a 12-day Mediterranean cruise that would terminate in Barcelona, Spain.

 

Crown Odyssey operated worldwide year-round itineraries that complemented those aboard the line's Marco Polo. In the summer and fall of 2000, she ran Mediterranean itineraries that stretched from Lisbon to Istanbul. In November 2000, the ship set sail on a series of "Grand Voyages" from 27 to 40 days to ports in Africa, the Indian Ocean, Southeast Asia, Australia, New Zealand, and the South Pacific.

 

 

After three years of operating Crown Odyssey next to Marco Polo, Orient Lines reverted to operating with just one ship - Marco Polo - when Crown Odyssey was returned to the NCL fleet in September 2003. She received a refurbishment at the Sembawang shipyard in Singapore and reverted back to the name Norwegian Crown.

 

During this refit, NCL added three new restaurants to the ship including its signature alternative restaurant, Le Bistro. The restaurant seats 70 guests and is decorated in coral, green and gold colors. Large, wood banquettes ensure intimate dining spaces while gold sconces along the walls provide a romantic atmosphere. Classic chairs from France and etched glass completed the addition. NCL also added The Pasta Café as well as an Asian themed restaurant, Chopsticks.

Norwegian Crown began her second tour with Norwegian Cruise Line offering a diverse set of itineraries sailing from Philadelphia, PA on a series of seven-day cruises to Bermuda. In late summer she shifted to New York, again for a number of sailings to Bermuda before ending the Bermuda season in the fall with a series of Baltimore departures. Winter found her in South America offering a series of 14-day sailings between Buenos Aires, Argentine and Valparaiso, Chile highlighted by optional flyovers of Antarctica and scenic cruising through Chile's fjords.

 

On 25 May 2006, NCL Corporation announced that its parent company, Malaysian-based Star Cruises, had agreed to sell Norwegian Crown to British-based Fred Olsen Cruise Lines effective August 2006. Star Cruises immediately chartered the vessel back from Fred. Olsen for fifteen months and NCL continued to operate her until November 2007. Her last NCL cruise was on 28 October, 2007.

 

Before that however, on 8 June Norwegian Crown ran aground on a sandbar in Bermuda between Dockyard and Spanish Point. She was eventually freed by three tugs that same evening.

 

Fred Olsen took delivery of the ship on 7 November, 2007 and renamed her Balmoral after the Balmoral estate, the British Royal family's residence located in the Aberdeenshire area of Scotland. Before putting her in service, Fred Olsen decided to have Balmoral undergo a major refit at the Blohm + Voss shipyard in Hamburg, Germany. The work included the insertion of a 99-foot mid-section that had been built at the Schichau Seebeckwerft in Bremerhaven and floated into the Blohm + Voss yard at the end of October 2007. The refit added a further 186 passenger and 53 crew cabins and increased her size to 43,537 gross registered tons. It also added 60 new balconies along with new and updated public areas. The work was done to incease the ship's appeal to the British cruise market. Balmoral departed Hamburg in January 2008, crossed the Atlantic, and departed Miami, Fl on her inaugural cruise to the Caribbean on 13 February 2008. For most of the year Balmoral operates out of Dover, England.

 

 

 

During a 21 January 2009 cruise the ship sailed into rough weather in the Bay of Biscay smashing through 50 foot waves and 60 mph winds. Two of her passengers were subsequently sent to a hospital in La Coruna, Spain for serious injuries.

 

For April 2012, Balmoral has been chartered by British travel agency Miles Morgan Travel to follow the original route of the Titanic, on 14 April 2012 intending to stop over the point on the sea bed where the ocean liner rests. A special memorial service will be conducted after which the 12-night cruise will continue to Halifax, NS where shore excursions will include a visit to the Fairview Lawn cemetery where 121 Titanic victims are burried. The charter cruise will terminate at New York City.

[Kreader]

My first cruise was on HAL's old Rotterdam on Sept.28,1981. 11 days-Carribean islands and Bermuda. I chose this ship because at the time it also did a world cruise. Beautiful ship. Went with Singleworld(no longer around)-Got matched up with a roommate,and ate with other singles. Always remembered I would go to the evening production show,then to the disco(which closed at 1 AM),THEN usually went to the nightclub where a live band would play until 2-3AM! I had much more stamina back then! Such great memories of that first cruise. Only been on 6 other HAL cruises since then,althought HAL is still my favorite cruiseline. Looking forward to my next HAL cruise-Panama Canal on the Statendam this Sept. 30th. This is a great thread! Kendra

[Copper10-8]

Some add'l pics of the former Crown Odyssey:

 

 

As Crown Odyssey for Royal Cruise Line

 

 

As Crown Odyssey for Orient Line in Dunedin, New Zealand 2002

 

 

As Norwegian Crown for NCL in New York City in 2007

 

 

As Balmoral for Fred Olsen in Venice, Italy in 2008

 

 

As Balmoral for Fred Olsen in the Kiel Canal, Germany in 2008

 

 

As Balmoral for Fred Olsen riding it out off A Coruna, Spain in 2009

[Copper10-8]

First cruise was 2 years ago on the Star Princess to Alaska. Loved every minute of it!!! We will be sailing to Alaska again in July on the Zaandam. We're also talking about a cruise in 2 years to Canada/New England. We may be hooked on this.

 

ms Star Princess (2002-present) Built in 2002 as ms Star Princess by Fincantieri - Cantieri Navali Italiani S.p.A., Monfalcone, Italy for Los Angeles-based Princess Cruises. Star Princess is a member of the Grand-class of vessels which exists of several series of sister ships, built by two different yards, Fincantieri's Monfalcone Yard in Italy and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries’ Nagasaki yard in Japan. Star Princess, a 108,977 gross registered ton vessel, differs slightly from her two older sisters Grand (1998) and Golden (2001) in her upper deck layout, having an extra plunge pool (and one less hot tub) on her stern (deck 15) as well as with the deletion of the "Off Limits" teenagers' hot tub & sunbathing area which is featured further forward on her two predecessors.

Within the Grand class of ships, there are a series of sub-classes. The first vessel, Grand Princess, debuted in 1998 and pioneered the design that has been carried through each modified class. Like the Grand Princess, for a short time the largest cruise ship in the world, Star Princess has the Skywalkers nightclub suspended over the stern, thereby providing the "shopping cart" or "rear spoiler" look. The dramatic trademark disco/observation lounge is accessible only by a glass-enclosed, moving "skywalk." The second (sub) class, the Gem class, modified the placement of Skywalkers to directly aft of the funnel. The Gem class also modified and thereby increased the number of restaurants, not found on all Grand-class ships. The third (sub) class, the Caribbean-class, is another modification separate from the Gem class. They have an additional deck, however Skywalkers is back suspended on the stern. The final (sub) class, the Crown class, came out with the extra deck and the relocation of Skywalkers to aft of the funnel. In total, there are nine ships with a Grand-class design operating in the Princess fleet.

Like her sister ships, Star Princess offers her passengers the benefits of a "big ship choice with a small ship feel," as well as the many innovations that made headlines when Grand Princess debuted. Among her amenities are three dining rooms and three main show lounges, one of the largest casinos at sea, an expanded youth center with activities for three age groups, Princess exclusives, a swim-against-the-current pool, a nine-hole putting course, the Lotus Spa, the largest spa facility in the fleet offering the company's extensive new lineup of services, a 24-hour AOL Internet Cafe and the Heats and Minds dedicated wedding chapel for Princess' exclusive wedding-at-sea program, featuring an online "wedding cam" to broadcast the nuptials to loved ones at home. On board, passengers have plenty of opportunities to tailor their vacation with the line's innovative Personal Choice Cruising program. One of its key elements is the popular Personal Choice Dining experience, which provides passengers with many dining alternatives featuring diverse atmospheres and cuisine. In the main dining rooms passengers can choose between the restaurant-style Anytime Dining option, allowing them to dine when and with whom they wish between the hours of 5:30 p.m. and 10 p.m.; and Traditional Fixed Seating -- with an assigned dining time, tablemates and wait staff. Or, they can choose among other special eateries, including an Italian Trattoria, a southwestern restaurant and a 24-hour buffet and bistro.

Star Princess’ naming ceremony on 25 January 2002 took place at the Monfalcone shipyard. Her godmother was Gunilla Antonini, spouse of Dr. Conrado Antonini, Executive chairman of Fincantieri Cantieri Navali Italiani. The ship then set off on a positioning cruise to Singapore, followed by her inaugural voyage, a 26-day cruise from Singapore to Los Angeles, CA on 13 February 2002. Princess had made the decision to make her their year-round North American west coast ship. On 10 March 2002, Star Princess sailed into the Port of Los Angeles in San Pedro, her new home port to the beaches of Mexico. Following a series of preview cruises, the vessel departed the Port of L.A. on 16 March for her first 7-day Mexican Riviera sailing to Puerto Vallarta, Mazatlan and Cabo San Lucas. Star Princess was the largest and most amenity-filled ship ever to serve this cruise market. During the 2002 summer season, Star Princess sailed between her other home port, Vancouver, BC, and Seward, AK on the line's "Voyage of the Glaciers" itinerary with calls at Ketchikan, Juneau and Skagway, in addition to a visit of the awe-inspiring Glacier Bay National Park on every cruise. Since that time, Star Princess has been found in Asia, Australia/New Zealand, Europe, the Caribbean, Canada/New England and South America/Antarctica.

On 19 March 2006, Star Princess departed Ft. Lauderdale, Fl on a regularly scheduled western Caribbean cruise with 2,690 passengers and 1,123 crew onboard. After having left Grand Cayman and while en-route to Montego Bay, Jamaica on 23 March 2006, at about 3 am, a fire broke out in an external stateroom balcony, mid-ships, port-side on deck 10. Shortly thereafter, the general emergency signal was sounded, which awakened her guests. Star Princess’ passengers reported to their muster stations (public rooms aboard the ship) some through smoke-filled corridors, where they were organized into groups. The evacuation and assembly was reportedly to be orderly. The ships’ lifeboats were lowered, but this ultimately proved to be unnecessary as the fire was eventually contained and doused and the ship able to proceed into Montego Bay under her own power.

A subsequent investigation revealed that the fire was ‘probably’ caused by a discarded cigarette left burning on a balcony and by the heating of combustible materials which smoldered for about 20 minutes before flames developed. Once established, the fire spread rapidly along adjacent balconies and, assisted by a strong wind over the deck, it spread up to decks 11 and 12 and within 6 minutes onto other stateroom balconies. After a further 24 minutes, it had spread into staterooms at the heat of the fire shattered the glass in stateroom balcony doors, but was contained by each stateroom fixed fire-fighting smothering system, the restricted combustibility, and their thermal boundaries. As the fire progressed, large amounts of dense black smoke were generated from the combustible materials on the balconies and the balcony partitions. This smoke entered adjacent staterooms and alleyways and hampered the evacuation of passengers, particularly on deck 12.

The fire was extinguished by Star Princess’ fire teams within 1.5 hours after it started. The crew fought the fire with water hoses from adjacent external areas and from internal hallways. Difficulty was experienced in reaching the fire due to the construction and partitioning of the balcony areas. Unfortunately, a 72-year old male passenger died from "asphyxia secondary to inhalation of smoke and irrespirable gasses" and thirteen other passengers as well as four crew members suffered from the effects of significant smoke inhalation.

Upon arrival in Montego Bay, the Star Princess’ passengers were evacuated to various hotels in Jamaica and subsequently flown home. With 79 cabins destroyed and a further 218 damaged by fire, smoke and/or water, Star Princess sailed to Freeport, the Bahamas on 25 March 2006 where she was prepared for a transatlantic crossing to Bremerhaven, Germany for repairs (The cabins heavily damaged by the fire were stripped out). Her remaining Caribbean cruises and a transatlantic cruise were cancelled, with the anticipation that she would begin her summer season in the Baltic in mid-May.

The ship was repaired at the Lloyd Werft in Bremerhaven where 73 new cabins and six mini-suites were installed, together with all of their electric equipment and cabling, plumbing, and ventilation systems. In addition to installing the new cabins, Lloyd Werft refurbished an additional 126 cabins, many of which had suffered water and smoke damage. She set sail again on the 13 May 2006 and resumed its regular service on 15 May from Coppenhagen, Denmark. Her passengers on that cruise reported that the only noticeable differences were a strong smell of new carpeting, the addition of sprinklers to all her balconies and the replacement of plastic furniture with non-combustible alternatives.

The 2010/2011 cruise season will find her home-ported at Copenhagen, Denmark, Civitavecchia (Rome) and Venice, Italy, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Buenos Aires, Argentina and Ft. Lauderdale, Fl.

Edited July 7, 2010 by Copper10-8

[westlab]

First cruise was 1963 from NYC to Europe. I don't remember the name of the ship or the European Port. I was young and we partied all the way.

[Salin' Shoes]

First was SS Norway in 1987. Previously the SS France. She had a passageway with windows underneath the upper deck pool. Sort of a "people aquarium" :D

[yenta]

Our first was on the Cunard Ambassador, I think in the late 70's. She later caught fire and became a cattle ship, I believe.

[Sir PMP]

August 1991, the old Nieuw Amsterdam, 7 day Alaska, and look now....

[westlab]

Now I remember, my first cruise was Empress of Britain in 1963. About all I remember is that I was in tourist class with a group of other young people. I remember that we partied, which others did not appreciate. Oh, the young. Originally, I was thinking it left from NYC, but now I do remember, it sailed from Montreal.

[bobalink]

My first cruise was on the Diamond Princess in 2006. I thought it was so beautiful, I loved it and got hooked on cruising.

 

I think all the Princess ships that I have sailed on are beautiful. Diamond, Coral and Emerald.

 

Carnival Elation and Royal Caribbean Monarch... not so nice. They looked old and tired, like something out of of Las Vegas in the 70's.

 

Looking forward to my upcoming cruise, first time on HAL, on the Noordam.

Lots of people on CC really like the Noordam.

[Copper10-8]

Copper, I see what happened to the SS Norway but what about The Pearl of Scandinavia?

 

Thanks.

 

ms Finlandia (1967-2009) Built in 1967 as car/passenger ferry ms Finlandia by Wärtsilä Hietalahti shipyard in Helsinki, Finland for Suomen Höyrylaiva Osakeyhtiö aka the Finland Steamship Company. During the early 1960s Finland Steamship Company's service between Finland, Denmark and West Germany was operated by ageing steamers without car decks, the most recent of which had been built in 1927! In 1962 another Finnish company, Finnlines, began competing with Finland SS Co on the service to West Germany with their car/passenger ferry ms Hansa Express. Two notably larger ferries, ms Finnhansa and ms Finnpartner were under construction and due to enter service on the service for Finnlines in 1966. In order to compete with Finnlines' state-of-the-art ferries, Finland SS Co placed an order for an even larger car/passenger ferry with Wärtsilä Hietalahti shipyard in Helsinki, Finland on 8 April 1965. The new ship had accommodation for 1,000 passengers, with berths for 647 of them. In keeping with the liner tradition the berths were divided between first and tourist class

The concept of the new Finland SS Co vessel, eventually to be named Finlandia, was essentially the same as that of ms Ilmatar, built by the Wärtsilä shipyard for Finland SS Co in 1964. A notable exception was that the new Finlandia would be built with a full-length car-deck that could be accessed from gates in both the stern and bow, whereas the Ilmatar had a smaller, side-loadable car deck. Finlandia’s large size meant she could replace all three steamers operated by Finland SS Co on the service to West Germany.

Ms Finlandia was launched on 25 August 1966 and named that same date by her godmother, Mrs. Louise Ehrnrooth, wife of Goran J. Ehrnrooth, member of the Wärtsilä Board of Directors. The ship was completed on 10 May 1967 and delivered to their owners that same day on a cruise outside the Harmaja lighthouse in Helsinki. Finland’s president Urho Kekkonen and his wife were on board as invited guests for the delivery cruise which was made in heavy fog.

On 25 May 1967 Finlandia entered service on Finland Steamship Company's Helsinki, Finland to Travemunde, West Germany via Copenhagen, Denmark route. She was the largest car/passenger ferry in the world at the time and the fastest ferry on the Baltic Sea, capable of crossing the Baltic in just 44 hours. Her facilities were notably superior to the old Finland SS Co ships she had replaced, and she gained immediate popularity.

In February 1969, following the sale of their ms Finnpartner, Finnlines and Finland SS Co entered into a joint service agreement. From February through March 1974, Finlandia was fitted with retractable fin stabilizers. In 1975, faced with an economical downturn and increased fuel prices, Finland Steamship Company and Finnlines decided to further reorganize by extending their joint operation to cargo shipping. As a part of that agreement on 16 June 1975, Finnlines took over the entire Finland-West Germany traffic and with it the ms Finlandia. Besides being painted in Finnlines' livery, Finlandia continued without changes—she retained her old name, her old homeport and her old route, with a call at Copenhagen in addition to Helsinki and Travemünde.

While in the port of Travemünde on 1 July 1975 a fire broke out in the Finlandia's galley. Before it could be controlled, the fire spread to the radio cabin and officer's mess. The galley, radio cabin and mess were all destroyed by the fire, and Finlandia had to be repaired at Kiel, West Germany before she could proceed with normal service. In May 1977 the new Finnjet was delivered to the company and she immediately replaced Finlandia on the Finland-Germany run. As a result, Finlandia was chartered to TT-Saga Linjen (Line) between May and August 1977 for service on their Helsingborg-Malmo-Travemunde route. In November 1977 Finlandia returned to service with Finnlines as a freighter only, on their Helsinki-Copenhagen-Lubeck service for a period of eight weeks. She was then laid up until the summer of 1978 when she returned to service on the Finland to Germany run.

In 1978 Finnlines decided to convert Finlandia's interiors to cruise ship standards while partially retaining her car deck. Between 5 September 1978 and 3 January 1979 she was heavily rebuilt at the Wärtsilä Turku shipyard. To facilitate dual use as a ferry on the Baltic during the summer high season and cruising during the remainder of the year, her interiors and accommodations were upgraded to cruise ship standards with new cabins installed on the upper level of the car deck, while retaining her lower level car deck so that she could continue transporting passenger cars. Her bow gate was sealed so that cars could only be loaded and unloaded from the stern. Following the reconstruction she could accommodate 576 all-berth passengers. Externally her mid-ship dummy funnel was removed and her rear exhaust pipes were redesigned. Coinciding with the reconstruction she was renamed MS Finnstar.

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When she emerged from the yard she re-entered service on 8 January 1979 with a cruise on the west coast of Africa. During the winter season she made cruises on the African coast for Finnlines and during the spring and fall she cruised the Mediterranean and Norwegian Fjords under charter to German company Hapag-Lloyd Cruises. Lastly, during the summer season she was used by Finnlines as a ferry on the Helsinki-Slite-Copenhagen run, as well as on cruises from Helsinki to Leningrad, Slite and Tallinn. On 19 November 1979 she became the first Finnish-flagged cruise ship to cross the Equator.

Similar to Finnlines' previous attempts to enter the cruise business,

Finnstar proved to be largely unsuccessful however. She was a relatively small vessel, unable to cater to the expectations of the international market. Her operational costs were also notably higher than those of her main competitors. Her West African cruises were considered too high class to be sold at a reasonable price in the small Finnish cruise market. An additional factor was the competition from her former fleetmate Ilmatar which was used on similar cruises aimed at the Finnish market by Silja Line. Finnstar's prospect were further worsened in 1980, when crewing costs increased following the Finnish maritime strike of 1980. As a result of the increasing losses generated by the ship, Finnlines decided to give up their cruise traffic in 1980. Finnstar's last cruise terminated in Barcelona, Spain on 12 September 1980. The ship subsequently sailed to Toulon, France where she was laid up on 14

September 1980 and offered for sale.

She remained laid up at Toulon until 27 May 1981, when she was purchased to Loke Shipping, a joint venture between Norway-based I.M. Skaugen and J. Lauritzen shipping companies, who planned to use the ship for cruising out of Hong Kong and Singapore. Temporarily renamed Innstar, she sailed to Aalborg, Denmark where she was radically rebuilt into a full-time cruise ship at the Aalborg Vaerft between August 1981 and April 1982. Her lower car deck was reconstructed with additional passenger accommodation and a new box-like penthouse suite was added on her top deck. Her existing cabins were enlarged resulting in her total passenger capacity being lowered to 515. Her stern doors were sealed and a large sponsoon added at the stern to improve her stability. In addition, her original ice breaker bow was replaced with a bulbous bow. Following that reconstruction, she was renamed Pearl of Scandinavia and re-registered in the Bahamas. She then sailed for Hong Kong and, upon arrival there in June 1982, embarked on 14, 28 and 42-day cruises to East and Southeast Asia for Pearl Cruises of Scandinavia.

On 1 September 1983 I.M. Skaugen withdrew from the Pearl Cruises of Scandinavia venture, leaving J. Lauritzen as the sole owner of the ship. In April 1987 Pearl Cruises of Scandinavia were sold to the 2000 Corporation. Despite the fact the 2000 Corporation were already owners of another cruise line, Ocean Cruise Lines, the Pearl Cruises of Scandinavia brand was retained to operate the Pearl of Scandinavia. However, the company name was simplified to Pearl Cruises.

Between 5 January and 14 February 1988 Pearl of Scandinavia was again rebuilt, this time at the Sambawang Shipyard in Singapore where she was fitted with a new sharply raked bow increasing her overall length by 12 feet, and her exhaust pipes replaced by a new aluminum funnel. On 14 February 1988 she was renamed Ocean Pearl by HRH Princess Galvani Vadhana of Thailand and subsequently re-entered service. Throughout these changes Loke Shipping remained the ship's owners. In April 1990 Ocean Cruise Lines were acquired by the France-based Croisières Paquet or Pacquet Cruises. Two months later Loke Shipping sold the Ocean Pear to Sendumar.

Despite all these changes, the ship continued to cruise in Asian waters for Pearl Cruises. In 1992 however, Croisières Paquet also acquired the Ocean Pearl. In February 1994 she was renamed Pearl and re-registered in France, but continued cruising in the Asian market until 14 September 1995. In 1994 Croisières Paquet was absorbed by Italy-based Costa Crocieri or Costa Cruises. As a result, the Pearl was withdrawn from Croisières Paquet service in 14 September 1995 and sailed to the T. Mariotti shipyard in Genoa, Italy. Following a refit there, she entered service with Costa Cruises as Costa Playa under Bahamian flag on 12 November 1995. They used Costa Playa for Caribbean cruises based out of Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic. She was the first cruise ship to visit Cuba since the end of the Cold War, calling at Havana, Santiago de Cuba and Baia Nipe.

In January 1998, Costa Playa was withdrawn from service with Costa Cruises and she was sold to the Hong Kong-based Mega Wave International who renamed her Oriental Pearl. It is unknown if she was ever used in active service by Mega Wave. In August 1999 her ownership again passed to Costa Cruises and she was renamed Joy Wave but it is again unknown if she was actually used in active service as the Joy Wave.

In November 2000 the Joy Wave was sold to Eurasia International aka Island Ship Management Ltd., another Hong Kong-based company, who refitted her as the casino cruise ship Golden Princess. In November 2000, she entered service on overnight casino cruises out of Hong Kong. On 24 October 2008 the ship ceased operation and was laid up in Hong Kong. In July 2009, Golden Princess was sold to Chinese ship breakers for scrap and broken up later that year in China.

Edited July 8, 2010 by Copper10-8

[Himself]

Copper John:

Your knowledge of many ships and their histories are amazing!

[Diane Rose]

First cruise was on Carnival Mardi Gras - a 3 day cruise to the Bahamas in 1987, I think. Only port was in Nassau for 1 day.

 

Was I hooked after this? No, that didn't happen until 1997 when I cruised with my family on the RC Rhapsody. Our girls loved it as well.

[Copper10-8]

Ocean Breeze October 1994

 

Miami 5 nights. Was supposed to go to Key West and Cozumel, hurricane changed our plans to Key West and Nassau. I was such a travel virgin, I thought it was great to go to Nassau. All the passengers on board from Miami were grumbling LOL

 

Suffice to say I was hooked, cruise # 26 coming up in Sept 2010, #27 in December, #28 in May 2011 and # 29 in Oct 2011

 

ss Southern Cross (1955-2004) Delivered in 1955 by Harland & Wolff, Belfast, Northern Ireland as ss Southern Cross for UK-based Shaw, Savill & Albion Line for service between Europe and Australia. She was the first passenger ship of over 20,000 gross register tons built that had her engine room (and as a result of that, her funnel) located at the rear of the ship, rather than midships. She started a trend of aft-engined ships, and today all passengers ships are built this way.

 

Although designed as an all-tourist-class vessel for an immigrant route, she was designed with fairly luxurious facilities for her time. All passenger cabins were air-conditioned, fitted with hot and cold running water, and inside cabins had circular lights that were switched on gradually in the morning, mimicking the rising of the sun. However, only the most expensive cabins had private bathroom facilities. The aft-funnel arrangement made it possible to build a large open lido deck midship, including a 5,000 square feet sports deck area. In addition to the two outdoor pools there was one indoor pool. All inside public spaces were air conditioned, and included a two-deck high cinema (also used as a dancing venue), two large public lounges, two restaurants, a writing room/library and a smoking room. Externally the ship was of a completely new design. The bridge was placed far back, being closer to midship that the bow. The meant the superstructure extended quite far more forward than the bridge. Like all Shaw Savill ships of the time, the Southern Cross sported a grey hull, light green superstructure and an orange funnel with a black top.

 

In 1953 Queen Elizabeth II was approached and asked if she would be willing to launch the ship and choose a name for her from a list of suggestions. The Queen agreed to launch the ship, and chose the name Southern Cross for the ship. When the ship was launched on August 17, 1954, she became the first passenger liner to be launched by a reigning monarch.

 

On February 23, 1955 the Southern Cross was delivered to her owners. After a series of shakedown cruises she left for her first trip from Europe to Australia and back again. Taking 76 days for one circumnavigation, the Southern Cross sailed from Southampton to Capetown, from there to Australia and New Zealand, and then continuing eastwards across the Pacific to Europe via the Panama canal. Normally she made four such circumnavigations every year.

The Southern Cross enjoyed great success during the early years of her Shaw Savill service, and in the late 1950s a second ship of similar design but larger dimensions was ordered, and entered service in 1962 as ss Northern Star. When she entered service, the Northern Star replaced the Southern Cross on the eastwards Australian run, and the Southern Cross took over the westwards itinerary, visiting the same ports as before but in reversed order.

Throughout the 1960s the competition from jet passenger aircraft increased on the Australian run and as a result, the around-the-year service to Australia became no longer financially viable. Southern Cross was then used for cruising from Liverpool to the Mediterranean from June 1971 onwards. Although her design was otherwise well suited for cruising, the ship did not have toilet facilities in all cabins, which made her an unpopular cruise ship, and after just five months of cruising Shaw Savill decided to lay up the ship in November of the same year.

 

 

After spending over a year laid up, first in Southampton and then at River Fal, Cornwall, Southern Cross was sold to Greek-based Ulysses Lines in January 1973. Renamed ss Calypso, she sailed to Piraeus where she was rebuilt into a proper cruise ship. Painted in cruise-like whites with an attractive blue/white funnel, Calypso entered service for Ulysses Lines in March 1975, initially cruising around the Mediterranean with Piraeus as the starting point. After a few months, she was chartered to UK-based Thomson Cruises and used for cruising from Tilbury and Southampton. Thomson withdrew from the cruise business in 1976 and Calypso returned to Ulysses Lines, who used her for cruising around the Mediterranean, as well as a season for cruising around South America in 1978-1979, and seven-night cruises from Miami to the Caribbean from 1979 onwards. At some point she was also used for cruises from New York City to Bermuda. In 1980, she was renamed ss Calypso I and used for cruises from Los Angeles to Alaska.

 

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In late 1980, she was sold again, this time to U.S.-based Eastern Cruise Lines, who used her to start west-coast of U.S. service under the name Western Cruise Lines. Renamed ss Azure Seas, she had her funnel painted dark blue and she was placed on three-and four-night cruises from Los Angeles to Catalina Island and Ensenada, Mexico and soon became highly popular.

 

 

In 1986 Western Cruise Lines and Eastern Cruise Lines merged with their west-coast competitor Sundance Cruises to form Admiral Cruises. Azure Seas continued her popular west-coast cruises until 1991, when she was transferred to cruising from Ft. Lauderdale to the Bahamas. However, in the same year, Admiral Cruises was bought by Royal Caribbean Cruise Line. The new owners had little interest in keeping the old Azure Seas in service, and she was sold to Dolphin Cruise Line.

 

 

Renamed ss OceanBreeze and sporting a new white-funneled livery with curving blue stripes along the hull, the 36-year-old ship started cruising on a seven-night itinerary from Aruba in 1992. In 1996, she was moved to New York (summer) and Florida (winter).

 

Another change of ownership was in order for the ship in 1997 when Dolphin Cruise Line, Premier Cruises and Seawind Cruises merged to form Premier Cruise Line. OceanBreeze was repainted in the new company's colors, with a dark blue funnel and a blue and yellow hull, but otherwise her service continued as it had before.

 

 

In 1999, Premier Cruise Lines chartered the OceanBreeze to the newly founded Imperial Majesty Cruises. Her old name, crew and hull colors were maintained, only the company name (on the hull) and the logo on the funnel was changed. Imperial Majesty placed her on two-night cruises from Ft. Lauderdale to Nassau where she proved to be very popular. Later in 1999/early 2000, Imperial Majesty Cruises decided to purchase her outright. In October 2000 she was rebuilt at Newport News, Va at a cost of $3,500,000 with more up-to-date interiors. OceanBreeze was expected by many to continue sailing until the new SOLAS-regulations come in effect in 2010, but this was not to be.

 

Running a steam turbine powered ship on two-night itineraries was highly expensive, and an additional $5 million would have been needed to rebuilt the ship to conform to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). In addition, Ocean Breeze not being equipped with bow thrusters, required the assistance of a tug every time she visited a port. The end was in sight for the old lady and on 27 June 2003 she was laid up at the Grand Bahama Shipyard in Freeport, the Bahamas.

 

Imperial Majesty Cruises found a buyer in Ahmed Muztaba Steel Industries and sold her for scrap. On 25 August 2003, she left Freeport under her own power bound first for Gibraltar and then for Bangladesh. On 13 October reports from Chittagong, Bangladesh' capital, reported that OceanBreeze, on her approach to the country, had encountered a heavy storm and had taken on water which had resulted in a list. Regardless, on 5 November 2003, her ferry crew managed to beach her at the Ahmed Muztaba Steel Industries Yard in Chittagong, where she was broken up in April 2004.

Edited July 8, 2010 by Copper10-8

[Copper10-8]

Some more pics of the former Southern Cross in her various identities:

 

 

As Southern Cross for Shaw, Savill & Albion Line

 

 

As Calypso for Ulysses Lines

 

As Calypso for Ulysses Lines

 

As Ocean Breeze for Dolphin Cruise Line

 

 

As Ocean Breeze for Imperial Majesty Cruises

 

Another one as Ocean Breeze for Imperial Majesty Cruises

[TexasPAProf]

My first cruise was on the Disney Big Red Boat, The Majestic (I believe??), in July 1990. While it wasn't a bad experience, I ended up being quite disappointed with some of the features. On two occasions, I missed the evening meal that I was scheduled for at 8 pm due to delays while getting back on the ship. The upside was that I did extremely well in the casino.

 

It was nearly a decade until I decided to go on another cruise, and I found the freestyle dining that Norwegian offers suited my personality quite well. And while I haven't been on that many cruises, I would say that if you are not satisfied with one cruise line, don't give up until you try another. Each cruise line appears to offer their own spin on quality cruising; I am sold on Norwegian cruise lines and plan on many more NCL cruises in the near future.

[Copper10-8]

My first cruise was on the Disney Big Red Boat, The Majestic (I believe??), in July 1990. While it wasn't a bad experience, I ended up being quite disappointed with some of the features. On two occasions, I missed the evening meal that I was scheduled for at 8 pm due to delays while getting back on the ship. The upside was that I did extremely well in the casino.

 

It was nearly a decade until I decided to go on another cruise, and I found the freestyle dining that Norwegian offers suited my personality quite well. And while I haven't been on that many cruises, I would say that if you are not satisfied with one cruise line, don't give up until you try another. Each cruise line appears to offer their own spin on quality cruising; I am sold on Norwegian cruise lines and plan on many more NCL cruises in the near future.

 

Well, there was Majestic:

 

Spirit of London (1972-present) Built in 1972 as ms Spirit of London by Cantieri Navali del Tirreno e Riuniti S.p.A., Genoa, Italy for British-based P & O Lines (Peninsular & Oriental Steam Navigation Company). She had originally been ordered by Norwegian Caribbean Line (NCL) and was to be named Seaward (a sister to Southward), but P & O bought her unfinished hull on 30 March 1972 after NCL had pulled out of the deal due to problems with the Italian shipyard. On 11 November 1972, she departed Southampton, England on her maiden cruise to San Juan, Puerto Rico. January 1973 found her cruising on the U.S. West coast.

 

In 1974, P & O bought Princess Cruises and on 9 October 1974, Spirit of London was renamed Sun Princess, joining the Island Princess and Pacific Princess (from Love boat fame) in the Princess fleet. The ship appeared in the 1975 TV series Columbo episode "Troubled Waters", guest starring Robert Vaughn, as well as in the 1980 motion picture 'Herbie Goes Bananas".

 

 

1988 saw the sale of the Sun Princess by P & O to Premier Cruises, where she was initially named Majestic, but then in February 1989, becoming Starship Majestic, one of the "Big Red Boats". In May 1989, she underwent a refit at Lloyd-Werft in Bremerhaven, Germany.

 

 

In 1994, she was chartered to British based shipping company CTC (Charter Travel Club) and on 5 March 1995, she was renamed Southern Cross, leaving Tilbury, England three days later for worldwide cruising.

 

In October 1997, she was purchased by Greece-based Festival Cruises who began operating her as the Flamenco. The year 2003 saw her on charter to a Spanish travel company. After Festival Cruises financial collapse in January 2004, she was laid up at Gibraltar for a month.

 

In February 2004, she was acquired at public action by Fulton Shipping Inc. / Elysian Cruises (both Ravenscroft Ship Management subsidiaries) who first chartered her to Spanish-based Travelplan/Globalia as Elysian Flamenco. That name was changed to her New Flamenco later in 2004.

 

Edited July 8, 2010 by Copper10-8

[Copper10-8]

In February 2007, she was chartered by the Abu Dhabi Tourism Development and used as a floating accomodation ship.

 

 

On 6 November 2007, she was aquired from Fulton Shipping Inc. by Dutch company Club Cruise and used as a hotel ship in Noumea (French Caledonia). However, one year later in November 2008, Club Cruise ceased operations due to their inability to repay loans. The ship, now named Flamenco I, remained under arrest anchored off Singapore awaiting another public auction.

 

 

 

On 13 March 2009 she was sold to Singapore-based Star Shipping for $U.S. 3.4 million. It is unknown what the future holds for the former Spirit of London but there is some information out she might be turned into a gambling ship.

Edited July 8, 2010 by Copper10-8

[Druke I]

Visited her as P&O's Spirit of London, back in the days when one could get bosrding passes for ships in port.

 

I thought she was somewhat cramped compared to her future running mates, Island Princess and Pacific Princess.

[Copper10-8]

My first cruise was on the Disney Big Red Boat, The Majestic (I believe??), in July 1990. While it wasn't a bad experience, I ended up being quite disappointed with some of the features. On two occasions, I missed the evening meal that I was scheduled for at 8 pm due to delays while getting back on the ship. The upside was that I did extremely well in the casino.

 

It was nearly a decade until I decided to go on another cruise, and I found the freestyle dining that Norwegian offers suited my personality quite well. And while I haven't been on that many cruises, I would say that if you are not satisfied with one cruise line, don't give up until you try another. Each cruise line appears to offer their own spin on quality cruising; I am sold on Norwegian cruise lines and plan on many more NCL cruises in the near future.

 

......And Oceanic; with Premier Cruise Lines, later known as Big Red Boat 1

ss Oceanic (1965-present) Built in 1965 by Cantieri Riuniti dell'Adriatico in Monfalcone, Italy. She was the first newbuild to be purpose-built for Home Lines and was designed as a two-class liner. Planned in the twilight years of the age of the ocean liner, she had many features that are commonplace in cruise ships today, like an engines-aft design, balcony suites, and a midships swimming pool with a "Magradome", a retractable roof over the pool.

 

 

She was to operate in summer on the Homes Lines' Canadian route from Cuxhaven, Germany, Le Havre, France and Southampton, England to Montreal, Quebec, Canada. However, by the time of her delivery and due to the increasing popularity of the jet airliner, the company had dropped the their regular trans-Atlantic line voyages. So, she headed for New York instead, where she operated seven-day cruises to Nassau, the Bahamas throughout the summer, whilst in the winter she operated extended cruises throughout the Caribbean. When leaving from Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada for New York City on her maiden voyage, an interesting incident occurred when she arrived in NYC. The stevedores happened to be on strike and thus would not accept the ropes required for docking. They were there on the wharves, but they just kept throwing them back in the river. However, her captain was able to dock Oceanic just the same.

 

 

 

After 21 years of service, Home Line decided to sell the Oceanic, and she was sold to Premier Cruises in 1985, renamed StarShip Oceanic and in 1986 was initially placed on three and four-day cruises from Port Canaveral, Fl to Nassau, the Bahamas. This cruise could be combined with a stay at Walt Disney World.

 

 

Later during her career with Premier Cruises she was often marketed as "The Big Red Boat", and in 2000 she was renamed Big Red Boat I, with no change to her itineraries. When Premier folded in the fall of 2000, the ship was detained by port authorities and then laid up. Premier Cruises was forced to put the ship up for sale.

 

The ship was purchased by the Spanish-owned Pullmantur Cruises in late 2000. Her hull was painted white and she reverted back to her original name, beginning service with Pullmantur in May 2001 on cruises around the Mediterranean with Barcelona as her starting port.

 

 

In March 2009, Pullmantur sold Oceanic to Japanese interests. She left the Pullmantur fleet in April 2009 and is currently on charter with the slightly ajusted name of "The Oceanic" to the Japan-based Peace Boat organization for world wide cruising. On 23 April 2009, she departed Yokohama, Japan on Peaceboat's 66th "Global Voyage for Peace" which, for the first time, featured extensive visits to various ports in Scandinavia. During that voyage, The Oceanic was detained by the U.S. Coast Guard in New York City on 26 June 2009 for having 16 deficiencies, including a cracked hull. After being released, she was detained again, this time by the Canadian Coast Guard in Vancouver, BC on 30 July 2009 for having discharged a large quantity of heavy oil in the harbor. She was once again released to complete her 68th "Global Voyage for Peace"

Sometime during the week between 3 and 9 May 2010 the Oceanic came under attack by pirates while off the coast of Yemen. The ship was attacked with RPG grenade launchers, but managed to avoid being boarded by adopting zig-zag manoeuvres and blasting the pirates with high-pressure water hoses. Reportedly the pirates were subsequently apprehended by NATO forces.

 

 

Edited July 8, 2010 by Copper10-8

[Copper10-8]

First cruise was the Maasdam in May 2002, Western Caribbean. We had the time of our lives. Our dining room waiter was Made and to this day I still remember him fondly.

 

Next week we board the Rotterdam for Alaska. I am so excited to be on HAL once again.

 

ms Maasdam (1993-present) Built in 1993 as ms Maasdam by Fincantieri - Cantieri Navali Italiani S.p.A., Monfalcone, Italy for Holland America Line. She is the fifth ship to bear the name in Holland America Line’s more than 130-year history. She was named after the river ‘Maas’ and the town by that same name in the Dutch province of Zuid Holland (South Holland), located about 14 km south of the city of Rotterdam, in the municipality of Binnenmaas. Maasdam is the second ship of the four-ship (initially only three) “S” or “Statendam” class. Statendam (1993), Ryndam (1994) and Veendam (1996) are her sisters. At 720-feet, she was designed to carry fewer passengers (1,266) while providing more space for maximum comfort. Many of her staterooms feature ocean views and, for the first time on a Holland America Line ship, have private verandahs.

The first Maasdam operated for Holland America Line from 1883 until 1884. She was built by Henderson, Coulbourn & Co. in Renfrew, Scotland as a brig-rigged, steel-hulled steamer and was initially named ‘Maas’. On 24 October 1884, while underway from Rotterdam to New York, she caught fire which resulted in all passengers and crew having to abandon her. Maasdam I subsequently sank in the Atlantic Ocean.

 

The second Maasdam was launched on 4 July 1871 as the Republic for UK-based Oceanic Steam Navigation Co. She was purchased by the Holland Amerika Lijn on 15 June 1889 and, after a refit in Rotterdam, named Maasdam. After plying the Atlantic for HAL for thirteen years, she was sold to Italy-based Fratelli Bozzo in March 1902. She was ultimately sold for scrap and, as Citta Di Napoli, broken up in 1909.

 

Maasdam III was launched on 21 October 1920 at the Rotterdam-Feijenoord yard, the Netherlands as an 8,800 grt cargo-passenger vessel. She could carry 14 passengers in First Class accommodation, 174 in Second Class plus 800 in Third Class. She was initially operated by HAL on their Mexico run. After a refit in 1934, she was used between Rotterdam and New York. After the Netherlands were invaded and occupied by Germany in 1940, Maasdam III was operated by the British Ministry of War Transport. On 26 June 1941 while sailing from Halifax, NS to Liverpool, England, she was attacked and torpedoed by the German Kriegsmarine (Navy) sub U-564. She sank as a result of this attack with two loss of life among her crew.

 

Maasdam IV was built at Dok en Werfmaatschappij (Dock and Shipbuilding Co.) Wilton-Feijenoord in Schiedam in the Netherlands during 1952. She and her two-year older sister Ryndam were known as HAL’s ‘Economy Twins’. At 15,000 grt, they could carry 854 passengers. The fourth Maasdam was used on the transatlantic liner service between Rotterdam and New York (with some voyages to Montreal, Quebec), on cruises to Bermuda and on some trips to Australia. She was eventually sold to the Polish Ocean Lines in 1968 who renamed her Stefan Batory. After additional owners and periods of layup, she met her end at the scrap yard of Aliaga, Turkey where she was broken up in 1999

Maasdam V’s keel was laid down at Monfalcone on 4 April 1991. After running technical trials in the Adriatic, she was handed over to her owners on 30 October 1993. On 5 November 1993 she commenced a transatlantic crossing, with crew but without passengers, to the east coast of the United States under the command of Captain Coenraad Menke, with Holland America Line since 1956. Maadam made port calls at Boston, Mass, New York City, NY, Baltimore, MD, Charleston, SC and Port Canaveral, FL, before arriving at her home port of Ft. Lauderdale, Fl. More than 16,000 travel agents, more than 700HAL Grand Cruise alumni and approximately 150 media representatives visited the ship at the ports where open houses, alumni luncheons and overnight stays were conducted. On 3 December 1993, Maasdam was named and christened in Port Everglades by her godmother, actress June Allyson. That same afternoon, she sailed her inaugural/maiden voyage, a ten-day cruise to the Caribbean. Since then, she has sailed to the Caribbean, Canada/New England, Europe, the Panama Canal, Central and South America, Alaska, Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific. In 1994, she conducted her first World Cruise. On 10 May 1996 she along with her fleet mates (except Veendam) switched from a Bahamian flag and registration (Nassau) to a Dutch one (Rotterdam).

 

The four ships of the class are just about identical, having only minor changes in their internal layout. However, each one has a different decorative theme. Maasdam’s theme pays tribute to the Dutch East and West India companies of the 17th through 19th centuries, with more than U.S. $2 million worth of art and artifacts displayed throughout the ship. Other intriguing art featured on the Maasdam are two abstract murals painted especially for the Rotterdam Dining Room, a collection of seven iron teapots and a charcoal brazier from Japan, which dates from the end of Edo period.

 

Maasdam has one penthouse, 28 suites, 120 deluxe staterooms, 352 outside staterooms and 132 inside staterooms for a total of 633. She, along with her three sisters, were the first new HAL cruise ships to have features like an atrium, a multi (two)-story main dining room and main show lounge, and an indoor/outdoor Lido pool with retractable roof. When launched, Maasdam came out with a Java Café coffee bar, Explorers Lounge, Piano Bar, Ocean Bar (a HAL trademark), Crow’s Nest (observation lounge by day/nightclub by night), Leyden Library, Puzzle Corner, Card room, Hudson room, Half Moon room (the latter two can be combined into one room for meetings and private parties), the 249-seat Wajang (movie) theater (also used for lectures, meetings and religious services), Photo Gallery, Shopping Arcade (plus Kiosk and Boutique), Casino (offering blackjack, Caribbean poker, roulette, craps and 97 slot machines), Beauty Shop, Ocean Spa and Gymnasium (with ]juice bar, massage area, two sauna and two steam rooms) 403-seat Lido (buffet) Restaurant, the 657-seat two-level Rotterdam dining room connected by a pair of sweeping, curved staircases with shiny brass railings, a ceiling canopy made from Venetian glass and an antique marble fountain from Argentina, two small and private dining rooms known as the Queens and Kings rooms and two outdoor swimming pools (one that can be closed off with a magrodome), two Jacuzzis and a small children wading pool (since covered up) and two deck tennis courts (since changed to one practice tennis court on port, and one basketball court on starboard side).

The “S” class ships were all designed with somewhat of a novelty at sea, a public escalator that could be used by embarking passengers on Main deck to reach their cabins on Lower Promenade deck while getting a glimpse of the ship’s atrium. Maasdam’s escalator will be removed during her April 2011 dry-dock. That atrium, three-stories high, showcases Italian artist Luciano Vistosi’s “Totem”, a monumental sculpture consisting of nearly 2,000 pieces of (mostly green) colored glass modules. As light hits all the different pieces of glass, a variety of effects are created. The green crystal modules were made by hand in Murano, Italy. At the forward end of Maasdam’s Lido Pool there is a 12-foot high cast bronze sculpture of five leaping bottlenose dolphins created by the British artist Susanna Holt. The 600-seat Rembrandt Theater/show lounge forward on both Promenade and Upper Promenade Decks commemorates Dutch 17th century Master Rembrandt van Rijn.

During a regularly scheduled dry-dock in Seattle, WA in October 2003, Maasdam gained her second alternative restaurant, the 66-seat Pinnacle Grill featuring Pacific Northwest fare and fine wines (none of the four “S” class ships were built with one). In order to install the restaurant on Maasdam and her three “S” class sisters, HAL had the private dining room, known as the Kings room, a portion of the Explores Lounge, the Maitre d’s office, as well as the small 'Video Arcade' gutted and converted that space into a Pinnacle Grill restaurant with 'ocean views’. On the “S” class ships, the PG is located on Upper Promenade Deck starboard side in between the main dining room and the Explorers Lounge. In addition, a new and private concierge lounge, called the Neptune Lounge, was constructed on Navigation Deck for the exclusive use by Deluxe Verandah and Penthouse suite occupants (Maasdam lost eight inside staterooms in order to build the lounge). The new lounge gives those guests a peaceful, private retreat where they can relax and get whatever assistance they need such as fresh towels, shore excursion reservations, etc, from their personal concierge. Lastly, some of her SOE soft goods were installed.

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In November 2003, Holland America Cruise Line announced a U.S. $225 million program of up-scaling their cruise ships, cruise line image and passenger cruise experience called the 'Signature of Excellence program'. This enhancement program included stateroom amenities: Sealy Posturepedic Premium Plush Euro-Top mattresses, 100% white cotton woven bed linens, waffle-weave and terry cloth bathrobes and extra-fluffy Egyptian cotton towels to all cabin categories; new massage-type showerheads and professional-grade quiet hair dryers in all bathrooms; new flat-screen LCD televisions, 5x magnifying make-up mirrors with halo lightning, fresh flowers, complimentary fruit baskets and stainless-steel ice buckets with serving trays in all cabins; plus comfortable bed duvets, fully-stocked mini-bars, personalized stationary, DVD players and access to a well-stocked DVD library in all suite-category staterooms.

Also new would be a Culinary Arts Center (inside the Wajang Theater) presented by Food & Wine magazine with a state-of-the-art show kitchen equipped with plasma video screens and on-stage counters for gourmet cooking demonstrations, tasting events and interactive classes; a Wine Tasting Bar and Gourmet Shop where guests can purchase culinary items including china and silverware from the Pinnacle Grill as well as HAL Master Chef’s Rudi Sodamin’s cook books, (in place of her Java Café); the introduction of the Pinnacle Grill alternative restaurant and private Neptune concierge lounge on all ships, two additional dining times in the main dining room, a casual dinner option with table-side waiter service inside the Lido Restaurant; an Explorations Café “powered by the New York Times”, which offers guests an opportunity to sip coffee, browse through one of the most extensive libraries at sea, enjoy a wide selection of music at one of several listening stations or surf the Internet; a refurbished Crow’s Nest; an expanded Greenhouse Spa and Salon with new treatment rooms offering a thermal suite with hydrotherapy and thalassotherapy hot tub/Jacuzzi as well as heated ceramic lounges plus the extension and expansion of the fitness facility/gymnasium, out and above the ship’s bridge.

In addition, changes were made for non-adults, including newly expanded youth (toddler and tween) facilities within the "Club HAL" program and the creation of the interior “Loft” and exterior “Oasis” for teens. The younger cruisers (ages 3-12) can enjoy supervised, age-specific activities in a more comprehensive Youth Program (art tables, big screen TV, slide). The Loft is a teens-only (ages 13-18) lounge designed to resemble a New York artist's loft and comes complete with dance floor, lights, music videos, DVDs, arcade games, air hockey, foosball, Karaoke, Internet access and Sony Playstations. The Oasis is a secluded, teens-only sun deck with covered snack areas where teens can soak up rays in hammocks and then cool off in a one-of-a-kind waterfall and cave.

Shipboard program changes under SOE #1 included an expanded Exploration Speaker series, unique Medallion and Collection shore excursions, iPod art tours of all ships, new wine packages, an early embarkation program (as early as 11:30 am) for guests, flexible As You Wish dining with four dining times in the main dining room, an expanded Pinnacle Grill menu, exclusive flatware, china and stemware in all restaurants, and a broad expansion of the Greenhouse Spa and Salon facilities and treatments.

 

For Maasdam, this refit meant the disappearance of her Java Café, Leyden Library, Puzzle Corner, Card Room and Kristal Terrace. As a result, Maasdam paid a visit to the Grand Bahama Shipyard at Freeport, the Bahamas, emerging on 26 April 2006 from a three-week makeover that incorporated the major SOE part 1 enhancements.

For the first time in company history, Maasdam made Norfolk, VA her home port for sixteen of her cruises in 2004. In total, Maasdam had eight departures in 2004 from Norfolk for 11-day cruises of the southern Caribbean (Half Moon Cay, the Bahamas, Road Town, Tortola, BVI, Cabrits/Rouseau, Dominica, Bridgetown, Barbados, Pointe-a-Pitre, Guadeloupe and Charlotte, Amalle, St. Thomas, USVI) and seven departures for 10-day tours of the eastern Caribbean islands (Half Moon Cay, the Bahamas, San Juan, Puerto Rico, Phillipsburg, Sint Maarten, St. John’s, Antigua and Charlotte, Amalie, St. Thomas, USVI). In addition, Norfolk was the final stop on the ship's 14-day eastern Canada sailing that originated in Montreal, Que on 16 October.

 

In August 2008, HAL announced further enhancements to, as well as new features on, five of the line's ships as part of its ongoing Signature of Excellence program. Over the next five years the four “S” sisters as well as the lead ship of the 'R' class, ms Rotterdam, will undergo extensive dry docks to create new venues, new staterooms and new decor.

During a scheduled dry-dock at the Grand Bahama shipyard in Freeport, the Bahamas from 2 through 16 January 2009, Maasdam gained “Merabella”, an exclusive luxury jewelry boutique. Merabella is located on Upper Promenade Deck mid-ships, in between the Explorers Lounge and Maasdam’s Piano Bar. It was created by gutting the extreme forward portion of the Explorers Lounge.

On 30 January 2009, Maasdam also gained the Digital Workshop program by Microsoft which is comprised of complimentary classes led by a Microsoft-trained “techspert”. As part of the program, located in the Queen’s Room, her passengers can learn to use computers to enhance photos, produce and publish videos onto a DVD and create personal web pages or blogs. In addition, one-on-one coaching, called “Techspert Time” is available for more than 20 hours each week.

On 1 June 2009, HAL announced that, except for Veendam, completed at end of April 2009, and Rotterdam, completed in December 2009, the SOE part 2 enhancements will be accomplished in two phases. First, in a series of dry-docks in 2010 and 2011, Statendam, Maasdam and Ryndam will receive their stateroom upgrades, 16 Spa staterooms, the addition of Mix, Showroom at Sea and, for those ships that do not already have it, Canaletto and Merabella and other public area enhancements. The second series of dry-docks in 2012 and 2013 will add thirty-eight new Lanai staterooms on Deck 6/Lower Promenade deck, whose large sliding glass doors will provide direct access to the walk-around teak promenade. After experiences water leakage problem with the Retreat pool concept on both Veendam and Rotterdam, it is unclear if the Retreat pool as well as the new pre-fabricated block of twenty six new verandah and five inside staterooms on the stern will be added on Statendam, Maasdam and Ryndam during their next scheduled dry-dock period (for Maasdam scheduled in the fall of 2013).

 

During a 14-day southern Caribbean cruise on 30 April 2010, the finishing touches were made to Maasdam’s second alternative restaurant, “Canaletto”, a complimentary casual-style Italian restaurant for dinner. (It opened on 05 May 2010). Canaletto, named for the famous 18th century Venetian artist, which debuted on the ms Eurodam in 2008, will come to life for dinner nightly between 5:30 and 9:30 pm when a section of the ship’s Lido restaurant is transformed into the Italian restaurant. Canaletto's menu begins with an antipasti plate that changes nightly, followed by soup choices, salad, four pasta dishes and entrees like Veal Milanese, Chicken Marsala Scaloppini, Osso Bucco and Cod Putanesca.

 

Maasdam is scheduled to enter dry-dock in Freeport, the Bahamas from 4 through 24 April 2011 for the first phase of her SOE part 2 enhancements. During that dry-dock she will receive:

- The upgrading of all of her existing staterooms with new decor, modern wall sconces, carpeting, drapes, pillows and bed runners, resurfaced desks and vanities, and new vanities and cabinetry in the bathrooms.

- The upgrading of her Ocean Bar.

- “Mix”, a multi-themed new bar concept featuring three separate areas where either Champagne, for mid-day mimosas or anytime celebrations, Martinis, for Grey Goose cocktails and martini flights and/or Spirits & Ales for microbrews, single malts and sports updates are served. In order to accomplish this, Maasdam’s original Piano and Casino Bars will be gutted A number of Microsoft Surface tables will be found inside on which electronic games can be played. In addition, the entertainment area on Upper Promenade deck will be opened up (walls will literally be knocked down) to create a better flow between shops, bars and the casino.

- “Showroom at Sea,” Maasdam’s Rembrandt main show lounge will be transformed into the Showroom at Sea with the ambiance of a nightclub and where a new slate of shows will be performed at night.

- The conversion of sixteen staterooms (fourteen outside and two inside) on Verandah Deck, two decks below the nearby Greenhouse Spa, Known as “Spa staterooms” with a variety of enhanced amenities, each of them will offer exclusive items such as organic cotton bathrobes and slippers, a yoga mat, an iPod docking station, a countertop water feature, special room service menus and exclusive spa treatments.

Maasdam’s first Cruise after that 2011 dry-dock will be a 13-day Canada/New England from Fort Lauderdale, Fl to New York, NY on 24 April 2011.

 

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Maasdam is scheduled for the second phase of SOE Part 2 in yet another visit to the Freeport dry-dock in the fall of 2013. During that refit she is scheduled to receive:

- The addition/creation of thirty-eight new Lanai staterooms on Deck 6/Lower Promenade whose large sliding glass doors (with one-way-mirror coating to ensure privacy) will provide direct access to the walk-around teak promenade. Each Lanai room will offer its passengers two reserved teak lounge chairs just outside the cabin.

- “Slice”, an upscale pizzeria, serving signature pizzas, whole pies and slices to order. Tables and padded chairs under a sunscreen will provide a place to dine al fresco. In order to provide live music, a stage will be added near the pool, while for additional entertainment, a large LED screen and sound system will be integrated into the ship's superstructure, providing both movies and video.

 

 

Edited July 9, 2010 by Copper10-8

[geocruiser]

My first cruise was on Home Line's Oceanic out of NYC. I just loved that cruise line. I sailed on her six times in the mid 1970's to early 1980's.

[Hwy101A]

 

Hope they will keep the smaller vessels, but they will, because of the smaller ports they can visit, the market niches and size are not everything.

 

Happy Sailings.

[Copper10-8]

My first cruise was in college on Princess to the Bahamas. I can't remember which ship, but it was a very short itinerary. It would have been in 1986 or 87.

 

My first "grown-up" cruise was the Crown Princess in July of 2008 to the Baltic.

I am hooked...

 

ms Crown Princess (2006-present) Built in 2006 as ms Crown Princess by Fincantieri - Cantieri Navali Italiani S.p.A., Monfalcone, Italy for Los Angeles-based Princess Cruises. Crown Princess is a member of the Grand-class of vessels which exists of several series of sister ships, built by two different yards, Fincantieri's Monfalcone Yard in Italy and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries’ Nagasaki yard in Japan.

 

 

Within the Grand class of ships, there are a series of sub-classes. The first vessel, Grand Princess, debuted in 1998 and pioneered the design that has been carried through each modified class. Like the Grand Princess, for a short time the largest cruise ship in the world, Star Princess has the Skywalkers nightclub suspended over the stern, thereby providing the "shopping cart" or "rear spoiler" look. The dramatic trademark disco/observation lounge is accessible only by a glass-enclosed, moving "skywalk." The second (sub) class, the Gem class, modified the placement of Skywalkers to directly aft of the funnel. The Gem class also modified and thereby increased the number of restaurants, not found on all Grand-class ships. The third (sub) class, the Caribbean-class, is another modification separate from the Gem class. They have an additional deck, however Skywalkers is back suspended on the stern. The final (sub) class of which Crown Princess is the lead ship, came out with the extra deck and the relocation of Skywalkers to aft of the funnel. Crown Princess’ sister ships are Emerald Princess (2007) and Ruby Princess (2008). In total, there are nine ships with a Grand-class design operating in the Princess fleet.

 

 

Like her sister ships, Crown Princess offers her passengers the benefits of a "big ship choice with a small ship feel," as well as the many innovations that made headlines when Grand Princess debuted such as 'Movies Under the Stars'. Added amenities on the Crown class are Adagio, an intimate lounge, an updated Piazza-style atrium including Vines, a wine and seafood bar, the International Café, a 24-hour dining venue offering gelato and baked goods. Onboard Crown Princess, the Crown Grille replaces the Sterling Steakhouse found on older Princess vessels. The three vessels of Crown sub-class also include the Chef's Table, an in-kitchen dining experience which was later expanded to the entire fleet. Finally, the Crown ships include The Sanctuary, an adults-only area located above the ship’s spa in place of the Sports Courts located on earlier ships.

 

 

Among her ‘regular’ amenities are three dining rooms and three main show lounges, one of the largest casinos at sea, an expanded youth center with activities for three age groups, Princess exclusives, a swim-against-the-current pool, a nine-hole putting course, the Lotus Spa, the largest spa facility in the fleet offering the company's extensive new lineup of services, a 24-hour AOL Internet Cafe and the Heats and Minds dedicated wedding chapel for Princess' exclusive wedding-at-sea program, featuring an online "wedding cam" to broadcast the nuptials to loved ones at home. On board, passengers have plenty of opportunities to tailor their vacation with the line's innovative Personal Choice Cruising program. One of its key elements is the popular Personal Choice Dining experience, which provides passengers with many dining alternatives featuring diverse atmospheres and cuisine. In the main dining rooms passengers can choose between the restaurant-style Anytime Dining option, allowing them to dine when and with whom they wish between the hours of 5:30 p.m. and 10 p.m.; and Traditional Fixed Seating with an assigned dining time, tablemates and wait staff.

 

Upon being delivered to her new owners in Monfalcone, Italy, Crown Princess crossed the Atlantic without passengers under the command of Princess Captain Andrew Proctor. On 8 June 2006, the 112,894 gross registered tons, 3.080-passenger ship sailed into New York harbor. Her inaugural festivities began on 11 June when she departed on a two-day "cruise to nowhere" with invited guests. She returned to New York on 13 June when Scripps Spelling Bee National Champion Katharine Close came onboard to test the spelling prowess of former "Love Boat" Captain Gavin MacLeod, Captain Proctor and other ship officers. The "Bee at Sea," Princess' new spelling bee tournamentofficially debuted on Crown Princess' inaugural sailing that followed.

 

 

On 14 June 2006, Crown Princess’ godmother, American business magnate, TV host, author and ex-con Martha Stewart officially christened the ship during her naming ceremony at 10:30 a.m. ET at the new Red Hook Cruise Terminal in Brooklyn, NY. Also attending the ceremony was pop idol Katharine McPhee. With Princess' long-time spokesman Gavin MacLeod as master of ceremonies, the celebration included remarks by Princess Cruises Chairman Peter Ratcliffe and New York City Deputy Mayor for Economic Development Daniel Doctoroff. The Reverend Dr. Jean Smith, the executive director of the Seamen's Church Institute of New York and New Jersey blessed the new ship before Ms. Stewart pulled the lever that released the traditional champagne bottle against the ship’s hull. That afternoon, Crown Princess departed on her inaugural cruise to the Caribbean cruise with port calls at Grand Turk, Turks & Caicos, Ocho Rios, Jamaica, Georgetown, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands and Port Canaveral, Florida. In doing so, Crown Princess introduced Princess’ first ever roundtrip Caribbean sailing from New York. Her inaugural summer season featured nine-day roundtrip voyages to both the Eastern and Western Caribbean, with the Eastern Carib itineraries marking the return of Princess Cruises to Bermuda since 2002. In the fall of 2006 Crown Princess repositioned to San Juan, Puerto Rico for winter Caribbean sailings. Since that time, Crown Princess has been found in the Caribbean, Bermuda, Canada/New England and Europe.

 

 

On 18 July 2006 at approximately 3:30 pm, one hour after departing her final port of call, Port Canaveral, Fl, Crown Princess was reported as "listing" and/or making "heavy turns" to starboard. At the time, she was on her way home to New York City however, as a result of the incident, her captain made the decision to return to Port Canaveral. The severe list was initially thought to be a malfunction in her steering equipment. However, it was later reported that a junior bridge officer "panicked," when the ship, at the time on automatic pilot and controlled by onboard computers, initiated a left turn which the officer believed to be too sharp. The officer decided to take the ship out of her automatic pilot setting but, instead of turning Crown Princess back to starboard, it is alleged that he accidentally kept the ship in an even sharper left hand turn. This resulted in an estimated 15 to 18 degree list that caused chaos as the four swimming pools emptied into stairwells and elevator shafts, casino slot machines and gym exercise equipment overturned and her passengers and crew were send tumbling.

 

This list caused injuries to a number of Crown Princess’ passengers with approximately 240 of them being treated for abrasions, bruises and varying kinds of fractures. Most injuries were sustained on the outdoor areas of Decks 15 and 16, where large beach chairs and tables struck and injured passengers. In addition, several passengers sustained injuries in the “balcony areas” of the ship’s Grand Atrium as a result of falling objects and shifting furniture. Upon arrival at Port Canaveral on 19 July 2006, 94 passengers were transferred to local hospitals for further evaluation and treatment.

 

The incident was referred to the National Transportation Safety Board and United States Coast Guard for investigation. After an internal review, Princess Cruises released a statement through its president Alan Buckelew, stating "We can confirm that the incident was due to human error and the appropriate personnel changes have been made."After obtaining approval from the United States Coast Guard and the Bermuda authorities under whose flag Crown Princess operates, the vessel returned to service on 22 July 2006 on a 7-day Caribbean cruise.

 

 

The 2010/2011 cruise season will continue to find her cruising Europe in the summer, Canada/New England in the fall and the Caribbean out of Port Everglades during the winter and spring.

Edited July 9, 2010 by Copper10-8

[Copper10-8]

My first cruise was on Carnival Sensation, which in fact, was just 2 Months ago!

 

 

ms Sensation (1993-present) Built in 1993 as ms Sensation by Kvaerner Masa Shipyard, Helsingfors (Helsinki), Finland for Miami-based Carnival Cruise Line for Caribbean cruising. She was handed over to her new owners on 18 October 1993. After a North Atlantic crossing, she was officially named in Miami, FL on 13 November 1993 by her godmothers Gerry Donnelly, Vicki Freed, Roberta Jacoby and Cherie Weinstein. all vice presidents of Carnival Cruise Line. Eight days later on 21 November 1993, she departed Miami on her maiden Caribbean cruise.

 

Sensation belongs to the 'Fantasy-class' of ships and was the third vessel built in the class of eight (the others are Fantasy - 1990, Ecstasy - 1991, Fascination - 1994, Imagination - 1995, Inspiration - 1996, Elation -1998 and Paradise -1998).

 

The Fantasy class has a so-called 'modern ocean/cruise liner design', with all of its cabins situated within the hull and only a handful of suites on the superstructure, similar to Carnival's Holiday-class ships which were built in the late eighties. Sensation and six of her sisters have two fixed propellors as opposed to the last two ships of the class, Elation and Paradise who have an Azipod azimuth thruster propulsion system. The class of eight were also the last cruise ships built with their lifeboats situated on their upper deck.

 

In terms of layout and function, Sensation is virtually identical to her sister Fantasy-class ships. The ship consists of ten decks with most of the public rooms concentrated on Atlantic, Promenade and Lido decks (8-10), while her passenger cabins are located on Riviera, Main, Upper and Empress decks (4-7). Like other Carnival ships, her public areas are designed and decorated in a flamboyant style by Carnival's award winning (interior) naval architect Joe Farcus, who has a penchant for augmenting the interiors with more than a dash of neon and glitz. While passenger opinions of the decor ranged from glamorous and elegant to gaudy and gauche, there is no denying that Farcus' whimsical design style enhances the Sensation's "Fun Ship" aura.

 

The ship's centerpiece is its six-story Grand Atrium complete with glass-enclosed elevators. A favorite gathering place before dinner is at the semicircular Grand Atrium Plaza & Bar on the floor of the Atrium where guests can enjoy pre-dinner drinks to the accompaniment of classical music performed by a trio. Sensation's public spaces encompass a diversity of styles and design elements celebrating the arts and literature. Among the venues that display those themes are the Fantasia Main Lounge, Touch of Class Piano Bar, the Kaleidoscope Dance Club/Disco and the Oak Room Library.

 

One of the most expansive public areas is the area known as Sensation Boulevard on Promenade Deck, which is decorated with striking columns featuring crafted classical reliefs of the Muses. Promenade Deck gets especially busy at night as it connects the main "evening" lounges, such as the Plaza Aft Lounge, Michael Angelo Lounge, Joe's Cafe and the Mirage Bar, which is next to the Club Vegas Casino. Other public areas include the Fun Shops shopping mall, the Video Arcade & Club O2 and the ship's photo gallery. There is also an Internet cafe while Wi-Fi is available in most public rooms.

 

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Sensation was one of several cruise ships chartered by the U.S. Government/Military Sealift Command to provide accommodation for refugees and relief workers following Hurrican Katrina's path of destruction in August 2005. After being released from FEMA service, she moved to Port Canaveral, Fl, where she replaced her older sister Fantasy on Carnival's three and four-day cruises from that port to the Bahamas.

 

In late 2006, Carnival Cruise Line announced a massive multi-million dollar product enhancement initiative to its Fantasy class fleet known as "Evolutions Of Fun" which is expected to be completed in 2009. The refit will consist of new ship names, with all eight ships receiving a repainted name with the "Carnival" prefix (i.e. Carnival Fantasy, etc.) after their final refurbishment to their pools and outside decks. Sensation became 'Carnival Sensation' in November 2009.

 

 

Carnival Sensation was the fourth Fantasy-class ship (Carnival Imagination, Inspiration and Fantasy preceded her) to enter drydock in January 2009 and emerged with her "Evolutions of Fun" enhancements and upgrades thirty five days later on 12 February 2009. During this refit, ninety-eight existing ocean view staterooms were transformed into balcony cabins. In addition, eight of her suites on the Upper Deck received larger balconies. Twenty four balconies were 'extended' from the vessel mid-ships and another twelve near her stern. The remaining sixty two are now located at her aft section. In addition, all her staterooms were completely refurbished, as well as virtually all dining, dancing and entertainment venues. Guest corridors were renovated and a new “Circle C” facility catering to 12- to 14-year olds was added.

The adults-only area (around the funnel) was moved to Promenade deck aft and now known as the 'Serenity adults-only area', replacing the children's wading pool on the back of Promenade deck with the wading pool becoming part of the new waterpark. That area with multiple slides called "Carnival Water Works Aqua Park" was installed on Verandah Deck, aft. Carnival Sensation's main pool area on Lido Deck, midship, was completely refurbished and redesigned in a tropical theme with new materials and new spiral staircases and the original water slide was removed. Other renovations included new carpeting in public spaces and in her main dining rooms. A miniature golf course was added to the forward sun deck.

 

The ship's restaurant and the majority of her public areas received new decors as well as new electronic equipment. Except for the Carnival Elation and the Carnival Paradise which already have the feature, the sculpture found in the Sensations' atrium (and on the other six ships) was removed and replaced with an atrium bar and an orchestra platform. Finally, all staterooms received new decors, new beds and new flat screen televisions.

 

Carnival Sensation is currently sailing three and four-day cruises to the Bahamas from Port Canaveral, Fl. On this route, three-day cruises depart on Thursdays and call at Nassau, while four-day voyages depart on Sundays with port calls at Nassau and Freeport.