What will Island Princess look like after May 2015?

[caribill]

In the Med, they had no choice but to increase capacity without violating the voluntary limit on the Venice harbour, or skip Venice altogether, or shell out millions to build a facility outside Venice but still close enough to get there (assuming there is an actual physical location with a deep enough harbour to allow for such a facility).

 

Which is why the total number of Island and Coral sailings in 2016 that include Venice is zero?

 

Sorry. These changes are not being made so these two ships could sail into Venice with more passengers.

[billco]

Which is why the total number of Island and Coral sailings in 2016 that include Venice is zero?

 

Sorry. These changes are not being made so these two ships could sail into Venice with more passengers.

 

 

Perhaps when the decision was made to modify the Island and Coral, it looked more certain that large ships were going to be limited access to Venice.. Maybe Princess is still thinking that is a possibility.

 

Also, the third channel through the Panama Canal will allow larger Princess ships access.

[caribill]

Perhaps when the decision was made to modify the Island and Coral, it looked more certain that large ships were going to be limited access to Venice.. Maybe Princess is still thinking that is a possibility.

 

 

The only Princess ship scheduled into Venice in 2016 and 2017 so far is the smallest ship in the fleet, the Pacific Princess.

 

And if Venice was the only reason to make these mods, then there is no reason anymore to make them to the Coral which has yet to be butchered.

[dmwnc1959]

A few more 'she doesn't look that bad from this angle' pictures... ;)

 

 

 

 

(Credit all images to nicolas at naviearmatori)

[RickEk]

I just noticed that if you try to do a mock booking on the Coral for 2017, they've yanked the new deck plans and are showing the old ones. The new one is still out there when you just view the deck plans outside the booking engine, but to go and book a cabin, you can't choose a new cabin. My TA told me that they are revising the deck plans. I was ticked because I wanted one of the new aft balconies on Baja, and now there's no telling when they'll come out with new plans so I can get that booked.

 

Sounds like they've decided against refitting Coral Princess...

[dmwnc1959]

Sounds like they've decided against refitting Coral Princess...

 

 

We can only hope. The Carnival Corporation has certainly done that before - changed their minds; the Veedam/Rotterdam debacle comes to mind. Poor Veendam... :(

 

:D

[Pushka]

How does that work when cruises after the Coral refit have already been booked? The refit seems to be planned for next March as the Alaska cruises show the new configuration.

Edited June 9, 2015 by Pushka

[f-mattox]

I believe someone mentioned that you can't book one of the new cabins on Coral. I tried and couldn't. It sounds like the project might be on hold.

[Colo Cruiser]

Good, maybe they will send the Island back for a redo. :(

[f-mattox]

Even just the name and logo in that big blank space would help. But yes, a redo would be the answer.

[RickEk]

We can only hope. The Carnival Corporation has certainly done that before - changed their minds; the Veedam/Rotterdam debacle comes to mind. Poor Veendam... :(

 

:D

 

I've just got confirmation from my friend at Princess. The refit of Coral Princess is on hold. She will be doing a normal 2-week drydock at the end of January 2016.

[antsp]

i've just got confirmation from my friend at princess. The refit of coral princess is on hold. She will be doing a normal 2-week drydock at the end of january 2016.

 

wow

[Colo Cruiser]

I've just got confirmation from my friend at Princess. The refit of Coral Princess is on hold. She will be doing a normal 2-week drydock at the end of January 2016.

 

 

If that stands the Coral will be sold out even further out I would bet. :)

[antsp]

Even just the name and logo in that big blank space would help. But yes, a redo would be the answer.

 

the dates i was looking at for the Panama next year was on the Island, 50 50 i guess i lost

[Pushka]

I believe someone mentioned that you can't book one of the new cabins on Coral. I tried and couldn't. It sounds like the project might be on hold.

 

 

If I have the cabins right (a big If :)) then I see sold.

[f-mattox]

If I have the cabins right (a big If :)) then I see sold.

 

I'm not sure where you were looking. I just tried to book for October, 2016, and none of the new cabins show--they are still using the old deck pans in the booking engine.

 

If you look at just the deck plans you will see all the "new" cabins; but the booking engine is not using these deck plans.

Edited June 9, 2015 by f-mattox

[Thorpe]

I'll be interested in what is happening as I have one of the new aft Baja deck cabins booked for Alaska on the Coral next year. One of the reasons I booked it. I'll keep an eye on my booking for a cabin change ....

[littlesteelo]

As a naval architecture student, the question has come up about the affects of adding extra weight to the upper aft decks. I'm assuming that ships are like aircraft & that adding weight fore or aft would affect CG.

 

I was on an aircraft carrier which after extending the angle deck despite adding additional ballast the ship still had a slight list to port. Do you think the Island would need ballast forward to keep the bow in the optimum position?

 

Yes, there will be some shift in ballast needed since the CoG will shift aft. The 'rockets' likely will have been removed to reduce the effect of this, although I think the funnel looks strange now with nothing at the front of the grill.

The CoG will have been raised too I would imagine, but not really by a huge amount owing to the extra superstructure being aluminium.

 

With regards to your aircraft carrier, there is only so much you can use ballast tanks to adjust heel and trim. Too much and your draft would be too great.

Edited June 10, 2015 by littlesteelo

[Thorpe]

I'll be interested in what is happening as I have one of the new aft Baja deck cabins booked for Alaska on the Coral next year. One of the reasons I booked it. I'll keep an eye on my booking for a cabin change ....

 

And sure enough just got an email from Princess with cabin changes for B2B next year. And now have to change cabins on 2nd leg.:(

 

So looks like rethink has been done and no changes to Coral

[Cruzin-K]

If I have the cabins right (a big If :)) then I see sold.

 

I'm not sure where you were looking. I just tried to book for October, 2016, and none of the new cabins show--they are still using the old deck pans in the booking engine.

 

If you look at just the deck plans you will see all the "new" cabins; but the booking engine is not using these deck plans.

 

When I first booked the Coral, the day the bookings opened, all those cabins showed sold. My TA told me this wasn't really the case, just that the cabins hadn't been released because of possible changes to the plans. Now, when I go into try and book something, the old plans show up.

 

I guess I'll stick with what I have, a basic Baja balcony cabin towards the back of the ship. Easy access to the aft viewing deck, if it will still exist in 2017. Hopefully that rumor turns out to be true, that it will just be a regular dry dock in 2016 with no major changes. I would love to be able to sail on the ship as it is now.

[dmwnc1959]

And sure enough just got an email from Princess with cabin changes for B2B next year. And now have to change cabins on 2nd leg.:(

 

So looks like rethink has been done and no changes to Coral

 

 

THANK YOU for letting us know. This is big....

 

:D

[dmwnc1959]

I've just got confirmation from my friend at Princess. The refit of Coral Princess is on hold. She will be doing a normal 2-week drydock at the end of January 2016.

 

 

I'm glad. Sometimes 'follow the money'.....just.....doesn't.....work. They must be having some real issues with the new-build part added to the stern of Island Princess.

 

:cool:

[Astro Flyer]

Yes, there will be some shift in ballast needed since the CoG will shift aft. The 'rockets' likely will have been removed to reduce the effect of this, although I think the funnel looks strange now with nothing at the front of the grill.

The CoG will have been raised too I would imagine, but not really by a huge amount owing to the extra superstructure being aluminium.

 

With regards to your aircraft carrier, there is only so much you can use ballast tanks to adjust heel and trim. Too much and your draft would be too great.

Thanks for sharing your expertise about the Island & my aircraft carrier.

 

Would you know whether or not cutting holes in the solid aft end of the new section could create any sort of structural weakness?

[Pushka]

Mmmnm, the new Deck plans are still showing for Alaska in 2016.

[Colo Cruiser]

The 'rockets' likely will have been removed to reduce the effect of this, although I think the funnel looks strange now with nothing at the front of the grill.

 

 

The Nacelle's were decoration only and empty so I doubt they saved that much.