Island Princess
Encyclopedia
Island Princess is a cruise ship
Cruise ship
A cruise ship or cruise liner is a passenger ship used for pleasure voyages, where the voyage itself and the ship's amenities are part of the experience, as well as the different destinations along the way...
for the Princess Cruises
Princess Cruises
Princess Cruises is a British-American owned cruise line, based in Santa Clarita, California in the United States. Previously a subsidiary of P&O Princess Cruises PLC, the company is now one of ten cruise ship brands operated by Carnival Corporation & PLC and accounts for approximately 19% share...
line. She is the sister ship to the Coral Princess
Coral Princess
The Coral Princess is a cruise ship owned and operated by Princess Cruises line. The vessel, along with sister ship Island Princess, was launched in 2002. The Coral Princess and Island Princess are the only two Panamax ships operated by Princess Cruises. She holds the highest paid toll to pass...
and together they are the only Panamax
Panamax
Panamax and New Panamax are popular terms for the size limits for ships traveling through the Panama Canal. Formally, the limits and requirements are published by the Panama Canal Authority titled "Vessel Requirements"...
ships in Princess's fleet. Built at Chantiers de l'Atlantique - France. The ship features a combined diesel and gas turbine electric powerplant. This should avoid visible smoke in sensitive areas such as Alaska. By manoeuvring at low speed P&O Princess plans to use the gas turbine as the sole power source.The gasturbines are located on top of the ship near deck 15. The Island Princess has no pods, but a conventional twin-screw arrangement, with drive thru long shaftlines.The Island Princess, was specifically built for canal cruising, with a high percentage of balcony staterooms (85% of all outsides) and the maximum space possible inside a ship that can still squeeze through the canal. The 88,000-ton, 1,970-passenger Island Princess is a bright, airy ship with lots of chrome, marble, lighter woods and colors of pale blue. She boasts the big-ship choice and small-ship feel that distinguishes the Princess fleet. Island Princess is a fascinating blend of traditional Princess features and exciting new highlights. There's an Italian trattoria, a wedding chapel with video and web cam facilities, and a swimming pool with a retractable glass dome. Princess "firsts" on this ship include a New Orleans-style restaurant, a cigar bar, a TV studio, and a London-themed casino. Minigolf, the Lotus Spa, a sushi buffet, an Internet cafe, and 24-hour dining completes this spectacular floating resort.
Incidents
A female passenger, onboard Island Princess, files a lawsuit earlier this week in Los Angles Superior Court against the cruise line. It was the wee hours of the morning last January,the woman claims, when a man who worked aboard the ship, cruising from Acapulco to Florida, grabbed her and pulled her against him. She says the man began groping her and tried to kiss her, before forcing her toward a deserted part of the ship. She tried to ward off her assailant and slip away, but he physically prevented her from escaping. Once the crew member, whose name is unknown, according to the lawsuit, pulled her into a secluded area, he allegedly held her against a counter top, hiked up her skirt and touched her private parts. She says she was then able push the crew member off of her and run away. The woman claims not only that she was sexually attacked, but that the man had a "prior, similar incident of misconduct" while employed aboard one of Princess' ships.Island Princess Christening
Below is a new report of the christening at Canada Place in Vancouver, Canada:"Vancouver's first cruise ship christening was a glittering success on July 11, 2003, as dignitaries, industry representatives and Princess' executives gathered on a beautiful summer's evening for the naming of Island Princess. Beside the sails of Canada Place and against the spectacular backdrop of the north shore mountains, Godparents Jamie Salé and David Pelletier broke a magnum of B.C. bubbly over the teak deck, poolside, as guests scattered around the upper decks cheered and applauded.
The event marks the first time a cruise ship has been named in the Port of Vancouver and continues the good relationship shared between Vancouver and Princess Cruises for more than 30 years. Princess is committed to using Vancouver as a homeport for its four ships offering Gulf of Alaska sailings. Island Princess will return with sister ship Coral Princess and the Sun and Dawn Princesses in 2004, for Gulf sailings between Vancouver and Whittier. Each cruise ship visit brings an estimated 1.5 million dollars to the B.C. economy.
During the event Actor Gavin McLeod who played Captain Merrill Stubing on the popular Love Boat TV series commented that the original Island Princess used Vancouver as a home port 30 years ago. One of the ships used in the filming of the TV show, the old Island Princess was 20,000-tons, carrying 610 passengers and had seven decks. The new Island Princess is 92,000-tons, carries 1,970 passengers and has 16 decks, a reflection of the evolution of the Princess ships which are now palatial and offer a much wider array of entertainment, dining options and stateroom accommodation.
Godparents, Canadians Jamie Salé and David Pelletier, are the Olympic Gold Medalists in Pairs Figure Skating from the 2002 Salt Lake City games. It was timely to have Salé and Pelletier name the ship as Vancouver was awarded the 2010 Winter Olympic Games just last week. They remarked on how beautiful Island Princess is and the astounding variety of things to do on board. David Pelletier commented that his generation thinks of cruising as something for older people but that is not the case with Island Princess. Entertainment for all age groups is found on board the ship and the quality is better than any hotel or resort.
A reception before the christening featured music by Vancouver's own big band, the Dal Richards Orchestra. The outdoor ceremony included a welcome by Cruise Director, Alastair Greener, the playing of the U.S. and Canadian national anthems, an official welcome from the First Nations and a blessing of the ship by the Reverend Richard Roberts of Vancouver's Mission to Seafarers. Short speeches were given by Dean Brown, Executive Vice President of Princess Cruises; Island Princess' Captain, Andrea Poggi; Kevin Little, Senior VP of Business Development for the Port of Vancouver; Terry Bubb, Chair, of Tourism Vancouver's Board of Directors as well as representatives from the federal, provincial and municipal governments.
Jamie and Davie christened the ship with a special magnum of Cipes Brut, British Columbia's celebrated sparkling wine produced by Summerhill Pyramid Winery in Kelowna. Princess offered guests Summerhill's red, white and sparkling wines throughout the evening.
The black tie event continued with a formal dinner at the end of which gifts were exchanged between the godparents and Captain Poggi. Jamie and David presented Island Princess with a work by acclaimed B.C. artist, Bill Reid.
At 10:00pm guests gathered on deck once more, for the champagne sailaway and countdown to sailout. Captain Poggi sounded the horn and Island Princess embarked on an overnight cruise to nowhere at 10:30pm with bands playing on board and ashore. As the ship sailed passed Stanley Park towards Lions Gate Bridge, a spectacular fireworks display lit up the sky.
Entertainment around the ship continued into the night including the production show 'Curtain Up' which salutes Broadway hits, comedian Steven Scott performing in the Explorer's Lounge and dancing to the Dal Richards Orchestra in the Universe Lounge while the casino was open into the small hours. Island Princess returned to Vancouver Saturday morning and sailed again Saturday evening on her maiden, seven-night Alaska cruise.
A new class of ship for Princess, the 92,000-ton, 1,970-passenger Island Princess is a sister ship to Coral Princess which entered service January 3, 2003. These ships cost $500 million each and feature a unique gas turbine and diesel power system which gives a smooth, vibration-free ride with reduced exhaust emissions and minimal oil waste. The gas turbines are situated in the funnel to allow more passenger space below. Aboard these ships you'll find three show lounges, an aft lounge with high-definition television and three revolving stages, two main dining rooms and a variety of dining alternatives including the Bayou Café, the first New Orleans-style restaurants at sea. New lounges include the line's first martini bar and cigar lounge aptly named Crooners and the Churchill lounge, respectively. The first pottery and ceramics studio at sea complete with pottery kiln and wheel are also found on board. Passengers can create pottery and paint ceramics as part of the new Scholarship@Sea Program which offers up to 20 courses a cruise. Subjects covered include visual, creative and culinary arts, computer skills, health and finance.
Route
The Island Princess's main itinerary consist of 7 day Alaskan cruises from Vancouver, Canada to Whittier, AlaskaWhittier, Alaska
Whittier is a city in the Valdez-Cordova Census Area, in the U.S. state of Alaska. As of 2006, the population was 177. The city is also a port for the Alaska Marine Highway.-Geography:...
during Summer months. During fall, winter, and spring the Island Princess and her sister ship Coral Princess
Coral Princess
The Coral Princess is a cruise ship owned and operated by Princess Cruises line. The vessel, along with sister ship Island Princess, was launched in 2002. The Coral Princess and Island Princess are the only two Panamax ships operated by Princess Cruises. She holds the highest paid toll to pass...
run 14-15 day Panama Canal
Panama Canal
The Panama Canal is a ship canal in Panama that joins the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean and is a key conduit for international maritime trade. Built from 1904 to 1914, the canal has seen annual traffic rise from about 1,000 ships early on to 14,702 vessels measuring a total of 309.6...
cruises with stops in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, San Juan del Sur
San Juan del Sur
San Juan del Sur is a municipality and coastal town on the Pacific Ocean, in the Rivas department in south-west Nicaragua. San Juan del Sur is popular among surfers and is a vacation spot for many Nicaraguan families and foreign tourists....
, Puntarenas, Costa Rica, Cartagena, Columbia, and Oranjestad, Aruba
Oranjestad, Aruba
Oranjestad is the capital and largest city of Aruba, which is in the Caribbean north of Venezuela. Oranjestad is located on the southern coast near the western end of the island country...
.
Similar ships
- Coral PrincessCoral PrincessThe Coral Princess is a cruise ship owned and operated by Princess Cruises line. The vessel, along with sister ship Island Princess, was launched in 2002. The Coral Princess and Island Princess are the only two Panamax ships operated by Princess Cruises. She holds the highest paid toll to pass...
- A Panamax ship operated by Princess CruisesPrincess CruisesPrincess Cruises is a British-American owned cruise line, based in Santa Clarita, California in the United States. Previously a subsidiary of P&O Princess Cruises PLC, the company is now one of ten cruise ship brands operated by Carnival Corporation & PLC and accounts for approximately 19% share...
. Sister ship to Island Princess. - Spirit class - a similar class of Panamax ships operated by Carnival Cruise LinesCarnival Cruise LinesCarnival Cruise Lines is a British-American owned cruise line, based in Doral, Florida, a suburb of Miami in the United States. Originally an independent company founded in 1972 by Ted Arison, the company is now one of eleven cruise ship brands owned and operated by Carnival Corporation & plc...
. - Radiance class - a similar class of Panamax ships operated by Royal Caribbean InternationalRoyal Caribbean InternationalRoyal Caribbean International is a Norwegian and American cruise line brand based in Miami, Florida and owned by Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd.. With 42 ships in service under 5 different brands and one more under construction, it controls a 25.6% share of the world cruise market...
- MV ArcadiaMV ArcadiaA number of ships have been named Arcadia., in service 1997-2003, in service since 2004See also...
- a similar PanamaxPanamaxPanamax and New Panamax are popular terms for the size limits for ships traveling through the Panama Canal. Formally, the limits and requirements are published by the Panama Canal Authority titled "Vessel Requirements"...
ship operated by P&O CruisesP&O CruisesP&O Cruises is a British-American owned cruise line based at Carnival House in Southampton, England, and operated by Carnival UK. Originally a constituent of the Peninsular & Oriental Steam Navigation Company, P&O Cruises is the oldest cruise line in the world, having operated the world's first...
. - MS Queen VictoriaMS Queen VictoriaMS Queen Victoria is a cruise ship in the Cunard Line fleet, named after Queen Victoria.Queen Victoria is the running mate to Queen Mary 2, and the new Queen Elizabeth. Until November 2008, she also operated alongside Queen Elizabeth 2...
- a similar PanamaxPanamaxPanamax and New Panamax are popular terms for the size limits for ships traveling through the Panama Canal. Formally, the limits and requirements are published by the Panama Canal Authority titled "Vessel Requirements"...
sized ship operated by Cunard LineCunard LineCunard Line is a British-American owned shipping company based at Carnival House in Southampton, England and operated by Carnival UK. It has been a leading operator of passenger ships on the North Atlantic for over a century...
. - Vista class cruise ship - a similar class of PanamaxPanamaxPanamax and New Panamax are popular terms for the size limits for ships traveling through the Panama Canal. Formally, the limits and requirements are published by the Panama Canal Authority titled "Vessel Requirements"...
ships operated by Holland America LineHolland America LineThe Holland America Line is a cruise shipping company. It was founded in 1873 as the Netherlands-America Steamship Company , a shipping and passenger line. Headquartered in Rotterdam and providing service to the Americas, it became known as Holland America Line... - "Signature class" cruise ship - a similar class of PanamaxPanamaxPanamax and New Panamax are popular terms for the size limits for ships traveling through the Panama Canal. Formally, the limits and requirements are published by the Panama Canal Authority titled "Vessel Requirements"...
ships operated by Holland America LineHolland America LineThe Holland America Line is a cruise shipping company. It was founded in 1873 as the Netherlands-America Steamship Company , a shipping and passenger line. Headquartered in Rotterdam and providing service to the Americas, it became known as Holland America Line... - Costa LuminosaCosta LuminosaCosta Luminosa is a cruise ship, owned and operated by Costa Cruises. Costa Luminosa entered service on May 5, 2009. The ship's design is a Hybrid, taking the best elements of Spirit-class and Vista-class cruise ships. A sister ship, Costa Deliziosa was launched in February 2010 and is based on the...
and Costa DeliziosaCosta DeliziosaCosta Deliziosa is a cruise ship operated by Costa Cruises. Ordered in 2007 as part of a five-ship expansion of the Costa Cruises Fleet, Costa Deliziosa was constructed by Fincantieri, launched in March 2009, and handed over to Costa Cruises in January 2010...
- A set of Panamax ships operated by Costa CruisesCosta CruisesCosta Cruises is a British-American owned Italian cruise line, based in Genoa, Italy.Founded in 1924, the company originally operated cargo ships, until the introduction of passenger services in 1947, with regular services between Italy and South America...
derived from the Spirit Class and Vista Class designs.
]