MS Ventura
Encyclopedia
MS
Ventura is a cruise ship
of the P&O Cruises
fleet. The ship was built by Fincantieri
at their shipyard in Monfalcone
, Italy
. At 116,017 tonnes, Ventura is the largest of seven ships currently in service with P&O Cruises. She is also the sister ship of MS Azura
. She officially entered service with the company in April 2008 and was named by Helen Mirren
.
Ventura is a Grand class
cruise ship owned by Carnival UK and operated by P&O Cruises
. When she entered service in April 2008, she was the largest cruise ship built for the British market, succeeded in 2010 with the launch of sister ship Azura
, at 116,000 tonnes. Ventura can accommodate 3,100 passengers, it has 1,550 cabins, of which about 60% possess private balconies. It features fourteen public decks, eight restaurants, six boutiques, five pools and three show lounges, including the largest theatre on a British ship. Passengers are also able to walk to the very front of the ship to the bow, which is not possible on other P&O ships. This is accessible on the Promenade Deck.
The ship is intended to be family friendly, offering toys and games, mp3 players, and appearances by the children's character Noddy. It will include children's play areas and two pools specifically for families.
After being handed over on the 29 March, Ventura arrived in Southampton
in the morning of 6 April 2008, ahead of its first mini cruise to Belgium
on 11 April, and her Maiden voyage on 18 April.
British actress Dame Helen Mirren
officially christened Ventura and became the ship's Godmother, prior to her maiden cruise to the Mediterranean Sea. In a break with tradition, instead of Dame Helen simply pressing a button to send a cradled champagne bottle towards the ship, she commanded a team of Royal Marine Commandos to assist her in naming Ventura in a dramatic abseil.
Ventura is to feature GB£
1 million in British contemporary art with 7,000 different pieces from 55 artists decorating the ship. The cabins also take a break from the norm, with canvasses decorating the walls instead of traditional prints.
The three stairwells are to be a highlight of the art on board, with each stairwell being created by a contemporary British artist to provide passengers with perceptual experiences and visual illusions.
. The White Room is the larger of the two restaurants and offers alternative dining to the main restaurants on board. Marco Pierre White has also created a menu for the first 24 hour buffet style family restaurant, The Beach House, located on Deck 15. There is also tazzine which is an Italian styled coffee lounge that sells snacks and beverages.
and Frankie Dettori
, and Ramblas, which is named after the historic avenue in Barcelona
, is a Spanish themed tapas bar on Deck 7.
, who have created a large digital Scalextric track, located in the Havana club. This is one of many family orientated features of Ventura.
Ship prefix
A ship prefix is a combination of letters, usually abbreviations, used in front of the name of a civilian or naval ship.Prefixes for civilian vessels may either identify the type of propulsion, such as "SS" for steamship, or purpose, such as "RV" for research vessel. Civilian prefixes are often...
Ventura 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...
of the P&O Cruises
P&O Cruises
P&O Cruises is a British-American owned cruise line based at Carnival House in Southampton, England, and operated by Carnival UK. Originally a constituent of the Peninsular & Oriental Steam Navigation Company, P&O Cruises is the oldest cruise line in the world, having operated the world's first...
fleet. The ship was built by Fincantieri
Fincantieri
Fincantieri - Cantieri Navali Italiani S.p.A. is a shipbuilding company based in Trieste, Italy. It was formed in 1959 and is the largest shipbuilder in the Mediterranean, and one of the largest in Europe...
at their shipyard in Monfalcone
Monfalcone
Monfalcone is a town and comune of the province of Gorizia , located on the coast of the Gulf of Trieste. Monfalcone means "Mount of Falcon" in Italian....
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. At 116,017 tonnes, Ventura is the largest of seven ships currently in service with P&O Cruises. She is also the sister ship of MS Azura
MS Azura
MS Azura is a cruise ship of the P&O Cruises fleet. The ship was built by Fincantieri at their shipyard in Monfalcone, Italy. At 115,055 tonnes, Azura is the second largest of seven ships currently in service with P&O Cruises. She is also the sister ship of MS Ventura...
. She officially entered service with the company in April 2008 and was named by Helen Mirren
Helen Mirren
Dame Helen Mirren, DBE is an English actor. She has won an Academy Award for Best Actress, four SAG Awards, four BAFTAs, three Golden Globes, four Emmy Awards, and two Cannes Film Festival Best Actress Awards.-Early life and family:...
.
Overview
MSMotor ship
A motor ship or motor vessel is a ship propelled by an internal combustion engine, usually a diesel engine. The name of motor ships are often prefixed with MS, M/S, MV or M/V.- See also :...
Ventura is a Grand class
Grand Class
The Grand class is a class of cruise ships. Ships in the class are operated by the cruise lines Princess Cruises or P&O Cruises. The class consists of several series of sister ships, most of which were built by Fincantieri in Monfalcone, northern Italy...
cruise ship owned by Carnival UK and operated by P&O Cruises
P&O Cruises
P&O Cruises is a British-American owned cruise line based at Carnival House in Southampton, England, and operated by Carnival UK. Originally a constituent of the Peninsular & Oriental Steam Navigation Company, P&O Cruises is the oldest cruise line in the world, having operated the world's first...
. When she entered service in April 2008, she was the largest cruise ship built for the British market, succeeded in 2010 with the launch of sister ship Azura
MS Azura
MS Azura is a cruise ship of the P&O Cruises fleet. The ship was built by Fincantieri at their shipyard in Monfalcone, Italy. At 115,055 tonnes, Azura is the second largest of seven ships currently in service with P&O Cruises. She is also the sister ship of MS Ventura...
, at 116,000 tonnes. Ventura can accommodate 3,100 passengers, it has 1,550 cabins, of which about 60% possess private balconies. It features fourteen public decks, eight restaurants, six boutiques, five pools and three show lounges, including the largest theatre on a British ship. Passengers are also able to walk to the very front of the ship to the bow, which is not possible on other P&O ships. This is accessible on the Promenade Deck.
The ship is intended to be family friendly, offering toys and games, mp3 players, and appearances by the children's character Noddy. It will include children's play areas and two pools specifically for families.
After being handed over on the 29 March, Ventura arrived in Southampton
Southampton
Southampton is the largest city in the county of Hampshire on the south coast of England, and is situated south-west of London and north-west of Portsmouth. Southampton is a major port and the closest city to the New Forest...
in the morning of 6 April 2008, ahead of its first mini cruise to Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
on 11 April, and her Maiden voyage on 18 April.
British actress Dame Helen Mirren
Helen Mirren
Dame Helen Mirren, DBE is an English actor. She has won an Academy Award for Best Actress, four SAG Awards, four BAFTAs, three Golden Globes, four Emmy Awards, and two Cannes Film Festival Best Actress Awards.-Early life and family:...
officially christened Ventura and became the ship's Godmother, prior to her maiden cruise to the Mediterranean Sea. In a break with tradition, instead of Dame Helen simply pressing a button to send a cradled champagne bottle towards the ship, she commanded a team of Royal Marine Commandos to assist her in naming Ventura in a dramatic abseil.
Art gallery
P&O Cruises has partnered with art experts Tate Modern to host ‘Introduction to Modern Art’ special interest cruises to be held throughout the year. These cruises will be hosted by experts from Tate Modern and give passengers the opportunity to attend seminars, presentations and practical art classes on cruises throughout the year.Ventura is to feature GB£
Pound sterling
The pound sterling , commonly called the pound, is the official currency of the United Kingdom, its Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, British Antarctic Territory and Tristan da Cunha. It is subdivided into 100 pence...
1 million in British contemporary art with 7,000 different pieces from 55 artists decorating the ship. The cabins also take a break from the norm, with canvasses decorating the walls instead of traditional prints.
The three stairwells are to be a highlight of the art on board, with each stairwell being created by a contemporary British artist to provide passengers with perceptual experiences and visual illusions.
- Paul Critchley is using more than 120 pieces of cut aluminium, which are covered with canvas and painted to create 24 multiple piece paintings of interiors, square globes, people, clothes, groups of objects. Paul’s works will adorn the aft stairwell and create ‘ten more exciting rooms for Ventura”.
- Vanessa Ballard is creating 42 artworks from just under 90,000 digital photographs, which will be hung in the midships stairwell. Each work will have a central form that is understandable from a distance, but as you move closer it becomes apparent the image is made up of many much smaller pictures. Vanessa will travel the globe in search of the pictures that will also provide myriad hidden clues.
- Johnny Bull occupies the forward stairwell with 42 lenticular works of art. This new technology means Johnny can create land and cityscapes in layers, featuring people from photographs of the places he has visited. Each image will be made from approximately 20 plastic lenses that create an illusion of depth and movement, much like a hologram.
Dining
Ventura features two restaurants and a coffee lounge where the menu has been created by celebrity chef Marco Pierre WhiteMarco Pierre White
Marco Pierre White is a British celebrity chef, restaurateur and television personality. He is noted for his contributions to contemporary international cuisine, and his exceptional culinary skills....
. The White Room is the larger of the two restaurants and offers alternative dining to the main restaurants on board. Marco Pierre White has also created a menu for the first 24 hour buffet style family restaurant, The Beach House, located on Deck 15. There is also tazzine which is an Italian styled coffee lounge that sells snacks and beverages.
Main restaurants
Ventura features three main dining rooms that require passengers to book a sitting at either 6.30pm or 8.30pm. The largest is the Bay Tree Restaurant with the Saffron and Cinnamon restaurants being two similar sized smaller restaurants.Other restaurants
One of the alternative restaurants on Ventura is East, located on Deck 7 (aft) and serves Asian and Pacific cuisine. Located on Deck 15 is the Waterside Restaurant which is Venturas main food court and is open from breakfast to late afternoon. This is an informal daytime dining venue. Frankie's Pizzeria is located by the laguna pool and is inspired by the informal restaurant chain created by Marco Pierre WhiteMarco Pierre White
Marco Pierre White is a British celebrity chef, restaurateur and television personality. He is noted for his contributions to contemporary international cuisine, and his exceptional culinary skills....
and Frankie Dettori
Frankie Dettori
Lanfranco "Frankie" Dettori, MBE is an Italian horse racing jockey and celebrity. Dettori has been Champion Jockey on three occasions and has ridden the winners of more than 500 Group races.. He has had many successes in his role of stable jockey to Godolphin Racing...
, and Ramblas, which is named after the historic avenue in Barcelona
Barcelona
Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...
, is a Spanish themed tapas bar on Deck 7.
Cirque Ventura
On the 19th deck of Ventura is 'Cirque Ventura' which is the first contemporary circus school on any superliner. It holds workshops by performers teaching such activities as tight wire, acrobalance, clowning, break dancing and juggling. It also features bungee trampolines which allow passengers to reach heights of over 100 metres above sea level. The activity is complimentary and circus shows are also planned regularly on board, that enable passengers to take part in a live performance.Scalextric
Another partnership on Ventura is with ScalextricScalextric
Scalextric is a toy brand for a range of slot car racing sets which first appeared in the late 1950s, as a creation of British firm Minimodels. The brand is currently owned and distributed by Hornby.-History:...
, who have created a large digital Scalextric track, located in the Havana club. This is one of many family orientated features of Ventura.