MS Pacific

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Pacific Princess off the US West Coast
Pacific Princess off the US West Coast
Career
Name: Sea Venture (1971–1975)
Pacific Princess (1975–2002)
Pacific (2002–present)
Owner: Flagship Cruises (1971–1975)
Princess Cruises (1975–2002)
Viagens CVC (2002–2012)
CEMSAN (2012-present)
Operator: 1971–1975: Flagship Cruises
1975–2002: Princess Cruises
2002–2008: Pullmantur Cruises/Viagens CVC
2008: Quail Cruises
Port of registry:  Norway, Oslo (1971–1975)
 United Kingdom, London (1975–2002)
 Bahamas, Nassau (2002–present)[1]
Builder: Nordseewerke, Emden, West Germany
Cost: US25 million[2]
Yard number: 411[1]
Launched: 9 May 1970[1]
Christened: 14 May 1971[1]
Acquired: 14 May 1971[1]
Maiden voyage: 8 May 1971[1]
In service: June 1971[1]
Identification: Callsign: C6SB5
IMO number: 7018563
MMSI: 311245000
Status: As of 4 April 2013 (2013-04-04): laid up in Genoa.
General characteristics (as built)[1]
Class & type: Sea Venture class cruise ship
Tonnage: 19,903 GRT
3,390 DWT
Length: 167.74 m (550 ft 4 in)
Beam: 24.59 m (80 ft 8 in)
Draught: 7.40 m (24 ft 3 in)
Installed power: 4 × Fiat C420,10SS diesels
13,240 kW (combined)
Propulsion: 2 propellers[3]
Speed: 20 knots (37 km/h; 23 mph) (service)[3]
21.5 knots (39.8 km/h; 24.7 mph) (maximum)
Capacity: 626 passengers
General characteristics (as Pacific)[2]
Class & type: Sea Venture class cruise ship
Tonnage: 20,636 GT
Decks: 8
Capacity: 640 passengers (lower berths)
750 (all berths)
Crew: 350

MS Pacific is a cruise ship owned and operated by the Brazil-based Viagens CVC. She was built in 1971 by Nordseewerke, Emden, West Germany as Sea Venture for Flagship Cruises. She operated cruises between the USA and Bermuda, which had been settled by the survivors of the wreck of the original Sea Venture in 1609. Between 1975 and 2002 she sailed for Princess Cruises as Pacific Princess, famous for appearing in the romantic sitcom The Love Boat.

In 2008, Pacific was chartered by the newly-established Quail Cruises to operate cruises out of Valencia, Spain,[4] but was retired from service when renovation work proved more expensive than had been anticipated and was sold to a company specializing in ship breaking in 2012. As of 4 April 2013 (2013-04-04), she remains laid up in Genoa.[5]

Contents

History [edit]

The ship began operation in 1971 with Flagship Cruises, under the name Sea Venture. In April 1975, she was sold to P&O's newly acquired Princess Cruises along with sister ship Island Venture. The pair were renamed Pacific Princess and Island Princess, the latter now operating as Discovery.

As Sea Venture, Pacific Princess came to the rescue of the RMS Queen Elizabeth 2, after the latter had major engine trouble.

Princess Cruises agreed to have their cruise ships featured in the television romantic sitcom The Love Boat, which debuted in 1977. The ship featured in nearly every episode of the series (which was filmed primarily on sets in a production studio) was Pacific Princess, although other ships also appeared, including Island Princess. The term "Love Boat" was heavily used by Princess Cruises in their marketing, and became synonymous with Pacific Princess. The success of the up-beat television show, which remained on the air until 1986, is largely credited with the increase in popularity of cruise ship travel in North America.[6]

In 1998 Pacific Princess was impounded by police in Piraeus, Greece after 25 kg of heroin was found on board, smuggled by two Filipino crew men. According to police sources quoted in the BBC report at the time, there was evidence the ship had become a major tool for drug smugglers in the Mediterranean.[7]

Pacific laid up after being seized by Italian authorities due to a failed safety test.

Pacific Princess was sold in 2001, but was leased back and continued to operate as part of the Princess fleet until 2002, when the former Renaissance Cruises R3 replaced her and took her name.

Pacific Princess made her final voyage with Princess Cruises in October/November 2002, sailing from New York City to Rome, Italy. She then began operating for Pullmantur Cruises of Spain as Pacific, sailing in the Caribbean. Pacific was later chartered to and operated by CVC in Brazil during the Southern summer and by Quail Cruises in Spain during the Northern Summer.

According to the cruise ship industry blog MaritimeMatters Pacific was seized by the Italian Coast Guard in 2008 for a repair bill owed to San Giorgio di Porto Shipyard by her former owners Templeton International Inc.[8][9] The debt was much lower than reported, however, and had nothing to do with the ship's current operators.[10]

In order to satisfy the debt, Italian authorities tried to sell Pacific at auction three times between 2010 and 2011, but no bids were received. In March 2012 the ship was sold for €2.5 million to a ship breaking company, Cemsan Ship Breaker of Izmir, Turkey,[11] but Cemsan defaulted on its payment and, as of May 2012, the ship once again is up for sale.[9]

Statistics [edit]

Pacific is 168.8 m long, has a 24.7 m beam and was built at Nordseewerke, West Germany. She is propelled by four medium speed Fiat Diesel engines with a combined power output of 18,000 shaft horsepower. The engines are individually clutched and geared in pairs to each of the two shafts that drive controllable pitch propellers. This enables one or more engines to be shut down and declutched as required. As Pacific Princess her tonnage was 20,636 GRT and she carried 646 passengers at a top speed of 21.5 knots, cruising at 20 knots. As Pacific, her capacity has been increased to 780 passengers and cruising speed reduced to 18 knots. Country of registry is the Bahamas.

References [edit]

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h Asklander, Micke. "M/S SEa Venture (1971)". Fakta om Fartyg. Retrieved 2008-03-16. 
  2. ^ a b Ward, Douglas (2006). Complete Guide to Cruising & Cruise Ships. Singapore: Berlitz. p. 468. ISBN 981-246-739-4. 
  3. ^ a b Miller, William H. Jr. (1995). Pictorial Encyclopedia of Ocean Liners, 1860-1994. Mineola: Dover Publications. p. 117. ISBN 0-486-28137-X. 
  4. ^ Newman, Doug (2008-01-24). "Quail Cruises Unveils 2008 Program". At Sea With Doug Newman. Retrieved 2008-01-28. 
  5. ^ http://maritimematters.com/2013/03/and-away-they-go/
  6. ^ "Report: 'Love Boat' cruise ship sold for scrap". FoxNews.com. March 9, 2012. Retrieved March 13, 2012. 
  7. ^ BBC (1998-11-29). "TV boat held after drugs seizure". BBC News. Retrieved 2008-02-25. 
  8. ^ "MaritimeMatters". 
  9. ^ a b Peter Knego (June 5, 2012). "Visit to the Former PACIFIC PRINCESS". 
  10. ^ "Quail Cruises dice que el 'Pacific' aún se está reparando y que la deuda es de sólo 112.000 euros". 
  11. ^ "SOS: ‘Love Boat’ Sails Off to the Junkyard". 

External links [edit]
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